Refinishing | Sheila Zeller Interiors

Bedroom Makeover Update

March 22, 2013

Well, I’ve been working away on our bedroom makeover (introduced here), until progress suddenly ground to a halt. A lot of the parts and pieces are collected, and some DIYing is underway, however this week I was bitten by a nasty cold… All.Week.Long. So frustrating.

Here’s a little peek anyway.

This is part of the palette that was already in place, and won’t be changing (read more here, here, and here), so it became the jump-off.

Duvet, Drapes, Quilt Rack

You might remember an area rug was part of the new plan. These are the options within the rug budget that made the shortlist, and I’ve since chosen one.

Rug Potentials

Which one do you think I chose? I know, two very different textures, two very different looks!

And you might remember, I showed a long, low MCM dresser factored into the plan. Well, I kind of became a ‘Used Finds’ junkie, scouring the ads like a daily habit, week after week with little to no luck. And then finally one day, there it was!

Used Victoria - MCM Dresser, Mirror & Highboy

{Used Victoria}

A DIY option (at least for me), but definitely along the lines of what I had in mind. This came as a package deal with a mirror and a highboy, because the seller wouldn’t split the set apart. But for the price, it’s a deal that’s hard to beat since they are Honderich pieces c. 1960s, and nice thick walnut veneer.

TIP:

Did you know the veneer in older pieces is much thicker than now-a-days, therefore a better option to sand? And the base wood tends to be of a higher quality than what you get now. Something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a used find. I say, the older, the better!

Here’s a look at my workshop right now. Notice my other Used Find in the background? Hint: the doors are removed.

MCM Dressers & Cabinet Makeovers 033

Since so much of the space depends on the MCM dresser, I’ve been working on it first, even though I had the glass door cabinet before it.

The top is fully sanded and complete, and this is where I left off when the retched bug decided to take over. GRRRR. So frustrating. Oh, did I already say that?

MCM Dressers & Cabinet Makeovers 047

It feels like the cold is starting to break, so I’m hoping to get the sanding finished up this weekend. You can see I have the the finicky areas left, and I still have the drawer fronts to do. And I’m dying to get my hands on the other Used Finds cabinet, too! These pieces will have completely different finishes, and I can’t wait to get the pretty party started!

Are you working on any projects right now? Any makeovers to do?

Thanks for stopping by!

Photographs by Sheila Zeller unless otherwise stated.

TaggedDecor, Decorating, Design, DIY Project, Eames Era, Furniture, Interior Styling, Mid-Century Modern, Refinishing, Used Finds, Vintage Filed UnderArticles 16 Comments

Tired of Ho-Humming Along!

March 8, 2013

Well, it’s been a pretty busy last few weeks over here at sZinteriors. For quite a while now I’ve been scouring the USED ads, thrifting my little heart out and just plain visioning in search of makeover pieces for my project ‘to do’!

Here’s a little heads up on what’s got my attention:

Floor Plan - Labelled Layout

Yah, I’ve had enough ho-humming along. Time to move out the pieces that aren’t working, and move in ones that will. This layout is what I have in mind. You can see from the floor plan, we don’t have a lot of options for furniture placement, but that’s okay. We don’t own this home, so will do with this space what we can do!

Here’s one piece that’s just come along…

Glass Door Cabinet - Used Victoria And a look at it right-side up!

Solid Oak Glass Door Cabinet

It’s solid oak with old brass hardware. You can’t really see in this photo, but the bottom of the legs are wrapped in brass – dipping with the real thing!

I have plans for this piece. Oh yes I do! So today I swapped my vehicle to the good outdoors, and set up my workshop in its place to get started.

There will definitely be more to come, but I have to get on with the grunt work first. That would be sanding. I so don’t enjoy the sanding part!

What are your plans for the weekend? Doing anything fun?

Thanks for stopping by!

Photos courtesy of Used Victoria ad

TaggedBedroom Makeover, Decor, Decorating, Design, DIY Project, Furniture, Interior Styling, Mid-Century Modern, Painting, Refinishing, Used Finds Filed UnderArticles 11 Comments

Painting Gallery Frames: Cheater DIY from Bland to Black!

