DIY Tripod Lamp and Dining Room Update

 

 

About one year ago I saw a surveyor's tripod for sale on craigslist and thought about buying it to convert to a lamp.  I just never got around to it but always wished I had.  Last weekend I decided to take the hubby to an antique store and tucked away in the corner was a tripod! This time I didn't hesitate and I snatched it up!

 

 

I really didn't take any pictures of the process 'cause there wasn't much to it.  I bought a light kit from Home Depot, put it together and slapped it on the tripod!

 

I haven't done this yet, but I'm going to add a washer so the lamp kit will tighten to the tripod.  It will be right underneath the opening of the tripod.

 

 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to add a shade, so I bought a kit that would allow me that option.  On a whim, the hubby wanted to see what it would look like with the shade attachment, but no shade.  We both loved it!

 

 

The only thing I didn't love was the brand new looking brass.  To age the brass some I applied Gold Leaf Rub-n-Buff and Patina.  That helped age it some.

 

 

I am smitten with the feet on this tripod!

 

 

The wood is so old and beautifully aged!

 

 

I used an Edison bulb since I chose not to use a shade.  I love the warm light it provides!

 

 

You can see the light from each wire inside!

 

 

Now, here's a sneak peek at my dining room progress!  I'm finally starting to figure out what I want to do in each room, and I decided to start with the dining room this weekend.  All I did was paint an accent wall with chalkboard paint, but it has such an impact!  It is a more true black in person; for some reason it shows up more charcoal in the photos.

 

 

There will be a lot of changes in this room, but ya gotta start somewhere!!

 

Cheers!

Typographic String Art: HELLO!

 

 

I have been completely unmotivated to tackle any of the projects on my endless to-do list over the past few months.  I finally decided to sit down this weekend and finish some string art for the entryway.

 

While searching for a tutorial I stumbled upon Chris' tutorial from ManMade.  I was completely smitten with his font and his colorful string.  However, I'm not very computer savvy and couldn't figure out how to make my font large enough using word.  I ended up finding these free children's alphabet templates on Kiboomu! and just zoomed in on the image and traced it onto freezer paper.  My letters aren't exactly even and perfect, but that's how I roll!  I placed the paper directly on my wood and nailed an outline in no particular pattern.

 

The wood is just a pre-cut sheet from Lowe's.  It would probably be cheaper to get a large sheet of plywood and have it cut to size, but this sheet only cost $15 and was perfect!

 

I bought the colorful string from Hobby Lobby and went to town.  I didn't really apply the string in a pattern, just enough to evenly cover the letter and try to disperse the color evenly.  I found that more is definitely better!

 

 

 

I initially had a much thinner layer of string and it just didn't look great.  I ended up going back around each letter to make the string more dense.  I traced the outer edge of each letter at least four times - this helped define the letter against the light wood.

 

 

Once I determine exactly how I'm going to decorate the entryway I'll hang this on the wall to greet all our guests!

 

 

I love how bright and cheery it is!  The detail of the string is even prettier up close.

 

 

I sat it on my theater seats so you can envision the space a little better.  I want to repaint the hunter green metal on the chairs.  The string art will hang on the wall above it.  It's hard to tell in this photo, but the string matches the vibrant colors in the rug really well!

 

 

 

Cheers!!

She's Got Legs...

 

A few months back I happened upon this gorgeous DIY raw wood coffee table from The Brick House. 

 

 

 I immediately fell in love with the hairpin legs and debated on creating a similar table for myself.

 

I browsed my local Craigslist and did find a few local lumbar yards, just never looked into it.

 

This afternoon the hubby and I were walking about downtown Nolensville.  If you're from the Middle Tennessee area you are probably familiar with it.  It's an adorable little area with tons of antique shops.

 

I've been there a handful of times but have never visited Morgenstern's 1949.  We walked in and I immediately looked to my left.  I swear the clouds parted, the angel's sang and I screamed at the hubby "I want this!"  I did look around at the rest of the antique stores before making my final decision, but ultimately I came back and bought this beauty!

 

 

The grain looks beautiful!

 

 

I love how it looks with the rug - which by the way was inspired by Mandi's 2012 Epic Room Makeover.  It's just three 3x5 rugs from World Market put together!

 

 

You can see our new couch as well - a house-warming gift from us, to us!

 

 

The living room is coming along slowly but I'm loving the look so far!  I've got a big project in mind for our TV wall!

 

Cheers!