Category » decorateJones Design Company

May

17

chalkboard walls: love them or over them?

Chalkboard walls are everywhere. It is no wonder since chalkboard paint is readily available and one of the easiest {and cheapest} ways to transform a wall.

The first time I remember seeing chalk paint was a few years ago when Martha Stewart and her team shared how to make your own custom mix {latex paint + tile grout}.

Since then, the trend has caught on and it seems like it only continues to grow.

Do you remember this oldie but goodie from cottage living? One of my favorites. Love that barn door, too.

Layla at The Lettered Cottage used chalkboard paint to cover a wall in her kitchen, then hung stainless steel shelves over top – such a charming restaurant look.

Have you seen Holly Mathis’ redesign of her boys’ bedroom? She is amazing.

She did the custom chalk paint method and covered a wall with it.

Such a great playful/classic boy room.

Janelle at House of Fifty added a dark chalkboard wall in her husband’s office, then created a gallery wall on top. She even left some empty frames to write in notes. So clever.

Her entire house is pretty amazing and worth taking a peek at to get some great DIY ideas.

A few years ago I painted one wall in my office with chalkboard paint.

{more of my office here and here}

I like the moodiness of the dark wall and the contrast with the subtle but busy pattern on the other walls.

{same wall, just rearranged. Its a sickness.}

The only problem with it is that our walls are slightly textured and so the surface does not allow for easy chalk writing. So pretty much the wall goes unused. That would be my only tip when it comes to painting a wall with chalkboard paint – smooth off the texture first.

I’m still a fan of chalkboard walls. I think they are whimsical and classic all at once and I’ll be keeping mine for a bit longer. And maybe adding another to my boys’ room.

What about you?

Are you still a fan or over the trend?

On a different note, I’m glad to say that my weariness has subsided {but my kids still wear me out!}. Thank you for your kind words, your prayers and most of all for being so relateable. Isn’t it great to know we are not alone?

Many of you asked if the SOAR print from the previous post was available in my shop.

Nope.

But you can download the free printable pdf below.

Please open using Adobe Reader and be sure to share one with a friend!

share | save | send

Posted by emily | 40 comments

May

09

the kids’ bath needs some style

Our upstairs bath looks like this:

Basic builder-grade everything.

This is considered the kids’ bathroom, but since we moved our master bedroom upstairs last fall and made our downstairs bedroom into a media room {great use of the space but I do miss our own bathroom!} we now all share this bath.

It is a good size, with lots of counter and storage space. But what it offers in function, it completely lacks in style.

Like this terrible formica that looks like a cross between quinoa and fish eggs to me … not a good look for the bathroom counter.

I have been wanting to do a little redo on this space – probably not a full renovation {as much as I’d like to} but something to make it more us.

While walking through Target the other day I saw these adorable cups:

For some reason, they just said kids’ bathroom to me. I bought one for the boys and one for the girl. I would love to somehow use these cups as the inspiration for the bathroom.

Then I clicked around pinterest for a bit and found these fabulous bathrooms to further inspire the space:

{via}

{unknown}

So I’m thinking white, blues, woven baskets, new lighting & mirrors, hardware on the cabinets, maybe wood planked walls {my fave} and a built-in between the sinks.

Totally doable.

We’ll see when I get to it …

share | save | send

Posted by emily | 21 comments

Apr

18

new name prints

One of the easiest ways to add a personal touch to any room in your house is with artwork. But if you are anything like me, collecting ‘real’ art is a bit out of my league.

And that is where art prints come in.

A pop of color, a special quote, something pretty … an art print is a great {and inexpensive} option for putting meaningful art in your home.

I have created a new collection of name prints that look very cute in a child’s room or play space. They are fresh, bright and playful {for the kids} with just a touch of simplicity and modern-ness {for you}.

There are several {super cute} styles to choose from. Simply choose your favorite, let us know what name you would like on it, then we’ll customize, ship and its ready to be displayed.