February 28, 2013

Not too long ago in one of my treasure hunting adventures I came across this set of four vintage pencil drawings, and knew instantly I wanted to take them home! Vancouver, after all, is my home away from home.

Pencil Drawings of Vancouver, BC

I love Vancouver! But… I wasn’t so sure I loved the blonde wood frames. I propped them up against the wall for the time being, just to live with the frames and see if a clear wax was in order, or if painting the frames black was tugging at my soul.

Lo and behold, on another thrifting adventure a few weeks later I came across two more drawings to this set.

Pencil Drawings of Vancouver, BC

So now, hmmm, a gallery wall with six framed drawings in blonde wood frames? I wasn’t feeling it, not for me. What I did know was I wanted to keep the frames. But here’s the thing. These frames are old, and this is what the back looks like.

Back of Vintage Frame

Tiny little nails hold the print inside the frame, so I wasn’t really keen on removing all the nails from all six prints to paint the frames. In fact, I needed to add a few more nails to push down spots where the prints have warped over time. I just call these imperfections the ‘Wabi-sabi‘ of the find!

So here’s the cheater steps I took to paint the frames without disassembling the prints from inside.

1. Tape off the inside edges of the glass next to the frame.

Taping Off Frames for Painting Prep

My painter’s tape is fairly wide, so I was able to take one strip and cut it in half length-wise to tape off opposite sides of the frame. If you do this, make sure you put the factory edge against the frame. I used an X-Acto knife to cut the end of the tape so it fit snuggly into the corner of the frame. Works like a charm!

2. Elevate frames on empty containers, and brush the first coat of paint on all sides of each frame.

Taped frames for brushing on paint

Don’t worry too much about the back of the frame. Just make sure the paint wraps the back edge slightly…

DIY Cheat - Painting a Frame with Print Inside

Like this. If you paint like me, that won’t be a problem!

3. Apply second coat of paint, and remove tape. TIP: Make sure you remove painter’s tape before second coat dries.

Brush Painting Frames with Print Inside

I recommend scoring each edge with the X-Acto knife before you remove the tape. This will cut through any paint that’s already dried and help prevent the paint from peeling off with the tape. Remove the tape slowly, and leave frames to fully dry. Even when they’re dry, the paint will still be soft, and will knick easily

4. Once frames are dry, touch up any spots where the paint got away on you! And trust me, this will happen.

Spots for Touch-Up on Painted Frame

I cleaned the glass first just to remove any random paint flecks, and then used a black felt Sharpie with a chisel tip for my touch ups. To keep the felt from marking the glass, place a small, thin piece of paper between the pen and the glass where you’re doing each touch-up.

And voila!

My gallery find went from this…

Pencil Drawings of Vancouver, BC

To this…

Pencil Drawings of Vancouver, BC

From this…

Pencil Drawings, Vancouver, BC

To this…

Pencil Drawings, Vancouver, BC

And the whole set together looks like this!

Gallery of Pencil Drawings, Vancouver, BC

I bet you’re dying to know where I’m hanging this little gallery, huh? I promise, there will be a reveal. Just not today!

The thing to remember with a gallery presentation is it will generally be admired from afar. And that’s why I opted to do a quick brush of paint on the frames with the prints intact. The little flaws from this cheater approach won’t even be noticed. Normally I would remove the print, the glass, and all hardware. And then I would spray the frames for a smooth, even application of the paint. But in this case, seriously, would you pull all those little nails for that?

Thanks for stopping by!

Photographs by Sheila Zeller

TaggedAccessorizing, Artwork, BC, Decor, Decorating, DIY Project, Gallery Frames, Painting, Painting Frames Tutorial, Pencil Drawings, Refinishing, Repurposing, Vancouver Filed UnderArticles 8 Comments

The Macklemore Thift Shop Challenge: Catching Up & Playing Along!

February 5, 2013

Well… who knew? A Macklemore inspired thrift shop challenge! I caught YHL’s post just after my thrifting outing last week, and had big plans for today’s thrifting. Only the excursion was called off due to a nasty flu bug trying to swarm in. Instead, here’s what I’ve cobbled together from last week so I can play along!

