Sunday, April 3, 2011

Painted Shutters


We are currently in the process of remodeling our master bathroom. We have a garden tub with a big empty wall behind it.  I’ve searched everywhere for inspiration for that big empty wall but have come up with very little. Most master bath tubs have a nice window behind it where mine does not.
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So I decided I was going to have to get a little more creative. Then I thought “I don’t have a window but by golly I can have shutters!”. So I was on a mission to find me some cheap shutters. I thought this would be fairly simple since it seemed like I was always running across sets of them at Goodwill. But of course since I was now looking for them they were no where to be found. That is until I checked out our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. (Really cool place by the way!) Finally I found these for $6.
goodwill 001

I almost didn’t get them because $6 was a bit pricey for me (did I mention that I’m super cheap?) but fortunately my hubby convinced me to get them anyway. I’m glad he did to because I haven’t seen another set since.

At first I thought I would just sand down the edges to give them a distressed look but I realized it wasn’t going to be that simple because the white paint had started to yellow and it wasn’t pretty.

Then I decided that since I was going to have to paint them anyway I would add a little color to them. So I spray painted them a soft blue.
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Then I took a sponge brush and mixed 1 part water to 1 part latex paint and white washed over the blue paint.
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After I was done it looked a little something like this.
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Then I took out my handy new power sander **insert Tim the Tool Man Taylor grunt here** and lightly sanded the surface and edges.

Actually I take that back. The edges where I wanted the wood to show through took a lot more than a light sanding. Since the previous owner had already painted the shutters with 100 coats of white paint it took several sheets of sand paper to get through to the wood. My hand was numb by the time I was done.
I had seriously considered tying these things to the back of my car and driving them around the block a few times to save myself some sand paper but I reconsidered at the thought of gas prices verses the price of my sand paper.

So after I got them all sanded and “weathered” I hit them with some glaze to make them look really aged. (My mother is probably shaking her head trying to figure out why I’ve gone to so much work to make these look like this.)

Here is how they turned out:
shutters 031

I tacked on the starfish with poster tack so if I decide to change it my starfish won't be covered in glue. I use this stuff everywhere!
shutters 036

This is what our bathroom looks like now after we painted and put up some moulding. Still not finished but it's getting there!


















Unfortunately my bathroom has absolutely no natural light so it was hard to get a good picture of them on the wall.

Here’s another shot that shows the colors a little better
shutters 028
shutters 026

**sigh** Starfish make me happy. :)

Hey! While you're here please follow me! I love meeting new bloggy friends and if you would like me to, leave me a comment I will follow you back!

Have a great week!

Linking up to:



Tip Junkie handmade projects

The Lettered Cottage

 http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Making the World Cuter

Dittle Dattle

CraftOManiac

Savvy's Southern Style

40 comments:

  1. {LOVE}
    Love the idea! Love the shutters! Love the color! Love the starfish! Love that you got them at the ReStore!

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  2. What a great idea! I'm in love with starfish too, so these instantly caught my eye.

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  3. I am going to do this. (Ok, last month I said I'd lose 10 pounds and that didn't happen...but I really hope I do this because it's totally my style and I love it!)

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  4. Love them! I'm on the hunt for some myself and was just thinking I should check out the ReStore!!

    I also just bought some big starfish (Big Lots- 6 for $6!!) that would go perfectly like you did yours!! Thanks for that idea!!

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  5. Stacey,
    6 for $6?! I'll have to go check out our Big Lots, you can never have to many starfish!

    Thanks!

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  6. Hi Angie! I'm new to your blog & apparently you are new to mine. You said you were following me, so you betcha' I'm following back. I really like what you did to add interest to your tub area. We are soon to be moving to a new home (new to us, anyway) & will have our first ever garden tub. It does have glass blocks on one wall, but my mind has been swimming with ideas of things to do on the blank wall. I think decorating on a budget is acutally more fun than when you can afford to do it all & anyway you want to. Well, a bit bigger budget would be nice. LOL!!!
    CAS

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  7. This is just what I was looking for!! I'm re-doing my bedroom to a beach theme and I have old window frames, I'm officially motivated to start working on mine! Thanks. Ally

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  8. Wow! Is that ever gorgeous! Your bathroom is looking beautiful, and the shutters are outstanding! I'd love for you to stop by my blog sometime, www.icantstopcrafting.blogspot.com

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  9. Looks like way too much work to me but you did a great job - as usual. Wish you lived closer so you could paint my kitchen cabinets - no distressing - just a plain old paint job. Keep up the good work dear. Mom

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  10. Great idea and really cute blog! I wish we had a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Philadelphia.

