House to Home with Debbie Travis
The upholstery tacks are hammered on covering the nail heads.
In keeping with the traditional style of the room, I chose corbels to hold up the shelves. Layers of paint are applied to build up an antiqued finish. Start with turquoise paint, then bronze, and next some burnt umber. Use a soft cloth to rub the surface making sure to get into all the crevices. Finish with small dabs of ocher paint on high spots for sheen.
For those who enjoy handmade projects and are looking for gift ideas, you can utilize trim to enhance any flat surface. Build your own picture frames with ceiling moulding. Plain boxes become treasured containers for keepsakes and jewelry. Look for small wood or plastic medallions and center the motif on the top or front of the box. Add trim as a frame around the top. Apply two layers of base coat, covering the box and trim. You can then choose to highlight the details with metallic paint rubbed on with a soft cloth. Play around with different effects and small contrasts in colour.
Once you discover how easy it is to add readymade trims, think about transforming larger items, such as a plain dresser with cabinet trim, mouldings and furniture medallions. These details are available in wood and plastic. Apply with nails or glue. They can be painted or stained to blend seamlessly with existing doors, drawers and edges. The transformation is exciting, and opens up your imagination to try other projects.