As you know, I have a little obsession (well more than a little – little would be an understatement) with transforming and updating the decor around my home. Most of the furniture or accessories though, have been of little or no value, which always makes me less apprehensive about jumping into a project. If I mess up, who cares! There are many pieces that I would love to change, but feel I don’t have the skill set (yet) and would be very upset if the result was NOT what I envisioned.
BUT, recently I took a (reluctant) leap of faith, and changed a special piece… my spoon rack, that houses my growing collection of spoons from our family trips and travels. It’s a special piece and I was quite apprehensive about touching it, but I really was just tired of the traditional style with heavy black wood and red velvet fabric backing. The style needed an update for my decor and I couldn’t look at it anymore without wanting to give it a lighter, simpler overhaul.
Well, here “she” is. It was quite the process to get “her” to this point, but I have to say, I am quite satisfied.
I actually wrote about my spoon collection and my special spoon rack when I first started blogging. It’s kind of dorky and a bit of a cliche to collect spoons, but other than my memories and pictures, the only tangible connection from our family trips are these spoons and they’re a pleasant reminder of the places we’ve been.
I purchased the spoon rack about 7 years ago from the Bombay Company, which I don’t think is even in business anymore. At the time, the style went well with my aesthetic and I really liked how different this spoon rack looked compared to what was typical. But recently, my style has been going more casual and less ornate, so a change was a must.
The before… And the after…
Thankfully, this year the Winter has been non-existent and a few weeks ago, the weather was so nice that I was able to work on this project outdoors. I hadn’t planned on tackling the tranformation till Springtime, but when the opportunity allowed, I jumped on the chance!
I started off sanding all the surfaces with my orbital hand sander, as well as using sandpaper by hand to get in the nooks and crannies.
Then, I applied one coat of primer to all the surfaces to allow for a good base before painting.
All primed and ready to paint!
I was originally going to paint the spoon rack the same color as my kitchen cabinets, since my plan was to put the rack in the adjacent room, and the two spaces would tie together. After giving it some thought, painting it would have been ALOT OF WORK. So spray paint was the answer. Thin, Slow, Even Strokes always leads to spray painting success!
My spray paint color of choice for this project? Thorny Brush in Satin (a taupe hue)
After completely spray painting the frame, I tackled the glass door. This was a little trickier, but using painters tape around the edge and foil in the center, I was able to spray paint the outer edge without getting any paint on the glass. Once it was dry, I ripped off the tape (carefully, of course).
**CONFESSION** ~ I should have taken my own advice. At first, I DIDN’T use foil for the center and after putting on the tape, just started spray painting. SHAME, SHAME. Paint got on the glass. THANKFULLY, I have a quick fix = Brillo and a sharp knife. Using an abrasive brush or pad (like Brillo), gently scrub the paint off the glass, but steer clear of the edges. For those tough parts, a sharp knife is perfect to scrape off the paint.
The last step to finish up this spoon rack overhaul was to change the fabric back. Originally, I thought about using a bright color, then I thought about a fun and funky fabric, but in the end I wanted the spoons to “speak”, so decided on a quiet linen fabric.
What a change! Once it was complete, I gave a HUGE *sigh* of relief!! The spoons got to go back to their home.
It’s complete and hung on the wall {happy}!
Throughout the process, I quietly cursed a few times and bit my fingernails alot, but in the end, I am quite happy with the result! I’m proud of myself for taking a chance on something that I was so unsure about.
Have you transformed or upcycled any projects recently? Have you ever changed a piece of furniture or decor that you truly treasured? and if so, what was the result?
I link my projects to some of these parties: Skip to My Lou, Dittle Dattle, Between Naps on the Porch, Today’s Creative Blog, Stories of A to Z, All Things Heart & Home, Savvy Southern Style, House of Hepworths, Finding Fabulous, Creation Corner, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Thrifty Decor Chick, Under the Table & Dreaming
