Styling the Home:: Vintage Frame to Chalkboard

Happy Election Day! I hope that everyone can get out there and vote. I know that my eyes will be peeled to the television tonight awaiting the results.  

  I have developed quite a liking for turning pieces that you might not give a chance, a chance, and turning them into something beautiful.  Oftentimes there is a piece in a thrift store that you might pass by thinking that the color or fabric is off and you are left buying it's counterpart in stores that is usually over priced and definitely doesn't have the potential like it's vintage store counterpart.  I recently was in a shop by my house and saw this empty frame - I think that it held a mirror. I spotted it as soon as I walked into the store, in particularly the elaborate molding on top; it was piled behind a slew of other frames.  I immediately began to dream of the things that I could do to it, like make it into a bulletin board by buying cork or turn it into a chalkboard. I decided to do the latter and I am so happy with the results, I ended up with a gorgeous piece hanging in my office.  

On another note, Gabrielle Aronas, the talented floral designer behind G! Designs is donating 100% of her net proceeds during the month of November to hurricane Sandy relief efforts in the New York and New Jersey area.  Her goal is to deliver 100 arrangements and make a donation to the Red Cross, so please help her meet her goal! I am sure there is someone special in your life that you need to say 'thank you' or 'happy birthday' to and there is no way better to do this than giving back and helping those that lost their homes and are displaced due to the storm.  

(It is all in the details - this is what lured me in) 

(Before - a dull wood finish, pardon my hand)

Essentials::

A Vintage Frame, Spray Paint - Primer (Rustoleum), Frame Color (I used Rustoleum Metallic Gold) and Chalkboard Paint (Krylon Chalkboard Paint)

Notes::

I applied one layer of primer, three coats of gold spray paint for the frame and six coats of chalkboard spray paint.  Typically I do not think that you would need that much of the chalkboard paint, but the wood on this was particularly grainy, so six did the trick.  

*All photographs by Alison