DIY---Repainting Ugly Laminate Furniture

I've been wanting to share a little bit more about my home and I thought it'd be cool to show you all how to repaint a practical but ugly bookcase with wood laminate.  I was skeptical that I'd be able to paint over wood laminate but it worked very well, so I'll share with you my process.

First things First!!!  Sand the hell out of it!!  I highly recommend using the electric sander since you want to really scratch up the slippery wood laminate in order for the paint to stick to it.  So yeah, sand the hell out of it.

So onto the next!!!  Pick out a good quality primer.  Zinsser is an excellent choice since its water based and covers really well.  Depending on how dark your wood piece is, prime it to the best coverage.  I primed my piece once but it could have stood another coat of primer.  Now let that baby set for one whole week!!!  Trust me on this one.  It needs to set to prevent scratches during the reassembling process.

One week later paint on the desired color!!  I chose this very vibrant charteuse green to add some vibrancy to our dining room.  When you paint anything (furniture or walls) always start by cutting into the corners with a cutting brush.  This saves time and allows for the best coverage.

Once you're done cutting into the furniture, use a good quality foam roller and paint on your first layer.  Allow this layer to dry for about 3 hours (or longer depending on what the paint can says) and then do the second coat.  This piece should dry completely for another couple of days before you reassemble it.

Now, Presto Chango!!!  You've got an entirely new piece of furniture!! 

If you want to know how I covered up that weird hole (this bookcase was originially a media center I think) then I will do another DIY post for making a cute pushpin board!! 

***Credit to A Beautiful Mess goes to the Stick Pom Pom things in the milk glass vases.  Learned that from her;)

DIY: Planting Indoor Gardens

 

I've had a sort of revelation and decided to spruce up my home a bit with plants.  I usually go head first into projects without actually doing much research, but I've learned my lessons.  After many failed attempts at planting indoor plants and then watching them die a slow death, I figured I'd do my best to really learn the art of indoor gardening.  So here is my latest venture!!  Along with some tips for you guys!!

First things first!!  Decide which plants will be best suited for your lifestyle.  Much like pets, you want to make sure you can dedicate a certain amount of attention to your plants.  I chose succulents, since I already have pets and figured I'd start with plants that don't require too much attention.  Succulents require little watering and a good sunny window.

 

When you chosen your plants, choose the soil that will be best for your plants.  There are special mixes for cacti, African violets, succulents, and indoor potted flowers. 

Next, choose some planters.  These are some things I thought would make good planters, but the only one that actually worked out was the milk glass goblet.  I wanted an eclectic theme for my windows, so I have a few vintage planters that ended up making the cut, along with some from Ikea. 

Now get to planting!!  And don't forget to give a nice watering to your plants.  They'll need it after being repotted in different planters.

Place them in a good window that gets either full sunlight or partial sunlight.  The amount of sunlight your plants will need should be on the plant description at the nursery.  Enjoy!!!