5 Creative Ideas for Walls + 1 Helpful Idea

As I try to get back into the swing of things around here, I've been on my usual haunts; Pinterest, Décor Pad, Tumblr, Houzz, StumbleUpon, blogs, online magazines, etc., etc. looking for inspiration.  I found exactly that and then some!

 

Chalk board paint in a intricate stencil design

 

I am so impressed by this!  First of all, I really can't imagine whose home this is in!  I mean, it couldn't be mine, only because my two would be so intrigued by it until there is no way at all it would remain this clean and in tact!  I wonder if there is some sort of spray they used to seal the chalk to the wall?  But then, what if you later wanted to change the design?  Anyhoo, I love it all the same!

1"x6" plywood boards wrapped in metallic grasscloth

 

Okay, so I have some left over plywood (20" squares) from making Gillian's headboard a few years ago in my garage that I could totally use to do something like this with.  I'm always buying remnants of fabric that have gone on sale at different stores, so I'm sure I have something that I could use somewhere in my home where a statement would be made by doing this.  I like the idea of using longer pieces too.  Hmmm...let me give this one a little more thought!

DIY wall art using Styrofoam and fabric

 

I always have around the house canvases of different sizes for paint projects for the kids.  I could do something like this using paint and stencils, as well as fabric or wrapping paper!  I just bought the coolest wrapping paper from TJ Maxx a couple of months ago thinking I would use it in Gillian's room when we do her makeover.  So many ideas...

Frames filled with corkboards for kids artwork

Bingo!  I am so doing this for that little girl!  Oh my gosh, I cannot begin to tell you how many pictures she draws in a weeks time!  And all of them, she expects you to keep and display prominently somewhere!  She can change them out at her whim and also have the satisfaction of seeing it displayed for as long as she likes!  Well, here we go!  Problem solved!  NEXT!!!

 



Thrift store frames glued to wooden boxes

 

I just like this idea because it makes for a really nice wall composition.  Simply by getting thrift store or flea market frames and attaching them to the appropriately sized boxes; you have a very nice way to display small treasures that would otherwise be looked at as clutter anywhere else!

Gallery wall art templates

 

Creating a gallery wall just got easier!  I wasn't going to post this one because I felt like just because I do this when considering the placement of frames and art, you do it as well.  In the event that you didn't know to do this, it makes life so much easier to get some paper; I typically use craft paper because it's a little bit stiffer.  Trace the outline of the frame and cut it out.  Oh, before you cut it out, mark where the hanger is on the backside of the frame onto the paper or just measure it out and mark it.  That way once you figure out your placement, all you have to do is place your picture hangers, hang the frame or art, and then gently pull the paper away from the wall!  Voila!  Gallery wall complete with only the holes that you are using!

 

 

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda

 

*All Images can be found via my Pinterest Creative Ideas board



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FINALLY! My Completed Project for 2013 Room Service Atlanta

Before I get to the pictures, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who supported me in my efforts to make this project an overwhelming success!  Overwhelming?  Sure, because I had no idea how I was going to pull this off.  All I had was a vision!  In no particular order:  Gerald Peterson, Jackie Kearse, Terry Kearse, Rice Painting, Marco Lemon, Scott Kelly, Kelton Bryant, Deirdre Frutiger, Dale Oudems, Steve and Jill McKenzie, Brigette Young-Martin, Dr. Karen Chaplin, Laura Newsom, Ramsey Eddington, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (Atlanta), Floor and Décor (Southlake), Glidden Paints, Walmart (Midway Drive), Target (LaVista Rd) Walmart Distribution Center (LaGrange, Ga), and Dayka Robinson & Erika Ward (Room Service Atlanta Organization Founders).  If I overlooked anyone at all, please charge it to my head and not my heart!  I could not have done this without any of you!  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

I remember when Gillian and I first toured the Girls and Boys cottages; she wanted to do a girls space, but I was more drawn to the boys.  Why I chose the largest space in the cottage, I have no idea!  I left there that day thinking to myself, what had I done?  I was leaving for Paris in two days, so I thought I would worry about it when I got back! 

 



 

That is a 47" 3-D television that was donated by the Walmart Distribution Center, located in LaGrange, Georgia as well as the amazing Carson sofa sectional donated by my good friend Jonathan White at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams in Atlanta!  The DVD player was donated by Terry Kearse, along with his DIY skills at putting down the tile in the small bathroom!  The dry erase board, books, and games were original to the space.  The posters and frames, as well as the snacks are from Walmart.  The glass canisters, clock, and pillows are from Ikea.  Oh! the popcorn containers are from The Dollar Tree!