The three things you need to do to play:

1. Go to a thrift store with $20 and take a picture…

Since there’s no pic of me holding $20 in front of the store… but $20 is my normal budget for a thrifting day, I mocked this up with the treasures we loaded up from our adventure. The checked things are mine! Notice the red tool box? It’s the one I just wrote about here and pinned here!

2. Spend your $20 any way you’d like and photograph your spoils…

$3 Dovetail Box (it has a great old burnished brass clasp on it!) – I’m thinking of stenciling the box to create a vintage inspired look-alike crate… still deciding.
$9 Wine Carboy – not sure just yet where this will end up, but I liked it, even though it’s kind of new!
$1 Hoop – this will go into a DIY project somewhere down the line.
$5 Vintage Tool Box (made by Climax, c. 1930s to 50s) – you can see what I did with it here!

And the table below. You saw it sitting up-side-down and circled in the first photo! It’s c. 1940s, and in desperate need of a redo. Plans are underway for that to happen, and some of the prep work has already begun since Kaleigh has put her dibs in on it!

But I’m kind of cheating to include the table in my $20, because I actually saw it three weeks ago, just didn’t buy it at the time. I kept thinking about it, so when we popped back to this thrift store last week and it was still there, well I decided to make it mine! I paid $20 for it, a little too much, I know, but it was one of those pieces that was calling me. Besides, I saved my $20 three weeks ago!

3. Find one item (or more) referenced in the song and snap a pic.

Well, I figured you might find a few of these things in grandma’s closet, and maybe, just maybe the leather boots would be in grandpa’s!

Even though I didn’t get to play completely by the rules, it was still fun to pull this together from our outing last week. Whew, good thing for phone pics, isn’t it? Like I said, who knew?

I’m linking up over at Young House Love...

You seriously need to pop over and check out all the other Macklemore inspired finds!

Thanks for stopping by!

Photos by Sheila Zeller

TaggedDIY Project, Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge, Refinishing, Repurposing, Thrifting, Vintage, Weiman Leather Top Table, Young House Love Filed UnderArticles 9 Comments

Shou-sugi-ban… I’m in Love!

November 27, 2012

Shou-sugi-ban.

The ancient Japanese technique of charring wood to preserve it for use as exterior siding. Traditionally, Japanese Cyprus was used, but now we’re seeing this technique applied to cedar, and other woods. We’re also seeing the wood being utilized in new and interesting ways beyond exterior siding.

I first learned about shou-sugi-ban on HGTV’s Kitchen Cousins, and fell instantly in love. No, not with the cousins! With the distinct and unique look of the wood.

Here’s a close-up.

Delta Millworks on Houzz

The wood is carefully charred, doused in water and cooled. Once cooled, it’s brushed to remove the dust and loose debris, and then cleaned, meaning washed and dried. The shou-sugi-ban can either be finished with a natural oil or left as is.

Anne and the Architects

Why would you want to do this? Well, its cool factor, for one! But actually, the charcoal barrier preserves the wood, and is fire, rot and insect resistant!

Cast Architecture Blog

Here are a few examples of shou-sugi-ban in action.

Colin Conces Photography

Such a great panel look without the nastiness of paneling!

This siding is an example of how the wood silvers once it’s brushed, cleaned, and oiled.

Orchard House Blog

And here you see how it looks cladding a fireplace.

Shou-sugi-Ban.com

I can’t tell if the wood has been oiled or not. What do you think?

I love this table top burner.

Brasa.co

And the irony behind it and the fireplace… you know, charred wood as a feature where fire burns brightly But seriously, isn’t this burner pretty awesome?

And these stools speak for themselves. Cool, plain and simple.

Urban Now Design / Nicholas Wray Photography

Designed by Steve Hamm and Don Wroth of Urban Now Design, in their words, they “Like to create cool stuff, plain and simple.”

I’ll leave you with this last piece, a table by Materia Designs.

Materia Designs

This is a great example of blending ancient technique with modern design, and topping it off with a little vintage statement… did you guess the table top is made of reclaimed barn board? Hemlock, actually.

