Friday 22 January 2016

Simply Neutrals #15 Sea Urchins and a Bed Make-over


 It's time for Simply Neutrals Tuesday - except it's Friday here. I'm on school holiday time!

I thought I'd share with you my bed makeover. It was a pine country style, and we couldn't afford a new bed, so I decided to paint it...


bed make-over by Jesse Rowan


Here's the bed as it was before...



The first coat was flat white, then I distressed it by rubbing it in parts with sandpaper. Then I wiped it over with Porters Black Antique Wax, which was later polished off, leaving a satiny creamy finish. The roses were plaster casts bought on eBay.

Bed make-over by Jesse Rowan

Bed Make-over by Jesse Rowan

Bed Make-over by Jesse Rowan

Bed Make-over by Jesse Rowan


It really changed the whole feel of the room to light and airy, and the bed doesn't seem so solid and heavy-looking in the lighter colour.


This week has been hot here on the South Coast of NSW. Today was 33 degrees Celcius, and I took my children (11 and 13) for a swim and snorkel at one of our favourite local beaches. The tide was out and the waves and rip was gentle, so we ventured out to our favourite wonderland which we call "The Valley of a Thousand Sea Urchins". The children have not seen it often as the conditions need to be safe. They were amazed and didn't want to return to shore after an hour in the colder water. My back was sunburnt! 

I wish we had an underwater camera! I have borrowed a couple of images to show you.

The left photo comes from a local blog:
https://morselsandscraps.wordpress.com/tag/seaweed/
It is like one we held, but ours had a fuzzy layer that waved under the water. It felt strange, and attached to my thumbnail gently. We put it back safely. 

The right photo comes from:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/8224831/Sea-urchin-could-lead-to-knives-that-never-need-sharpening.html
This is what the scene looked like, but our sea urchins were black. 

Interestingly, they have self-honing teeth that can cut through rock! They are considered a delicacy and are expensive to buy. I've not tasted them.


Sea Urchins


These are some dried sea urchin shells I have found on beaches locally:


Sea urchins by Jesse Rowan


To finish, an inspirational quote in a lovely simple frame...


Eckhart Tolle quote


Thanks Wen for hosting the Simply Neutrals Tuesday. You can join in the fun at Wen's blog AppleApricot




By the way, I have just managed to add Google Friend Connect to my blog if you would like to follow me that way.


Have a creative week!

Jesse










11 comments:

  1. Jesse, your "new" bedroom looks so beautiful in the white tones, filled with air and light , I love how you painted the bed, and the other wooden pieces in there. We just painted our walls in the bedroom white, and the cabinets light grey :-)
    Your tour with the kids must have been amazing, to see the sea urchins, what a wonder water land !!
    And the qoute, is so important for us all to try to remember, I believe. Thank you dear .
    Dorthe ,hugs.

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  2. Hello Dorthe, thanks for your warm comments. I am loving neutrals more and more, but I do love colours, too. My 9 year old daughter is helping me paint her desk and shelves in bright ocean colours -blue and aqua -and it is so uplifting :) I do appreciate your visits! Hugs to you,
    Jesse

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  3. Your bedroom makeover came out beautifully, dear Jesse. Love your photo " gifts of the sea".
    So gorgeous. Have a lovely weekend.
    Hugs,
    Marie

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    1. Hi Marie,
      I appreciate your visit. Thanks :)
      Jesse

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  4. love your bedroom, the sea urchins and your quote! it's the dead of winter here. br....

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  5. Hi Jesse. Your bedroom turned out beautifully. I really enjoy reworking furniture...it is so rewarding and is all the rage here. And those urchins are something to see. We are looking at snowflakes in these parts. I think I prefer urchins! Hugs, Sue

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    1. Hi Sue,

      I like rescuing old furniture and giving it a new life. I would have preferred a change of style of bed to antique metal - but repainting didn't cost as much:)
      Your snow storms sound huge, I can't imagine it! Stay safe,
      Jesse

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  6. Such a great post Jesse!! Thank you for sharing~ I love your courage to paint that wood! Look @ the beautiful results; it was so worth it! : ) And You sound like a great mom! What a wonderful 'field trip' to see the ocean sea urchins; I can see why they wouldn't want to leave~ Too cool! Appreciate your quote too~ Have a great day! Karen O

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    1. Hi Karen, Your so kind. Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a great week,
      Jesse

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  7. Oh my, I'm in awe of the beautiful make over your gave your room!! I love the light soft tones and the beautiful plaster work you added! Job well done sweetie!! And love love those sea urchins as well, both alive and dried. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, hugs xx

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    1. Hi Wen,
      Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. You are a wonderful host, and we appreciate the effort you put into it :)
      Hugs,
      Jesse

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Thank you so much for your friendly comments. It makes my day to hear from you about my artworks and topics.