Thursday 16 June 2011

A luggage rack and a painting of home.

Watch out, I've been let loose with a can of silver spray!

When we renovated our bathrooms they removed one of these cute little hat/luggage racks.
(They remind me of what used to be on old fashioned trains.)
It was quite handy to hold spare towels, but I didn't think that it quite fitted the new bathroom, so it was put in the garage until I decided what to do with it....and there it stayed...for quite a while.

When I get a bit bored one of the things I love to do is to swap furniture around.
 So there is a corner in our hallway that is constantly changing... sound familiar to anyone?

One day whilst rummaging around for something in the garage I stumbled upon this old luggage rack and decided to give it a clean to see if I could re-use it and hang it in the hallway.
 I soaked, scrubbed, then soaked and scrubbed some more, but it still looked awful.
Someone told me to try cola, so I even let it sit in cola for a few days, but the cola just turned mouldy!
Then I spotted a chrome/silver coloured one in a magazine for $$$ and I thought -
"I can do that, I'll give up trying to clean it and just turn it silver!"

So off to the hardware shop where I parted with less than $20 and away I went with the spray.

It was easy. I took it apart, cleaned it, put the small parts in a cardboard box and  gave it two coats of spray.
The larger parts I just placed on some newspaper outside.
(Note to self, take into account the breeze - I now have a bit of a silver tint to a few red bricks...)
It's not pristine, -  it had some worn and rusty spots that I couldn't remove,
but that's ok, it gives it some character!


Not one to come between a man and his tools I requested some help from Neil in putting the thing up. I spent ages with the tape measure and the spirit level and marked off where I wanted the top of the rack...

Unfortunately 'the top of the rack' and 'the top of the fixings' got a little confused!


Consequently, it's been placed just a touch too high...oh well, life isn't perfect...
So a quick remedy to close the gap was found in the shape of a small frame of pressed flowers that Sibs gave me for Christmas a few years ago and a hanging clay heart.
I'm now on the lookout for something else to spray...


Ok Welsh friends - anyone recognise the location in the painting above?

Oh, the memories...
This was a gift from my mum when we moved to Australia,
and is possibly the only thing in the hallway that doesn't move.
It's a glimpse of 'home' every time I open my front door.

9 Comments and thoughts:

  1. Hi Beth..I've just found your blog and love it's friendliness so am just going to become your newest follower so I can keep coming back! Please feel welcome to visit me too..anytime.

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  2. nice luggage rack and lovely job. Not posted this week, been a busy one as the end of term is drawing near. The picture is beautiful, Swansea bay?
    xx Sian

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  3. Close Sian, keep going down Oystermouth Road a bit further!
    x

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  4. Y Mwmwbwls! Wedi cerdded y llwybr sawl tro gyda hufen ia o Joe's i nghynnal i. Hoffi'r silff parselon hefyd, hyfryd iawn.

    Gobeithio dy fod ti'n iawn. Hoff iawn o ddarllen y rhain
    Bethan x

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  5. Nice job! Hope you enjoyed your coffee? Love Linda x

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  6. Hi Beth, I like your blog and the rack looks fantastic. I threw one out last year as I didn't like the brass look - I wish I kept.

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  7. I just love what you have done with the rack Beth.

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  8. Girl after my own heart, only almost everything i find or spray here is black!! The old cattle feeders are next when we can find a way to attatch them to the wall!, Very heavy and by time i put plants in even heavier, Love the painting but not familiar with its whereabouts. xXx Wenders

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  9. Great job on the luggage rack Beth. Love your entry foyer also! ;)Sharyne

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