I know. What’s not to love?

I’m thinking a shou-sugi-ban headboard would be pretty cool. But, I do wonder how long it takes for the the charred smell to disappear!

So how about you? Have you heard of shou-sugi-ban before? Do you love it… or would you rather leave the charring back at the camp fire?

Thanks for stopping by!

TaggedDecor, Design, DIY Project, Refinishing, Repurposing, Shou-sugi-ban Filed UnderArticles 25 Comments

The Makeover of a Clothes Valet

August 6, 2012

In a home, it’s the little things that make a difference, and that’s what inspired this makeover.

I’ve wanted to paint the clothes valet you see here for awhile now, even had the paint to do it…

Maple Clothes Valet

But I use it to display my Grandmother’s quilt (I wrote about the quilt here), so the valet is usually tucked behind a patchwork of colours!

Vintage Handmade Quilt, Maple Clothes Valet

And you know how it is. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Originally my thought was to paint the valet in black… and I still think black would look good. But I decided to lighten things up with Benjamin Moore’s self-priming Aura paint in Tapenade CC-694 instead.

My biggest procrastination, honestly, was the sanding! Who enjoys sanding, anyway? And I know… if I used Annie Sloan’s chalk paint, I wouldn’t have to sand… but my motive was to try and use up some of the paint I already have! Besides, you’ll see I used Annie’s clear wax for the finish!

DIY Clothes Valet Makeover

I was pretty happy to forego the primer. Have you ever used self-priming paint? One less step, and you’ve got my attention!

Here’s how BM’s Tapenade CC-694 fits in.

BM Tapenade CC-694 Bedroom Story Board

It works with the green stripe in the drapery panel (I wrote about that DIY here), the hints of green at the base of the flower petals in the duvet… and also, Tapenade is a gray-green.

Here’s a look at my Gran’s vintage quilt back in place.

Vintage Handmade Quilt on Quilt Rack

I like the way the green works with the colours in the quilt. Notice the large paisley in the bottom left corner?

Here’s one more look back at the ‘Before’…

Vintage Quilt on Maple Clothes Valet

And another look at the way I’ve finished styling this little corner space.

Vintage Handmade Quilt

This is an example of working with what you have, and adding a little DIY twist to make what you have work even better. I didn’t buy anything… not even the basket filled with scarves that’s sitting under the quilt.

And if you were to ask, everything in this corner has a little story, even the basket! Did you notice the scrolls hanging above the quilt? I’ll tell you all about them in another post! Yup, they have a story, too!

How about you? Have you made any changes in your space lately? What tips do you have to share?

My thing is working with what you have to pull a look together. By tweaking a few things here and there, even the smallest changes can make a huge difference. It’s once you’ve done this that you’ll know if, or what new pieces you might like to add. Because the other part of working with what you have, is knowing what’s not working anymore, and letting it go. But wait, you might want to give it a DIY makeover first! You’d be surprised what you fall in love with all over again!!!

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

All Photos by Sheila Zeller

TaggedBM Tapenade CC-694, Colour, Decor, Decorating, DIY Project, Interior Styling, Painting, Refinishing Filed UnderArticles 22 Comments

A Little Gloss and Too Much Shine!

July 23, 2012

I love summer, and am seriously enjoying it while it’s here! You’ve probably noticed fewer posts per week, and I just want to say, it’s all good! I’m taking this time to enjoy the sunshine, my friends and family, and all that summer brings our way And of course, a few projects, too.

So you’ll understand when I say I got sidetracked the other day with a mini project!

I’ve had this picture frame kicking around for quite a while now.

Dark Brown Photo Frame

But I’ve never loved the dark brown. No, not so much… in fact, not at all!

So, when I was busy in the garage the other day, just on a whim I decided to haul out the primer.

Primed Photo Frame for Painting

Wasn’t sure what I was going to do exactly, but knew I couldn’t go wrong with a coat of primer.

And since I had a can of gray spray paint handy from another project…

Gray Spray Painted Photo Frame

I decided I couldn’t go wrong with gray, either!

