As I have been chatting about the last week or so, I have been working on a really fun segment for Studio 5 called “What Would Mandi Do?” where viewers submitted pieces that have them stumped. I needed a local girl who was ready and willing to let me do what needed to be done to make her piece of furniture out of this world amazing.
Sierra sent me an email that explained that she found an old fireplace mantle at an antique store and was IMMEDIATLEY in love with it. After talking to the shop owner about it and then relaying the info to her Grandpa she found out that the mantle came from an old house in Washington UT that was midwife headquarters. And it gets better. It was the house that her Grandpa himself was born in 80 years ago. How cool is that?! Rarely do we actually know the full story behind a great find.
So she bought it. And it sat in her garage. For 2 years. (don’t judge her, you know you can relate!) The problem? She had no idea what to do with it.
Because it was such a special piece, it needed more than just an update. It needed an entire room designed around it. I decided that we were going to turn it into a headboard for her beige box guest room.
First things first the beige just HAD to go. Sierra’s house is very neutral, and if I am going to push someone I am going to PUSH them.
(ps. This is what pushing looks like)
(This picture is coat 1 while it was still wet so its a little lighter and splotchier than the final coat.)
The color that I used was a custom mix called Modified Envy. Here is the mixture formula:
Originally when I ordered my paint at my local Sherwin Williams store the color I ordered was Envy. Its a really bright true Kelly green. When I stopped in to pick it up, though I LOVED the vibrancy of it, it needed to be a little bit deeper. As I was explaining what I wanted to the guys they were doing what can only be described as color math. And let me tell you, they are GENIUSES at color math. They magically deepened it without losing the vibrancy that I was so in love with. THAT is why I shop there, those guys are freaking experts. I was also feeling a little concerned about painting in Sierra’s house because she is currently with child. Instead of using my fave Super Paint, I used their new line called Emerald (fitting right?!) Emerald is THE BEST technology paint has to offer. It is a Zero VOC formula (even after the colorants are added) which basically means that the airborne toxins that can be found in paint are gone. Hooray for Sierra’s fetus! The washability is FANTASTIC and it has a lifetime warranty. Totally worth it.
Working on this project I immediately came up with a few ideas for the mantle (a few of which I tried and then changed my mind about, but that is another post for next week.) After working though the ideas I realized that what I was missing out on was a main element that was wood. Everything was just feeling so painted.
I love that this room has all of my favorite things. Color, brass, wood, faux bois, a quirky animal, a hand drawn element, old books, and killer art.
Isn’t it so exciting?!
The mantle is totally updated, the green is so vibrant, and all of the thrift store elements make my heart sing!!
The mirror above the bed is from Target (I am dying over their new Threshold collection, its SO good) All of the decorative books and junk are from my local thrift store. The faux bois pillow and lamp are from Homegoods (naturally). The mustardy chartreuse pillows are simple envelope pillows with fabric from Joann’s.
The vintage inspired plumes print ties all of the colors from the room together in one pretty package. Instead of putting it in a frame, I hung it poster style with command strips. I found it at a local store called Urban Renewal for $9.00.
I love that the headboard is so happily highlighted in this room with the green wall and accent colors.
Doesn’t every room need a coral Pomeranian?
Not too shabby for a couple days of work eh?
What is your favorite element?
ps. The tutorial for the headboard is coming on Monday, so stay tuned!!
Fabulous job, Mandi! I am loving the arrows on the headboard & the emerald is delish! xo bridgett
So glad you made it into a headboard, thats what I saw when I looked at it too! That green is amazing! So bright!
im addicted to arrows….love it
This looks great Mandi! I love the mantel as a headboard!
As an owner of Poms, that’s the part of the room that made me squee. This design is gorgeous though. Great job and the history behind that mantle just makes the piece.
That whole look is amazing! Chic and on trend without being overwrought. love everything!
Seriously? SERIOUSLY?? This is amazing and I need to do this right now. 😉 Thank you for being a constant inspiration!
Love the mantle as the headboard, what a special piece incorporated into her home. Wouldn’t it be cool to find a book/articles with information on the house and maybe her grandpa’s birth certificate framed for the room?? What a special find and a great job on the room. Oh and I just painted a room in Behr’s Barnyard Grass so I’m LOVING the green!!!
Simply amazing…I’m dying over the fabulous colors. So that feather print is one of a kind…no link to order it, right? And, did you spray paint the pomeranian (I’m sure you did!). Color please?
Love the guts right out of that headboard, my dear.
Love the whole stinkin thing!