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  11. I just found your blog and am your newest follower. Thanks for creating such an amazing blog full of inspiration. I'll be back often (and I LOVE the shutters)!

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  12. BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL!
    I would LOVE to have you link up to my PARTY! WHASSUP WEDNESDAY!!

    And I have a party button you can grab and put on your blog so your friends can come too:)




    *ENTER LINKY PAR-TAY Here! *

    xoxokara

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  13. Did you do that cool board and batten around the tub??? I LOVE this! Did you have tile that you had to cover??

    I've been wanting to do our master bath and have been totally uninspired....I'd love to try and do this!!!

    We are real beach people, too....my hubby would love that starfish/shutter idea! :)

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  14. This looks great! I am considering hanging shutters on a big bare wall as well. Love how yours turned out!

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  15. These are adorable. Starfish make me happy too. The starfish is exactly why I clicked on your blog from the linky party over at shabby nest!

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  16. I've been on the hunt for old shutter for my bedroom. Yours are beautiful. Love your blog. I'm your newest follower.
    xoxo,
    Kim

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  17. Perfectly beachy! I love shutters in general..., and the starfish on them are perfect!!!

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  18. Clever lady! Looks great, I love shutters. I have always wanted to add them in my decor, so now I am inspired....love the starfish idea. Looking forward to more posts. Diane

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  19. New to your blog..Love what you did with the shutters! I have been thinking of what I can do with shutters and you just inspired me. =)

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  20. Ok this is fantastic! I love love love the starfish! What a fun project :)

    Lina
    fancy frugal life

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  21. the way you finished the wall surrounding the tub is beautiful. i love the shutters! i too have a weakness for starfish. i really enjoyed this post. thank you, donna

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  22. I really like your shutters! I stumbled across you from one of the blog parties. I love starfish, so you caught my eye! I'm also a thrifty person myself! So glad to be your latest follower!!

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  23. These look fantastic! I have a shutter project floating around my brain, too, but have to find the shutters first. Habitat ReStore, here I come! :)

    Oh yeah & I'm your newest follower!

    Heather @ Catfish Kisses

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  24. i am a new follower and i just wanted to say how much i loved this project!! i never even thought about going to the habitat store! we have one here and i may have to go check it out now! love the starfish also!!!

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  25. I just started following you! I love your shutters and I love the new trim around the tub!! Lookin' good!!!

    Hugs ~~ Suz

    inspiringcreativeness.blogspot

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  26. Such a cute idea Angie! I wanted to share with my followers, so featured you in my Friday Wrap Up post~

    http://jelly-bean-dream.blogspot.com/2011/04/aloooooha-friday-wrap-up-i-want-that-in.html

    and of course gave a link back to you!
    :)

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  27. Love these! I'm going to link them up in tomorrow's Links I Like post!

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  28. I love this idea! I actually have a few shutters under my deck that I've be holding onto for a few months (since we ripped them off the house during renos)and I haven't been able to part with them in case a project came along. I hope you're flattered that I will most likely be stealing this idea..haha. I already have a wicked price of ''sea art'' to go with it.

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  29. This is so inspiring! I want to do the same sort of thing in my guest room. I am definitely going to the Habitat store.

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  30. Great job on the shutters! I want to paint my wooden blinds n everyone is telling me it's not worth the trouble, was it difficult at all?

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  31. I love what you did with the shutters!

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  32. Great idea and exactly what I was looking for! Of course, I'm following you now. You may even be as ummmm thrifty as I am! Pinning this. ~ Maureen

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  33. So inspiring....same sort of things look so beautiful in family room...best paint choice.


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  36. Hi - I'm doing the same project. How did you hang your shutters? With and picture frame kit or some other way? I'm hanging 3 shutters over my bed. Love this idea and I can't wait to replicate it. Although the shutters I got are a great weathered gray and super old already - but they were more than $2 a piece 😵.

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