Spring Garden Transformations

This giant allium is one of the first bulbs to bloom in the spring,
tempting me to visit the nursery and come home laden with annuals.
But I know it's too early, the ground too cold,
and so I look for some fun garden projects while I wait.

For now, three DIY garden transformation projects await!

This metal salesman's sample of a headboard was painted silver when I bought it at a yard sale. 

It's a scaled-down bed measuring about three feet high by one foot deep.

These small salesman's samples were made to scale and appearance

so customers could envision what they would look like in their home . . .

and they were probably a lot easier for the salesman to carry. 

 Here's the "before" picture.

Last year, I painted it white and displayed it on the front porch.

I thought about putting it in this year's yard sale; I didn't really have room for it on the porch.

Then I realized it would look nice in the garden but the white was just too glaring. 

So I spray painted it Stone Gray by Rustoleum. The softer aged look looks perfect in the garden.

The base has a one-foot open area (for a teeny tiny mattress?). 

I positioned the headboard so the bleeding hearts would grow up through that open space.

I'm so glad I didn't put it in the upcoming yard sale pile. It's a keeper.

***

Another garden accessory I've been transforming is this cast iron lion fountain. 

It was painted a bright creamy yellow color which I thought looked too new.

So I painted it the same Stone Gray paint.

Then I mixed the gray paint with a little black 

and dabbed it on with a terrycloth rag to give it a weathered look. 

  

I also used an artist's brush with the black paint to highlight a few areas

like the edges of the fountain and the raised areas on the lion's head. 

It's now about the same color as the stone of the house so it feels like it's always been there. 

***

The last project I've been working on is transforming this little bricked space by our storage shed.

I dug out about a foot of the dirt surrounding the ash tree 

and replaced the space with old bricks found in the alley.
I like using old bricks because 1) it keeps them out of a landfill and
2) the aged appearance complements an old house. 

We made a brick border by cutting bricks in two and laying them lengthwise along the edge.
We used a brick chisel and a shop hammer to make the cuts.
Sweeping dirt over the bricks filled in the spaces between the bricks.

I also moved some rocks from the garden to make a border around the tree.
This gives us a little more room to access the shed and it looks nicer too.
Hopefully, the vinca transplants will fill in the space.
So far, so good.

Apparently, it 's dog-tested and dog-approved.

So, what's on your garden to-do list this spring while you're waiting for the ground to warm up?

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French Country: Alley Shopping

I'm fortunate to live in an old part of the city that still has alleys,

and, over the years, I've found some amazing things . . .
finds tucked in next to a dumpster, sitting pretty atop a garbage can,

or even boxed up nice and neat like these old mason jars.

I'm an all-season alley shopper, whether it's on my bike in the summer . . . 

or bundled up in the winter, I'm always on the look-out for discarded treasures.

I'm not embarrassed to say I've rescued quite a few pieces from the landfill 

and given them a new life. 

After a little DIY, some sandpaper, or a touch of paint, 

I've created some unique items to add to my "Ethan Alley Collection."

My absolute favorite alley find has to be this amazing baker's rack
recently discovered while walking my dog.
I scurried back to my house to get some help loading it into my car
and prayed nobody would beat me to it.
It was a tight fit but we made it home without getting a ticket for an open hatch.
Don't be surprised if I end up buying a little pickup truck one of these days!

The baker's rack was in great condition, only one screw missing, some rust, a bit of chipped paint,
all of which made it even more desirable.
Initially, I had plans for it inside but once I saw it on the patio, I knew it was home.

It was a perfect fit!

Here are some more of my alley finds. 

This curvy ottoman got a complete overhaul. (If you missed that post, you can read about it HERE).

While out for a neighborhood walk, we spotted someone
headed for the dumpster with an old frame.
"You're not going to throw that away, are you?" Ron and I whispered at the same time.
Circling around the block, we went back to the dumpster after he'd left
and retrieved this charming framed picture.

A couple of rocking chairs for the porch didn't always look like this.

Want to read their story? Click HERE!

A painter's scaffolding found propped against a dumpster 

was the foundation for this unique garden bench.

My first DIY paint project. Want more info? Read about it by clicking HERE!

Can you believe we found this cement angel in the alley behind our house?

We gave it a new home on our patio.

These are the glass mason jars discovered in the first picture. 

Remember this fabulous find? Two matching urns for free!

Check out their makeover HERE!

I recently saw these exact same urns in a fancy antique store for $275!

This old ladder was leaning against a dumpster but not for long.

Even the cafe sign was an alley find. 

The list goes on.

