Third and Final Vintage Mirror Makeover; White and Blue with Wooden Appliques

Vintage mirror makeover, after photo.
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This is the final one! My last mirror in waiting, now given her makeover.

This is how I found her, abandoned in a dirty storage building.

Vintage mirror before makeover.  Salvaged mirror.
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I will not go into too many details on this makeover, since I’ve already posted in length about the previous two, but I’ll show you some of the process.

Of course the mirror had to be cleaned before any work could begin. Willie took care of most of that outside, and then I did the final wipe-downs inside right before painting.

Vintage mirror makeover, before picture.
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Willie removed the previous wooden appliques that were featured on this mirror, and I chose 2 appliques with roses for the top, and then 2 corner embellishments for the bottom.

Vintage mirror makeover, testing placement of wooden appliques.
Appliques from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/44nSFlu
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I got the mirror taped off, and then began painting. To be honest, I did not know how I wanted it painted. I only knew that I wanted it to be blue. I purchased peacock blue and teal paints, as I am wanting to bring in more of these types of blue tones into my office. I ended up using both tones of paint, along with white. I am not a professional painter, or makeover artist, I just jump in and go for it!

Vintage mirror makeover, painting the mirror.
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I began by first applying some white paint, then swiping over it with the blue tones. I went with teal down the sides, and and peacock along the top and bottom.

I ended up blending the blues, but I just wasn’t happy with how it was coming out. But not to dismay. I decided to go back over it with white paint again.

Vintage mirror makeover, painting the mirror.
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After a little back and forth, I am happy with the results.

Vintage mirror makeover, after photo.  Painted in blue and white with wooden appliques.
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As you can see, I painted all the wooden appliques using the same type of method. These were a lot easier to do than the mirror. I just painted a white base coat, then dry brushed the peacock blue and teal paints across the raised edges.

Painting a wooden rose applique white and blue.  Applique from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/44nSFlu
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Wooden rose applique from Amazon, painted in white and blue.
https://amzn.to/3GzUfr4
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I also painted a white plaster rose hanger, and an iron hat rack, using the same paints and technique.

Painting a white plaster rose hanger teal and white.
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Painting an iron hat rack teal and white.
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Now I have a cute out the door station in my office, with my purse, hats, and mirror, for last check.

After photo of vintage mirror makeover.
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I hope my project inspires you to try something new yourself.

Till next time, follow your joy! God is good!

Johanna and Willie

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Helpful Links:

Wooden Rose Applique on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GzUfr4

Wooden Decorative Appliques on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4klT8Jn

Vintage mirror makeover, upcycled mirror, salvaged mirror, painting project, home decor inspo, office decor, Conroe, Willis, Texas, lake house

Dining Room Decor: Vintage Candlestick Holders with Brown, Silver Scroll Candles

Brown pillar candles with silver scrolls from Amazon
https://amzn.to/4lv488q
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Do you remember these vintage candlestick holders from our Rosey Opal haul? Well, they have found their new home atop our antique curio cabinet in our dining room. When I spotted these, I did not even think about them matching my upcycled picture frame so well. When we got home with these, I was like, “hey…. I do have a good eye!”. I knew they would fit in. And with a price tag of only $10.00 per candlestick holder, I definitely knew I couldn’t go wrong getting these. They are very heavy and they had already been whitewashed, so perfect!

I immediately began searching for pillar candles to top these, and turned to my favorite online shopping spot, Amazon. I came across these interesting little pillars that are dark brown with raised metallic silver scroll-work.

Dark brown pillar candle with raised silver scrollwork from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/45Osc1t
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Now, when I received these candles, they looked like they may have been damaged in transit, with some bubbling of the brown paint, and some chipping off of the silver. But you know what? I really like it! They came distressed! It’s actually better for going atop a distressed candlestick holder that’s sitting in front of a distressed frame. If I were still making decorative pillars, I would have most likely been trying to achieve a distressed look when making candles for these holders, so yay!

I really like how the brown candles gently balance everything out, and the silver is just the perfect accent for this setting.

Brown and silver pillar candles from Amazon.
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https://amzn.to/4lv488q

I couldn’t be happier with these finds, or how they fit into our decor.

For the candles, you can follow our Amazon Associate link here. For the candlestick holders, well, they were the only ones like this at the time we shopped at Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX. But here is a link to some gorgeous vintage white candlestick holders on Amazon, if you’d like to shop this home decor inspiration.

Till next time, remember to always follow your joy! God is good!

