Bonnie Young Designs
  • Home
  • Repurposed/Restored Furniture
    • Furniture For Sale
    • Past Projects >
      • Past Projects 2
  • Home Decor and Gifts
  • Blog-Creative Heathen

          Creative Heathen

like the bumps

8/28/2014

0 Comments

 
My husband and I just went through the process of buying a home.  Now I admit, I have a certain look and feel that I am very committed too. I like character.  I like unusual and we found NONE of that.  We looked at twenty or thirty houses and some were good, some were close and some were just hopeless.  One of the commonalities of all the properties was ......no imagination.  After a while all the homes looked the same.  It was very trying for me and even more so for my husband who just wanted me to pick one!
If you have that problem in your home, try doing something simple.  Pick a wall and TEXTURE it.  Texture gives a room depth, warmth and the feeling of dimension.  Most homes that are built right now have flat drywall with paint.  Some may have a light texture but nothing that stands out.  

There are many options for creating texture from drywall mud, to joint compound, to venetian plaster and stucco, all of which create different textures and finishes.  Many times homeowners opt for smooth finished walls for cleaning and maintenance.  Choose your texture and your wall finish so that cleaning can still be a breeze.  Trust me, everything in my house has to be washable.  I have 3 dogs, 2 cats and a husband that works in construction.  It has to pass the endurance test.  

To find the texture that you like, search the web, go to some open houses and get some joint compound a piece of wood and play in the mud.  Once you find your texture, jump in.  More on the practical aspects of application in the next post.  Until then, glance at examples of walls that I have done to inspire you.
0 Comments

our world today needs art and inspiration

8/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
We watched the movie "The Monuments Men" last night.  It is inspiring to know that there were a group of men who would give their lives to preserve and protect some of the greatest works of art we know.  For those of you who travel through the nations and stop to see all the famous art displayed around the world, know that you have these men to thank.  
Great works in architecture, paintings and sculpture inspire us and cause us to stand in amazement, breathless at the creations.  They give us the opportunity to gaze at beauty, imagination and dedication in a world that holds none of these things as profitable or worthy.  Yet without these monuments to our age and culture we are nothing.
We do not realize how landmark buildings that have stood for centuries create the community we live in.  We tend to forget that the Rembrandts, Michelangelo's, Picasso's and Monet's are etched in our minds, on our postcards and heralded as the greatest of our time.  We take for granted the importance of creativity and art until we find ourselves in a sterile place devoid of inspiration, color, shading and light.  In those places we find that our hearts and our very souls languish.   
It amazes me that out of those very sterile places art emerges.  Out of prisons, out of migrant camps, out of hospitals come creations that cause us to pause, breathless.  Those artists paint with passion that comes from a soul held captive.  They paint from a soul starving for color, light, shading and freedom.  Their imaginations recreate for them a life they no longer have, a passion they can no longer realize and a peace they cannot grasp.  
These artists remind us of the beauty, the suffering, the inspiring and the spiritual aspects of humanity.  Without them we have cement, asphalt, steel and wires.  A world we cannot survive in without the death of our soul.  
Please consider adorning your home with original art.  Support those whose passion is to create.  We need them.
The work feature with this post is from JMatheny Originals.  JMatheny honed his skill and learned to release his creativity inside of prison walls and behind razor wire. 

0 Comments

restoration projects

8/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
The day always comes when you finally complete a project.  Sometimes you wonder if it will ever be finished and if you will ever be satisfied...but it happens.  This lovely restoration project (Bassett Furniture Coffee Table) took me a couple of months as I worked on it between other projects.  I also had a few things to learn about removing finishes and stain from round objects with deep crevices and applying poly-acrylic layers and making it look smooth and even.  Next time will be much easier.  
I live in a hot and fairly dry climate so the challenge with the finish was drying time. 
If you are trying to apply a smooth thin layer of poly acrylic in the heat of summer you had better get it right the first time because it starts setting behind the brush.  So I put on the finish in the cool of the morning.  I also learned a few tricks with poly acrylic that may help others.  Make sure the can has been sitting for at least 24 hours and has not been shaken or bounced as when you bring it home from the store.  Next use a very fine bristled brush.  DO NOT dip the brush in as you would into paint but only the very tip of the bristles.  Move smoothly, gently (barely touch the surface) and slowly.  Add more poly acrylic frequently rather than dragging out the product too thin.  For the top of a project, pour the polyacrylic on the top and brush out, slowly, evenly (don't lift your brush often), and keep the handle of the brush close to the surface.  It takes practice but you will soon learn how to work with this product and even come to like it. Next time I think I will try a rub on polyurethane and see how I like that.  The products I use most often (Tung oil, lacquer and paste wax)  are great for conditioning and preserving wood but not very good for protecting wood finishes from the damage that occurs from daily use.  

When you are trying to remove a finish and stain from turned legs and feet for tables, apply the stripper liberally ( I use an orange stripper that is very effective but does not have all the harsh chemicals), wait thirty minutes and then WIPE with an old rag or cloth.  I use my husbands old socks for these projects as they are all cotton, coarse and absorbent.  You will find that the finish and the stain will wipe off with a little rubbing and cleaning.  The film that remains can easily be sanded and you just saved yourself a lot of time trying to scrape, chisel or sand the tight spots!

Remember that the key to any beautiful project is really good prep work.  Get all the old finish and stain off and sand the piece well so that you are back to original wood.  Find the right stain color for the wood and your taste and follow the directions.  If you let stain stand in one spot it will darken that area compared to the rest of the piece.  

The best part?  This piece of well made Bassett Furniture has a new life, a couple of uses (coffee table or entertainment table) and it isn't thrown in the back of the garage to decay.  Now to sell it and on to the next project!

0 Comments

    Author 
    Bonnie Young

    Writer, designer, creator, naturalist,  mother and wife..,

    Categories

    All
    Heathen Home
    Interior Paint
    Restore Repurpose Re Use
    Spiritual Wisdom's
    Thoughts For The Day
    Your Business

    Archives

    May 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    March 2019
    September 2018
    June 2017
    April 2017
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    RSS Feed

    Visit Bonnie Young Designs's profile on Pinterest.

Our Products

Handcrafted Soaps
Specialty Extracts
Repurposed/Restored Furniture
Home Decor And Gifts
JMatheny Original Art

Our Company

About Us - Contact Us

Visit our blog  Creative Heathen for more inspiration
                               Copyright 2012  *   Bonnie Young Designs  *   Pueblo West, CO  81007       bonnyoungdesigns@gmail.com  *  719-492-8886  
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Repurposed/Restored Furniture
    • Furniture For Sale
    • Past Projects >
      • Past Projects 2
  • Home Decor and Gifts
  • Blog-Creative Heathen
Picture