The frame took the paint really well, and the finished coat was awesome. It was smooth and even… but it was just way too shiny for me in the end. I guess glossy paint will do that, right?!

So I hauled out the sandpaper and started scratching up the frame, and dulling it down.

Distressed Photo Frame

Hard to tell there was any gloss to begin with. Do you think I got carried away?

You might remember that I was the lucky winner of a Sand Dollar print by Wooden Spoon Editions quite some time ago, which I wrote about here and here.

Well, I decided to introduce the distressed frame to my Sand Dollar print, you know, just to see how they would get along.

Distressed Photo Frame

The gray might be a little on the blue side, but I like the way these two play together.

How about you?

Have you changed anything up lately?

Remember, it’s all in the details… I had no intentions of distressing this frame when I set out, but when I didn’t like the shiny finish, I knew that leaving it would be no different than if I had left the frame dark brown. I wouldn’t use it. And what’s the point in that? Never be afraid to make the pieces in your home all about you. That’s what it’s all about!

THANKS FOR TAKING A MOMENT TO STOP BY!

All Photos by Sheila Zeller

TaggedDecor, Decorating, Display, Distressed Paint Project, DIY Project, Painting, Refinishing Filed UnderArticles 27 Comments

DIY: Giving Terracotta Pots A Second Life

May 28, 2012

Last week I took a little gander at my random collection of plant pots, you know to start thinking about prettifying the yard a bit. I love terracotta pots, but mine have definitely seen better days.

Like this one!

Chipped Terracotta Plant Pot

This is the biggest one I have, and it’s been around for at least 10 years, not to mention through a move or two…

Here’s a few more added to the mix.

Prepping Terracotta Pots to Paint

See what I mean? The big pots are in pretty tough shape around the rim.

So I decided to paint this bunch and give them a new life. It’s not like there’s anything to lose, right?

I started by brushing off all the dust and dirt with a stiff-bristled hand broom, and then lightly primed each pot with spray primer.

Primed terracotta plant pots

The wind showed up just in time, and made spraying evenly almost impossible.

I decided to give this Krylon ‘Make-It-Stone’ textured spray paint a try.

Krylon Make It Stone Spraypaint

But I didn’t notice until it was too late that this paint is an indoor paint. Oops! Oh well, like I said, there’s not much to lose at this point.

The pots took the paint really well, but they looked a little boring all sprayed out in stone.

So I went over the rims and sprayed them black instead.

Painting Terracotta Pots

I was trying a little ombre touch here, but a few days later, decided I didn’t really like that either! My technique was a little too blotchy, don’t you think?

So I prepped the pots for another coat of the Krylon Stone to go over the Ombre attempt.

Taping Terracotta Pots to Paint

This additional coat made a big difference to the finished look. I liked the outcome much better than the first round.

Here’s a little peak at round two.

Krylon 'Make It Stone' & Black Rim

I think they look better like this, even up-side-down

And since I liked the way the pots looked, I gave them a few clear coats to seal them, and called it a wrap. Hopefully this will help protect the ‘indoor’ paint from the elements, at least for this season!

Want to see them all planted up?

I stayed with bright red Geraniums and Dracaena in all the pots. They’re pretty hardy plants that I usually manage to keep alive!

I wanted the red to pop against the black and stone colours of the pot, and once the Geraniums fill out, I think they’ll be showy.

The Rhodoes in the background are actually our neighbours, but we get to enjoy them as a backdrop!

Remember the ‘before’ of the big planter?

Chipped Terracotta Plant Pot

What do you think of it now?

Notice the water on the rim? I think that’s a good sign that the sealer is doing its job!

Have you painted terracotta pots for outside? Were you happy with the results?

We spent our weekend weeding, and planting up flowers, herbs, and some of Makaria Farm’s famous tomatoes. I hope you’ll pop back for a little tour of what we’ve done!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story!

If you would like a little help with your space please contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

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Photos: Sheila Zeller

TaggedColour, Curb Appeal, DIY Project, Exterior Styling, Home Exteriors, Painting, Painting Terracotta Pots, Refinishing, Spring, Summer Filed UnderArticles 13 Comments

A Chandelier Makeover Lights Up Our Life ;-)

April 16, 2012

I’m not sure if it was the sunshine, or just the sheer determination to see this DIY project through to the end this weekend, but our ReStore chandelier is off the project ‘to do’ list! If you missed the ‘Before’ post, feel free to catch up on it here.

