How to Re-Paint Dated DecorWant to know How to Repaint Dated Decor?

Raise your hand if you are a thrift shopper? No, what about yard sales? Have you ever seen any ugly ceramic decor items that shouldn’t have survived the 70’s or 80’s? Nodding your head YES? I thought so. Today I’m going to show you How to Repaint Decor. Those dated monstrosities can look like something you bought from Ballard Design or Pottery Barn! Don’t believe me, well check out this groovy pair (emphasis on pear. LOL.)

Would you believe this is the same fruit duo?

Yup! I scored them both for $5.

Now, have you seen these deliciously rustic pears from Ballard Designs? Yes? Did you happen to catch the price tags? $49 each!

Umm, no thank you, I’ll stick with my $2.50 fruit—Thank you very much. Let me show you how you can paint any ceramic, pottery, or china decor item to give it a new updated look. You’ll need a few things first.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Optional: Rustoleum Comfort Spray Paint Handle (saves your fingers from cramping!)

Instructions:

Clean your decor item with soap and water. Dry thoroughly.

Lightly sand the surface to give a little roughness.


Lay your decor item(s) on paper and spray with several thin coats of spray primer. Allow the primer to dry.


Spray several light coats of Rustoleum’s Heirloom White spray paint. Allow to dry.


If you want, you can leave the base color white. But, if you want to color your item, mix a base color with the acrylic craft paints. Using the fan brush use a “cross-hatch” pattern to apply the paint onto your item. (This gives more depth and interest than painting on a thick coat of paint.)

Next mix your glaze by combining acrylic paint (Mix raw sienna (dark brown), burnt sienna (red brown) and yellow ochre until you have a nice golden brown antiquing color.) Pour a small circle of glaze material onto your plate. Dip the fan brush into the glaze medium and then into the mixed acrylic paint. Dab off some paint onto the paper plate (you don’t want your brush to be saturated.) Brush the glaze onto the item and use the fan brush to blend the glaze around. Feel free to use the same cross-hatch pattern you did earlier.

Work in small areas and brush the glaze around until your brush doesn’t have any more glaze on it.
Then use a rag to dab around the decor item until you are happy with the results.

Paint any features onto your decor item (stems, branches, faces, etc.) To paint the pear’s leaf, try a dark brown (raw sienna) and a yellow ochre for the highlights. Acrylic paint is really forgiving. If you don’t like it you can paint over it.


I couldn’t be happier with the results of my repainted home decor! I saved myself about $95 for two decor items!
This fruit decor is perfect for any season . . .

But, I like to bring them out in the fall.


Happy thrifting y’all! Never leave cheap dated decor behind again.

Did you see that ladder above? It is the other half of this ladder and I added shelves to create my own ladder display shelves!

Ladder Shelves

Hidden Wine Storage at Back of Countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

Hidden Wine Storage at Back of Countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

Today’s the day I’m finally sharing the Pantry Reveal, complete with a Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage! Let me warn you, this isn’t your ordinary pantry. This space is multi-functional. The dreams of a better and more organized pantry started four years ago while I was in the thick of our kitchen renovation. For 48 months I’ve mulled over the plans to have food storage that works better for how my family lives.  At first I used painter’s tape to try to figure out better spacing (excuse the poor photo quality. This was taken before I improved my photography skills):

Pantry Before | Pretty Handy Girl

The shelves were only 12″ deep in a 36″ deep closet. That’s 2/3 of the pantry not being utilized. I’m sure you or someone you known has a similar 6 foot wide pantry with bi-fold doors. Be sure to share this post so they know there is hope for a more organized pantry.

As another year past, my plans began to take shape utilizing more of the depth of the pantry:

Open Pantry Concept Sketch

Then my plans evolved into this chicken scratch sketch:

After the plans sat in my head for a while, I used Sketch Up to utilize every square inch of space in the closet side. . .

. . .which you probably saw when I showed you how to build chalkboard front drawers

Make Your Own Chalkboard Front Drawers | Organized Pantry | Pretty Handy Girl

and how to use vintage rulers as shelf stops.

How to Use Vintage Rulers for Narrow Pantry Shelf Stops | Pretty Handy Girl

The closet side of the pantry holds roughly 2/3 of what the original 6 foot wide pantry did!

