let me begin this post by apologizing for my crappy lens. maybe it has something to do with the time i dropped my camera while catching a woman and her infant as they were stumbling down some stairs at a pee wee baseball game. maybe not. maybe this stock lens is just lame and i […]
transform a dark wood bed into a beachy chic treasure
September 21 by
i was in search of a queen bed for a beach property. i scoured craigslist over a few weeks and scrounged all the furniture that i planned on painting. GREAT deals to be had! this waterfront house is all whites and blues, to match the airy, beachy vibe of the lovely town, Coronado. i chose all solid wood […]
chocolate Mandy’s cookie thins + pink lemonade frosting = cookie sandwich delight!
September 19 by
you can’t tell me this doesn’t look ah-mazing! my friends run the most amazing confections company called Fusion Gourmet. Mandy’s Cookie Thins are by far the yummiest, crispiest (is that a word?!), crunchiest, most delicious cookie crisp you’ll ever try. when friends come over, they all end up arm wrestling to see who can […]
How to paint wood to look like weathered Restoration Hardware wood
September 6 by
hi friends! i’m back with another furniture painting tutorial on how to use chalk paint to get a weathered wood Restoration Hardware finish. here’s my inspiration. a wonderful wood pier that we visited on our summer road trip. the irony is that the piece i was painting, was in fact, a real Restoration Hardware dresser….from the early […]
Coronado beach house tour
August 30 by
i recently helped a friend decorate her new beach house. it’s the perfect Coronado vacation rental, don’t you think? it’s a cute 3 bedroom waterfront condo in the heart of coronado that breathes so well. open the windows and the breeze just whips through the entire home. this was a fun project despite the blood, sweat […]
beach house vintage windows + vinyl lettering
August 27 by
i’m surprised i haven’t seen more of these on the internets. don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of old windows and vinyl lettering with cute quotes… but none that are inspired from the subway posters that pay tribute to a city or town’s points of interest. so i’ll claim this as an original as i […]
Norm! how to paint Cheers-y bar stools
August 26 by
if you don’t get this post’s title, you’re too young. i’ve just started and already i’ve digressed. anyway, you’ve seen these bar stools, right? these maple-ish wood bar stools were hip 10 years ago, but you’ve still got them laying around. they’re sturdy and make for a perfect soccer goal backstop. with a little elbow […]
vintage painted dresser for a friend
May 18 by
a neighbor was tossing this vintage dresser that had been in her daughter’s room for 20 years. it had taken a beating. i wish i had a before picture, but alas, i don’t. suffice it to say there was a lot of scotch tape, stickers, and fingerprints on this lovely. a friend is moving back […]
Regency coffee table gets a chalk paint makeover
May 9 by
we’re in the midst of remodeling a bit of our new house. nothing major…carpet, paint, new tile in the bathrooms. along with the new comes a lot of furniture painting. most of my pals know that i bought a Ford F-150 b/c i pick up so much random furniture to paint. so when i noticed […]
paint technique to make Ikea Hemnes mirror look like Restoration Hardware finish
February 26 by
i picked up this Ikea Hemnes mirror for a property in Mammoth Lakes. i wanted a rustic look to match the gorgeous and majestic Sherwin Mountain Range that is viewable from the house. i started with a light dry-brushing of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint’s Paris Grey. after brushing in the direction of the grain, […]
shabby metal urns
January 10 by
i had these laying around the garage for a while. and as you know by now, nothing is safe from my paint brush! i’m racing out to Palm Springs for a photo shoot at this hip mid century modern Villa with the ever talented Jimmy Cheng. what are your weekend plans? have a great […]
antique dresser gets a Swedish facelift
January 6 by
i picked up this antique dresser on Craigslist. it had been with the family for a few generations, but it was time for it to get a new home. it was a perfect shape with great bones for a new sink pedestal in the kids’ bathroom. the top had a ton of wear and tear, […]
Get a Swedish Gustavian look w/ Annie Sloan chalk paint
January 5 by
oh. my. word. i’m absolutely in love with this look right now. i found this perfectly-shaped headboard with a matching dresser on Craigslist. it was a lovely Bombay piece in pitch black with gold details. just not my style, but the shape and detailed wood work were perfect for my next Gustavian-inspired pieces. i usually […]
juicy prime rib. over-the-top goodness.
December 29 by
i dragged two girlfriends with me to a cooking class just after Thanksgiving. the class was led by Nick Wynn and newly appointed Sous Chef Chris Chun at Big Canyon Country Club. the master sommelier, Steven Poe, paired delicious wines with the foods that were cooked. my favorite was the reisling, but i never did […]
Duncan Phyfe drum table gets a Gustavian makeover
December 28 by
my latest obsession is Gustavian furniture. whites and pale grays all inspired by the bright cheery homes found in Sweden. makes sense given they have very limited light during the winter months. this Duncan Phyfe drum table was one of the very first furniture pieces i refinished…all prior to discovering Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. you […]
