Old Shutters- New Uses

One of the top trends of interior design at the moment is to rethink, renew and recycle! Repurposed shutters in the home are definatley on the "trend hot list" and a key ingredient for a shabby-chic home. I picked up two shutters while antiquing in Parys recently. Actually, if I'm honest- they're not really shutters, they're more like two western-tavern doors - haha (close enough)!

The intention was to use the "tavern doors" to give my plain-jane windows a new look. The job was easy! All I did was sand down and re-paint the old shutters in an off-white shade (I made sure I used a weather-proof paint as the shutters were going to be outdoors) and finally scratched and weathered them using a 180 grit sandpaper to give them a Shabby-Chic look. The hardest part was deciding which window would have the honour of wearing the new accessory. After much deliberation with my friends and family- the perfect spot was found just outside my kitchen window- as a focal point above my herb table. Check out the finished product below and also take a look at some other 

beautiful ideas and uses for old shutters. I'm already on the hunt for my next pair. 

Be inspired!

Celebrating Silverware

One of the most popular collected items amongst women is silverware and even if you are not a collector, most women have an antique silver heirloom tucked away in a dark cupboard somewhere. We always say we are going to use it for a special occasion but then no occasion ever seems "special enough". I love silverware and have decided to use it whenever and wherever I can. After all, life is too short to wait for the perfect moment.

So if you want to display your silverware, but you don't quite know how then this post is for you. Below is a little project I did for my mom. She has tons of silverware- tea pots, sugar bowls, gravy boats- you name it- she has it. Sadly though, the items were collecting dust and not being showed off as they should. So we decided to create a "silverware mobile" that would hang directly above her coffee and tea station. We just screwed some hooks into the roof, hung the silverware with some ribbon and it really was as easy as that! I also decided to use the sugar bowls and milk jugs as mini-vases by putting some water and some pretty roses in them. The best part is that if my mom ever needs to use the items- she can just slip them off the ribbon! Check out the pics below to see the finished product.

I've also shared some more inspiration and ideas from Pinterest of how you can Flaunt the Silver that Yo Momma Gave You! Enjoy...

The Silverware Project...

Love & Blessings
Abz

Creativity with Crates

There's no doubt that the lofty & rustic crate look is currently in vogue and hopefully it's here to stay! I'm definitely a fan whether I'm using crates to pot herbs, to stash groceries or in today's case using them as a make-shift bookshelf/wine rack. Gaz really needed an attractive place to store his most prized wines (uh-hmmm about 5 bottles at this point) and I really needed to create a focal point on (what used to be) a very boring wall! So it was a win-win- YAY! :)

All I needed was some hard wearing crates, wine rack latis, some screws, mounting plates, a drill and 1x husband to put it all together for me! Now all Gaz and I have to do is start collecting more wine to fill up all those empty gaps! Watch this space for more creative crate ideas!

If  would like us to come and "install" a crate bookshelf and/or wine rack in your home- you can email abigail@rightlink.co.za or gareth@rightlink.co.za

Darling Decor

Weathered & Distressed Decor- Be Inspired!

Following on from my recent post about DIY Weathering & Distressing (View it here) I thought I would provide you with a little inspiration on the topic to show you just how much you can do with this look. Who would've thought that scratching, sanding, chipping and battering objects could look so beautiful. I just love these images... it makes me want to paint and sand EVERYTHING! Have a peek and let these pics be your muse ...

White Washed & Weathered Cafe Style Table & Chair

You can see that they have done ALOT of work on this server- different layers of paint create a textured look. And BONUS POINTS for the gigantic lantern...LOVE!

Weathered Arch Mirrors

This is a good look too- keep the top dark and only make changes to the bottom of the piece.

So original- an old train station bench/church pew weathered and put in an entrance hall. So simple, so creative and just stunning! Anyone have a spare church pew lying around for me?  ;)

Weathered Shutters.

Weathered look combined with a glamorous chandelier. Works!

French blues & greys work beautifully on weathered antique pieces. I have to try this sometime- watch this space! And it just proves that you don't always have to go for traditional colours to still create a classic look.

Have a blessed week! Love Abz

(Images Sourced From: Pinterest; Paintmewhite; Brookegiannetti; Eclectic Revisited; CDN.Indulgy.com)

Just Darling Vintage

Vintage Ladders

Gaz and I recently took a trip to Parys for a little antique hunting exercise and this is the gem I found. This gorgeous vintage ladder, still in "perfect-shabby" condition looking very lonely in the corner of the shop. I picked it up for an incredible R250 and now it has a home and a purpose in life...it makes the perfect book shelf. These guys are hard to find- TRUST ME, I've been searching for months and they are either too expensive or completely dilapidated. So if you find one- buy it immediately, not only will you find a million practical uses for it but it'll add a bit of country vintage charm to your home. 

My gorgeous ladder- I'm in Love!

And...some other uses I liked the idea of...

 I just LOVE this idea- you could even hang this above your dining room table instead of traditional lighting!

Till next time

Love Abz

xxx