I can’t decide what is my favorite. You amaze me with your talent for putting a room together. Love it all.
I love seeing old mantels as headboards and I LOVE the idea of framing her grandfather’s birth certificate.
well i will tell you what, when i saw that first picture of the first coat of GREEN paint…..i was a little worried. ha! but, as always, you pulled through and the room looks super de-duper awesome. what a great idea for that mantel. good work!
Holy oh my effing gee! I am in love with this! It is perfection! I love those arrows and that dog is cracking me up! It is awesome!
So, so fun! The pillows on the bed (not the decorative ones) look so fluffy for sleeping! How do those pillow covers fit so well?!
Love that green!! I’m having a love affair with the color too…I just used it for my back door…or a wide stripe of it anyway. I realized I was missing way too many of your projects, and it’s bc you somehow weren’t on my blogroll?1 (I use it as my reader) That error has been remedied. 😉 Loved being included in Laura’s round up wit you!! xoxo
Love it, love it. This year’s green seems a little daunting, but you used it so, so well. And I adore the feathers! Such beautiful colors to add to the mix.
gorgeous! can’t get over how fun that print is!
gorgeous!! i faves are the arrows and faux bois pillow. plumes and doggie are super cute too.
I enjoy the Pom as an alternative to a foo dog, when you can’t find one or think they’re a little creepy, etc.
I love the yellow pillows, they really stand out.
love how this turned out! that green is intense and would normally make me a little nervous… but i LOVE how it turned out! fab work as always!
— jackiejade.blogspot.com
I am loving that wall color! What do you think it would look like on textured walls. My bedroom has orange peel walls, but I love this color. What sheen would you recommend?
Holy impact! I love this.
You always amaze me with what you come up with! It’s all so unique and so fresh, yet so Mandi! Someday I’m going to get you up here to help me with a room. 😉
Love it. That white mantle against the green is just the best.
Who would have thought that a MANTLE would be such a perfect headboard?!? I am SO in love with what you came up with here. And that shade of green? PERFECTION! Way to go Mandi!
The room POPS!! I love the faux bois pillow 🙂
Just found the color I want to paint my half bath. Thank you for the inspiration! By the way, what kind of inspiration can you give for a bathroom? I’m just find it difficult to make it awesome. 🙂
My favorite is ALL OF IT! Great job!
Love! U are always delivering the EXTRAORDINARY!! Green, yellow, annnd coral=delicious! I truly want to move in that room.. It made me happy just by reading the post!
I love every inch of this. So completely creative. The color palette is so different, but I love it. Great job Mandi!
Typical Mandilicious!! Let’s see, favorite part?? Emerald too overpowering for a whole room but great accent wall for fabulous mantle. Decorations are the icing on the cake. If you ever need a blank slate in need of work, boy have I got a place for you, LOL (well not really LOL)
Janet
Headboard, hands down. Followed by the feather print! You rock.
You are so talented! Love, love this project! I wish I could have a fireplace near by! Any ideas for people who live in warmer weather?
The room looks fabulous. Great color, great mantel, great pink dog!
I need a coral pomeranian…. or maybe a coral Boston Terrier in memory of mine that was dognapped last month! If you see one, holla! (; ps: The room looks FAB and I am lovin’ the headboard! xo
The green is so absolutely gorgeous! Love it!!!!
So, is this color in the computer at Sherwin Williams? 🙂
I love the room. I don’t know that I could be so daring as to paint my walls Emerald though! I too am in love with Target’s new Threshold collection! I have walked by that mirror several times and kept wishing I had somewhere to place it in my house. Love it. Fantastic job on the makeover.
A friend passed this along to me because I’m on an emerald kick and I couldn’t possibly love this any more! Amazing!
I love this! I am racking my brain for somewhere in my house to use this color!!
SO gorgeous! That color is my ideal (no surprise I put it in my logo) green, love it as an accent wall. And those pillows! I just want to dive into that bed. 🙂
I like the mantle headboard, but think the addition of the wood with arrow drawings is pretty tacky-looking. Sorry. Love the green, though!
Can I just say I adore your blog! SO amazing! Like seriously. AND I think you’re absolutely gorgeous. 🙂
What/how did you mount the headboard?
I’m subscribing to your blog, because of the green wall. LOVELOVELOVE that color!!!
janeintexas
That green is my absolute favorite color! I even got my new KitchenAid mixer in that green 🙂 Beautiful room!
I assume the arrows are the hand-drawn element? Do you know how one could recreate that on a headboad? I want arrows on my head board and foot board. So awesome!!
Hate it!!! And green is one of my favorite colors.