This is where we started. The chandelier exactly as we bought it from ReStore.

Wrought Iron Candle-Socket Chandelier

Plans: to spray it out black.

And here’s a quick look at my trusty spray booth ready for the spraying action.

Spray Painting A Chandelier

Well, my semi-booth…

And in my eagerness to get started, I almost forgot to protect the candle sockets, but luckily remembered just in time.

I cut painters tape to fit inside the opening – that’s the green you see.

And finally got the first coat sprayed on.

I was trying to be light-handed with the paint, but some areas got a little extra love on this round.

I learned that I probably should put some sides on my booth in the future. I got away without sides in other projects, but… let’s just say hubs was very understanding with the spots that accidentally hit his car.

I know they’re a little hard to see here (they are, right?), and from my perspective that’s a good thing Whew, most of these have come off! He must really love me now

Especially since this next part was where he stepped in.

Down with the old… remember to switch the breaker off to the light’s power source before messing with the wiring!

The new hole drilled for the chandelier…

And a swag hook with a butterfly anchor installed.

This part always makes me nervous :-{

The new chandie had to be rewired with longer wire…

And a new black chain installed, too.

It all looks pretty messy, doesn’t it?

But then we finally got to test the new wiring out.

Breaker on, and…

It all works!

The final step, to decide how low to hang the chandelier, then cut the wiring and chain to the right length.

We went back and forth on the height. This space has a 9′ ceiling, so we started with 30″ above the table, but it felt a little too low to hubs, so we adjusted it to 32″. We don’t have a dimmer switch… yet, but that’s been added to the ‘to do’ list!

What do you think?

Now that we’re happy with the light fixture, we can shift our attention to the rest of the space! We actually have a larger farmhouse trestle table that hubby made. We want to swap it out with this one, but just need to give it a quick refinishing before we do.

Here’s a little re-run of the before and after:

Before

After

Before

After

And remember when I mentioned the clock was one of the reasons we wanted to paint the chandelier black?

Before

After

We think this chandelier is a better fit.

How about you?

It’s amazing what a difference a little tweak like this can make. And the process was fun as well. In the end making changes to your space that put a smile on your face are worth the effort involved… and especially when you can support a great cause like Habitat for Humanity in the process! This was a perfect way for us to end our weekend. I hope you had a good weekend, too!

I’ve linked this makeover in support of Habitat for Humanity’s 5th Annual ‘Before & After’.

Pop on over to OPC’s The Better Half, to see other supporters, too!

THANKS FOR READING!

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story!

If you would like some help with your space contact me here.

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Photos: Sheila Zeller

TaggedChandelier Rewiring, Colour, Decorating, DIY Project, Habitat for Humanity, Interior Styling, Lighting, Painting, Refinishing, ReStore Filed UnderArticles 19 Comments

Giving Back by Vancouver Island Stagers, Stylists & ReDesigners Group

April 3, 2012

Have you heard of the Vancouver Island Stagers, Stylists and ReDesigners group? Just think, VISSR!

VISSR is a group of business women on Southern Vancouver Island who meet once a month as colleagues and collaborative professionals. VISSR is a mix of home stagers, interior stylists and redesigners, and many offer a slice of all three services.

Recently VISSR initiated a volunteer redesign project for the Bridges for Women Society in Victoria.

Bridges for Women is a not-for-profit, charitable agency focussing on employment services for women with a background of abuse or trauma.

Source: Bridges for Women Society

Bridges mission, taken directly from their website, is this:

Bridges is a gutsy, innovative community agency. Our employment training and supportive programs inspire women impacted by violence or abuse, to reclaim their lives and build economic security. Bridges draws on its extensive knowledge of the impacts of abuse on employability, to provide education, training and consulting to community agencies, employers, and government.

