Restoration Hardware DIY

May 12, 2021 Jennifer Davenport Leave a Comment

If you have never been to Restoration Cafe Nashville, it is a must see! It is absolutely gorgeous and as they describe it, “blurs the lines between residential and retail, indoors and outdoors, home and hospitality.”- Restoration Hardware Nashville. Their gallery is breath taking and always leaves me feeling inspired! I found a super easy Restoration Hardware DIY for under $30!

The cafe inside is just beautiful. Combining food and gorgeous furniture? Genius!

Restoration Hardware DIY

I spotted this amazing planter arrangement and thought I could easily arrange this at a fraction of the cost! I’m going to take you step by step on how I did this.

Restoration Hardware DIY

First I found a bird bath bowl for $16. Then, I just added this Sedum Paver!

Restoration Hardware DIY
For Under $30!

This DIY was so easy and fun! This cost me $30 total- can’t beat that! Looking for more budget friendly decorating ideas? Check out my post here!

Spring time always gets me excited to be outside and create a relaxing space we can all enjoy! I have some landscaping ideas and more super fun before and afters on my Youtube Channel.

I created this planter arrangement using Snapdragons and Pansies! One of my favorite DIY tips is to use a grapevine wreath in my urns. It gives your arrangement height and character!

Here is another planted pot idea for the Fall! The Grapevine wreath idea is perfect for all year round arrangements!

Have a wonderful day!

Wood Ceiling Ideas

February 25, 2015 Jennifer Davenport Leave a Comment

Wood ceiling ideas are all over Pinterest! I really love perusing through all of the different and creative ideas people come up with when accentuating ceilings! We are currently working on creating a unique wood ceiling in my husband’s office. I promise to share it when we are finished! So, while I have wood ceiling ideas on the brain, I thought you might want to see some really gorgeous ideas.

I took this photo in a parade of homes located at Kings Chapel. Honestly, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about this room, but the ceiling took my breath away.

This is another home in Kings Chapel. Guess what this ceiling is made from? It is made from tobacco stakes! I grew up in Maryland, where tobacco farms were abundant. I remember passing by huge barns and seeing inside, where the tobacco would hang from the stakes to dry.

This fabulous room was decorated for Christmas by ReFresh Home of Nashville, TN.

This ceiling is covered in simple natural wood. If they had painted the wood ceiling, the contrast with the cabinets would not have shown up as well. The light fixtures are really unique! A square within a square, love it!

The dark wood beams against the white ceiling makes for a dramatic affect. Of course, having a dome ceiling makes a huge design statement.

This ceiling is covered in old barn wood. I absolutely love the contrast (I’ve got a theme going, don’t I?) of the rustic wood with the elegant crystal chandelier. Wow.

What a special little eat-in kitchen area.

I am a huge fan of wood ceiling beams. This is a home of an acquaintance of mine. He shared with me that they found the old beams in North Carolina and had them shipped to their home in Tennessee. It cost an arm and a leg. In his living room, he had his builder make beams from new wood, and had the wood distressed to match the North Carolina beams. The difference was minimal, except for the cost. He sighed.

Love this rich and dark wood ceiling!

One of Our Wood Ceiling Ideas

This is our living room ceiling. We used Underlayment plywood. It cost approximately $13 per 4’x8′ sheet. My husband had Home Depot cut the plywood into narrow boards. He installed the boards with a nail gun, and then I painted the boards white. The next day, I took Advil by the handful, and wore a neck brace. Okay, I am being a little dramatic. Only a little.

We turned an old bucket upside down, and mounted it above the fan where it housed the motor. The style of this room is Farmhouse Rustic, so it makes for quite a conversation piece.

If you are wanting your own DIY wood ceiling project, I suggest browsing Pinterest for ideas. Or check back here in a little while for my husband’s office reveal!

Flea Market Finds

January 23, 2015 Jennifer Davenport Leave a Comment

One of my favorite places to shop is the Nashville Flea Market. I love to look for unique things for my clients as well as for myself! Many times when I tell friends or clients that I shop for home decor at the flea market, they respond with “Really? You find things there?”

I don’t just find things; I find treasures! When I first consult with a new client, finding out about their wants and needs, and particular decorating style is important and first priority. But, I always like to dig a little deeper. What are their interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes? What things do they already own and want to use in their design plans? How can I add to what they already own?

For example, I had one client that loved to take photos, loved antiques and things with history. I shopped the flea market and bought two different antique cameras, a vintage 8mm camera, as well as a vintage Kodak photo flasher. What did I do with these items? Well, they had two large bookshelves flanking their family room fireplace, and these items paired with things they already owned, made a really unique and interesting collection.

I found this cool old bench for a client who owns a log cabin. I covered the bench with real cowhide (yes, they sell that at the flea market), and painted the bench a pretty shade of blue to help it stand out on the cabin porch.

My husband did a great job integrating this galvanized bucket into the design of our ceiling fan!