Johanna and Willie

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Vintage candlestick holders, distressed candlestick holders, distressed candle with metallic silver swirls, Amazon Home Finds, dining room decor, whitewashed candlestick holders, home decor, shabby chic decor, farmhouse decor, antique furniture

DIY Home Decor Project: Vintage Venice Inspired Mirror Upcycle Using Wood Appliques

DIY Home Decor Project: Vintage Mirror Makeover using Wood Appliques from Amazon, After Photo
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Amazon product link: https://amzn.to/4le3Xy8

Well, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to begin with the before, or the after photo. I’m opting for the after photo first. I’m so pleased with the outcome of this vintage mirror upcycle. I can’t believe I was able to achieve such a makeover all by myself. Well, with a little help from Willie, I suppose (winks!).

I found this old mirror in a building at Willie’s family business. Everything is being cleared out, so this would have most likely been thrown out if I had not salvaged it, especially in the shape I found it in.

DIY Vintage Mirror Makeover, Before Pic.
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Now, who wouldn’t want to bring this beauty home? I mean, it’s gorgeous home decor!

But yeah, I had been on the hunt for a large mirror for Royalview, and I found 2, perhaps not in the best condition, but I thought they had good potential.

Willie was very kind to get this all cleaned up for me before we brought it indoors for it’s makeover. It looked a lot better after a good cleaning.

DIY Home Decor Project:  Vintage Mirror Makeover, Before Pic.
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I knew I wanted to add some beautiful decorative embellishment to this mirror. I was inspired by a Vlogger I follow, called Walk With Me Tim. He and his wife stayed in a beautiful hotel in Venice where they had these gorgeous old mirrors that were very ornate, and yet the mirrors themselves were aged. This mirror had the same feels for me with the aging of the mirror, so let’s turn it into a vintage Venice inspired mirror!

Ornamental decorative wood appliques onlays for vintage mirror makeover project.  Easy to paint and apply to wood project.  From Amazon.  https://amzn.to/3FQvNl7
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I found a very lovely set of wooden appliques, or onlays, from Amazon. This set is offered in a small or large size, and in sets of 5 or 10. I opted for size large, in a set of 10. This is enough for 2 projects, should I desire. (The rose appliques are for another project up the line, and not included in the set of 10 I used for this project.)

Set of beautiful wooden appliques onlays from Amazon,  https://amzn.to/3FQvNl7
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The detail on these appliques is very intricate, and they are a good heft, as well. They are lightweight, but not so thin that they are too fragile to work with. Just perfect!

Ornate decorative wood appliques from Amazon.  https://amzn.to/3FQvNl7
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Now, as I was sorting through my appliques and getting ready to paint them, Willie went to work attaching the French Cleat Picture Hanger wall bracket set that I found on Amazon as well. This gadget was a life-saver when it came to figuring out how to hang this very heavy mirror. The mirror was originally attached to a dresser, so there was no original wall hanging hardware.

It seemed very easy for him to attach two of the brackets on the back of the frame, and then the other two to the wall, and they just slip one inside the other to hang. Fabulous!

French Cleat Picture Hanger, wall bracket hardware set from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4nd5S7L
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I had a lot of fun painting the wooden appliques. I first painted them white, and then I went over them later (after they had dried), with a gold metallic paint, just sweeping it across the raised details.

Painting wood appliques from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4k3dLdc
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After I had painted the appliques, I got to work painting the mirror frame. I first taped off the mirror using painter’s tape so that I would not get paint on the mirror itself. This is very easily removed after the paint dries, and it makes a big difference in getting a sharp edge on your paint, next to the mirror.

When I began painting the mirror, I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to look. White-washed? Fully painted? No… this has to look like it’s been around for centuries. The paint has begun to chip. That’s the ticket!

I began with a top coat, then I went back over it (in sections) with another coat. I let that second coat dry just a bit, till it was almost dry, then I rubbed across it with a slightly damp paper towel. Since I left the original varnish on the mirror, it was a little “slick” underneath my new paint, so I was able to get my (almost, but still not dry) second coat of paint to literally peel off on some of the raised areas, allowing the original brown color to come through. Since I wanted it to look like the paint has organically chipped off over time, I did not want any white-wash smudge, so I took another damp(er) paper towel and wiped the brown areas to bring back the original sheen.

