When I sat down last night to write this blog post about the paint projects I wanted to complete in my own home this year, a new heater wasn’t on the list …
* * *
Then a weird sound started coming through the vents—part grinding, part squealing.
That can’t be good! We’ll need to call someone to check that out.
I kept typing.
Then the weird smell started wafting through the house—part burning, part plastic-y ickiness.
That’s REALLY NOT GOOD! (Of course, this all happened at midnight.)
It turns out our heater is 17-years-old and at the end of its lifespan. It also has a busted motor now. And some other part is out of alignment. And something else I didn’t really hear because I had stopped listening to the technician by then.
The new heater is being installed on Monday.
Out with the old—in with the new!
It’s a little chilly in my house right now. No worries! I’m just chillin’ here in my favorite winter hat.
An old heater is one of those things around your house that you know needs to get replaced … eventually. You just are never expecting eventually to be midnight on a Tuesday when you have better things to do like photograph all of the paint projects you have planned for the year!
The nice thing about paint is it is much (MUCH!) cheaper than a new HVAC system!
It’s prettier too.
And you can do it yourself.
(Yes—YOU can! We will teach you how.)
Look around your house. I bet you have a few paint projects hiding in there. Don’t wait to get around to them eventually. Why not make a New Year’s Resolution to learn how to paint furniture right now? It’s an easy way to update your home without spending thousands of dollars.
And it is a lot of fun.
Our Learn How to Paint Furniture class is is held every month at our studio in All Things New Again in Leesburg. We teach you techniques the pros use to bring new life to outdated furniture. At $99, our class is the best deal around.
Advanced registration is required so please sign up today online or call the shop at 703-779-2991 to reserve your space.
Before we get to my paint to-do list, I wanted to share with you some recent projects from two talented ladies who took our Intro class last year.
Lisa’s dining room table is sturdy and solid and looks great in her home. She used American Paint Company’s black color Cannonball to make it look even better.
Check this out. Lisa painted just the legs black and kept the tabletop the original wood. Isn’t it pretty? She thought long and hard about it, but finally decided to go for it. I’m glad she did because I think it looks awesome!
Speaking of awesome, Lucy created an awesome transformation of this tired old dresser she found right here at All Things New Again. (Did you know our entire upstairs is a treasure hunter’s paradise loaded to the ceiling with unfinished project pieces?)
Here’s the before shot.
And here’s the amazing after…
Lucy used American Paint Company’s dark blue Born on the 4th on the base of the dresser and brown Wild Horses on the drawers. Then she came back and “dry brushed” a little bit of brown over the blue to give the piece more depth and dimension. That’s a technique she learned in our class—and executed beautifully here.
Seeing projects our students go home and create is so exciting for us. If you have ever thought about learning how to paint furniture, please consider taking our class. We teach—and you practice—several different techniques. If you get stuck on a project after you get home, we are always happy to help. Just give us a call, drop us an email or find us on Facebook. We want you to be successful—just like Lisa and Lucy!
I want to be successful this year too. I have a bad habit of stockpiling furniture in my garage and then never getting around to painting it. I need you guys to hold me accountable!
Here are my home projects for the year.
Vintage Jewelry Armoire
I’ve had this jewelry armoire since I was a teenager, which was so long ago I can legitimately call it “vintage” now. Yikes!
I am planning to update it to match my bedroom by painting it with APC’s turquoise Shoreline and creamy white Home Plate and replacing the broken knobs.
My Grandmother’s Hutch
There’s a great story behind this hutch. I will share it with you when I finish painting it. I’m not 100% set on my plan for this piece yet. It has been painted 1,267 different colors over the years, but never ALL AT ONCE! It is going to be bright and colorful when I’m done with it.
Buffet and China Cabinet
Our dining room is a blank slate—but it won’t be for much longer!
We have a cool dining room table constructed from old barn wood. And that’s about it.
A complete re-do of the room is on the list this year, including painting this buffet and matching china cabinet. I bought them both at an auction last year. I loved them so much, I kept going up, up, up on the price and in the end, decided they were meant for me!
Cabinet
This little gem is part of our never-ending office renovation project, which we are DETERMINED TO FINALLY FINISH THIS YEAR!!! We are close, very close. I found this cabinet right before Christmas and think it is the perfect thing to put my printer on top and store paper in the drawers. I like it better than the cabinet I’m using now.
OUT with the old—IN with the … old that I’m making look new!
Now I just need to decide … which project should I work on first?
~ Courtney
Do you have a New Year’s Resolution project to work on at your house? Tell us about it in the comments section! We would love to hear about it.
