Not Fan-tanstic- How to transform your tired and outdated ceiling fan

I'm not too sure how a house built in 2003 included a fan with brass fixtures on it. Maybe the builder had some leftovers from 1993. Regardless, the atrocity that circulted air in our family room, had to go!

I am in favor of attempting to alter the appearance of something hideous, before I actually replace it. Maybe that stems from all of my years in the beauty business. Not that I have ever witnessed anyone hideous :) That isn't at all what I meant!  You cannot replace your face or the hair that you were born with, but fortunately there are ways to enhance their beauty. This is exactly what I have chosen to do with this ceiling fan!

Products:

Typically I use Annie Sloan chalk paint, but I didn't feel like driving across town to get some and the Home Depot around the corner had this chalk paint by Americana Decor. I also used a metallic paint and a metallic glaze from Martha Stewart Living. I purchased these at Home Depot, but recently noticed they no longer carry this brand ( I purchased them a while ago and they have been collecting dust...until now). I also used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Graphite. Missing is the can a spray paint I used for the fan blades and the Annie Sloan clear wax I used to seal the chalk paint. 

I removed the fan blades and the light covers. I spray painted the blades white because...well...it was just easier that way. I threw the light covers in the trash because they do not match the clean and light colors of my house. I purchased four new covers at Home Depot for approximately $5.00/cover. 

I chose not to remove the fan from the ceiling. I haven't mastered the art of electrical yet and wanted to avoid any potential accidents ;) I then proceeded to paint the motor casing of the fan and the fixture that houses the lights in the white chalk paint. I used two coats and applied one coat of clear wax to seal the paint. I then painted the fixture that the blades attach to with two coats of AS Graphite chalk paint. I didn't love it because it was just a little to modern black&white for me. This is when I went to my paint arsenal and pulled out the metallic paint and glaze.

I brushed on a coat of the metallic paint. I then followed that with a light coat of the metallic glaze to give the appearance of a pewter type of look. I didn't want it to be solid. This is definitely more of what I had in mind!

Tada! Here is our finished fan and another project done while the hubs was at the office. He just never knows what will be different when he walks in the house at 5pm! Ahhhhhhh...there is certainly never a dull moment in our ever-changing House With the Aqua Door! 

 

Creatively yours,

~ginne

How it Became "The House With the Aqua Door."

I have never been one for blending in. I like to set myself apart from others, not in an odd way that leaves people scratching their heads in disbelief, but a unique way that leave others thinking, "why didn't I think of that" or "I love that, but I could never pull it off."

Our new community is lovely. All of our neighbors are diligent about making sure their lawns are manicured on a regular basis, their driveways are gleaming from the fresh power-washing, their flowers are perky and rarely wilted, BUT...all of their homes are practically exact replicas of the one next door.

Enter, the Sharp Family...more specifically, Ginne. I needed that one thing that set me apart from the other neighbors. A fresh piece that screamed, "I AM A CALI GIRL!!!"

I found the piece that would speak to the neighborhood and give them a little peek into the soul of our home. It makes me smile every time I pull into our driveway. It certainly was the buzz around the neighborhood for a while. It also makes our house more identifiable! It is unmistakeably our house, which is quite possibly the coolest and my favorite element of my experiment!
"Which house do you live in, Ginne?"
"The house with the aqua door!"
"Oh, I love your door!" '

Ladies and gentleman, let me introduce you to OUR DOOR!

Before and After

I chose a Behr paint for the job. It really is one of my absolute favorite brands. Great coverage!!! The color I chose is Cool Jazz. The crazy thing is that I already had a can of Cool Jazz mixed that I had intended to use to paint my daughter's room. However, we decided against it in favor of a more muted aqua color. Well muted wasn't what I was looking for to apply to the front door. I tested a little on the door and loved it! Unfortunately for me, I was still unable to use the can I had because it was not the right paint type or finish. If anyone needs a can of Cool Jazz for an indoor project, I still have an unused can, even though I keep trying to use it ;) I used an Exterior Semi-Gloss Enamel (for good clean up). I didn't cover all of the windows before I painted because...well, what a pain that would have been. I simply took a straight edge razor and scraped the paint after it had dried. Soooooooo much easier than taping it off! I am all for the easy way out, provided it garners the same quality results. I didn't even take the door off of the hinges!!!

The Wooster brush with the blue rubber handle is the brush that I use in the majority of my paint projects. It provides great control and excellent coverage. I always get mine at The Home Depot, but here is a link for more info: http://www.thepaintstore.com/Wooster_s_Shortcut_Angle_Sash_Brush_p/q3211.htm

Here is our door a little over six months after her fresh new look:

With all of the dust and pollen The Woodlands is often covered in, this door cleans up beautifully with a hose or a damp rag.

