House Beautiful

Let the Sunshine In

Published on January 25, 2011 in Decor and Seasonal. 5 Comments

The idea that the bone-chilling, gloomy grey, slush & drab outdoors is going to persist for at LEAST another 2 months here in the Midwest is about enough to send me into hibernation until April. I saw a friend in Seattle’s Facebook update last week (what up, Linda?!) who was rejoicing about seeing the first signs of spring with her crocuses and daffodils starting to peek out, and I found myself ACHING for springtime. So until then, let’s eat chili, wear long underwear, and dabble in a little bit of sunny…

You could… add a bright coverlet to an otherwise (quietly somber yet lovely) bedroom.

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Snag some fun fabric, like this Ikat…

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…on recover an old chair, like zeese! (Can you say, Craigslist Weekend Project?)

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Save your decorative coffee & tea tins, and use a cluster of ’em with pretty spring flowers as a centerpiece to brighten up the room.

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Try these citrus-y garden stools at the foot of the bed, as a side/cocktail table, whatevs. I see these at TJ Maxx / HomeGoods all the time for under $50.

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Make this retired Kate Spade granny chic print the background on your laptop… (Oh, what I wouldn’t give to line my dresser drawers or wallpaper the inside of a linen closet with this.)

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Prop some perky canary-hued throw pillows on your bed.

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Wallpaper or cover… well, anything… in this glorious “Samode” print from Mally Skok.

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Frame a piece of remnant wallpaper, like rock star designer Summer Thornton did in her Lincoln Park apartment.

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Give an existing (tired) piece of furniture a happy face lift with a few coats of paint.

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If nothing else, hang a sunny little frock over the door until Spring arrives…

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…and before you know it, it’ll look like THIS outside (!)

Hooraaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

xoxo,

5 Comments

5 Responses to “Let the Sunshine In”

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  • Mary
    January 25, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    Love it(!) A little punch of color can liven any mood. Does it have to be yellow or can I do little punches of hot pink?

  • Cindy
    January 25, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    I want to refinish/repaint an old night stand. Can you recommend a good yellow color. Does it matter what kind of paint I use?

    • admin
      January 25, 2011 at 8:59 pm

      Hey Cindy! I’m so glad you asked b/c YES – it definitely matters what kind of paint you use.

      PAINT TYPE: What you would normally paint your walls with is LATEX paint… it has a softer finish. What you would want to paint a piece of FURNITURE with – especially one that’ll be a functional piece for you, like a nightstand – is an ENAMEL or a water-born acrylic paint. Any ‘ol paint shop (Lowe’s, Home D, Sherwin Williams) will know the difference. The enamel has a harder finish and will be more durable. I would use a semi-gloss, gloss or high gloss (depending on how shiny you want it).

      PAINT COLOR: I love Behr’s Pineapple Soda (340B-6). I painted a few dining chairs with it and they’re the perfect saturated canary yellow.

      ALSO IMPORTANT: Make sure you sand & prime your piece first. And here’s a kicker – if you’re going to do a coat of POLYURETHANE (a shiny/protective glossy lacquer) after your paint color, use a water-based one, wait 3-5 days after you’ve painted the piece to apply it, and also do a VERY light sanding with a 220 grit just to scuff the surface first so the poly will stick.

      Hope this helps! Let us know how it turns out!

      Best,
      Stephanie

  • admin
    January 26, 2011 at 3:21 am

    I die. These pics are sunny and gawgeous. Thanks for the shot of sunshine. xoxo, your bloggie hizzle, Karrie

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