DIY Turquoise Bulletin Board

 
We have big plans for the lakehouse office: a chic DIY desk for two, a pair of beautiful new office chairs, fancy lamps - the works!  While we focus on the kitchen, though, I've only been able to tackle little office projects here and there, like the turquoise bulletin board I recently added to the office nook. 



In the townhouse office I had a magnetic board I made from an old mirror:

It worked well, but I grew tired of the black and I didn't think the magnetic paint would be strong enough beneath a layer of paint so I switched it out for cork instead.  First I took it apart and I primed and painted the frame turquoise to match the nook walls.  Then I cut a piece of cork to fit.  I primed and painted it the same colour, using a small brush to work the paint into the cork.  The cork is disappointingly thin - it tears easily! - so I backed it with two pieces of cardboard, using a small amount of expoxy around the perimeter to affix the cork to the cardboard.  Hubby pointed out that I shouldn't glue all over the surface because then the thumbtacks wouldn't go through the rock-hard adhesive.  Of course, so obvious (after he pointed it out).

I like it because it's stealthy against the turquoise walls. 
 

Unsurprisingly, the paint really changes the texture of the cork and holes are more noticeable.  This painted cork won't last forever, but for now it's a handy addition to the office.

Paint a Basement Door Mint and Create a Handy Message Centre

After we spruced up the basement landing/stairwell . . .

. . . the door to the basement remained sadly un-spruced.

It had been painted white and given new brushed silver hinges and door knob like all of our other interior doors, but it had been painted quickly and there were spots where the old grey-ish paint could be seen on the inside (that's my Mom above, Vanna White-ing it to show you where).  We had also started using it as a place to store vital information, like the garbage day schedule, but we had been using painter's tape to stick stuff up there.  I didn't have any white paint left, but I had my trusty free gallon of mint paint.  I decided a little colour would be fun, especially because it's just the inside of the door (the outside and edges stayed white).

I taped off the edges and the door knob, removed the papers and unscrewed the white bag holder.  Two coats of paint later, I had a fresh new minty door.  I grabbed a set of cork trivets from Ikea and affixed them to the door with construction adhesive, holding them in place while the adhesive dried with painter's tape.  And voila - much tidier!  Plus the mint looks sweet with the framed brooches in the stairwell.



We re-hung the holder for random plastic bags (on the rare occasion we get them from a store, I hang on to them and re-use them).  The cork trivets tidied up our important info.  We purposefully installed them in a vertical row, with one at kid-height, so if future owners have kids they can pin up their school stuff.  I would have liked to have painted these a fun colour, or done a whole grid (like this) but I was short on both time and money.  The natural cork looks cute against the brick when the door is open, anyway, and three tiles means we only have so much room to clutter up!

I'm really enjoying painting things mint . . .

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