Recently, Lucy and I decided to add a few accents to her bedroom. Our first step, is to add an accent wall to her bedroom. In phase two, we will add decorative wood beams to her ceiling. We weren’t sure what that accent would be until we saw the gray decorative boards from Ornamental Molding & Millwork We order the planks and they were shipped right away. (measure the square footage you need and contact Ornamental Molding & Millwork to find out exactly how many boards you’ll need) Above is the room in it’s usual state of despair. Below, is Lucy is ready to install the decorative wal ..read more

I recently installed a barn wood mantel to my freshly ship lapped fireplace. At least it LOOKS like a vintage barn wood beam! It’s actually a hollow ambrosia maple floating shelf. I LOVE my ship lapped fireplace, but it was desperately needing a mantel. I wrote about ship lapping the fireplace a few weeks ago here. Real vintage barn wood beam are not cheap. Not to mention the fact that it would be a very labor intensive project to hog out the inside of the beam in order to hang it on the fireplace as a mantel.  So, love the look, not the price and labor involved. So, if you are looking t ..read more

I added this oven tray to our kitchen Who doesn’t like more counter top space? Nobody, that’s who. I saw something similar to this tray online and thought, genius! Within minutes, I was out in the garage searching through scrap wood and figuring out dimensions for my oven tray. It’s literally 8 pieces of wood, cut to the approximate depth and width of my oven. I attached the pieces with wood glue and nails, then sanded until smooth. Left over stain and paint gave my oven tray a rustic look. I thought about painting it a solid color, but went for a 2 tone painted center and stained sides in ..read more

I added tassel fringe to my chandelier I love a tassel, and, I like to think of myself as a professional embellisher. So, when I saw the fringe tassel chandeliers and light fixtures that have been popping up in home decor lately, I knew I had to add it to my home somehow. I handmade dozens of yarn tassels and attached them to the bottom rung of my dining room light fixture. My house is no stranger to tassels. A few years ago I added them all over the place, including the edges of blankets. See the how to make a tassel video HERE. I’m not going to lie. This project is not a quick one. But ..read more

Does your bar have a style? or, do you not even have a bar? Here are some tips on creating a style for your bar:: You will create your own style depending on what you choose for each of these tips. Like modern? use a sleek laminate tray, shabby chic? add some chippy painted items.  Start with creating a designated space for your bar. Preferable in a room where you drink. If you don’t have a traditional “bar”, use a dresser, small skinny table, hutch, etc… Stick to the basics. Have vodka, rum, tequila on hand. But have what you like too. Some tools – a shaker, strainers, bottle opener a ..read more

How to ship lap a fireplace with cement board My mission? Create this look for my fireplace….. From the minute I saw our townhouse, I knew I wanted to ship lap the fireplace with cement board. This is what I started with on move in day…very 1980’s. Shortly after that we removed the “mantel” and had the TV wired and hung above the fireplace. The hearth was the matching blue tiles. We started by demo-ing the existing trim and blue tile. (I kept the existing blue floor tile in tact. I’ll show you my simple plan to give that hearth a new look later without having to hire a mason or do major de ..read more

online design plan did you see my segment on Good Day Philadelphia? (click image above to watch the video) If you’d like me to help you with a space in your home, here’s what you need to do:: This LINK to The Painted Home Facebook page will show you examples of $39.99 design plans I have already completed for other happy customers. You can also scroll through The Painted Home Facebook page for more ideas and inspiration . I hope it gives you the information you are looking for. If you’d like to get started here are the basic details:: I charge $39.99 via venmo or paypal. I will draw your cu ..read more

I partnered with LJ Smith Stair Systems for this post. When we moved into our townhome in 2018, I knew we would be doing a stair railing makeover. You can see why in the below photo. Hello 1980. Although this DIY stair railing makeover seems like a reasonable project for Tom and I to handle, we knew there would be some detail work that we’d need a more experienced carpenter for. We wanted the finish work to be perfect. The day we moved in. Tom and I tackled the demo ourselves. Then we had our friend, George, a master carpenter, add the kneewall plate, newel posts and railing. Before Geor ..read more

Are you a fan of painting a ceiling a dark color? If you’re on the fence, it’s a “yes”. Check out the difference it made when I painted my dining room ceiling a dark color. I love it so much, I painted our bedroom ceiling the same color. It adds a lot of drama and atmosphere to a space. There are sliding glass doors and 2 windows in this space, sunlight was not an issue. Plus the walls are painted a lighter color. So, it’s high contrast for sure! The room started off very builder’s beige. It even had beige carpet. I’m never a fan of carpet in a dining room, so that was removed and vinyl plan ..read more

How to make a giant tic tac toe board Create this family friendly game that everyone will love. Grab some paint and hot glue and make the entire process an activity the kids can do together. With in a few minutes you have a great game for the entire family and a fabulous coffee table conversation starter! Follow these steps on how to make a giant tic tac toe board. Supplies needed magnetic chalkboard paper mache X’s & O’s 2 paint colors brushes hot glue heavy duty magnets T Square chalk for keeping score 1. lay out your x’s and o’s 2. paint your x’s and o’s 3. hot glue magnets to eac ..read more