Distressing paint to make it look like it chipped off over time.
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Here is the type of paint I used by Benjamin Moore (not sponsored). I’ve been using this same paint for all my recent projects. It has been wonderful to work with for all my paint effects. It is an Interior Acrylic Paint and Primer, in a Satin/Pearl finish. It’s not shiny or iridescent, as the name would make one think.

I completed the entire mirror, using this method, one side at a time. It really doesn’t take that long to do, and is quite fun!

Distressed/chipped paint effect on a vintage mirror.
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If I “messed up” I would just paint back over the area and wait for it to get almost dry, and rub away again. Only one area, right here in the above corner, gave me any trouble. I just couldn’t seem to get it the way I wanted, but it came out fine in the end. Probably no one but me would even notice. It’s supposed to be old and organically chipped, right?

Now jumping ahead, I used FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Pure Gold (from Amazon) to highlight the inside and outside edges of the mirror, as well as highlight all the raised areas of the wooden appliques.

Vintage mirror makeover, Venice inspired look, using ornate wooden appliques from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4k3dLdc
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I then glued on all the wooden appliques. Hot glue works best, in my opinion. I first used super glue, but one corner came off after hanging, so hot glue to the rescue!

Vintage mirror makeover, upcycle, from trash to treasure, using wood appliques, overlays, from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/44hVPWz
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Venice inspired vintage mirror upcycle using wooden appliques from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/44hVPWz
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I just love it. This is my favorite decor makeover that I’ve done thus far, and I love it now hanging over my makeup table in my office.

Completed DIY Paint Project.  Venice Inspired Mirror Makeover in White and Gold, Using Wood Appliques from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/44hVPWz
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I hope my salvaged project inspires you to create something fabulous for your space.

Till next time, be kind, and always follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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DIY Home Decor Paint Project, Venetian, Venice Inspired Mirror Makeover, Salvaged, From Trash to Treasure Home Decoration, Vintage Mirror Upcycle, Conroe, Texas, Lakehouse

My New Farmhouse Desk is Assembled, Time to Set up the Office!

Whalefall 55" White Farmhouse Desk with File Cabinet and Charging Station from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/45olhf8
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I am very thankful to now be setting up my office/makeup room. This has been a little while in the making, but we wanted to first get settled in our main living spaces, of course.

I found this charming White Farmhouse Desk on Amazon, one of my very favorite shopping spots. I instantly knew this was the one for me. It’s called the Whalefall 55″ Farmhouse Desk with File Cabinet and Charging Station in White (It comes in 3 other color options as well; White Grey Wash, Light Walnut, and Cherry Brown.)

I’ve also been on the look-out for decor that may bring me joy in my office, and I’ve curated a few vintage pieces on our antiquing trips, that make me smile.

Getting ready to set up the office at Royalview.
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The bicycle picture was spotted by Willie at Mimi’s on Main, in Conroe, TX, and the two Southern Belle ladies are also from Mimi’s. I found those a while back and did not initially pick them up, but went back to find them. Thankfully they were still there, waiting for me. The vintage shadowbox ladies came from the Conroe Woodlands Antique Mall.

Curated vintage decor for my office at Royalview.
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My office decor is taking on it’s own hues in blue and teal. I may add some peacock blue and purple in here as well. I’m having fun perusing the area rugs on Amazon for ideas.

But back to my lovely desk. It arrived from Amazon unassembled, in a large box. Willie took the reins of this project. I’m so glad he knows what he’s doing. The desk arrived in parts. Everything was labeled very well, and had assembly instructions.

Whalefall 55" White Farmhouse Desk unboxed, unassembled.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Willie got to work , and made good progress very swiftly. He brought it inside in sections and assembled as he went. The desk is a nice quality, thus heavy.

White Farmhouse Desk (from Amazon) being assembled in sections.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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White Farmhouse Desk (from Amazon) being assembled.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Willie finishing desk assembly.
White Farmhouse Desk from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Great job Willie! I’ve always loved watching him work. This was a fun project for him, and made the desk even more special to me, with it being put together by my sweet Willie.

White Farmhouse Desk with File Cabinet from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4e5zi3G
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Can’t wait to get everything out of boxes and organized in my new desk. I’m really excited to get my makeup table set up and organized as well. I’ve felt a little lost since we moved from Wintergreen without my makeup table, but I’ve been managing just fine.

I have 2 vintage mirrors that I found while rummaging through a storage building that I’ll be redoing for my office/makeup room as well, so more adventure awaits!

