Handpainted Ottoman

 It's true what they say, you can paint ANYTHING with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! Take this pleather ottoman for example. We picked up a pair of them for super cheap about five years ago. They've been moved to various rooms in the house and up until last weekend were sitting on the back porch.

They were cold and depressed.

I knew Annie could cheer them up.

I put several coats of ASCP in French Linen on it.

Then, using some 3M ScotchBlue painters tape, I added some stripes.

My lines weren't perfect, so I took a light sanding block to the entire ottoman to distress it. Then, gave it a good rub down of Annie Sloan's dark wax. The wax sealed it up real good and made the entire surface sooo smooth. Like buttah.

Doesn't it look much happier?

Would You Rather...Mismatched Chairs

We've made some progress on our first Would You Rather... poll. This little guy just needs a piece of glass then he's ready for show! Thanks again for all of your feedback!

This week's Would You Rather...is a trend I am currently obsessed with: mismatched chairs in a dining area. Back in November, I offered tips on creating an eclectic dining room. And, I created this Etsy treasury of some of my favorite seats from Etsy sellers.

So, my question to you this week is a simple one: Would you rather have an eclectic mix of chairs around your favorite dining area? Or, do you prefer a matching set?

Head on over to Facebook and let us know (or leave a comment). To spice things up this week, I'll be doing a drawing from all those who vote and giveaway a pair of my favorite vintage wine hankie gift bags. You know you want one...

Would You Rather...Wednesday

Thanks for all the great feedback on last week's Would You Rather... Jeff has added a letterpress tray side table to his to-do list. We'll share pics soon!

This week's Would You Rather is more of a home decor question. I've always loved different color front doors. Why have a boring ol' white door like everybody else, when you can have a bright blue, yellow or teal green? Or, what about orange?

A couple of years ago, we painted our front door red. It had nothing to do with our future ambitions. We debated between several colors (most of the inside of our home is blue and it's by far our fave color). In the end, we liked the brightness of red (and it goes well with the color of our house).

Little did I know, in Feng Shui, a red front door means “welcome.” Interestingly, in early American tradition, it means the very same thing. In fact, if a home had a red front door, tired travelers who might be traveling by horse and buggy would know the home was a place where they would be welcomed to stop and spend the night or rest.

So...this week's question is this -- whether you've already taken your favorite hue to your front door or are still thinking about taking the plunge, Would You Rather go green? Or blue? Or RDFCo. red? Click here to head on over to our Facebook page and vote (or leave me your thoughts below!)

(And, if you are considering red, here's a couple of my favorite red doors.)