Breaking the Bathroom - Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of Breaking the Bathroom. If you missed part 1, you can find it here.

I found a tile I liked and decided to order it. It is beautiful! I love it.

Turns out the only tile i liked was on back order and wouldn't be in until August. Being that it was June, I had two months to wait for my order to come in. A small part of me died inside. 

Naturally, I can't sit still for long, so I started a new project to complement the tile once it came in: A mirror frame!

I started by installing a half inch wood trim around the existing medicine cabinet, to allow for a buffer around the operable mirrored doors. It perfectly matched the depth of the cabinet.

Next, I bought some lumber and started to measure out my sides to match the height of the existing mirror cabinet, plus the half inch trim on top and bottom.

Then cut them to size.

Next, I sanded them twice with two different grits to make them nice and smooth.

Now with a top and bottom rail, and 4 vertical rails for my frame, I was ready to stain them to match the existing lower cabinet, which I love so much.

The first coat ended up darker and browner than I'd have liked so I had to had to go back and get some cherry to warm and redden it.

I used my corner clamp to screw and glue my pre-drilled holes and assemble my frame.

I took the frame inside, put it up against the mirror for a test fit and to double check the location of the inner rails. This ensures a snug fit around the medicine cabinet. Then I filled all of the holes with wood filler, re-stained them.

I'm not actually going to show you the finished product yet until the tile is complete... but here's a sneak peak of the door pull I put on the mirror to ensure we could still open the medicine cabinet. 

See more tomorrow! I promise...

Retro TV Room: Gallery Wall

As this house slowly evolves, I set my sights on our retro TV room and a way to lighten up the dark wood paneling. Check out this post about the last time I did anything to the room.

Plus, we've been so lucky to have some great photographs taken, in part to Burovision providing photo shoots for designers back when I lived in Ottawa. What a delightfully generous thing for them to have done. Then we were lucky enough to move to Edmonton, and our incredible realtor, Jerry Aulenbach does the same thing for his Clients! So what is one to do with all of those great photos? Put them up in a gallery wall!

Using adhesive picture hangers will avoid damaging the wall, but will also make it a quick and easy project.

I started with the cardboard moose head that was already on the wall for two reasons, A) it is interesting and B) it is already white, which is exactly what I am after. So first I put up a small grouping.

I used different textures, sizes and thicknesses of frames, some with mattes and some without. Again, the name of the game is "visual interest".

The trick to a cohesive grouping with disparate items, is to maintain a consistent space around/between each frame.

It is looking good even in this small amount, and certainly brightens up the space.

Then I gradually kept adding frames until I achieved this:

As I find more photos, I will keep adding to the wall, hopefully covering the whole width.

Whatever you decide to do, just have fun with it! 

Architectural Drawings: Hot Dog Style

I got these awesome detail drawings from my Stepfather.
Given that I am a designer, he knew I would flip for these blueprints of non-traditional items.

There were two; a hot dog and a hamburger.

Vintage Finds as Wall Art

We were at our friends' (Justin & Kym) house this summer for a BBQ, and came across this little gem.

The rusty wheels and peeling paint immediately caught my attention. I was in love.
So I asked what the deal was with this little board stuck in between the patio railing, and the house.

I turns out that Justin's daughter, Ariel - who is an artist/jeweler - found it on her way home one night.
(Check out Ariel's website) - Beautiful stuff!
Of course, I asked what would happen if it went missing... and they both laughed and said I could have it.
There was alcohol involved so I may have taken advantage the situation... he he he.

DIY Wedding 2010: Part 2

In my previous post, DIY Wedding 2010: Part 1, I showed you the beginnings of the DIY projects for the wedding. In this post, we move into the table decorations!

Table numbers were important, and just like with the books from the last post, I played with various patterns.

Easy Artwork: Doing Things Backwards

If you are in a regular visitor to my blog, you will have noticed that I bought my very own mat cutter.
Reference this against all of the framing I have been doing here, here and here.

Since I am in a framing mood, I have been pulling out all sorts of our artwork that has been rolled up in storage mode.

We have all sorts, such as - autographed posters, paintings from Haiti and Africa, charcoal drawings, and even a generic Ikea print leftover from my husband's ex-girlfriend!

Anyway, I opened up this African piece.
As I unfurled it, I realized that it was not printed on a regular canvas, but rather the canvas from a flour mill in the Congo. Resourceful!

Easy Artwork: Medical Illustration

I am kinda cheap and kinda resourceful, which is exactly what led me to this...

Displaying The Things We Love: Lest We Forget

My husband was given his Grandfather's service medals in this modest brown paper bubble envelope.
In order to keep them protected, he kept them in it.
Knowing how much those medals meant, I decided find a way to display them.

Artwork: Drive a Hard Bargain

Stopped by VV Boutique on a lark.
Hubby saw this photograph and liked it - maybe because the landscape reminds us of home (BC).