Till next time, be kind, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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White Farmhouse Desk Assembly, Amazon Associate, Amazon Finds, Amazon Home, Setting up a Home Office, Home Office Decor, Vintage Decor

Vintage Mirror Makeover DIY Project: From Western Motif to French Country Home Decor

Western Motif Vintage Mirror Before Transformation.
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So, we’ve been on the look-out for mirrors for Royalview for a little while now. I, in particular, have been keeping an eye out for a full-length mirror for our bedroom, as well as a mirror for my office/make-up room.

Western Motif Vintage Mirror Before Makeover.
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The price tag that comes along with a beautiful large mirror is pretty large as well, we’ve noticed, so when I spotted this beauty at one of my favorite booth’s at Yesterday’s Treasures, I was definitely interested, and when Willie told me the price, I was sold. ($25.00)

It’s not quite the look and style as Royalview’s decor, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, but if you’ve been following our story here for a bit, you know I’m up for a challenge, armed with my can of white paint. So, yeah, after giving it a good look-over, I said, “I can paint it white!”.

It was listed as a Western Motif Mirror, and it does have some pretty designs. The frame is very large and ornate, so definitely something I can work with.

For this project I did need to get the painters tape out and fully line all sides of the mirror to make sure not to get paint on the mirror itself.

Western Motif Vintage Mirror Before Painting, with Blue Painters Tape.
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I decided not to sand this, even though it seemed to have some type of varnish over the paint, and with 2 coats of white paint, the old brown, black, and gold tones were a distant memory.

Vintage Mirror Makeover.  Painted White.
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I did allow some of the old tones to show through, to let it still have a vintage look, but this time I took things to the next level by adding blue paint to the little circle details. At first I was going to paint each one perfectly, but then I decided it would be better to give it an imperfect, distressed look.

Vintage Mirror Makeover in White and Blue.
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I’m very delighted how it turned out. It was a very easy project to do. The mirror just needed to be cleaned a bit and painted. It has a lot of character, and a new life now at Royalview.

The toughest things about this project came after completing the makeover: Deciding where and how to hang it.

The how to hang it has now being taken care of thanks to Amazon. I found a French Cleat Picture Hanger Kit that we will be trying out here very soon. This mirror weighs in at approximately 25 pounds. Yes, Willie weighed it. It feels much heavier to me. The kit(s) I found have different sizes for different weights. This is going to make hanging it so much easier and safer.

And for the where. My initial thought for this mirror was definitely for our bedroom wall.

Completed vintage mirror makeover.  
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This is large enough to use as a full-length dressing mirror, but after I painted it, I looked into the living room and thought how beautiful this would be over our main sofa (hung horizontally). The wall over our sofa has been kept blank till we find the “perfect” item, or items to adorn that focal area.

Bare living room wall awaiting decor.
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I don’t know for sure yet where it will find it’s place.

I do have two more vintage mirrors that are awaiting transformation. These two I got for free, rummaging through one of the buildings at Willie’s family’s business that’s being cleared out.

Here are the two lovelies.

Vintage mirror awaiting transformation.
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Think I have my work cut out for me?

Vintage dresser mirror awaiting transformation.
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I know there will be a lot of cleaning involved, for sure!

But, I do have some ideas, and I’ve ordered some things already for these, including the French Cleat Hangers, of course. The brown one is off of a dresser, so it definitely will need hardware to hang.

That yellow mirror is so pretty, though. That one will either be in my office (the brown one will be over my dressing table in my office/make-up room) as a full length dressing mirror, or in our bedroom if the other goes over the sofa, so stay tuned!

I’m just so happy to be able to breathe new life into these almost lost mirrors. They are all good-sized mirrors, and in good shape mostly. I’m hoping once the dirt is wiped from these last two, that the mirrors themselves are good. From what I can see, they look like they will be ok.

Okay gang, till next time, please remember to be kind, and always follow your joy!

Johanna and Willie

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Vintage Mirror DIY Paint Makeover Project, French Country House Decor, Lake House Decor, Conroe, Texas, Arts and Crafts

DIY Painting Projects: Dining Room Curio Cabinet Decor

Antique hand made mahogany curio cabinet.
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It’s been a lot of fun shopping and deciding what items to put on and in our antique curio cabinet handmade by Willie’s Father. I definitely knew that we needed bright items to contrast the dark mahogany wood. I also wanted to go with fun and whimsical items.

A few of the recently added items are the cute little bicycle clock, the miniature table and chair set, and the wicker basket.

Each of these items needed a little TLC to get them ready for display.

