A Cozy Fireplace Mantel Can Warm Up The Bedroom

Antique tin ceiling tiles in old pink paint make up the center of the fireplace mantel.

 

 

My old bedroom had a huge amount of charm. When the sunlight filtered in the room, the apple green chest of drawers sparkled. Ice cream colors made for a happy room. One day I looked at all the sherbet colors and realized it was just too much. Too many odd pieces of furniture directly across from my bed. The green chest, an aqua book case, vintage hampers, and other sweet pieces appeared disjointed. I wanted something that was colorful, but restful. I sold most of the bedroom pieces to purchase the old chipped paint sea foam green Victorian mantel. I'd loved it for over a year in a shop in Monroe - then decided it would be the perfect piece to tie the room together.

 

The mantel had to be anchored above the baseboard. It looked as though it was floating in air. I took out my acrylic paints and added an 'extension' to the bottom, over the baseboard.
 

 

 

My old book case was placed before the mantel, but it didn't give the charm I wanted. A few months ago I purchased twelve antique ceiling tiles, in the sweetest old pink paint. I decided to fill the inside of the fireplace with the old tin tiles. I used my E6000 jewelry glue to adhere the tiles to the white wall. Tape held them in place while the glue dried. Next I cut one tile to place around the light switch. When all was in place, I grabbed my acrylic paints again and filled in around the tiles with grey paint to pull them together. Most had grey edges, but some of the white wall peeked through. A quick line of paint took care of that problem.

 

I put the book case in another room and brought in an old pink paint bench to place in front of the mantel, piled on a few books, a plant, and an old chippy pink paint watering can. I love the results.

 

Below are photos, before and after. I will post pictures of the entire room tomorrow.

 

 

The original look across from my bed. Just too busy.

 

 

Mantel with old bamboo bookcase. Still not quite right.

 

 

 

Mantel with old tiles and bench.

 

 

 

 

The finished product. I love how it turned out!

 

Rainy Day Pink

Available on Etsy. Link HERE

Pink with Audrey. A cure for the blues.

It's another dreary, cold, rainy day in May. Rain, rain, go away..... I need the sun. I worry about puddles.

All kinds.

My dogs refuse to go out. We know where that leads.

Has my basement filled with water again? My handyman started the French drain, it is a huge deep cavernous hole to be completed when the sun dries it out. Another setback with today's weather.  I see it filling with water, emptying into the front downstairs room. He says it will channel the water from the house, even in the state it is in. I am in a state of denial.

We'll see. That's all I'm saying.....

And my brain is mush from dampness in the air.

But then I came across this poster on Etsy. It made me smile. You can't be sad surrounded by pink. I love the saying too. I have kisses galore from six dogs housebound and cuddly on my couch. They make me laugh every time they wiggle. Perhaps I am burning calories! I am strong, I've survived the widow word and come out on my happy side. Tomorrow is another day, rain rain go away...

Today the pack and I will stay dry. It will be a great day. I am in the pink. My pink ceiling tins came in yesterday's mail. I have bought more pink for my house. I've spent money I shouldn't have to buy things I couldn't live without. Does that make me out of my mind decorating the cottage in my mind? My recent purchases. What do you think?

One of 10 antique old pink paint tin ceiling tiles that came from Ebay.

From an old Victorian house. Five feet wide and 29" tall. Headboard perhaps?

 Old pink paint dresser and mirror. Tin pulls old white paint. So sweet. Waiting for me to pick up in Statham, Georgia and bring home!

Instead of worrying about French drains today, I believe I'll dream of Paris. I wonder if I should Google French cottages? I do believe in miracles. It is a miracle I am not crazy yet!

 Available on Etsy. Link HERE

Over My Head In Tin Ceiling Tiles

 photo from the web

    

     I am in over my head with tin ceiling tiles. The thought of a cottage with a tin kitchen ceiling makes me swoon. The truth is I probably would not like it for my kitchen ceiling. But that hasn't stopped me from thinking of how I could use the look on something else. A trip to Home Depot got me in trouble. Then a few minutes on Ebay got me in more.

     Yesterday, I ran in Home Depot to look for a florescent light fixture. The one under my counter had finally called it quits. A new bulb did not help, the fixture had died. As I zipped up one aisle trying to find my target purchase, I was side tracked. A bin of faux tin tiles stopped me dead in my tracks. My brain went into overdrive as I reached for the flyer and, afraid someone would come up and take the remaining tiles while I was reading about the product, I grabbed them all and plopped them in my cart. Then I took a close look at everything.

One of the sheets after I aged it.

     The faux tiles are thin plastic sheets that can be applied to walls either with adhesive or double sided tape. I put the sheets back, all except two, reached for a roll of tape and, in my excitement to pay for these items and get home, forgot to buy my light! It's fine. I am going back today for more faux tiles.

     Up on the wall, as a back splash behind my stove, they look like the real thing. Made by Fasade, the thin sheets are 24” x 18”.  You can cut the sheets with scissors to the size you need. I am toying with my two sheets to decide how far I want to go with this look. Behind the stove may be enough. I may want more on the opposite wall by my sink. Right now I am in the planning stages and we'll see how much trouble this leads too. Each panel costs $19.95.

     Below are photos of my stove before and after. The after is not final, but close to it. The panels look great, but they seemed too bright, too new for me. So I grabbed my paints, Patio Paint, Old Brick Red, an acrylic paint with a color that makes me think rust. If you like things worn and weathered like I do, rust is good! I won't buy metal patio furniture, unless it looks like it is caked in a fine rusty crust over the old paint. Fellow antique dealers, you understand my thought process.

Before

After

Getting ready to muck it up with paint.

    Using my fingers, I rubbed some of the paint gently over the faux tin tiles. Not everywhere, but in places to kill back the shine and make it looked weathered. I think it worked. Can't age plastic by leaving it out in the rain, so paint was my answer.

    One thing lead to another and I decided to look at old antique ceiling tins on Ebay. The first picture was of a 12” x 12” ceiling tin with old pink paint. Doesn't get any better than pink in my book! And that is the color in my bedroom. I purchased ten different pink tiles and should have them the end of next week.  I wonder how these tiles will fit in? Trust me, my brain is already at work and I have a few great answers. Stay tuned.

Sample of the old pink tin ceiling tiles purchased on Ebay!

     I jump from one project to another, without total completion of any! Fragmented. It's how I live and how I work. But things are happening and moving forward. My ranch is in transformation, ready to blossom out of its shell into the cottage in my mind. Just you wait and see!