I could not find black hardware for the door. I picked up a flat black spray paint and gave the old hardware a makeover!

This is how we became the family who lives in The House With the Aqua Door!

Master Closet redo...by the abnormal wife!

While standing in the kitchen completing my final organizational project for my lovely closet, my husband looked at me and said, "Sometimes I just wish I had a normal wife." That comment sent my daughter and I into a fit of laughter. Of course, I am certain that he meant, he wishes he had a wife who left well enough alone. A wife who doesn't walk into a room and redesign it seventeen times in her head before turning around walking out. My list of projects is never complete!

The hubs and I have separate master closets, which is the BEST thing in the world and helps to keep peace in the house. His closet is super neat and organized, while I tend to throw things in and shove the door closed. This is really what prompted me to beautify my closet. I figured, if I gave myself a dressing room rather than a closet, I would have an extension of my room, not a catch all for the extra junk around the house.

Don't judge me based on these before photos. This "before" closet is only an indication of what the inconspicuous places in my house look like, not the open spaces LOL So next time you are over, and I see you look at the coat closet or the closet under the stairs, I will know exactly what you are thinking ;)

Ginne's hell hole before:

 

Believe it or not, I filled up three rooms in our house when I emptied out all of the contents! EMBARRASSING!!!

Why are closets typically boring ol' white? Who would enjoy a bland space enough to keep it looking nice and tidy? Not me! I just hurried in and hurried out leaving a disaster behind.
I debated colors for quite a while. I am a gray girl! It is my ultimate happy, calming, and relaxing color. So why not be adventurous in my closet? The two front runners were purple and coral. I decided, after initially trying a purple color on one of the walls, that wasn't quite what I had in mind...so coral with gold accents was the winner. PS wire shelving is pain to remove and isn't very aesthetically appealing. I removed some, which required pliers and left dime sized holes that I had to patch prior to painting. Not to mention that there is no easy way to remove them to paint. I ended up having to leave the hardware in the walls and I painted around it.

Ready to fill 'er back up:

The paint color I chose was Behr Marquee in Coral Fountain

Next came the fun part for me. Decorating the space!!! Yes, I even decorated my closet! I wanted my jewelry displayed, my shoes and handbags to be visible, and a full length mirror. But more importantly, I desired a smartly organized space for my things.

Welcome to my dressing room:

A shelf for my girlie things!!!

My floor length mirror is now used by all!

Happy Handbags!

Conspicuous Stems!

Orderly Belts!

And I needed on more slight addition (insert "normal wife" comment):

I slapped some gold paint on the ugly ivory bins that were previously up in my closet, added a decorative chalkboard painted piece of wood, and voila...now I know what is in them and can change it at my leisure!

The end...until I begin thinking abnormally again ;)

Creatively yours, 

~ginne

Meet the Author

Before I begin to take you on this journey with me, I suppose it is important for you to know who I am and what drives my quirky passions.

My name is Ginne, and if we haven't formally met, it is my absolute pleasure! I was born and raised in Northern California. Two years ago, my handsome hubby, amazing children, and myself embarked on a journey that took us out of our comfort zone, but quickly helped us to realize that as long as we are together, we are invincible. We departed our forever home in Roseville, California and traveled 1,971.2 miles to our new home in The Woodlands, Texas. I was immediately eager to make this our space! I had so many ideas, I didn't even know where to begin. Of course, all of our furniture was moved with us and placed where I wanted it, but I think that sometimes, the character of a home definitely dictates what kind of furniture and style belongs there. 

We chose a traditional craftsman style home. 

Isn't she lovely? There are windows galore in our house which allows for a ton of natural light (gloomy Texas thunderstorm days are my fav)! This pretty place is open, airy, and ready for my transformations!!!

I have always had a passion for making life more beautiful. By trade, I am a hairstylist. My fabulous career has allowed me to express my creativity by making the world prettier, one head at a time...actually, sometimes it is two or three heads at a time...but more importantly, it has provided me with amazing and lifelong friendships. My clients are, undeniably, the BEST! I still travel to California to beautify a lot of them because to have left them all behind, would have been way too many breakups all at once. Seeing as how I am only coiffing tresses once a month, that leaves three weeks a month I can play interior designer in my house. 

There are a ton of ideas sitting in my head just waiting to spill out onto my canvas. On this blog, I will chronicle the projects I have already accomplished and the ones still waiting to make their appearance. Thank you for joining me while I paint my world lovely!

Creatively yours,

~ginne 

Stay Tuned...

Hello and welcome to The House With the Aqua Door! Please stay tuned while I fine tune this colorful blog with all things pretty and painted; beginning with, none other than, my AQUA front door.

Creatively yours,
ginne