The first to get their makeover was the little bicycle clock. We found this at Hobby Lobby on the Clearance aisle. It’s so awesome. I told Willie that I really wanted a white bicycle to go in our cabinet, so when I spotted this bicycle, I was overjoyed.

As you can see, it was originally black metal, and the clock had no hands. I saw this as a fun project for us, and I love that it is an old fashioned style bicycle. This was a happy surprise find.

Black cast iron bicycle clock before picture.
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With just a quick touch-up of white paint on the metal and wooden parts, the only thing left to do was to replace the clock-works. We found clock workings sets at Michaels for both this bicycle clock and a little house clock project. I’ll show you the little house on a later post.

Bicycle clock painted white.
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Willie made quick and easy work of replacing the clock works, and there she is, so pretty and now also working. I cannot remember exactly what we paid for this clock, but I think it was less than $5.00, because it didn’t work, so yay!

Completed bicycle clock makeover and clock replacement, after picture.
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Next up are the miniature dining room table and chairs and wicker basket, ready for their makeovers.

Paint project items:  miniature table and chair set and wicker basket.
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We got the miniature wooden table and chairs set at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles, and the wicker basket was brought with us from our former home.

I dreamt about the wicker basket painted white with lavender flowers inside, like someone had been out picking them. So, that’s what I set out to accomplish.

Wicker basket being painted white.
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Again, very easy to transform. I used a water based paint and did not put a lot on my brush. Just a light white washing.

Wicker basket painted white.
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I did not paint the inside, since I plan to fill it with faux lavender, which I picked up at Rosey Opals, in New Waverly, TX.

Faux lavender stems with frayed white satin ribbon tied in bows.
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I also purchased some frayed white satin ribbon, and a really pretty blue silk ribbon from Amazon. Here are our Associate links for these: White Silk Satin Ribbon 1.5 inch, Dusty Blue Satin Ribbon 3 inch.

Wicker basket painted white with dusty blue satin ribbon to be tied.
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I love the color and texture of these ribbons. So beautiful.

And our finished basket with lavender project:

White washed wicker basket filled with faux lavender and tied with a dusty blue satin ribbon bow.
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I’m very happy with the way it turned out.

And now we get to the little miniature table and chairs. I found these at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles. I posted about our fun antique shopping day in New Waverly in an earlier post. You can find it here.

My new phrase currently seems to be, “I can paint it white.”, when I find something I love that isn’t quite the right aesthetic for Royalview’s decor. I like being able to find things that we both love, and transforming them. It’s so much fun, and makes for great memory making.

Painting a miniature dining table white.
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Painting a wooden miniature table and chairs set.
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For this set, I added a touch of blue paint to give the pieces a little farmhouse charm.

Miniature wooden table and chair set finished paint project in whitewash and blue with miniature vase and flowers.
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Isn’t that little vase with flowers the sweetest? But…. I also found a miniature tea set while shopping at the Conroe Woodlands Antique Mall, and I couldn’t resist. It was a difficult choice, but I decided to go with the tea set on the table.

And here it is in it’s new spot in the curio cabinet.

Miniature wooden table and chairs set with miniature tea set on the table.
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I completed the look with a little doily that I found at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.

The basket found it’s new home on the very bottom of the curio cabinet.

White washed wicker basket filled with faux lavender inside an antique mahogany curio cabinet.
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We’re making great progress!

Mahogany antique hand made curio cabinet.
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We just need to find some goodies for the very top. I’m thinking remote controlled candles, to bring in some light, and a couple more items for the side (angled) shelves on the bottom.

It’s all coming together a lot quicker than I thought it may, and I’m really loving the juxtaposition of the formalness and darkness of the cabinet, with the playfulness and lightness of the curated items.

Till next time, stay safe and follow your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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DIY Home Decor Projects, Miniature Furniture Makeover, Whitewashing Projects, Paint Projects, French Country House Inspired Decorations, Whimsical Decor, Lakehouse Decor, Conroe, Texas

DIY Home Decor Paint Project: Tall Wooden Candlestick Holder Makeover (Beauty)

Before and after photo of repainted makeover: Tall wooden candlestick holder from burgandy to white. 
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Updated Makeover from Burgundy to White

This is a project I had both been looking forward to, as well as being a bit shy to begin. Let me introduce you to Beauty, as we affectionately call her. Beauty has been with us for 20 years now. She was hand-turned on a lathe by Willie, and hand painted by me when we were working together as Studio 3B, creating wooden candlestick holders and candles.

