Monday, April 26, 2010

Mantle Makover - Part One

Are you ready for a transformation?

A mantle transformation, that is.

Okay, I am fibbing.  More like a partial mantle transformation.  Step one of many.

Do you remember me complaining about how incredibly boooring my mantle is?  If you met my mantle at a party, it would discuss the weather.  For an hour.  In detail.  And you'd have to listen because my mantle is the boss's wife and you can't be rude to the boss's wife, right?  And then she'd start to talk about her varicose veins.  And you are all, "No!  I can't see anything!  You look great!"  even though her veins are, like, POPPING OUT and about to EAT YOUR FACE and she keeps making you lean over to look really really close and now you wish she's go back to talking about the weather, because, ARGH, this lady is giving you HIVES and you are going to SHOOT your husband for abandoning you and please someone bring me a vodka.

That is what my mantle is like.

It needs a change, is what I am sayin'.

Look:

(click on pictures to biggify)


Ergh.  Blah.  Annoying.

The first things I wanted to fix were the golden candlesticks.  See how they do nothing for the mantle?  The color is washed out and the symmetry is so tedious.


Here they are about to get some cosmetic surgery.  Begone varicose veins!

BEFORE:


The primer is, er, primed and ready to go! 


So much better already!

Ooo, flat black spray paint, I love you so. 

You are the olive in my martini.


And...

Darn it!

I forgot to take a picture of the candlesticks with their coat of black paint before I distressed them!  Argh!

Anyhoo.  Sorry about that. 

SO - imagine them solid black. 

Can you see them? 

Now picture me sanding just the edges to make some of the primer show through. 

...

Okay, quit imagining.

Because here they are!

AFTER:
(click on pictures to biggify)
See how the slight distressing just "breaks up" the black a bit? 


Don't they look expensive?  I loooooove how they turned out!


I love taking angled pictures.  Sorry if it makes you a little seasick. 
I'm an artist and I WON'T COMPROMISE!

Um, yeah.  Or not.

Anyway.

I think they look a thousand times better!  The deep red of the candles really pop - and I adore my little turquoise birdy!  I think he looks so cute with the candles all clustered around him!



So that was Mantle Makeover, Step One.  Yay!

The next target is the mirror you see in the upper left corner of the above picture.

I love this mirror, it is solid wood, and I spent $80 on it from Pier One years ago... and at a time that I really did not have $80 to spend.  I just fell in love with it and knew I would have it forever.  The raised carvings are all distressed, showing the wood grain underneath.  I think I want to paint it black, like the candlesticks, but I am so nervous about not being happy with the results.  But as it is, it is almost invisble against the builder-white wall color.  So, if I can keep my courage up, I'm 99% certain that it is next in line for the black spray paint! 

Unless you talk me out of it.

(Please talk me out of it.)

Unless you think I should do it.

(Please talk me into it.)

BEFORE:



AFTER:


BEFORE:                AFTER:

(click on pictures to biggify)

I would list their buttons here individually, but there are too many! 
Many thanks to the hostesses for all their time and effort!
You can be sure that, if my post fit their category, I linked to it!

18 comments:

Erica said...

love the candle redo! they look great. amazing what a can of spray paint can do! i love it!!!

Unknown said...

Candlesticks = way better!!

I say paint the mirror. If you don't like it, you can paint it white again, right?

Patrice said...

Those look great. The blue bird really makes it all pop! Thanks for stopping by lemon tree and leaving such a wonderful comment. Oh, and I am super jealous of your mantle. I am a hop skip and a jump away from making a fake one for my fireplaceless house!

Sausha @ {Sweet Pickins} said...

go for it, i really think the black would look good, it will tie in your black candlesticks and the black underneath - DO IT!!!

michelle@somedaycrafts said...

Love the new look so far! Candlesticks (with that turquoise bird) are gorgeous!

Sew Can Do said...

The transformation is looking good! Thanks for linking it up to Craftastic Monday:)

Angie Holden said...

Love the makeover! Now get to painting that mirror!!! :)

Jennifer Juniper said...

Even before I saw the great candlesticks - you won me over with your made up word "biggify" !

Lori said...

I love your candle sticks!!!

Thanks for joining Get Your Craft on Thursday! Please join me again on Thursday for another great party!

Amanda said...

Your candlesticks turned out great - what are you waiting for on the mirror?! You know it'll be fabulous!

Loose Sparrow Arts N Crafts said...

What a great sense of humor! You would totally get me (because some people without humor don't.) Thanks for following me. I'm not following you just to return the favor either. I LOVE your blog and Etsy site, too. Oh, yeah, you should paint your mirror frame black.

Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish said...

I think they turned out great! (And go for it on the mirror!!)

Kaysi said...

Wow those look great! I love the new color and the candles

Amy said...

Love the transformation! Love spray paint!!
I totally vote yes on the black frame mirror-so it! I think the whole thing would look so rich together...
Thanks for linking up to "AP Tuesdays" Hope to see you again tomorrow!

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

These look fabulous! Love the black and the birdie is too cute! Thanks so much for joining the Sunday Showcase Party! I greatly appreciate it. Hope you have a wonderful week. Hope to see you again next Sunday! ~ Stephanie Lynn

Unknown said...

amazing what a coat of paint can do! I love your re-done candle sticks!

Thanks for linking up!

Unknown said...

They turned out beautiful

thanks for linking up

Unknown said...

I love the color of the bird! Is that from the dollar store? How did you get it to be weathered like that? I LOVE IT! Great make over!

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