Antique paddles and oars have always been a favourite of mine. I have seen them used many times in homes, cottages and camps, both in real life and in magazine photos. In Aberfoyle, Ontario there is a weekly outdoor antique market from spring to fall. I took a trip at the end of summer in search of some painted or well worn paddles. No such luck. So, the next best thing to do on a budget, use a canoe paddle we already had. It was new with a shiny laquer that I sanded and primed. I used several layers and colours of paint. Then I took our trusty palm sander to it to distress it. I borrowed an idea that I have seen popping up in blogland to hand paint our anniversary date on the paddle for a little more interest. I was not very impressed with the way I laid out the date July (7) 25th ,when not one but two of my nieces asked why I had the Wal-Mart brand on the paddle. DUH, apparantly Wal-Mart advertises a clothing line with the 725 logo. Wish I had known that BEFORE I painted it.
It hangs in our family room over our what was I thinking/yes I actually chose and paid more for this upholstery sofa. That's a whole other story. I dream of white slipcovers, but since I can't seem to keep my boys from eating in here that would be a nightmare. I have made white denim slipcovers for chairs in our living room and although they are easy to wash, I really don't want to have to wash my couch cover every week. The photo colours are not great, but my walls were just painted Benjamin Moore Stone House. Can I tell you how much I LOVE Stone House? Too bad for the horrible camera quality. I'm dreamin' of a new Nikon or Canon. I wrapped some rope around the handle to add texture and to make the paddle easier to hang. I made the two striped pillows and picked up the two black feather pillows at HomeSense on clearance for $10 each. I added some black and white family photos.
The bit of black coffee table in the foreground of the picture is the one I painted for the Inspired Room's Procrastinator's Party. The after photos coming soon. Our family room is long and narrow. When I finish the curtains I will show the office end. Too much work still needed on the fireplace/tv wall to show that yet. So what do you think? I'm linking up to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out more great DIY posts at Kimba's. I love comments and appreciate any advice you may have.
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→DISTRESSED CANOE PADDLE IN OUR FAMILY ROOM
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→http://learningwithimpact.blogspot.com/2009/10/distressed-canoe-paddle-in-our-family.html
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