Pantry with Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage | Pretty Handy Girl

The other two thirds of the pantry area was set up with upper and lower cabinets and a walnut counter top. I ordered the cabinets from Kith Cabinets (the same manufacturer that made the rest of our kitchen cabinets) because I worried that I wouldn’t be able to match the quality if I built them myself.

Hidden Wine Storage at back of countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

The upper cabinet is deceiving because it is actually 18″ deep (as opposed to a normal 12″ deep upper). Which means we have a lot more storage within those cabinets.

We have some amazing storage now! Large pull out shelves hold all the chips, pretzels and snacks. I debated ordering  a three drawer cabinet, but ultimately knew I’d prefer the deeper storage that the trays offered.

At some point, I’ll build custom dividers for the chips and snacks. The baskets work well, but there is a 3-4″ gap behind them that I could use. (I’m all about utilizing that space wasted space!)

The drawer is perfect for coffee stirrers, extra k-cups, plastic utensils, straws and more.

Speaking of coffee, it’s a wonderful feeling having a dedicated coffee station now.

When guests come to our house, the first stop (after the mudroom) is the coffee bar! I wish I had a photo of the bi-fold pantry doors before. They were uninviting and bland. This is essentially what they looked like:

Bi-fold-closet-pantry-doors

Source

BORING!

This is what greets us now:

You may recall our DIY Chalkboard Calendar wall. We still use it for the kids’ and family’s activities. It helps the boys feel more connected with our schedule and lets them keep up with events and upcoming travel.

But wait, that’s not all! Are you ready to see the hidden wine storage?

Hold onto your wine glass!

Hidden Wine Storage at Back of Countertop | Pretty Handy Girl

How cool is that?

We can remove the doors if we want.

This makes the perfect spot for self serve wine at an open house party.

Normally we access half the wine storage at a time.

The real star of this pantry makeover is the rustic reclaimed wood plank wall. (I need to mention that I was approached by Timberchic about working with them on a sponsored post. A year passed before I contacted them back with the idea to use their wood panels in my pantry makeover.)

Those planks are a super DIY friendly product called Timberchic. The wood is salvaged from logs lost during lumber transport in the Maine river and lake systems. You can read the amazing story here and learn how Timberchic is helping the local ecosystem.

The planks can be purchased in 3″ and 5″ lengths.  I chose 5 inch planks in a variety of natural and whitewash, then cut them into thirds for my project. (I’ve suggested that Timberchic should sell these thinner planks. Be sure to send them a tweet letting them know you like the thinner look too!)

Pantry with Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage | Pretty Handy Girl

In the meantime, I put together this little video to show you how easy it is to install the Timberchic panels:

 

Now we have a beverage center for day or night!

What do you think? Do you like the new pantry, coffee bar and hidden wine storage area?

I’m not sure I can still call this a pantry. A Pantry with Coffee Bar and Hidden Wine Storage?

or does it qualify as a butler’s pantry?

I don’t know for sure, but I do know that I love all the storage. . .

. . .and the view when we come into the kitchen.

Do you have a 6 foot bi-fold pantry? Why not turn it into something you’ve always dreamed about.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Timberchic. I was compensated for my time and promotion of the Timberchic products. As always, I’m very particular about the brands I represent. I only work with products I love and want to share with my closest friends.

Children's Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Turning the bonus room closet into a Children’s Closet Library is one of those projects that took longer than expected. Not because the work was harder, but because I took a break from the project for many months while other things took precedence. I’m thrilled to have this project complete and am ready to move on to something new.

Converting a closet in our bonus room into a children’s library started when my oldest son commented that he wanted me to add onto our house and build a library like the one in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Obviously I had no desire to add onto our home. But, I began to form a plan about where I could add a library in our home. It became clear when I opened the toy closet in the bonus room and found myself getting angry that it was (once again) a mess. As I began clearing a path on the floor of the closet, it occurred to me that 90% of the toys in the closet were for young children and my boys had outgrown them. Time to clear out the closet and repurpose it for my book worms.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

After removing the faux wood panels, I uncovered a mess of wiring and rewired a new light fixture into the closet. Some idiot had never put the wiring inside the wall, instead the guilty party wrapped the wires around the studs (NOT TO CODE!) Instead of re-routing all the wiring, I furred out a new wall to encase the wiring.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

While the walls were open, I decided to install a new light fixture and a switch (instead of the annoying bare bulb fixture with a pull chain.)