The cross is original to the space also.  You can see it in the first picture, tucked in the right corner, sitting on top of some books.  Gillian gave it a coat of paint and we left it where we found it!  After all, God was in every detail of the planning of this space.  You don't mess with perfection!  What goes better in a space where movie watching, sports, and gaming are happening?  Snacks...and lots of them!

 



 

 As you can see, Gillian was in the right corner of this picture making her own video commentary!  She wasn't pleased with my decision, but lent her support in every way she could during the project!

 

The flooring made the biggest difference in this space!  Oh it's so much better than the two layers of commercial carpet glued on top of some weird kind of tile!  If you haven't heard already, my most amazing friend Deirdre Frutiger made this possible!  The art was so generously painted by Steve McKenzie!  He and his wife Jill truly are two of the most gracious and supportive people I've met in a long time!  I think it's just incredible for these guys to have original artwork by a very talented local artist!  The Luna 45" table is another fantastic donation by MG+BW!  The chairs were found by my good friend Dale Oudems from Ikea via Craigs List!  This guy can sniff out a deal!  I'm never that lucky!  But I guess with friends like mine, luck has nothing to do with it...I'm very blessed!

 



 

 Look closely at the Ikea side tables!  They were my attempt at creating a little rhythm to flow with Steve's paintings!  Ha! close, but definitely no cigar!  I actually really like them, though!

 

 

 Not sure what these window treatments were, but I knew they had to go!  It was pretty scary!  The furniture was used in other spaces.  Those designers that snagged them, did some pretty amazing things to them!  When I saw them, I just didn't have any imagination whatsoever!  My hat goes off to these very imaginative designers!

 

 

 Truly never knew what a Fat Head was until this project!  My girlfriend Jackie Kearse has three sons and so she knew all about them!  As if contributing two weeks of her time and sweat wasn't enough; she made these Fat Heads possible as well!  These things come with tons of decals!  We only used the individuals, their names, and a couple of the Falcon ones.  The rest, I'm sure her sons will enjoy when I do their new bedroom!  Her home burned in February, so she was very inspired by this project!

 

 

That wallpaper paneling piece, that was once an exterior windows kept my mind in riddles until literally the 11th hour!  That's how creativity works sometimes!  It had to be God inspired people, cuz I had nothing until driving one day!  A few people suggested some really cool art piece, but I just wasn't feeling that!  What I did finally come up with ended up being my favorite spot in the whole space!

 

 

 That's right my friends, Astroturf purchased at Home Depot for less than $20 bucks!  It was already pre-cut, so I just measured out how much I thought I would need to make a small rug for the gaming chairs to sit on, and I had just enough left over to hang in that horribly, unsightly space.  After we hung it, I began to think out loud and expressed how cool it would be to paint a football field on it and carry the theme onto the floor as well.  Jackie went to work!  She grabbed her phone and googled some images of football fields, and voila!  Those gaming chairs are so cool!  I love the speakers in the headrest with the controls on the sides!  This area I set up for the guys to play PS2 (which was also donated by Jackie's boys) and watch movies on the DVD player (donated by Target).  Walmart Distribution Center also donated the 32" television!  The chest that the television is sitting on is from Ikea!  I just decided I would add my on little DIY touch and paint a little of the trim and louvers!  What do you think...pretty special, huh?

 

 

I knew I wanted to put something very personal in the space and I thought what better place to put it than on the bathroom door.  These are all the things that I had to have in order to make this space a reality for these deserving young men.  The only one I didn't put up was gratitude, however in the personal piece that I wrote to them, I made sure to let them know that showing gratitude for even the smallest acts of kindness and support, keeps the blessings flowing!

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda



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I'm Still Around!

Hey there!  I'm still around!  I've just been a little tied up trying to complete the Room Service Atlanta project, benefiting the United Methodist Children's Home.  I've been working diligently for the past couple of weeks trying to get the finishes just right.  This week is installation and I'm busy putting the finishing touches on everything; so I'll see you guys back here in a little bit!

 

 

 

...or I'm in the throws of putting out more pressing fires!

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda



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With A Man In Mind: A Gentleman's Dressing Room

Today I am featuring the Gentleman's Dressing Room from the Traditional Home Show House at the Adamsleigh Estate in Greensboro, NC that I toured while at High Point Market.  This dressing area was thoughtfully designed by Lisa Mende and Traci Zeller, both based in Charlotte, NC.  The wall covering was a special design tribute to John Hampton (Hamp) Adams, textile magnate and patriarch of Adamsleigh.  It is an architectural toile, designed from the original blueprints of the home.

 

 

The fabric that is covering the ceiling is also found on the back of the shelves in the closet.  This was also a very fitting tribute to "the mansion that socks built!"