Now that we’ve moved to Royalview and changed our decor, her burgundy and gold colors no longer fit in aesthetically, but I knew I’d never let her go, so she was slated for a complete transformation.

Tall wooden candlestick holder before paint makeover.
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To begin, I used a soft grit sandpaper to remove the varnish. I chose not to completely sand her down (back to original wood), but rather use the deep burgundy as an undertone so she would have an aged look after completion. In other words, I was not planning a “pristine” white look.

Wooden candlestick holder being painted.  First coat of white paint.
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This was the scary part. Putting on the first coat of white, and covering up her original burgundy. I used a water based paint (same as my previous project).

Here’s her first coat of white. The burgundy still shows through, but she’ll get a second coat.

DIY Paint Project:  Tall wooden candlestick holder transformation from burgundy to white.  First coat of white.
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Now that she’d had her second coat of white paint, I knew that I wanted contrast in all her gorgeous nooks and crannies. I opted for gray. I considered silver or blue, but I wanted Beauty to have an elegant, yet understated, look this time.

DIY paint project:  Wooden candlestick holder
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Closeup pic, paint project wooden candlestick holder makeover.
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Closeup wooden candlestick holder base.  Paint project makeover.
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Beauty’s new look.

After picture, completed paint redo makeover project for tall wooden candlestick holder.
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It really just took patience and tweeking to achieve the look I wanted with the right balance of rustic, but yet still keeping her elegant.

And here she is now in her corner spot. I put a little plant on top. She’s a candleholder, but that looks really pretty! We’ll see what I end up getting for her topper, but for now, I’m liking it!

Repainted candlestick holder.  Now in white and gray.  After photo.
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These are the fun little projects that really make it feel like home here at Royalview. Our own personal touches, and items that we brought with us, that can still be incorporated into our new environment.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy!

Johanna and Willie

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DIY Home Decor Paint Project, Tall Wooden Candlestick Holder, Makeover, Before and After Transformation

DIY Home Decor Paint Project: Large Salvaged Wooden Frame + Antique Furniture Move-In

Let’s get this dining room decorating party started!

This all began with bringing home items from Willie’s family’s woodturning shop. Sadly, everything is being shut down and closed, including his parents’ former residence and the family business.

But from this big life-changing event, we hope to keep and restore items and let them carry on memories with us and our branch of the family.

Willie recruited our Son, Brennen, and his Nephew, Roger to help bring home a couple of antique items that he had requested from the family estate. First is a wooden cabinet that his Dad made when he (his Dad) was in his twenties. Second, an antique RCA Victrola.

Bringing home antiques.  
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Roger (left), Brennen (right)

I really admire the craftmanship of this cabinet. Truly a one of a kind with hand turned wooden detailed accents. I love the fact that he (Willie’s Dad, Clyde) put red Christmas lights in the cabinet for illumination. This was probably made in the early 1960’s.

Antique cabinet with glass and handturned features.
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Then, this beautiful Victrola.

Antique RCA Victrola.
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Isn’t that something?

It still has a record on the turn-table, and there are very old records in the cabinet below.

Antique RCA Victrola Talking Machine.
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Very thankful to have these 2 family heirlooms here at Royalview.

Willie and I recently took a drive into Houston to visit the shop, as we’re attempting to get things cleared away, and I happened upon an old picture that was hanging in his Dad’s former office, and asked if I could bring it home. Willie said I could, and the thing that caught my eye about the picture, is the very ornate frame. I thought this would be a great salvage project, and a way to give this beautiful frame a new life in our home.

Old frame before pic.
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This frame is so beautifully detailed. You can see why it caught my eye.

Old frame up close, before pic.
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I knew immediately upon seeing the frame, that I wanted to give it a white-wash paint effect.

Willie and I visited our local Ace Hardware and picked out a lovely shade of white and a few paint brushes for this project, as well as some other projects that I worked on at the same time. I’ll show you those as well in an upcoming post.

Benjamin Moore Satin Water Based Paint.
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This process is really easy, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, by any means. I just had a lady ask me how I did this, or what type of mixture I used. I only use a water based paint. I keep my paintbrush pretty “dry” and do not load too much paint at one time. With this being a water based paint, it’s very easy to remove any excess with a damp paper towel or cloth. It’s just a matter of lightly adding almost a dry coat of paint, especially to the raised areas, which, on some of the higher point details, I did go heavier on the paint so they would really stand out.

