Hand Painted Globe & Stand

By Cate

As Chelsea told you, we cannot be more TICKLED to launch our new blog and resource site: Style Mutt. As we prepare for some big changes we will be working hard to give you something we hope you will love as much {if not more} than this site that started it all.  And don't shy away from telling us what you want to see on the new site!  We want Style Mutt to be a home for all design aesthetics, budgets, and skill levels so your unique input is invaluable to us.  {If you missed it, check out how your feedback can win you a special something from us in this post.}  But in the meantime, it'll be CG business as usual and since it's Wednesday, I'm coming at you with another guest post.

I'm so glad I showed you all the tour of my living room when I did because now it's 

buried under three new projects...

No.1: a handsome globe & stand

No.2: a bamboo-front dresser 

No.3: an old silver chest  

This epic thrifting score means get ready for some transformational debuts!

So how 'bout I kick us off with item No.1:

For such a handsome devil, the globe was actually an impulse buy.  In fact, he practically jumped into my cart at check out.  I think he thought if he didn't act fast, no one would ever take him home.  Lucky for him I scooped him up even though he had two obvious flaws that were dating his look.

The first was that shiny finish on the wood:

{See the Citristrip?  No secrets what I plan to do with the wood finish there.}

And the second was that old geography circa 1991 - can you spot it?

It was no wonder why he was at the thrift store in the first place, poor guy.

Ok.  So here's the real question - what do you do with an outdated and outmoded globe...

How bout turn it into a piece of art?

I gold leafed the continents and then hand painted over them in all sorts of colors.  I kept applying paint and washing some off, applying paint and washing some off to reveal the gold glimmer underneath.  I wanted each region to be an abstract blur like God's rainbowed creation: a beautiful mix of so much complicated individuality, ethnic diversity, and unique points of view.

Let's take it for a quick spin, shall we?

South America

North & Central America

Africa

Australia

Europe

Asia

And the last but not least: Antarctica 

{and the final continent remaining on my travel checklist}

And using my new Olloclip for taking iphone photos {alas I don't have a real camera these days but hey, rock what you got right?} I was able to get some macro shots of the paint effects so you can appreciate the detail.  Woot!

 

 

Shout-out to Caleb for surprising me with such a great gift #besthusbandever

Bonus alert: the ocean is a chalkboard paint!

As for the wood, I wanted to strip it naked and sand it to give it an un-finish like Chelsea's post about this dresser.  I wrestled with it for hours trying to get every spec of finish out of the nooks and crannies of the spindles.  In the end, I surrendered gracefully to the stubborn finish and decided I liked the distressed effect.  

 

Call it laziness, but I call it a mutual agreement.

Well mister, your dated days are over - now you are a piece of art!

Now available for sale

16"W x 16"D x 39"H

$125

Contact me at catherine.henifin@gmail.com if interested!

Happy Wednesday,

~Cate

Paint inside the lines {DIY custom canvas}

By Chelsea



Hi guys! As promised at the beginning of the week I'm sharing a really awesome DIY art project today! This will surely change the way you look at art when you're out perusing.

We bought these canvases at Ikea within a few months of moving into our home, (about 3.5 years ago). They were right for us at the time because, well, I had no clue what I was doing in our home and wanted something large scale for a wall in our dining room. They were neutral and soft and worked for a while.

Before - a little too timid for our updated space

Fast forward to now. I wouldn't say my style has changed so much as it has finally developed, (through lots of trial and error). Needless to say, these soft taupe-y lovelies just didn't have a place in our home anymore so I stuck them in the garage. They're just such a nice size, especially when hung together, so I held onto them in case something came to mind.

Then something came to mind. Paint over the painting! I needed some large scale art to hang over Shire's bedroom dresser, but wanted it to really pop. I picked a few paint colors, mixed a couple of my own, and painted 'in the lines' of these canvases.

Now customized and full of life!

(More pictures of Shire's room HERE)

Doesn't this just change everything?! If you can color in the lines you can do this project. One tip I have, as a non-canvas artist, is the larger the scale, the easier it'll be. Less room for error, (or is it more room for error??? I always get that confused). But really, all you need is a painting of a picture you like. Then just customize it with colors you want to see in your home!

Side by sides are always fun:

(A bit more abstract now, but I think that's charming in this case)

Doesn't this just make you want to run to your closest thrift store and find some lonely art?! I'm looking forward to trying this again for sure. 

And just to officially open the door, I always love seeing what YOU guys are up to! If you've finished something you're excited about in your home please share via email, (chelseasgarage@gmail.com). You're such a creative bunch and I love passing around inspiration. You may see your project featured here!

Thank you for stopping by!

~Chelsea