We've also retrieved a pair of Adirondack chairs that just needed some support,

an iron windowbox that needed some posies,

a pair of pretty patio pillows that needed a bench,

and some chippy window frames that needed a new home. 

I hope you have alleys in your neighborhood too. 

Happy alley shopping! 

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French Country: Old Sconces, New Look

I've been watching for two old sconces for my bathroom for a long time.
They were all too new, too gaudy, too expensive.
But then I found just what I was looking for at an estate sale.

I wanted something with turn-of-the-century character and style 

but small enough to work in my tiny bathroom.
So, take a look . . . aren't these just gorgeous?

They are in need of re-wiring and re-connecting and replacing bits and pieces, 

but, oh, they captured my heart at first glance. 

And only $20 for the pair!

The thing that really caught my eye was the charming profile of the woman in the center. 

So delicate and pretty.

The jolly man in the plaid shirt who sold them to me told me they were "very very old."  

He said "she" wouldn't have let him sell them.
I assume he was referring to his wife who had probably passed.

Then, he proudly showed me his gazillion bird houses and feeders. 

I so enjoyed talking with this elderly man with the twinkle in his eye.
It's one of the reasons I love these sales so much.

Here you can see where someone slopped paint along the edges.

I'm definitely no expert but I think these sconces might have
a little Venetian or French-inspired influence. At least, I hope so. 

I'm guessing they're from the early 20th century, judging from the design and the old wiring.
Ron plans to rewire the sconces and tighten up the creaky joints
before hanging them in the bathroom.

PLAN B
Well my friends, things don't always turn out the way you think they're going to.
When Ron got into the project, he discovered the arms of the sconces had been badly broken, probably dropped, and soldered back together.
This effectively closed off the channels for the wiring. Permanently.
Sometimes Humpty Dumpty just can't be put back together again.

So, on to Plan B.
Ron squeezed JB Weld into the wobbly joints. When this epoxy is dry, it's rock solid.
He says it's the next best thing to actual welding. It actually glues metal together.

Removing old paint splatters with Zip Strip,
then toning down the shine with matte medium tidied them up nicely.
A big thank you to Ron for all his hard work restoring these sconces.
Like most renovations, it took a lot longer than we'd thought.

Once they were put back together, we mounted them on the living room fireplace wall . . .

and put battery-operated candles in them.

They may not be the bathroom sconces I thought they'd be
but it's good to be flexible when dealing with old things that don't cooperate, don't you think?
Hey, I'm talking about the sconces here people!

And here's the final result. 

I'm still totally in love with them, maybe even more.

And they look right at home in my old house. 

I have searched on-line but haven't been able to find anything similar to these
to learn more about them.
They're quite heavy, probably cast iron.
If you know anything about this type of sconce, I would love to hear from you.

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Goodbye Old Paint

I enjoy seeing what you all can do with a paintbrush but the bug hasn't bitten me yet.

Until recently, that is.

Several years ago Ron made me a primitive seed bin 

but it was hiding down in the basement where it stored our dog food.
Here's what it looked like.

I always wanted it upstairs somewhere but couldn't find the right space for it.

Then I decided to paint it white and put it in my farmhouse-style sunroom.

I kept the silver pull and painted the bin with some old leftover satin paint 

called Ambiance by Sherwin Williams. 

I was so glad we still had it because I couldn't find the shade of white I wanted in the stores. 

Maybe it was because it had been sitting in a can for about 20 years 

but it had that aged look I was after. 

I distressed the edges where it would have been roughed up.

I think it looks good with my old farm table 

and it fits perfectly under the window. Why didn't I think of this before?
(It still stores the dog food).

~~~~~~

The other painting project I decided to tackle was an old door we found in the alley. 

I liked it because it was smaller than a standard-sized door, a plus in a small house.

 It had the original handle but it was in pretty sad shape. 

I set up my saw horses and got to work scraping off the peeling paint. 

It was an ugly shade of peach. Otherwise I'd have left the old paint intact.
Here, I'm using a scrub brush to sweep off the loose paint. 

I loved the unusual old hinges and didn't touch them. 

We added an old paint-caked door latch that looked like it had always been there.

I wanted to retain the timeworn look on this door but also wanted to get rid of the flaking paint. 

So, after scraping it off, I went over it with an almost-dry brush with white paint,
then sanded off the excess. 

I love the final look. 

It's a nice accent in the sunroom and complements the farmhouse style.
It's also easy to move, very helpful for a compulsive mover!

I'm starting to understand why people become so enthralled with the paint brush.

Can chalk paint be far behind?

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