 

The green grosgrain ribbon detail can be found in elements throughout the space.  It is finely placed around the chair and one of the pillows, as wells as surrounding the walls and ceilings.  For details on how this was executed, click here.

 

I would like to think that my husbands closet would be as nice and styled as this one; but alas, I'm afraid that it just would not be!  However, one can always attend show houses and dream!

 

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda

 

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Teal, Turquoise, or Cosmic Blue...

Okay, so I mentioned briefly yesterday about my blue moment when the first coat of paint went onto the walls in the boys lounge at the RSA (Room Service Atlanta) project on Sunday.  Well, I go on Pinterest and guess what I see so many pins of?  You guessed it...teal, turquoise, peacock, etc., etc.  Glidden paints, the wonderful donors of the entire project, calls the one that I chose Cosmic Blue.  It is electric, and when trimmed with Extremely White, it almost vibrates off of the walls!  I did say I wanted a room filled with energy!  Well Baby, just call me Georgia Power!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My team of painters!  (L to R) Robert, Scott, Pete, and Mr. Rice.  Thanks guys for coming in and doing a fantastic job!

 

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda

 

Images via Pinterest



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Monday's Office

Hello there!  I hope you guys had a fantastic weekend???  Mine was nice!  Deirdre and I went to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Showhouse on Saturday in the cold and rain.  We've actually become quite use to this since our trip to Paris!  Anyhoo, it was a lovely French inspired, 18,000 square foot home that was designed to the rafters with awe inspiring elements.  If you live in or near Atlanta, make sure you go.  The last day is Sunday, the 12th (Mother's Day). 

 

Yesterday, Pete and one of his work buddies, Scott joined myself and my painter, Mr. Rice and his son Robert to paint my space at the Room Service Atlanta project benefiting the United Methodist Children's Home.  It went well!  When the first coat of Cosmic Blue went on, I began to have a serious blue moment!  I thought to myself, "Oh Dear Lord, Rhonda, what have you done?"  I literally had to leave the room and go visit Jessica who was diligently working in her space.  Bless her heart, she did the best she could to calm my nerves!  Folks, it is going to be the brightest, most energetic space in the cottage!  Which is exactly what I was going for, but...well after the second coat went on, I began to feel great about my choice!  Whew!  I can't wait for it all to come together!  The moisture in the air hindered the drying, so I have to finish up the trim today!  Wish me luck; so not my thing!

 

 

I chose this office today because of the use of color!  I love the mustard yellow upholstery on the chair, the coral of the draperies, and the indigo on the inspiration board!  Check out that rug!  The basket weave pattern is fabulous!  Fabulous?  When was the last time I used that word?  Hmmm, not long enough I suppose!  But I do fancy that rug!

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda

 

*Images via Pinterest

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My Paris Trip: The Musee Rodin

I've been so busy here as of late, I'd completely forgotten about sharing pictures from my Paris trip in March.  On this adventure out, Deirdre and I visited the Musee Rodin.  It was absolutely incredible!  I loved the gardens with all of the statues.  My only wish is that the garden would have been greener and in bloom.  It was cold and gray, but that didn't damper my day at all.  The Musee Rodin is by far one of my favorite museums.  One of the reasons is because you can actually get through the museum and see everything.  Auguste Rodin was truly a master.  Although, there was some controversy surrounding not only his works, but his personal life...hmmm.  Isn't that always the way it goes?  Anyhoo...

 

The Gates of Hell.

 

Up close view of the Gates of Hell.

 

Statues of The Slaves in the garden.

 

The backside of the museum.

 

A closer view of the backside of the museum.

 

One of very few bronze female statues.

 

 Another wonderful bronze statue in the garden.

 

My personal favorite, "The Thinker"!  I can so relate to him.  You know there are different schools of thought on what he is thinking.  He also sits high and center on the Gates of Hell!  Scroll back up and take a look.  I found this very interesting.

 

The front entrance to the museum.

 

The grand foyer.

 

 The stair railing is exquisite, not to mention the marble and the chandelier!

 

This statue is found in the garden across from the Gates of Hell also.

 

 Another beautiful bronze female statue.

 

 The details of the statues in bronze and marble are phenomenal!

 

On this particular day there were children going from room to room sketching and working in textbooks.  I thought this was totally amazing!  I loved how immersed they were in their visit to the museum.  I'm sure it is a way of life for them, as you can see their pride and patriotism! 

 

The Hands have always been very moving and romantic to me.

I wanted to take pictures of the marble statues, but cameras weren't allowed.  Absolutely stunning, they were!

 

 

Make it AMAZING!

Rhonda

 

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