Movie House Inspiration

 When I'm watching a movie with a great set, I spend more time daydreaming than following the plot. I get lost examining the molding, the floors, the architectural details...Especially if it's an old southern plantation home or farmhouse. So much so, that now even when I do gasp at a thrilling or exciting part of a movie, Sean will say, "I know, you just LOVE that doorknob."

Two movies in particular feature houses that I've picked apart and drawn inspiration from for our own house.

We recently watched The Lucky One (Sean's independent redbox pick:) and I fell in love. Another Nicholas Sparks novel-turned-movie, it follows a marine returning home from war, who travels to the Louisiana to pay thanks to a stranger whose picture he attributes with keeping him safe. The woman lives in an old, white farmhouse where she runs a dog kennel. 

Dogs, old homes, and the southern life...we knew we were in heaven!   

 I knew while watching it, that this home had more authentic character and "life" in it than most movie sets, and after reading about it, I learned why.

The old farmhouse used for the movie was a sugar plantation in the 1800s just outside of New Orleans. 
After Hurricane Katrina, the home owners were able to salvage most of the furniture that was original to the farmhouse and it was used in the movie as well.
The production designer said the woman living in the home lived to be 98 years old. While preparing to film, they kept finding her paintings hidden throughout the house. With the family's permission, her artwork was displayed throughout the home in the movie.

"She finally got her show,” she said.

The grandmother in the movie, played by Blythe Danner, painted in her art studio just off the kitchen, so it all tied together so well.

Of course there's a breathtaking porch, where they've put a wooden kitchen table and chairs. I looove this idea. The brackets on the screen door are classically southern too. 

I don't have a screen door yet, but it's on the list!

The glass front cabinets are gorgeous, but still not practical for me. I can barely reach them so things often get tossed that extra 3 inches while I cross my fingers that nothing breaks. 

 I think I gasped when I saw this frame. I saw so many things...the white railed porch and black shutters, a black door with old white door knob, sunbeams through the window on the hardwood floor, transom window, chalkboard, and antique pendant lighting.

 The shutters in this shot, overlooking the rose garden, appear to be operable. So charming!



There are alot of black interior doors in this house and they look so gorgeous with the white casings and antique wood furniture. I bought my black paint months ago but haven't taken the plunge yet because in my house, wherever there is a door, there are 4 or 5 right beside it. I'm not sure if I'm going all in or if there can be a mix of black and white.

 This set had white doors too, but each stands on its own. Hmmm. I also really like that smoky antique blue color.

 

 I love those schoolhouse lights.

 They give such a soft glow.
 

This house also mixes the white trim with some dark trimwork, seen here. Gorgeous and rich, but I don't think I'd ever go that route.

As with any farmhouse, there was also a barn. Oh how I love a dusty old barn full of treasures.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll find an old farmhouse that needs some tlc and a family to call it home.

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The second movie, Life As We Know It, is much more pottery-barn inspired and not as "old" but there were so many things that I drew inspiration from. 

I love all the natural jute/rattan/woven material in light colors, which is what I chose for our living room blinds. It's a perfect mix with the gray flagstone fireplace and white cabinets.

Our kitchen has a sitting area attached like this one, and I really like that bench seating. I've been on the lookout for an old church pew to use like this for years.

More of that bench seating in white, mixed with dark furniture. And I like the plantation shutters too.

I think the mix of calm neutrals with that vibrant but peaceful abstract is perfect.
 

Screencap source

We went to see "Safe Haven Saturday night for a delayed Valentines date. I had not anticipated a movie more than this one in a long time. After reading the book just before and picturing so many scenes and sets in my mind, I hoped to see detailed views of a fixer-upper cottage in the woods and a North Carolina family home. 

  
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I just wanted to scrub that gorgeous, dirty paneling clean...And pick up a brush and help her paint that yellow floor!

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In the book, she spruces up the cottage with minimal funds and elbow grease, but I don't remember seeing too much of it in the movie. I can't wait for it to come out on dvd so I can study it all.
 

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{The family home}

I could tell it would be one of those movies I can watch a million times. The scenery, sets, and sunsets were beautiful. Another inspiration source to add to the files!

Hope you enjoyed!

Katie

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DIY Over-Fridge Wine Rack

I built me a wine rack, yall!

Our kitchen has been undergoing alot of character building lately. What was an outdated, blank-slate kitchen with no built-ins or "character nooks", is now becoming a more customized and functional space. You can remind yourself how our kitchen started here and here and here. 

The mini-cabinets everyone has over the refrigerator were never used for much in our house. 

Before:

I decided to create a built-in wine rack to utilize and showcase the space, like this picture shows.

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I loved the look of the X cube wine racks, like this one from Pottery Barn.

I considered buying a ready-made wine rack with the correct dimensions and placing it inside. 

I couldn't let myself do that. It's too easy.

Duh.

I couldn't even buy wood for the slats at Lowes or Home Depot. So this is what I did...

I first removed the doors, then the random assortment of screws, pictures, magnets, and a wedding invitation I had misplaced before rsvp-ing...oops.

 

I sawed off the center vertical piece of wood then painted the inside to match the cabinets. 

I found 2 wood crates at Jo Anns ($12 each) that when placed side by side were the perfect length to fill the cabinet.

 

 I painted both crates the same color.