White wash paint project:  Old salvaged wooden frame.
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DIY White wash paint project:  old salvaged wooden frame.
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I eye-balled it basically, and decided as I went along, how much I wanted the old paint to show through and how much white I wanted. At first, I thought I would do almost a full coverage of white, but since there is so much detail on this frame, I wanted some of the brown undertone to show through to really enhance the details. Plus, with there being white and brown tones in our dining room, this will be a great piece to bring it all together.

DIY white wash paint project;  old salvaged wooden frame.
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I did not put a top coat on, so that it would have a very old, rustic look.

And even though it has an old, rustic look, I believe it also has a very elegant look.

Once it was dry, I couldn’t wait to see how it looked hanging in our dining room, over the antique cabinet. We had to be very careful. This frame is very heavy.

Willie did a great job getting everything measured and put some heavy screws in the wall to hold it up safely.

Hanging up a large picture frame.
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The tall lamp you see in the above photo was designed by Willie’s Dad, and made by Willie. A lot of family history and craftmanship in this one room. Which, we also brought home a white lamp that looks just like this one, and put it in a corner in our bedroom. I just need to find a new lampshade.

I love the look of an empty frame on the wall, but for this, I wanted to add a little detail. While we were shopping at Hobby Lobby one day, I saw this wooden leaf cutout and knew it would be the perfect touch, since I also wanted to place a floral arrangement (that I had just put together) on top of the wooden cabinet, and since the arrangement is in a stemmed bowl, I knew the florals would look like they were in the frame.

White washed wooden frame with wooden leaf cutout inside.
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So what are you thinking…? I’m loving it! But wait, there’s more… Stay with me…

Completed white washed paint project; salvaged picture frame.
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And the full dining room wall view with our new arrivals:

Dining room decor including antiques and salvaged wooden frame.
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It’s really beginning to look and feel cozy to me. I love how everything is coming together to feel more like home. I am such a nester by nature.

With the look of the antique cabinet, I wanted to bring in some playful elements to lighten the mood. One thing that came to mind was that I would love a white bicycle to put in the cabinet. When Willie and I were at Hobby Lobby, I went to the clearance section, and almost hidden from view, was that cute little bicycle clock you now see sitting on the cabinet. It was broken and the metal was black. We brought it home to fix it up. I was so tickled that I found a little bicycle. I’ll show you it’s story in an upcoming post with the other paint projects.

You just never know what you can find to elevate. I love finding items that I can salvage and bring back to life, that then bring fun new memories and loveliness to our home.

Till next time, I hope you always follow your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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DIY Home Decor Paint Project, White Wash Paint Project, Salvaged Wooden Frame, Dining Room Decor, Antique Decor, Lakehouse Decor, Conroe, Texas

Royalview’s New Outdoor Furniture

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Patio Furniture Set from Amazon in White Metal with Beige Cushions.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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Woo Hoo! We finally have outdoor seating at Royalview!

It’s been a few months in the waiting, but it is all coming together now.

Here’s our before photo. We’ve had a couple of plastic chairs to suffice during our wait. We had, I believe, 7 projects that needed to be completed before we could set out any nice furniture. Let’s see… first there was power washing of the entire house, gutters installed (full house), whole house generator installed, propane gas tank installed, whole yard major landscaping project, septic tank pumping (that was a curve-ball), and outdoor ceiling fan replacement. Yep – that’s 7!

Before:  Patio Pic
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But hey! We made it! Hooray!! Now we get to relax outdoors in comfort and joy.

Firstly, I knew I wanted an outdoor rug to go with our indoor theme, so I chose this pretty Nicole Miller New York Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug in the color Blue/Gray.

Nicole Miller Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug in Blue/Gray.
https://amzn.to/42AiRXH
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The rug arrived very nicely rolled and wrapped in plastic.

Nicole Miller Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug in Blue/Gray.
https://amzn.to/42AiRXH
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Willie and I were able to easily unroll and place it where we wanted. It’s a nice heft, but not too heavy to move around.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set in White and Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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The patio furniture set we chose is a 6 piece set from MIXPATIO. It’s from Amazon of course. I do like to state that Willie and I are now Amazon Associates. We love ordering from Amazon so much that we thought it would be nice to be able to share our favorites with you.