If you have a baby shower or child’s birthday party to attend this spring, a name print makes a delightful gift for a mommy-to-be or birthday boy or girl. Give one as is, or put it in a frame {maybe with a cute patterned paper as the mat} and you have a personalized, unique and thoughtful gift.

So here are the new designs:

Can you tell I have had fun designing?

Do you have a favorite?

{mine is that sweet burlap horse with a wreath of roses on her neck}.

You can shop for name prints here.

and don’t forget … FREE shipping when you purchase any two prints!

share | save | send

Posted by emily | 17 comments

Apr

09

painted house numbers

This is what our front door looked like Saturday morning:

and a few hours later:

The sun was out, the kids were happily bouncing on the neighbors’ trampoline and I had the itch for a quick project.

So I painted house numbers on our front door.

Of course I could have ordered vinyl stickers, but that would require designing and ordering them and when inspiration strikes, you just have to go with it. Plus, this method is free.

Here’s how to paint numbers on your front door {or anywhere, for that matter}.

What you’ll need:

:: numbers {download my template below or design and print your own with a font and size of your choice}

:: chalk

:: sharp pencil

:: paint & thin brush

:: tape and scissors

STEP ONE: rub chalk on the backside of your numbers along the outline of the number

Chalk is great if you are transferring to a dark surface so you can see the outlines. If you are painting on a light surface you can do the same transfer technique with pencil lead or graphite paper from the art store

STEP TWO: tape the numbers in place

STEP THREE: trace over the outline of each number using a sharp pencil.

When you pull off the paper, you will have chalk outlines transferred to your door

STEP FOUR: paint the numbers

I used a thin brush {#3} and leftover latex paint and did three quick coats.

Fun, right?

If you would like to do a similar project, I have created a template for the numbers for you. Click on the images below to download.

Ah, sweet Spring. I love how you inspire new house projects.

share | save | send

Posted by emily | 36 comments

Mar

09

a wall of L’s

We have this random nook between the dining room and the staircase that fits our piano perfectly. The wall above the piano is one of the first things you see when you walk into our home, so while I want it to make a statement, I have never known quite how to go about it.

Last year, I put up a crazy bird collage {seen here}. A few months later, I took it down and added a silhouette painting I did of our kids {seen here}. At Christmas, we moved the piano and put our tree up in this space {seen here}, but once it came down the walls have remained bare and crying out for something new.

Graphic typography and monograms have always caught my eye and over the years I have collected a few L’s {my married last initial … my maiden name is Jones}. One day a few weeks ago, inspiration struck and I decided to group some of the collection and create a wall of L’s over the piano.

Here’s how it turned out:

Fun, right?

I’m really happy with it.

I kept with a gray/white/black/ theme to keep it neutral. Only a few of the letters were purchased {at the craft store} and the rest were made with things I had laying around the house.

Here are some close-ups:

descriptions from left to right:

1. fabric covered cardboard cutout {tutorial to come}

2. framed glitter letter with linen backing

3. wooden letter in vintage frame

4. watercolored L in large IKEA frame {one of the first projects I did when we moved into our house nearly 6 years ago … so many blank walls to fill!}

5. chalkboard painted board with handdrawn letter {this is acutally the back of a frame that was broken. I just tossed the frame and glass and kept the back, painted it with two coats of chalkboard paint and used the hanger on the back to hang it up. Super easy}

6. vintage linen hankie with layered scrapbook paper and a printed L {font: barocca monograms}

7. My favorite. I used the old cardboard backing from a vintage frame, glued on a cut out letter and wrote in No. 6 {for six people in our family}.

8. wooden letter and old playing card

9. framed book page monogram {tutorial here}

Not shown:

large cardboard letter from the craft store decoupaged with scrapbook paper

There are so many great ways to add a personal touch to your home and I think adding your family initial is one of my favorites.