Howdy, all! I hope your weekend was filled with lots of fun and relaxation. If it was anything like ours, you’re probably still catching your breath from it all.
Since I’m in the process of changing up a few rooms around here, I thought I’d get started on a handful of the smaller things in the spare time I didn’t have this weekend.
First up: our coffee table. Since the color scheme is changing and I was ready for something a little different+ simple, I decided to switch it around. So I gave it a coat of white paint, and then some blue/grey stripes.
I may edit, and/or add as we go. But for now, I just thought I’d share a little of our living room progress, and the idea of what a coffee table like this can do as far as changing the look of your space with a simple “top change.”
Next on my list of mini-projects were this set of lamps in our dining room. I purchased them a while back from Wally World, for a great cheapo kinda price. They’re part of the Better Homes and Gardens line. I love their shape, but their shade was kind of bumming me out. So, I decided to mix it up a bit.
Side note: I’m not sure why, but Diet Dr. Pepper always seems to make its cameo in my project shots. IMHO, think the peeps at Diet DP should call me. I mean, who needs stinkin Fergie when they can have me. You can tie a cherry in a knot with your tongue, Fergster? Well, I can paint… and stuff. So take that. Just sayin.
I taped it up, stripped the shades down, spray painted, and recovered using this technique. I basically tore short strips {to ensure the edges were frayed} and attached each end to the outside of the lampshade using my handy dandy trusty glue gun.
I finished it off with some spare piping I had from when our wonderful friend Tiffany recovered our dining room chairs,
And…tada! An entirely new look.
For the price of a can of spray paint {I already had the rest} I scored some new-ish lamps from the deal.
Just wanted to share a few of the smaller things we’ve been up to, and of course, I’d love to see yours. Send em my way!
Happy Monday!
paige says
LOVE their makeover. might swing by wally world myself since i’m all inspired
xo
Kelly says
I love your tips! Did you add te flower detail to that olf farm window. I have 2 smaller ones I’ve been trying to think of a way to bring them indoors and I love this!
Thanks
Debbie~refreshrestyle says
Love the color of the coffee table, at first I was like, how can it be improved…well you showed me! I am in need of lamp shade revamps, love this idea!
Thanks,
Debbie
ashley @ the handmade home says
thanks sweet lady!
Laura says
Oooh, I LOVE the new coffee table top! I’ve been thinking of painting ours, so it doesn’t show all the dents from the lil one. I hadn’t thought of just painting the top until I saw this post. I love the colors you used…what are they?
ashley @ the handmade home says
the colors are my two current obsessions: benjamin moore’s wedgewood grey and chantilly lace. {our entire living room is about to be white, as well. actually, as we speak.}
Tiffany says
I have the same lamps from Wal-mart. They were such a steal. I might have to change them up now too, but I might go silver instead of white.
Shelley says
I am always amazed at how a couple of small changes can turn out to be so dramatic a change! LOVE the table top 😀
Christina says
Love it!
TB says
I love this idea. I have some lamps from an estate sale with bad shades. I must try this. Love it! What a great idea…
Heidi @ Show Some Decor says
Amazing what those touches will do to freshen up a space! Kudos!
Gale says
Loved the old coffee table but REALLY love the transformation 🙂 Isn’t paint great?! Also, I’m the proud owner of a pair of wings – scored at the Nashville flea market in June thanks to your great directions! Love love love them (hubby said I need them since my permanent ones are lost – ha!) The lamps?! WAY cool! 🙂
Thanks for the tip and for a great blog that make fun reading every day! 🙂
ashley @ the handmade home says
GALE! Thanks so much for letting me know! I was wondering if they would be easy to access! SO glad you were able to score some! Awesome! 😉
Jennifer@TheWaymanFamilyNest says
The table looks great! I just updated my living room simply with pillows. Amazing what little changes can do! And I just ordered a very similar pair of wings for our little boys’ nursery. We’re adopting from Ethiopia, so I thought they’d be perfect since he’ll be our little Ethiopian angel. Love your blog!
Beth says
Please stop posting. I just counted and I have three different windows open in my browser with projects of yours that have now become projects of mine. Oh wait, and there are still all of the other projects that were on my list BEFORE your genius ones! Ag! The table and the lamps are too much. I might just have to take you off my reader.
ashley @ the handmade home says
BWAH! when I first read this, I thought someone was mad at me! yes, I need sleep. 😉
Inge says
I came across your site today and can see that I will be getting even less done at my house than usual, because there is too much great stuff to look at and read about! I hesitate to click on any link for fear I won’t be able to go back and click on all the OTHER links I want to investigate!
Please tell us more about the window in this photo. It is such a beautiful, but subtle accessory, and I want to make one now!
ashley @ the handmade home says
hey guys! sorry for the slow response. That window was one of my first artist purchases, when Jamin and I were just married…we’ve had it ever since. It was by a local artist in colorado, and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. Something I actually didn’t make! but, if you had the right glass cut to size, and metal prongs to hold it in place, and of course, flowers of choice, it probably wouldn’t be that hard. It it floats your boat, I can always do a post on it up close and take a look at how one would go about making one of their own. let me know if that’s something that sounds interesting!