Repurposed Wrought Iron Gate

Rusty Love.

I found an old gate (actually a pair that meet in the middle - how cool!) in my woods. They were laying in the ground, half buried in earth and practically smothered under vine and vegetation. With a bit of effort I was able to free them and get a gander at their vintage beauty and aged patina.

Gate used as outdoor decor two years ago.  Oh and a repurposed chimney pot (topper) for a planter!
(That deck is now stained dark espresso.  I forgot how bad it looked.  Sheesh!)

I repurposed the gates as landscape decor for awhile and then moved them into the garage during the winter to save them further hardship from the elements.  They were rusting away like crazy.  The black finish was peeling and crumbling off from the slightest touch or movement of the gates.  They have been in-hiding (in the garage) for a year, but never-out-of-mind (my mind that is).

Rustic Window Treatment?

Yesterday I decided to clean one up enough to bring indoors.  Boy, it was a lot of work scraping off the peeling finish and rubbing like mad with a wire brush to get the loose "debris" off.  A burst of air from the leaf blower to get any remaining dust off and it was ready for a new purpose!

I love the look of RUST and that is what I was left with  . .  . some great surface pitting too!

Pitted Perfection.

I had a master plan for these gates (well, one of them at least).  I would repurpose it as a window treatment.  Now hear me out.  There is a practical reason for this.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of draperies or window treatments, and when able, will opt for "open" windows.

A view from outside.  Ya think the birds will see it?

My large picture window was apparently loved by my feathered friends..  They loved it so much in fact that they would often fly right into it to give it a kiss (poor little guys).  No fatalities seen but a few who undoubtedly saw stars.  In an effort to warn them of the glass, I came up with this solution.  Hopefully it works.  I haven't heard any BANGS! yet today.  It will take me a while to get used to it.  I'm not warming up to it quickly as I miss the unobstructed OPEN VIEW, but at least it doesn't restrict the light too much.

So, good idea, bad idea, what do ya think?

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Repurpose a Door

There are numerous ways to repurpose a door. We've seen it done countless times. Regardless of this fact, I never grow tired of seeing them reused - even if in similar, repurposed ways.  This is probably because each door is unique and brings "new" character to any space, helping to define an intended style.

TABLES

Doors repurposed as coffeetables.

You can repurpose a door as a coffeetable which is one of my favorites!  Using old doors as any type of table top is super.  A large dining table looks especially great when crafted from a chunky old barn door. Narrower antique doors are ideal for console and accent tables. You can simply create legs with modified saw-horses for a utilitarian rustic look.

A rustic door creates a  console table top.  I love that the old hardware is intact.
This particular style table leg assembly is available at Ikea.
How cool are those cases beneath the table?

Ikea supplies numerous tresles (similar to saw-horses) and other various table legs which are simple to attach.  Those shown here are just a few of the many options available. 

WALL ART

Do you need some clever wall art? Repurpose a door as a unique focal on a wall. 

Use chalkboard paint on the inset panels or cover them with cork to create a
funky-chic day planner to accompany an equally chic industrial desk!

Wall art as a floating headboard.
A mirror replaces the original window glass of this vintage door.

HEADBOARDS

They look especially neat as headboards too. 

 I've seen this done in so many ways and again, it always looks cool. 

The imperfectly "matched" set of doors in this space provides a relaxed, casual look.
  

FOCAL FEATURES

Of course the simplest way to repurpose a door is to display it in a room as an architectural feature.
 Simply lean it up against a wall and enjoy!

A corner element in a rustic-chic bathroom.
Use this idea to build in a corner cupboard for extra storage in small spaces.

Stained glass, brass hardware, solid wood = Perfection!

My sister and brother-in-law decided to keep the front door from their previous residence for use at their new home.  It has been in storage in their garage for the past several years.  I recently suggested they bring it inside to enjoy until plans are made to get it fitted to their existing front entry.  It's nice to appreciate the beauty of this door once again - now flanking a chaise in their living room.

Rustic Good Looks!  A door repurposed as an architectural element.

Nothing is better than finding an old door along the side of the road, such as the case with this door.  My mother saw it out for trash and immediately called me to rescue it.  Regardless of the rainstorm occurring at the time, I jumped in my truck and went on the treasure hunt.  I wasn't disappointed.  A little mineral oil and it was good to go.  I had plans to make this a table but seeing as I haven't gotten around to that yet, I decided to display it in my family room.