So, is there a lot of junk at the flea market? You bet. But, if you are looking for flea market finds that you can turn into unique home decor items, here are my top 3 tips:

1. Get to the flea market early! Unique and cool items go quickly!

2. Shop the outdoor vendors first! Make sure you walk the entire outside perimeter of the flea market.

3. Although many flea market vendors now take credit cards, cash is still king.

Some of My Favorite Flea Market Finds:

This is one of my favorite finds. It is an old cable spool that I converted into an ottoman. I paid $20 for the spool, made a round pillow for the top, and hello! What a really cool ottoman for our bonus room!

This old metal lunchbox sits on our living room bookshelf. What a story it could tell if it could only talk! How many lunches did a sweet wife fix for her husband as he trailed off to work?

This cool table sits in my entryway. I sanded the entire piece down, and then gently coated it with Tung Oil to bring out the natural wood tones. I love the character this piece has, right down to the adorable key!

This old porch posts sit on a table behind my couch. The chipped paint, the worn wood, I just love them. I really love to accessorize with unique items. Again, what stories these posts could probably tell!

A Cool Headboard Made From An Old Door

This headboard used to be an old door! I paid $20 for the door. My handy-dandy husband framed the door with wood molding. Then, I applied a faux painting technique and whoop, whoop – – a cool and inexpensive headboard!

Be careful. The flea market it addicting. You get to meet a lot of special and unique vendors. There is one in particular, that I look for every time. She is a sweet, sweet lady in her late 80’s, and she sells vintage linens. Her husband is a WW11 veteran, and comes and sits with her. The linens are washed and pressed to absolute perfection. (A lost art in my opinion). They both are full of joy and kindness, and they make my day just to have a moment to chat with them.

If you see me at the Nashville Flea Market, be sure to say “hello”. I will be the blonde with a huge grin on my face, because I’m having a blast hunting for that next treasure.

Link Party Fun!

How to Make an Ottoman – Vintage Milk Crate Turned into Unique Ottoman!

January 8, 2015 Jennifer Davenport 5 Comments

I researched many ideas on how to make an ottoman. But, it was my husband who came up with not only a fabulous idea, but a really cheap rustic furniture idea!

We were in the process of giving our living room a makeover. So, I drug him into an antique store in hopes of finding some unique and eclectic accessories. He spotted an old milk crate, and a light bulb came on.

Want to Know How to Make an Ottoman?

Coming Up With Something Unique

We were on a pretty tight budget for our living room. So, we really wanted some unique living room decor ideas that fit into our budget.

Sometimes finding something really unique, means stepping back and seeing that object in a different light. “What else could I use that for?

We (okay, he) found this amazing vintage milk crate for $25, and thought it would make a great ottoman. Our living room isn’t huge, so a large ottoman was not going to fit the bill.

A Little Bit of Carpentry

The first thing we did was cut a piece of plywood to fit the top of the milk crate. (again, there was not a we, there was a he)

This particular milk crate had little feet on the bottom.

My husband cut out notches though a third of the plywood so that the board fit snugly on top.

Next, I cut a piece of 2″ foam to fit the top of the plywood board. You can find foam at any craft or sewing store.

Now, the fun part; adding your decor fabric. I chose a heavy weight fabric for durability. Our home is full of kids, dogs, and chaos.

Break out the staple gun!

When beginning to upholster the board, staple one staple in the middle of each side. Flip the board over and make sure the fabric is straight and even. Then begin stapling the rest of the fabric, keeping the tautness of the fabric even all the way around.

When the fabric is a heavy weight fabric, the corners can be tricky! Carefully, snip off extra fabric to eliminate bulk, then staple to the board. Once you are finished stapling, run a hot iron over the top and sides of the fabric.

Here is my video on “How to Make an Ottoman”.

I hope you enjoyed how to make an ottoman from an old milk crate, it truly is one of my favorite DIY projects. And, if you are looking for cheap living room furniture, this little ottoman fits anybody’s budget! Search for something unique to use, and have fun with it!

I joined a few link parties at:

Miss Mustard Seed

Swag Window Treatments You Can Make In An Afternoon!

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport 1 Comment

I’m hosting a free GIVEAWAY video series on how to make three different types of valances. Easy online video series with step-by-step instructions! Winner announced October 29th! Good luck!

Swag Window Treatment

This is an EASY swag window treatments idea! I came up with this simple pattern a few years ago, and my clients love them! If you can sew a straight line, thread a needle, use a staple gun and drill, then you can make this curtain!

If you are looking for beginning sewing projects, this pattern will be a great one to start with! It isn’t overcomplicated! But get ready, once your friends and family see it, you may be getting drapery orders!

Note:

In this tutorial we are going to be using a fun fabric for a young girl’s room. I will be using the same pattern idea as the first swag window treatment pictured at the top, EXCEPT it was made with 1 1/4 yards of fabric.