I bought 2 pieces of scrap shelving from ReStore for $2 each and cut my pieces to create the "X" slats to separate. 

 

For each crate, I needed one 19.5"x9.25" piece.

 

And two 9.25"x9.25" square pieces.

 I placed the 3 wood pieces inside to insure that they fit, then used mending plates to connect the 2 smaller pieces. 

 

I screwed the mending plate into the front facing side, bracing the two small pieces together like a bridge over the long piece.

 

Then, I slid it out...

 

 and flipped those pieces so that the mending plate was now at the back of the crate. 

 

I placed the large piece in between, and installed the second mending plate on the front facing side. This way, the 2 separate pieces were connected at the front and the back.

 

 I painted everything and waited so impatiently for it to dry.

  

I ended up needing to saw about 1/8th of an inch from the inside edge of the open cabinet to have just enough room to slide the crates inside.  It just took a minute.

And with that, it was done!

 I propped my wine painting from my old apartment on a brick over the cabinet, with a wine bottle, wine jug, and wine glass.

 

Now I most certainly need more than 6 bottles of wine. 

I will need to buy some more.

Darn.

Two, $12 crates + $4 in scrap shelving + paint and mending plates on hand = $28 wine rack. 

But having the wine so accessible at my fingertips...

Priceless.
OR dangerous.

We'll see... 

Be Merry!

Katie

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Fresh and Airy Art Studio

 I just recently got around to giving my art room a fresh coat of paint and a carpet removal. For 2 years, I tolerated the electric lime and raspberry splashed on the walls of this room, for lack of energy and lack of time. I just couldn't bare to paint another room or rip more strips of carpet. 

Before:

 

But now its done and I can paint and create without getting a headache!  

After:

First up was removing the beige carpet, already spotted with multiple uh-ohs from paint splatters and spills. After tossing it all out, I gave the subfloor a sweeping, caulked and wood-filled the gaps, and then sanded it all lightly to make smooth. I used SW Porch and Floor Paint in Glidden's Olivewood (2 coats), coated with Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane (2 coats) then installed quarter round to the base board. Phew!! The floor process was a little tiresome, but not difficult to complete. 

Finally, the walls were painted in SW Fragile Beauty.

It's fresh and clean. An airy, blank slate for injecting color into works of art. 

 

I still use my Meemaw's butcher block that I painted white and stocked with art supplies. 

(On the shelf; my abstract straw art from first grade :)

On one open wall, I hung my open back frames that had been dispersed among closets and shoved in corners. Now they're visible, accessible, and look pretty cool while waiting for the canvas to fill them.

On the opposite wall I hung random pieces of art, paintings that don't have a place in our house, and some paintings just waiting to be painted over.

I love the color and sheen of the floors and they wipe up easily. 

I keep the bulk of the art supplies and crafty things tucked away in the closet to maintain a clean and open space.

I keep it quiet in here. 

Billie Holiday sings. I paint. 

Winning combination.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Katie

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Arkansas Will Never Yield, No 2

 My friend Fredisha has been saying for years that when she finished dental school and had her own place, she wanted a big razorback painting like one I auctioned off for the boys club a few years ago. She kept her word and now has this 24x30 painting to make a statement in her own dentist's townhouse.

It was nice to paint during the holidays with Christmas music playing in my newly redecorated art room that I can share soon.

Keep in Touch!

The Grays

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Industrial, Aged Coffee Table ReDo

 I first diy'd this flea market coffee table while living in our college rental house. It was given a nice little facelift with a simple stain and paint treatment and fit well with our standard contemporary style at the time.

Before:

  

But in our current living room, it was too bland and needed a little more attention to make a statement. I loved the look of the industrial cart coffee tables, with hinges, bolts, and various other hardware pieces. I really wanted to find an old cart or door to use, but decided to give that look to the table we already had. I tried to find large casters that could be attached to the underside after cutting the legs off, but couldn't find any I liked, so I put that on the back burner.

I sanded her down.

  

 Rounded the edges with extra sanding (for a worn effect and future little ones)

 

 Then abused it with a hammer and nails for an aged look. I beat it in spots and drug the claw in streaks until I had what I wanted.

 

 I painted  a coat of light gray paint over the surface. Then added a little white paint and watered it down, and quickly gave it a streaky coat over that. Since it was lightly painted and watered down, it dried quick and I repeated that step, adding more white to lighten it again, and more water to thin it out. 

  

As a last touch up coat, I added streaks of gray and light gray until I liked it. I used a board as a straight edge and drug a nail along the table to scrape the gray paint off. I spaced it every 3 inches or so to create a faux plank top.

I thickened the line at the ends with a little brownish/black paint to round it off. And for the last step, I applied Minwax Paste Finishing Wax to get a protected, hard, smooth finish.

I picked up two hinges at the hardware store and spray painted them in layers of dark brown, metallic, and hammered spray paints and attached them with mismatched screws. Then screwed in some copper bolts at the ends of the planks. The legs stayed black, at least until I find some casters that I like to replace them with.

Here's the After:

 

I love how the gray-washing turned out, giving it dimension and aged character.

Distressing close-up:

 

It reminds me of a castle door.

And it fits in so much better now. There's a level of comfort to having distressed furniture in your home. The more use, abuse, and "uh-oh"s, the better!

Thanks for stopping by!
The Grays Follow @ktgray13