How to Add a Switch to a Light Fixture | Pretty Handy Girl

After adding some much needed insulation, the fun began! I cut a hole into the wall between my son’s bedroom closet and the bonus room closet. I think we felt a little bit like the astronauts the first time they docked to the International Space Station and saw the Russian astronauts though the hatch.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Before adding drywall, everyone had to test the pass through (humans and canines alike.)

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

After I installed the drywall and painted, the boys and I drew some messages on the subfloor. We love leaving little notes and time capsules in our construction projects.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

The flooring was definitely a popular addition to this closet. I wish you could feel it.

Faking Wall-to-Wall Carpet with an Area Rug | Pretty Handy Girl

I purchased a fluffy shag chenille rug at Lowe’s that was used to create wall-to-wall carpeting in the closet.

Faking Wall-to-Wall Carpet with an Area Rug | Pretty Handy Girl

The final steps on the closet library was to add furniture and artwork.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

To create bookshelves, I used several IKEA Room Essentials cube storage units. Each unit is anchored to studs on the wall to prevent tipping.

Children's Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Two – 3 Cube Towers on the bottom, One – 6 Cube Shelves, and One – 3-2-1 Cube Organizer Shelf.

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

After the shelves were filled. I trimmed the secret pass through and added hinges and a door on my son’s bedroom side.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

This allows him to lock the door for privacy. A simple window lock worked perfectly for this purpose. Then the boys quality tested my work on the pass through.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Bandit found the pass through very intriguing.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Eventually he gave his stamp of approval.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Even though the closet has overhead lighting, I added a small side table and lamp for a cozy feel.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

This is the best view of the children’s library closet. (It’s incredibly hard to photograph a closet!)

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

The cube storage shelves are the perfect height to accommodate most of their books.

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

My 12 year old son filled and styled the shelves (honest!) He even added some teddy bears like the elementary school library has. So cute!

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

My boys have spent so much time burrowing in this library closet. I frequently find them in there reading, especially when I’m calling them to do chores.

Children's Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Here’s a final peek into the children’s library closet:

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Childrens' Closet Library with Secret Pass Through | Pretty Handy Girl

Do you have a small closet or nook in your home that can be used as a children’s library? It’s amazing how an ordinary closet can turn into something extraordinary.

If you liked this renovation, you’ll definitely love my son’s closet turned reading nook.

Closet Reading Nook | Pretty Handy Girl

2016 was a full year for me. As a personal recap, I accomplished a lot. In January I passed the North Carolina Residential General Contractor exam to become a licensed general contractor. I’m still in disbelief that this actually happened.

Shortly after passing the exam, a friend hired me to get her home ready to sell. I spent two months acting as a general contractor hiring subs to help fix and spruce up the house. I gave one of her bathrooms the equivalent of a remodel on a shoe string by replacing the light fixture, framing out an old mirror and painting the vanity. Here’s proof that you don’t need to gut a dated bathroom:

STOP! You Don't Have to Gut Your Dated Bathroom | Pretty Handy Girl

The master bathroom already had a head start with new tile and vanity. But, I finished the transformation by installing new oval frameless mirrors.

How to Hang a Frameless Oval Mirror on the Wall | Pretty Handy Girl

I’m thrilled to report that her home sold in four days for a lot more than their asking price. Woot! This experience helped me realize that although I like fixing up houses and making them beautiful again, I prefer to be the primary decision maker. I’m back to focusing on looking for a house to flip (this was the main reason I pursued my license.)

We finished a boat load of projects around the exterior of our home after a major backyard landscaping project.

Outdoor Garden Patio Party Decorating Ideas | Pretty Handy Girl

I built a Pergola Trellis Screen to hide our trash cans. Lucky for you, I drew up detailed plans so you could build your own.

Build a Pergola with Trellis to Screen Your Trash Cans | Pretty Handy Girl

And should you need somewhere to store firewood, I built and created a tutorial for this wood storage shed.

Build a Wood Storage Shed | Pretty Handy Girl

I also found a use for some old lattice panels by creating a living lattice privacy screen. This was such an easy project, I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Create a Living Wall Lattice Privacy Screen | Pretty Handy Girl

The landscape designer wanted to remove our swing set since the boys had outgrown it, but I couldn’t part with it. You could say the swing set matured with this idea for creating a swing set for grown ups.