It fits neatly in an odd little alcove (a trouble spot) for this room which will eventually be built-in shelves.
It provides a certain balance to the barn beam console and steamer trunk .

Did you repurpose a door in a clever way?  I'd love to hear about it!

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Timeless Modern Style

Sounds like an oxymoron of sorts doesn't it?  Is modern decorating timeless? While many may intertwine the terms modern and contemporary (I do it myself all too often), there is a difference. Contemporary being "of the now" can eventually become outdated. At some point in "its time" however, it was all the rage.

 Modern style exhibits certain characteristics that, well, never go-out-of-style. Clean, linear pieces, reflective surfaces, monochromatic color schemes and simplistic styling keep modern spaces looking up-to-date for years and years . . .  perhaps forever.

 Case in point, the "contemporary" home on the set of Sleeping With the Enemy staring Julia Roberts (1991).  Some classify the home as contemporary but I'd call it modern personally.  This movie was on today, and although I've been in love with the home (at least the interior) since I was 18 years old, I really began noticing the perfection of modern styling in this home.  The set is practically timeless and lives up to today's standards in many respects.

Brushed-aluminum range hood, horizontal door pulls and simple styling.

I was somewhat amazed to see horizontally placed hardware (door pulls) on kitchen cabinets, glass vessel sinks in the bathroom, and what appeared to be a black shag leather rug in the living room.  Of course modern furniture always looks "modern" and you can't go wrong with black shiny stuff!  It was the smaller details however, such as those aforementioned that really struck me as "in vogue" now - 21 years later.

Modern good-looks!  Black, chrome, glass and sculptural elements - how can you go wrong?
Perhaps a bit too stark and cold for some, but ever so "COOL" nonetheless!

Does this mean those items and styles have now fallen into the "contemporary category" and will eventually fall victim to an out-dated look?  I certainly hope not.  But for now, I'm ready to throw some horizontal pulls on my cabinet door fronts and get myself a dark-colored "contemporary" shag rug for my family room!

Upcycled Candle Jars

I've been Upcycling Candle Jars for some time now. In fact, empty candle jars are one of my favorite things to upcycle. It's amazing how easy it is to transform them into mini works-of-art if you will.

Each one seems to take on it's own personality and direction in no time. Even using the same supplies and switching-it-up a bit produces cool, new results.

My latest upcycled candle jar creation

This upcycled candle jar illuminates with lantern-like qualities due to the tissue paper wrap.  Turquoise elements provide a vibrant color and makes me think of going to the beach or walking along the shoreline.

As I was writing the main page for this project, I was thinking of how the white tissue paper base would create a perfect backdrop for Holiday-styled "lanterns" too.  With just a few minor changes in detailing, I could see these twinkling around the home during the holiday season.  Gosh, that's right around the corner! 

Here are a few others I've created along the way.  

Craft Paper and Rubber Stamp Upcycled Candle Jar

Burlap Wrapped and Metal Spring Elements Upcycled Candle Jar

I actually use tea-lights in all of them as they are mess-free and safer for these "adorned" containers.

Read the full tutorial on the beachy turquoise-lantern jar (shown at top) 

by visiting my page on Upcycled Candle Jars.

I provide a few tips for getting those used candle jars cleaned out and ready for upcycling!

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Upcycled Tin Cans

About a year ago, I began upcycling tin cans - particularly soup cans for decorative purposes. I made a few Autumn-themed candle pedestals but more recently began experimenting with stacking them to create varying heights.

I like the shape and the ribbing of the metal which provides instant modern flavor. Of course painting them black and white doesn't hurt either.  They even look great unpainted and grouped together.  I think I am going to try weathering a set of them next.  A surface-rust patina would look really cool and make them appear a bit more industrial.

Of course stacking tin cans in this fashion has me thinking up other crazy projects like creating legs for tables or building them into a small accent table or stool.  Hmmm . . .  perhaps that is the next level of experimentation for my upcycled tin can collection.  For now, I'm digging my candle pedestals (a.k.a. my tin can decor) big time.

Visit my page on Upcycled Tin Cans for the tutorial and to learn more about this project!

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