Burlap & 2x4's

I have a very boring hallway and I finally decided it was time to do something about it.  I figured I had enough "junk" laying around that I could put something together that would make it a bit more appealing, so this is what I came up with...

I needed a table of some kind that would fit in the tiny space, but everything I had was either too wide length-wise or width-wise, so I went out into the shop to see what type of wood I could use to make a tabletop.   I new I wanted something "heavy" looking so I used 2 x 4's.  I cut three pieces 32" long, glued and screwed them together by attaching 1 x 2 underneath.   I gave it good sanding with 100-girt and then 220-grit sandpaper.  I applied a dark walnut stain, but it wasn't quite dark enough, so I sprayed some oil rubbed bronze (by Krylon) paint onto a damp cloth and rubbed it into the surface.  (this was a bit of an experiment, but it worked!)

Once dry, I need to attach the tabletop to the wall. I found two metal shelf brackets out in the shop and even though they were ugly, I knew you weren't going to see them once I was finished.

After attaching everything to the wall, I took some measurements and made a burlap skirt.  So far, so good.  (except for the pictures I've taken!)

I wanted to hang a mirror, but I didn't have anything large enough for the wall space so I decided to refinish this window.

The "pink" just wasn't going to work with my color scheme so I gave the frame a quick sanding to loosen any chipping paint and then stained the bare wood areas with a dark walnut stain.  I painted the "pink" areas with a dark brown paint and I wasn't going for "perfection".

Once it completely dried, I rubbed random areas with vaseline and then applied a topcoat in a creamy white.  Again, let it dry completely.  Next, I rubbed off the areas covered in vaseline to reveal the basecoat.

I then applied a tinted wax to give the window frame more of an "aged" feel.  I make my own tinted wax with Johnson's Floor Paste Wax and Winsor & Newton Oil paint in burnt umber (this comes in a 37ml tube available at art or stationary stores).  My recipe varies depending on how dark I want the wax so you might want to experiment with this on your own, however, I usually use about 1/2 cup wax to 1-2 tsp. oil paint.  Mix it in a container and apply with a rag.  Let dry and then buff off.

I added a few accessories and now the end of the hallway isn't so boring.

Now I need to get to work on the rest of the hallway!  Thank you for stopping by...hope you'll come back for another visit!

Lesa