Friday, September 20, 2013

Tri-fold Triumph


My tri-fold doors have been FINALLY transformed.

These babies were giving me fits for the past several months.
I've been having a love-hate relationship with them.
Lately, it's been a more hate than love-fest over here.

I didn't know what I wanted to do with them.
Repaint them?
Move them to a different room?
Store them?
Sell them?
They seemed to be sucking the air out of this small room for some reason.
Having a small living room with limited space is very challenging,
which is typical in old farmhouses.
All of a sudden these 8 foot monsters seemed to be looming over me
and taking up precious space in here.

But I thought I'd give them one more chance in this shabby old house.


Remember how what they looked like when I brought these home from the antique market
a few years ago?

Very French cottage.

door.2.jpg (1200×1600)


Needless to say, the fabric panels were immediately tossed.
The doors were then painted a clean, creamy white
and I stapled chicken wire onto the back.




Much better. 

Until I got tired of looking at the chicken wire.

So I draped a vintage throw over it hoping to cover a bit of it up.

That worked....for a while.




Until I got tired of that, too.
So I draped more fabric over them.




Then I got REALLY sick of them.
I was ready to pitch them out the front door.


Well, after purchasing some vintage-looking wallpaper ~
(intending to paper a wall somewhere in this old farmhouse),
and after seeing that roll of wallpaper taunt me from the basket it was plunked in for months on end,
I decided to call its bluff and try something that had been rolling around in my head.

I asked my husband to cut three pieces of wood from our stash in the barn,
and I wallpapered them.
I happily wish-washed those wallpaper pieces in water and stroked them onto the wood.
I was doing the happy dance.

A day later.....they peeled off like a wet band-aid.
I stopped dancing and started frowning.

Agh.

After a couple of days of frustrated frowns, I had an "aha" moment.
I pulled out my Mod Podge and glued the wallpaper back onto the wood.

Another day later.....it was good to go.

I started dancing again.

Leaping on top of the little planked table like the gymnast I am not,
 wielding my little hammer and a couple of brads,
I tapped those wood panels into place.
After securing them with the brads,
I gracefully pirouetted from the table,
stood back....

and sighed.







I finally loved them again.




They finally felt like they were part of the room instead of overtaking the room.







Why I didn't think of this before....I have no clue.




Before.................................and.................................After


door.2.jpg (1200×1600)





But then.....

THEN!

I had ANOTHER magical "aha" moment.
(It's really nice when those moments outnumber the senior ones.)

I had been wondering which wall in this old house was going to be graced with these beautiful vintage rose prints.



Yep.
You know where I'm going with this, don't you?
:)
I knew the perfect place.




LOVE!





It almost gives the room the cozy, creative feel of an art studio.




Or maybe resembles a vintage tapestry if you squint your eyes and use a little imagination.




Once again,
layering is the secret.
It adds color, depth, and interest to that bland little corner.



And of course, a shabby chic girl can never have too many roses in the house.


I'm still sighing...
and dancing.




There's a definite love-fest going on here at Heaven's Walk now.





~  Blessings  ~





Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.





47 comments:

  1. Oooooh....how pretty! I absolutely LOVE that screen, sis. What a great idea. Pinning the rose prints on was brilliant!
    It all looks so different from how it was originally. Of course, your whole house is different now!
    Enjoy.
    xo

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  2. Oooooh....how pretty! I absolutely LOVE that screen, sis. What a great idea. Pinning the rose prints on was brilliant!
    It all looks so different from how it was originally. Of course, your whole house is different now!
    Enjoy.
    xo

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  3. WoW! a never ending transformation. Really looks different in every style.

    Happy w/end.
    /CC girl

    P.S.
    If ever you visit my blog, my post for Blue Friday was dated on the 14th Sept. TY in advance.

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  4. How charming and romantic looking, just beautiful.

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  5. Hi dear!!!Its amazing change-looooooove!!Your doors is now beautiful!!!I recently decided to make some such-will again work together me and my husband,also there want to give any such wallpaper,just have more projects-so we gradually!
    Have a nice day and lots of other amazing ideas like this ♥
    Kisses!!!!!
    xoxo

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  6. Oh yes... After you made me squint my eyes :-) They are beautiful. But then I luved the chicken wire era as well . The addition of the prints really gave it a more romantic look.

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  7. I liked it just fine with the pretty wallpaper, but then when you added the botanical prints, wowza! I especially love the pretty photos with the purple flowers!

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  8. Oh my gosh Laurie... those look stunning!... I fell in love with them after the vintage wallpaper... but those rose prints... sigh... absolutely beautiful!... you are such a decorating genius... and the purple flowers look so gorgeous there... definitely a love fest... xoxo Julie Marie

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  9. I was going to say that could have left the chicken wire up and display all your beautiful dreamcatchers on it, but I do like what you finally did to it. It does look so much prettier.

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  10. Very nicely done! I really liked them with the chicken wire and then I liked them with the flower print from the wallpaper as a background for your artwork and dream catchers. It does look prettier and more finished with the rose prints.

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  11. Oh, I think you got it just right. I like the artsy look.

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  12. Love it. Hope you don't get tired of this one too soon. I like the original version, too. Maybe you could find some vintage rose fabric for the next time you transform this one. Or do with old book pages...Have fun playing around and I hope you have a good weekend there.