Grown Up Swing Set | Pretty Handy Girl

One of the projects I was most excited about was building two rot resistant raised planter beds.

How to Build a Rot-Resistant Raised Planter Bed | Pretty Handy Girl

For years I’ve craved a garden to grow our own vegetables. 2016 was the year it finally happened. We enjoyed baskets full of cucumbers, basil, tomatoes and salad greens. Hopefully we’ll have more vegetables next year.

Behind the scenes I built a shed in the heat of the summer. I’ll be sharing the process in 2017. In the meantime, you can see a peek at the shed in this tutorial for how to build lattice window boxes.

How to Build Window Boxes | Pretty Handy Girl

As a mother of two boys, we struggled with the boys doing too much screen time which prompted me to build this industrial style charging station and lock box.

Industrial Charging Station and Lock Box | Pretty Handy Girl

This year our hearts were broken twice. First we had to say goodbye to Buddy aka Handy Dog after he developed a tumor on his heart. Within a few months, we opened our hearts and home to Lena the Lucky Dog but sadly we had to give her back to the rescue when she couldn’t be trained (or medicated) to stop guarding me from everyone in the family. (Good news, she was adopted the next day by a couple without children. They were a much better fit for her personality.) While she was with us, I made an industrial dog bowl feeder that was a better fit for Lena.

How to Build: Industrial Dog Bowl Feeder Stand | Pretty Handy Girl

I never officially shared it on the blog, but in October we adopted Bandit the Rescue Dog. He’s a one year old ball of energy. I never thought we’d have such a young dog, but his antics are filling our home with lots of smiles and laughter. He is truly one happy go lucky pup.

One of the before and after transformations I’m most proud of is the drab to fab screen porch makeover I gave to my stepmom. She loves it and is spending a lot more time writing out there.

Installing the Most Beautiful Ceiling Fan | Haiku Copper Luxe Ceiling Fan | Pretty Handy Girl

2016 could be called the year of copper on the blog. I had so much fun working with copper pipes. From creating a half round copper pipe side table. . .

Half Round Copper & Wood Side Table | Pretty Handy Girl

to a copper pipe centerpiece:

DIY Copper Pipe Centerpiece | Pretty Handy Girl

I even discovered a way to turn copper pipe into jewelry!

DIY Copper Ring Jewelry | Pretty Handy Girl

To finish out my 2016 recap, I enjoyed indulging my creative artist side by painting with alcohol inks.

Painting with Alcohol Inks | Pretty Handy Girl

These were so fun to play with and anyone can create stunning art with alcohol inks! Just follow my video tutorial for tips and tricks using alcohol inks.

Finally, if you ever wanted to find the perfect vintage sign, now’s your chance to stop looking and learn how to make a vintage rustic sleigh ride sign (or any other sign you desire.)

How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

I hope you enjoyed some of my tutorials this year. Did I miss any of your favorites?

I have a lot in store for you in 2017, so stick around!

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

How to Install Cable Railings | Pretty Handy Girl

On Monday you got a sneak peek of my stepmom’s screen porch when I showed you how to install low visibility cable railings. I can tell you now, that you “ain’t seen nothing!” This drab screen porch got an amazing colorful makeover and I can’t wait to reveal it to you!

screen-porch-before1

The screen porch has been in need of a makeover and on my “want to do” list for almost two years! Having a screen porch is a top selling feature for any home in the South. Unfortunately my stepmom’s porch wasn’t much to look at with its drab decor and monotone color palette.  (I may have told her that her cushions looked like the room threw up on them. Sorry Diane.) Luckily, I knew I could improve upon the view with some paint and some much needed color.

screen-porch-before-2

As an At Home Brand Ambassador, I knew this was the perfect project to showcase some At Home decor items. At Home graciously sponsored this project and provided me with some gift cards to purchase several of the items you’ll see. If you haven’t been to At Home yet, take a tour with me in this post.

The first task was to play with the furniture arrangement. I put the wicker sofas on the diagonal to help improve the flow and conversation area. Then I took some notes about what was needed for the porch (a few end tables, lamps, a mirror, etc.)