The outdoor furniture set we chose, and they do have options, includes a sofa, a marbled-look coffee table, 2 chairs, and 2 rocking chairs. We opted for white metal with beige cushions.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set in White/Beige, from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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I think this set is so cute! I love how the arms curl around. Reminds me of a sleigh style. The backing is beautiful, so it looks very nice when looking out our backdoor window. They even have a lovely wicker edging/trim along the bottom sides. They are very well done, and very heavy, let me tell you. I somehow managed to help Willie tote the couch from our garage to the back porch. I did have to take frequent stops to set it down, but we made it . I love that this furniture is heavy. It’s a great quality and I will not be worried about it blowing away, I can assure you. This set is made with a steel frame.

The cushions are waterproof and very easy to maintain. We’ve not had these out very long, but I’ve already wiped off something that got on one of the cushions. From where, I do not know… but thankfully it came off easily, and we just had a very big thunderstorm last night (Easter night), and everything survived in good shape. The cushions are not wet today at all, so great news.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set from Amazon in White/Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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The tabletop on the outdoor coffee table has a lovely white/gray marble look. It actually matches our indoor countertops. Yay, bonus!

Table from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set.  White marble look table top.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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So, now as our little sign says, we can sit and relax.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set from Amazon in White/Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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But what about the 2 rocking chairs, right? Well, I chose this particular set with a plan already in mind. I wanted cute rockers for our front porch, so we can sit out there and enjoy our view of the lake from our hilltop.

White/Beige Rocking Chairs from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set in White/Beige, from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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Aren’t these just the cutest?

Rocking Chair from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set in White/Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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We’ve already received compliments from neighbors, including this very special neighbor, Carlton.

Rocking Chair from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set in White/Beige. 
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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He came by to see what was going on over here, and hang out with us for a little while.

I will tell you, this outdoor furniture set does require full assembly. We ordered this in March, and Willie’s had time to tinker around with it, getting all the pieces put together and then the covers on the cushions. Everything was shipped separately and received on multiple days, but it all came in, and in a timely manner. We weren’t in a hurry since we had other projects in line before we could get this all set out.

We’re both very happy with how this set can be used on both our front and back patios. We’re really enjoying it and happy to have comfy seating.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set: https://amzn.to/442UEMc

Nicole Miller New York Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug: https://amzn.to/42AiRXH

MIXPATIO Outdoor Patio Furniture Set, Metal Frame Outdoor Furniture with Waterproof Cushions, Nicole Miller New York Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug, Lake House Outdoor Decor, Conroe, Texas, Lakeview Home

Choosing Furniture for Royalview

Such a fun, and important part of our move, has been, and still is, choosing furniture pieces for our new home.

We are going for a lake house/French country home aesthetic and vibe. The kitchen island generously included with our home, has been a source of inspiration in the creative process.

We’re really loving the vintage white-washed look, so that is the direction we are going for our wood-tones.

We decided before we moved that we wanted to keep our dining room table and chairs as well as our coffee and end tables that we’ve had since we moved into our former home back in the 90’s. Everything is still in very good condition. The color was the only issue, so we had all the Hunter Green areas painted white. This was done outside our former home in our driveway.

The transformation was amazing, and we are both very happy that we made the choice to preserve our wooden furniture pieces. Here they are now, in our new home:

Willie and I also made the decision to not bring much of our other furniture pieces along, so we did some shopping before our move, for our living room furniture so that we would have something to sit on soon after our arrival. We purchased a living room set consisting of a couch, love seat, and 3 chairs, which were delivered the day after we moved in. We went with a blue toned set to fit in with our theme.

Soon after our move-in, we went furniture shopping again, this time for bedroom furniture, as well as an entertainment center, plus we both had been wanting an electric fireplace.

We had great luck in finding pieces that really appealed to us.

We really loved the look of this set, with the distressed white-washed wood, and thankfully this is real wood, so yay! Look at the tops on these pieces, so beautiful!

And the attention to detail. I love the brass handles.

We came across a really pretty entertainment center that came with an electric fireplace insert. So fabulous!

Of course, we choose the white-wash finish. We were really excited to have found these pieces, and before we left, we came across some beautiful bar chairs that go very well with our repainted dining room set, so we chose 4 of these to really bring the look together.

Nice! Let’s get it all to Royalview!

Things are progressing very nicely here, and at a good pace. It’s going to be really fun when we begin to get into all the decorating ideas/details. But we have a good foundation going, and we’re liking the look of all the colors/styles that we’ve chosen thus far.

Till next time, stay safe and follow your joy!

Johanna and Willie

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Furniture Shopping, Lake House Furniture Ideas, French Country Home Style Decor, Furniture Refinishing

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