The reason I used less fabric is because the flowery fabric was a little thicker, and I did not want the curtain to be as full or as long as the stripe swag treatment pictured.

If you are wanting the more formal and fuller swag like the first swag pictured, then choose a fabric that seems to drape well and be sure to use 1 1/2 yards.

So, keep that in mind when making your choices. It is amazing how a different choice of fabric can give you two similar, but yet different looks.

Supplies Needed:

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 yards of designer fabric
(add 1/8 of a yard if you want to cover the top of your boards)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 yards of lining
1 1/2 yards of trim
staple gun
yardstick
1×4 board
glue gun
” L ” shape brackets
drill

Step 1

Trim the edging off both sides of your drapery fabric. Tip: The colors that are in little circles on the edging tell you the exact colors that are in the drapery fabric. This is a wonderful way to match other fabrics as well as paint colors.

Next, lay your lining down right sides together, and then lay your designer fabric facing right-side down. After you have right-sides together pin all the way around. Be sure to make a small mark indicating the top of your curtain.

Step 2

Now, just sew both sides and the bottom. Just let your zipper foot come close to the edge as shown and follow all the way around the three sides.

Turn your curtain ride side out, and make sure to use a pin to gently pull out the corners. Next, press your edges using a little spray starch.

Step 3

You are now ready to attach your trim at the bottom. You are going to do this BEFORE you begin gathering up the sides. I use a glue gun to attach my trim because I do not want any stitching to show on the back.

Step 4

After you’re finished attaching your trim, turn your fabric over. Tip: another trick I use to make sure there are no wrinkles in the curtain, is to take a yard stick and run it across the fabric until it is smooth.

Next, you are going to mark where you will be hand sewing in order to form the gathers. I know I said hand sewing, but it won’t be a big deal. On each side of your swag window treatment measure 8″ down from the top. Mark a small dot with a yellow highlighter. Then measure 8″ from the edge and make a tiny mark. Do this all the way down. Once completed take your yardstick and match all the markings and draw a straight line until you reach your original mark.

So, just to be clear, you will have a straight line following up your curtain which will be 8″ from the edge. Your line will stop 8″ from the top edge.

Step 5

You are ready to hand sew the gathers. You will want to double your thread for strength. Start at the bottom and push your needle through both pieces of fabric. Take your needle in and out at about an 1″ to an 1 1/2″. Do this about 4 times and then pull tight. Run your needle back through the gather, pull tight again, and then run them back through again, and repeat.

NOTE: You will need to re-thread your needle with new thread about three times on each side. This is best, as thread will become weaker with excess use. When you are getting close to the end of the thread, just whip stitch it in place several times. Re-thread your needle and start over in the same spot.

Step 6

Measure your window and add an extra two inches to the final measurement for your board. (Home improvement stores will cut the boards for you for free if you don’t have a way to do it yourself.) Make sure to get the cheaper pine 1×4 boards!

Cover your board with your lining. Attach using the staple gun. Just pretend you are wrapping a present.

Put the staple side of the board facing up and mark the middle of the board. Next, take your ruler and measure 1″ from the edge of the board on three sides. Make a small mark indicating the middle of your curtain.

Place your board on the floor and attach the middle of the curtain to the board first. Staple all the way down following your inch marks.

When you are ready to come around the sides it is so much easier to work with if you place your curtain on a table.

Next cover the top of your board.

Step 7

You are now ready to hang your swag window treatments. I always like to hang above the window frame about 4″-6″ because it gives the illusion of a larger window!

You want to put your “L” shape brackets right above the window along the outside edge, not going farther out than the window trim. Measure and mark evenly. Drill your “L” shape brackets into the wall first. You may need to use wall anchors.

Place your curtain on top of the ” L ” shape brackets making sure your curtain is centered and then drill your screws in.

Now your curtain is not complete until you attach the sides. I use my staple gun and put one staple into the curtain attaching to the wood frame.

After both sides are attached you will need to “fluff” the curtain and line up the swags. And that is it!

Making swag window treatments really isn’t that hard.

What a versatile custom curtain! Just a 1 1/2 of drapery fabric and an afternoon of sewing and you have some gorgeous swag window treatments!

Restoration Hardware DIY

Restoration Hardware DIY

Restoration Hardware DIY For Under $30!

Have a wonderful day!

One of Our Wood Ceiling Ideas

1. Get to the flea market early! Unique and cool items go quickly!

2. Shop the outdoor vendors first! Make sure you walk the entire outside perimeter of the flea market.

3. Although many flea market vendors now take credit cards, cash is still king.

Some of My Favorite Flea Market Finds:

A Cool Headboard Made From An Old Door

Want to Know How to Make an Ottoman?

Coming Up With Something Unique

A Little Bit of Carpentry

Here is my video on “How to Make an Ottoman”.

I joined a few link parties at:

Swag Window Treatment

Note:

Supplies Needed:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Restoration Hardware DIY
For Under $30!