As VISSR members, we volunteered our professional skills to redesign two classrooms along with support from our clients and local businesses who donated materials and/or trade labour. We had a narrow budget to work with, which had to stretch far… Without the unified support of VISSR members, our clients, and participating local businesses, the scope of these classroom transformations would not have been possible.

Imagine taking a classroom setting from this…

BEFORE

Photo: Diana Zinck

to this…

INSTALLATION DAY

Photo: SZInteriors

to THIS!

AFTER

Photo: Diana Zinck

From this…

BEFORE

Photo: SZInteriors

to this…

INSTALLATION DAY

Photo: SZInteriors

to THIS!

AFTER

Photo: Diana Zinck

And from this…

BEFORE

Photo: Diana Zinck

to this…

INSTALLATION DAY

Photo: SZInteriors

to THIS!

AFTER

Photo: Diana Zinck

And all on a dime.

What went into the redesign?

Two new paint colours
A chair rail around the whole room
Custom made bulletin boards
White board paint (dry erase) painted directly on the wall to replace wall-mounted white board
Oak cabinet, baskets and decorative boxes for organization and storage
Artwork and incidentals
A folding screen room divider in place of empty storage lockers acting as room dividers
Privacy film over the windows
And of course, volunteer time and energy

Here’s a closer look…

The custom bulletin boards were a huge part of this redesign. Collages made by the students are a significant component of the Bridges program, and displaying them is equally important.

So the collages (blurred for confidentiality) went from being displayed like this…

Photo: SZInteriors

To this…

Photo: Pauline Dueck

On walls like this!

Photo: Diana Zinck

The frames are painted in the same blue as the Bridges for Women Society’s branded blue! All have been prehung so they’re ready to feature each collage as a presented work of art.

The bulletin boards were definitely the pride of this project with their functional form underscoring the significance of their presence!

The wall of windows was another key consideration. Obtaining privacy without the loss of natural light was the hope, and to accomplish this, opaque film for the windows was the solution. But our budget was the obstacle! And thankfully, in the end donations came through.

This is a closer look at the windows before the privacy film was installed.

Photo: SZInteriors

The existing blinds provided the privacy function, but with them closed, the natural light was lost. And even with them tilted open, the light was still filtered out a lot, leaving the overhead fluorescents in charge!

Here’s a look at the windows AFTER the privacy film was installed.

Photo: SZInteriors

There was no leftover film to spare, and even the little scrap pieces didn’t go to waste. The birds were drawn free-hand and made with the leftover pieces!

And here, some (but not all) of the VISSR members who came together, and brought this vision to reality.

Photo: Pauline Dueck

(Back Row, L to R): Michaela Starling, Carell-Ayne Whalen, Diana Zinck, Tracey Jones, Josée Lalonde

(Front Row, L to R): [Me], Stacey Kaminiski, Pauline Dueck

For a list of all VISSR members, click here.

Bridges for Women…

Photo: SZInteriors

Break the cycle. Build the future.

Photo: Pauline Dueck

Thank you so much to Bridges for Women Society for the opportunity to give back by doing what we do best!

And a heartfelt thank you to these local business for their invaluable support. Without you these transformations just wouldn’t have been possible:

Picture Panache Framing
Peninsula Home Services
Larson Juhl Canada
White Night Painting
Sherwin-Williams Paint
Your Friend With A Truck Moving Services
Deckadence Construction
London Drugs
Home Depot
Mark Jones, owner of Tim Hortons (Shelbourne & Cedar Hill Cross Road)

You made it possible for us to change up this space…

Photo: Diana Zinck

To look like this!

Photo: Diana Zinck

And the second classroom to look like this…

Photo: Diana Zinck

And this!!!

Photo: Diana Zinck

And thank you to SHAW TV Daily for the coverage! For those of you who missed the news clip, click here to view. It only takes a few minutes to watch!

To see more photos of the project you can visit our VISSR site here, and The Stage Coach here.

Have you pitched in on a project lately? I’d love to hear about it!

It’s always so gratifying to lend a hand, and I really enjoyed being a part of this project. I hope you enjoyed this overview and got to feel for a moment how incredible it was to be able to give back in this way.

THANKS FOR READING!