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  13. It looks gorgeous Laurie - very Heaven's Walk ( ish ) !!!
    But I've loved them every single way - even the original one too!
    The beauty of this is you can change them whenever you tire of them -
    PLEASE do not ever toss them out the door lol
    XOXO

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  14. I loved them the moment I set my eyes on them but, then they just kept getting better and better.
    Of course for me I would have stopped at the first picture minus the embellishments on the bottom panels.
    Also loving the chicken wire looks simple clean lines and yummy galvanized wire look to it, yet for your style the covered panels with the layers of fabric major R/A design look and so fits your romantic style, but that last one propped with that farmhouse white table is so the look you are heading towards and really is all about the layered romantic feel your home exudes.
    What a piece to love and so many changes show it's a piece to hold onto, you never know what's next in store for it.
    Perhaps it could end up in a corner behind a Christmas tree with all the romance of the holiday tree styled to match.


    Keep inspiring us with you romance.
    Xoxo
    Dore

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  15. I love your decorating AHA moments! Lovely!

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  16. Woohoo !!! I must agree they look fantabulous now and I sooo love those Rose Prints Gorgeous :) Thx for sharing Always a Treat, Kim xoxo

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  17. Looks so pretty--I love it! Glad you are once again doing the happy dance--I would be too!

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  18. Love the addition of the rose prints, Laurie. Perfection. xo Laura

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  19. Oh my goodness, this screen is amazing. I can't believe how many different ways you dreamed up to reinvent it. Love them all. Gorgeous. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  20. Ohhhhh gorgeousness!!! The wallpaper was a wonderful idea! Love your rose prints too, they look perfect in their new home:)

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  21. I actually loved all the versions, but you're right, the last one is the best. Your lavender roses and purple flowers are glorious too!

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  22. This is just beautiful. Love the last one.

    Hugs

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  23. You are absolutely correct, Laurie, my dear ... a girl can NEVER have too many roses ... whether inside the house or outside in the garden. Your vintage prints are totally to die for!!!

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  24. Perfect solution Laurie...a work of art!
    xx
    Anne

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  25. Well, aren't you a smarty?! I think you came up with a great solution, Laurie. The addition of the prints was the perfect finishing touch. What a pretty little corner. xo

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  26. stunning finished product ~! love them.

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  27. Beautiful wallpaper....love the look of the doors with it.

    Judith

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  28. Oh Laurie!! I LOVE how you have transformed those doors. I loved it just with the wallpaper panels but when you add those pictures too...well. "Swoon". Lol. It's perfect for your room.

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  29. Oh darling...... You definately have the creative juices flowing !!!!!! This was BRILLIANT !!!!! This is so perfectly romantic and original !!!
    Sending all my love, hope, and prayers to you sis.

    XOXO~ Steph

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  30. Very lovely!! Your tri-fold doors looks fabulous!!!
    Blessings,
    Vesna

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  31. VERY easy to relate to...AND you gave me my first (much needed) chuckle of the day!! Thanks.

    Gloria in Virginia

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  32. Laurie! You never know when inspiration will come! Love the new look, it's brilliant and oh so shabby chic! Glad you didn't get rid of the doors because they add so much visual interest to that corner of the room. Love the prints and the wallpaper!

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  33. All i can say is, pretty, pretty, pretty....! and you made me laugh. I can so relate to something bugging the tar out of me like that...

    Cindy

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  34. awww i love love !!!!! The Doors are just beautiful there!!!! and that big Pretty Pillow!!!!

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  35. oh love the prints like that! and I'm seeing those lavender candles in some pictures and love them, where do you get them? But my favorite is the flower arrangement, its magical!

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  36. Beautiful. I liked them all. I just love the folding door setting. Thanks for sharing with us at our Thursdays Favorite Things Blog Hop.
    Angel

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  37. Laurie, I love the new look for the tri-doors. It does give the room an art studio feel. Very charming!

    Hugs,
    Jody

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  38. Of course I LOVE it Laurie!! Simply perfect.
    Hugs ~ Kerryanne xx

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  39. This post had me gasping over and over. I loved each and every transformation. It just kept going and going and I was loving it all. Your final version is oh so charming and beautiful.

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  40. Love how versatile you have made this piece. Both the wall paper and the rose prints are have me drooling. As always your photos are like pages from a magazine. Visiting from Lavender Garden Cottage. Have a Blessed Week!

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  41. Dance on girl! You hit the jackpot with this! I had tri fold doors like that years ago and finally got rid of them. Oh how they would look cute in my living room. I love the print of the wall paper and the vintage prints are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  42. Oh, Laurie - perseverance paid off - this is such a marvelous solution - love the vintage look! I will be featuring your post in this week's Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  43. Love your room divider, before, middle and after. Your house is so beautiful, always!

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  44. Oh yes yes yes... I just heard that choir of angels again when I saw all the roses! You have completely outdone yourself this time. Ahh-mazing!!! xoxo

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  45. Your so Cute! They look great with or without the floral prints but ya what took you so long LOl Very Shabby Prairie now and suits your style so much better.That is my favorite wallpaper as well :)

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  46. the screen is just lovely, all by itself, laurie, but, what caught my eye today was the prints on the screen. i LOVE that look!

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