How to Install Cable Railings | Pretty Handy Girl

After snapping a few before photos, I cleared the room so I could get to work. My first desire was to lighten up the room by repainting the walls with a lighter solid stain.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

You can see the original color against the new lighter color above the screens. Everything was the same color except the doors were a dark brown.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

I painted the screen frames the same dark brown as the doors to help them disappear. I painted the supports the same light color (Sherwin Williams Woodscapes matched to Linen color.)

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

The new look is fresh and bright. Now the screens blend better into the surrounding trees giving the porch a more open feeling.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

Next it was time to tackle that stained and ugly carpet. Not only was it ugly, but it was glued to the floor! UGH! Who does that?

To remove the carpeting I carefully scored the carpet at 3′ increments.

cutting-old-carpet-out-utility-knife

Then ripped the carpeting into strips. Luckily the glue wasn’t secured to the carpet any more.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

I rolled up each strip and tied it up for disposal.

How to remove old carpeting

The porch looks so much better already! Except for the nasty glue residue on the flooring.

rug-free-porch

I rented a floor sander from Home Depot for a day. And it took me the ENTIRE day to sand the floor and get rid of all the glue. It was a real pain in the rear, but luckily the final result was beautiful tongue and groove flooring.

Rent a floor sander to sand flooring

I stained the floor with Sherwin Williams Super Deck Bamboo color. The color has a yellow cast, but fits in nicely with the modern feel of the room.

How to Install Cable Railings | Pretty Handy Girl

I bet you’re ready to see the rest of the porch, behold the amazing Drab to Colorful Screen Porch Reveal:

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

The lamp and mid-century modern round table are from At Home. The brass hairpin legs don’t obstruct the view and keep it feeling light and airy.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

Diane purchased new custom cushions for her wicker furniture after I told her she had to get rid of the old ones. All the accent pillows are from At Home, including the adorable zig zag pillow. Truthfully, I might just go back and buy the nubby green and velvet blue wave pillows for myself. I couldn’t stop stroking them as I passed by. The faux bamboo plant, behind the sofa, blocks a door that is never used and helps the conversation area feel more intimate.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

The hexagon ottoman was also from At Home and it adds extra seating, a spot to put your feet or somewhere to put a plate of food. (The ottoman’s soft velvet fabric is another item I can’t help stroking.)

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

My stepmom, is Diane Chamberlain, a well known author. If you haven’t read any of her books, I have to warn you that they are addictive page-turners and might keep you up reading all night. I wanted to create an oasis for Diane to be able to sit and work on her books.

Beautiful accessories from At Home store. I need to visit one near me!

The hammered metal side table is larger and more sturdy for her to rest her laptop and food on. I was overjoyed when I found it tucked in the middle of a display shelf at At Home.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

Across from her seat, I secured a metal and wood mirror to reflect the view off their deck and to increase the light on the porch.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

Centered under the mirror is a beautiful zinc-topped console table I found at At Home. The “X” pattern on the legs pairs nicely with the hairpin and hammered metal side tables (without matching them exactly. I’m not a big fan of matchy-matchy stuff.)

Throughout the screen porch I had fun mixing metals. I love the silver from the mirror and table with the brass candlesticks and the gold geometric star from At Home.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

The little palm is a gift to Diane from me, but she’s afraid she might kill it. Only time will tell.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

I found these adorable industrial string lights at At Home and they match the nautical lights already installed in the porch ceiling.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

I can’t forget the real star of the porch, the beautiful blue and green outdoor rug from At Home.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

Can you believe the transformation? From drab…

How to Install Cable Railings | Pretty Handy Girl

…to colorful and fantastic.

This Drab Screen Porch got a major Makeover with pops of Aqua and Green! Yummy Color!

You’ll definitely want to see what happened to her ugly old ceiling fan. It was replaced with the most beautiful ceiling fan I ever laid eyes on.

I’m so happy with how her screen porch turned out that I’m thinking I might need to make some changes on our screen porch. Do you have a screen porch? If so, how much time do you spend out there?

PHGFancySign

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for At Home. I was compensated for my time writing this post. At Home also provided me with a gift card to purchase items to use in this post. All ideas and words are my own. I was not told what to write.

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Take your screen porch from drab to colorful with these simple and easy porch decor ideas! | Colorful home decor | Porch decor ideas | Pretty Handy Girl #prettyhandygirl #homedecor #porchdecor