A Little Hallway Update with Lowe's

After moving to the lakehouse, Hubby and I tackled a ton of budget-friendly, temporary makeovers to make this house feel bright and modern - and "us" - while we planned and saved for major renovations.  I'm so glad we took the time to do those spit & polish type projects because, other than the main bathroom, all of our major renos (full kitchen, laundry room and powder room gut, new roof and siding, new fireplace and secret door, fish room to laundry room conversion, etc.) had to take a back seat to some major life upheavals.  Although I love the temporary changes we made, I have to admit that I have been feeling a strong urge to pick up a sledgehammer and demo something!  I really want to renovate - probably motivated by motivated in part by the fact that all of our appliances are failing at once - but I have to cool my jets a little bit longer.  I'm so excited that I have had this fish room makeover to work on to satisfy my need for change.

In the meantime, I've been focusing on making small tweaks to our decor.  I've been eyeing the kitchen for a little upgrade and I have been dedicated to finding some missing puzzle pieces to finish the budget-friendly makeovers we did early on.  There are definitely some decor pieces that we have needed to help make our home more functional and help some spaces feel more complete.

Luckily, I have Lowe's Canada to help me out!  They have new home decor themes and one collection - "Modern Nostalgia" - definitely has my name on it, so I brought home a few accessories that are as practical as they are beautiful, in the hopes of putting some finishing touches on previous makeovers - and satiating my urge for change!

I'm sharing the piece with the biggest impact today, but come back to see a few more peeks into the fabulously curated decor finds from Lowe's Canada.

After painting the hallways walls, trim, and doors white, upgrading all of the interior levers and exterior door hardware, we replaced all of the boob lights and even switched out the dated door for one with a more mid-century modern inspired look.  We hung up some art and added the only piece of furniture the small space can afford: a little hand carved stool.  Most recently the floors were painted, along with the kitchen, but there was still a missing puzzle piece: a mirror!  

Whenever I wanted to fuss with my scarf or check my lip gloss before heading out the door, I'd either run back to the bedroom to use the full length mirror in there, or dash through the laundry room to the half bath and use that mirror. 

I had forgotten what a wonderful thing it is to have a mirror by the door!  Plus the hallway can be a little dark at times because even with the wonderful windows, our exterior door is often sheltered from the sun thanks to our carport.  So this Columbia Frame mirror helps bounce a little light around.

It's a beautiful addition to the space, adding warmth to my cool color palette of blues and whites.  It's made from solid reclaimed wood with a hand waxed finish, which adds a lot of gorgeous texture and interest. 

After I ordered it, I was worried it would be too chunky or too rustic, but although the diameter of the frame is very substantial in size (31/5"), it still feels delicate.  Plus I just love how the hand waxed finish plays on the lakeside vibe with its driftwood feel.

In my city, Lowe's Canada took over a lease at one end of our shopping mall and that's where the BEST parking is, so I always park there and slowly loiter my way through Lowe's to enter the mall.  I am so excited that Lowe's stocks beautiful home decor in addition to renovating supplies because I love browsing the aisles but I'm not quite ready to start appliance shopping or picking out tiles yet!

Soon, though, soon...

I was provided product and compensation by Lowe's Canada, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Plans for an EPIC Driftwood Sculpture + Other Creative Driftwood Decor Ideas

One of my goals in life is to make a massive driftwood sculpture, inspired by the talented Heather Jansch.  Her driftwood sculptures are so captivating, I can't stop thinking about them: 

Photo Via

Instead of a horse though, I'd like to erect a massive Komondor sculpture in my backyard, inspired by this sculpture of a Puli in Hungary:

 

(As an aside, how amazing is it that there is a sculpture park in Budapest celebrating the nation's dog breeds?  I've never been more proud to be Hungarian!) 

Instead of lumber painted black, I plan on using driftwood, which I think mimics the cords of the typical Komondor so perfectly.  So my newest hobby is collecting driftwood.  A LOT of it...

Earlier this year I refrained from collecting driftwood because, for awhile anyway, it was protecting our eroding shoreline, but then one day it disappeared.  That's the nature of driftwood I guess, it drifted away...right toward our neighbor, who burned it all in a massive bonfire.  Dude, you had enough for two horses, where are your priorities?  I started collecting it late in the season and soon the lake will freeze, so this is definitely long term project.  But I have still been dipping my hands into icy water to add to my growing pile.

Meanwhile, I've been collecting beachy ideas for driftwood decor that don't require quite the epic haul - plus some pretty pieces to just buy (because sometimes that's just more fun).  ALL of these ideas and DIY tutorials are much easier than my DIY idea (I honestly have no idea how the heck to make a massive Komondor sculpture, but that's a problem for Future-Me to sort out).

Here Are My Favorite Driftwood Decor Pieces:  

This dreamy driftwood and clay spoon is handmade by Fall for DIY and I'm obsessed with it's earthy, natural look.  Plus it looks so easy to make!

This Etsy shop makes the most gorgeous driftwood pieces, like this mirror and coffee table (which is seriously inspiring some ideas of my own):

I actually spotted a driftwood mirror at the IDS back in 2012, not realizing that I would ever find my dream home on Lake Superior and develop a craving for all things beachy.  Tutorials abound on how to make these but I don't think it's too complicated (famous last words). 

A little chalk paint in some watery hues really complements this easy peasy driftwood art so beautifully.  I love the scale of this piece (from Sustain my Craft Habit). 

This driftwood wreath is another cool take on beachy, driftwood art.

I love this driftwood table lamp because it has such graceful lines.  A knock off could easily be made by hacking a really simple, inexpensive lamp by affixing some driftwood pieces...



A few years ago, Sarah M. Dorsey knocked out two AMAZING DIY driftwood tables: this Target hack and also this herringbone coffee table.  It is absolutely dizzying how much work went into making these two table - you have to click over and take a peek!

If DIY isn't your jam - or you just don't have access to driftwood - this driftwood and brass jewelry stand (available through Etsy) is a great way to bring that beachy feel inside.

If my sculpture doesn't pan out, maybe furniture would be fun!  I am so inspired by these massive, organic hunks of driftwood turned into furniture - like this glass topped coffee table or this glass topped driftwood table:

Because I first planned a horse, I hauled out a few large, curved root pieces but with my sculpture plans changed, I love the idea of making a driftwood table with glass top with those random pieces.  If I changed the top to something less breakable, it could be an outdoor table instead.

Big Fab Designs, an Etsy shop, makes such stunning wall art made from wood, including beautiful driftwood.  The weathered wood with the vibrant hues is such a striking contrast!

These DIY driftwood boats from Alisa Burke are so pretty - I love the swirly blue sails and it looks like such a fun and easy craft project, I think kids would love making these.

There are so many beautiful ideas for using driftwood, but these are my favorites right now!

I've never really gone too "coastal" with my decor, staying away from anchors and seahorses and opting for a watery color palette, a mix of wood tones with some driftwood greys and creamy whites, and beach glass inspired finishes here and there, but I do find myself pinning more and more modern coastal spaces these days.  If I have any driftwood left from my sculpture, I might just make a pretty mirror or wall hanging - it would look really perfect in the fish room.

P.S. If you're planning on making a little driftwood craft - or tackling a massive project - check out this post on how to clean and sanitize driftwood. 

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