I’m Not a Mantle But I Play One in the Hallway{27}

So the Fall decorating continues. As I travel through my first year as a blogger, I am a little amazed at all of the creativity that I see.  I find it fascinating that we are all doing a similar thing (decorating for a season or a Holiday), but each of us is doing something just a little different than the next person.  Right now the blogs are full of the colors of this current season – and they really are beautiful colors.  I’ll tell you this: if it weren’t for all of the beautiful displays I’ve seen in the last few weeks – here on my computer screen – I would never have managed to get any Fall decorating done this year.  I never would have been motivated to dig my way out from under the construction debris in time to pin up a single pretty yellow leaf or fat little pumpkin.  Making these pretty little scenes in my house is part of what makes it feel like a home.  Okay, so I guess it always feels like a home – but sometimes?  Sometimes I like my home a lot more than others!

http://breidawithab.com/im-not-a-mantle-but-i-play-one-in-the-hallway/
it’s much more lovely in person! the lighting in this area does NOT lend itself to beautiful photography!

I spent some time today designing this little vignette around a piece that I painted a while back.  We have a few of this type of box in our house, which I would normally call a blanket chest, but this one was actually a tool box.  (we keep blankets in it – so it really IS a blanket chest, now) I found this in a shed at my husband’s grandmother’s house about 15 years ago.  It was painted black when I first saw it.  It also had rope handles on the sides and wheels on the bottom.  The wheels are still there.  The handles?  No.  Well, we all make mistakes. . .

tool box makeover

This box is as solid as a rock.  And it’s as heavy as a rock, too.  Someone built this thing by hand – pine boards.  Thick ones.

tool box makeover

I really did like the black paint but it was in pretty rough shape and I was on a kick of painting everything off-white at the time.  I was thrilled with the way it came out – and I still love it.  First, I covered the whole box with one coat of grey primer and then I put on a second coat of regular off-white latex paint.  I had to sand the edges to achieve that distressed look I wanted.  But really, the box itself got me more than half way there.   If you’re after the chippy look – look no further!

tool box makeover
now that’s a CHIP!  this is the front edge – it looks like someone went at it with an AXE!!

And even though it seems to have been through the wars, I still think it’s stunning.

tool box makeover

don't you?

This particular box means more to me not only because I love the way it looks, but because it is quite useful as well.   I do love things to be useful.  In a house without closets, you need all the extra storage space you can get! There is also the added bonus of having belonged to Mr. Social Media’s grandfather.  Beauty, Utility, and History all rolled into one.  What more could you ask for?

Well, if you’d ask to see how I made the broomstick, come on back again.  I’ll be doing a tutorial for that very simple project in a day or so!  Did you know that you can easily sign up to receive a note from breida with a b. right in your email?  Every time I post you’ll be notified!  Just enter your email address in the appropriate box in the sidebar at the right.

Thanks for reading, folks!  Please let me know you were here!  Leave a comment.  I read and respond to every single one.  I look forward to talking with you!

breida

I’m linking this project up with:

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors 

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By Breida Category: Antiques, Blog, Craft Tutorial, decorating, Fall, sign making, Vintage goods, Woodwork Tags: , , , , ,