I'm a naturally curious person constantly looking for answers. Just today for example, I wondered how long I'd been walking around in public with a chicken feather hanging off my ass. A big feather. Long. Probably a tail feather in fact.
Sometimes I have to relent that some of these life questions have to go unanswered.
But others do not. What to do with my fireplace in the summer is one of those questions I have figured out the answer to.
Painted logs.
This was an fireplace idea I implemented a few years ago. The inspiration came from Pinterest. My niece (the one who made herself sick doing Bikram Yoga and had to go home and drink all of her kids Pedialyte.) had recently become addicted to Pinterest and was constantly sending me things.
This fireplace idea was inspired by a Pin she sent me that showed a stack of logs beside a fireplace with the ends painted. Thank you Pinterest. (sorry can't attribute to where it came from ... it was one of those stupid pins that doesn't seem to lead anywhere)
When I originally published this post a few years ago Elle Decor used this image.
I took the idea one step further and displayed the painter's palette that I used to mix my colours on. It's on a picture stand on the mantle.
If you'd like to get even more creative, you can print images on wood like I show you in this tutorial on printing on wood.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
I just grabbed some old water based folk art paints I had in the basement and a cruddy Dollar Store brush.
I sat my feather covered ass down and got to work. An hour later it was done. Where did the hour go? Well ... 5 minutes can be attributed to mixing and painting the logs. The other 55 minutes involved staring at the wood deciding which pieces to paint which colour.
Looking back on this makes me sad for one MAJOR reason. A couple of years after this I finally succumbed to putting my television over my mantle because that was the most logical place for it. It's ugly. I hate it. But I also hate twisting my head in a circle in order to see the television. In the end practicality won over aesthetics.
It wood looked great, took no time at all and cost nothing. Where's that ass feather now you ask? Right in my cap.
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annie
Makes me miss my fireplace - just moved South this summer...
Jeannie B
Karen, you are so clever. I'm so glad to be able to read your posts in the morning. Thanks for coming back.
Linda Robbins
I showed this to my husband, and his response was "just what, exactly, does this woman DO all day?" Men.
Karen
Tell him I figured out a way to make money by sitting at home and painting logs. ;) ~ karen
Linda Robbins
And better yet, in a roundabout way, some of that money may have been earned by him. Tee hee.
Bonnie
I love your constraint. I would have gone wild and painted every log a different color--every log. Then, it would have been too much. But, you--constraint. I have to learn that.
Sera
I love it! I agree, the palette ties it all together. I have one of those ugly glass screens in front of my fireplace. I'd take it down, but I also have wind whistling through the bricks of the chimney. Ah, homeownership.
Oona
Love it. Super simple idea with a big impact. Those are my favorite projects.
jò
beautiful project!
Melissa
Ooh, I like this. Want to do it with a small bundle!
Dagmar
Oh what a lovely idea, only now I'm super scared, after watching a story on GlobalTV online yesterday (Aug.13/13) about wood and the critters that it brings into the home. Apparently, the GTA has a *huge* problem with termites. And they are destroying our homes faster than we can save them. And letting those little critters into our homes with wood and soil and veggies and such is destroying any chances we have of saving them! Scary isn't it.
heidi
So beautiful! It reminds me of summer camp (we'd always paint wood). Makes me wish I'd had a fireplace. I'm pinning this one for my dream house ideas.
Glad you're back!
Laura Bee
Pretty! Sometimes I wish I didn't have a gas fireplace. Maybe a totally useless but beautiful stack of wood beside it?
I have the wood, we just had to take down a dead birch. As well as six mostly dead cedars along the back of our property. The backyard is a bit of a mess now but we have great plans. It's my big project!
Karen
Well I know all about big projects! They're the best things ever. When they're finally done. :) ~ karen
Donna Huebsch
Karen, you should have seen what was flitting through my mind when I first read the title of this post...I was thinking of entirely painted pieces of wood. Also, all the pieces were split, not nice and round, since that's the way all our wood is. My imaginary fireplace wasn't nearly as pretty as yours is :)
Scott
Hi Karen, so happy to have you back. It sounds like you are doing well and I'm glad to hear it. Love to you from all.
Angie
Karen,
Just wanted to say welcome back. I'm like one of your other followers mostly a lurker. But I love reading you posts because mostly they make me laugh.
I'm glad your back. Wishing you the best as you embark on this journey in your life.
Holly
Karen, I LOVE this! I've not seen it on Pinterest but I'm pinning your pic, it's probably better than the original anyway. I hate pins that lead to nowhere.
Cindy
Glad to see you back!
I thought the first photo was the inspiration photo, followed by yours. I thought, "wow, hers looks just like it!" Duh . . .
Cindy
That is funny cindy.. i thought the same thing! maybe it is in our name!!
Great post karen... You make me laugh and inspire me too! Just found your blog when I saw the feature in style at home mag. Now I am hooked!
Elizabeth W.
Very nice, Karen! Summer does makes you itch to get anything wintry gone. Here in the Southeastern U.S. we've had a total of about 3 and 1/2 days of sunshine since June 1. I'm ready to paint a big yellow sunshine on several walls. My dogs don't even want to go outside because the grass is always wet and the ground muddy.
Some of those logs look like they need faces. Like the aforementioned devil log on top. Or, maybe it just needs to become a sculpture. With the chicken feather.
It is so good to have you back and writing, I laughed really, really loud at yesterdays' post and the comments that followed. This is such a wickedly fun site, and I appreciate you!
(Also, I added my last initial since we have other Elizabeths that post comments)
Karen
Thanks Elizabeth W. :) ~ karen
Pate
Cute, did you have to spray the logs with anything to keep the little critters out of your LR?
I'm particularly worried about the little horny log up on top, it's a hoot. Doesn't that one want a little red paint?
I'm going to do it in my wood pile so it looks like polka dots, thanks for the idea.
I saw a card a few weeks ago and I would have mailed it to you had I known your address, it was something to the effect,
We all stumble and fall down. It's getting up again that
Is living .
You are an amazing woman and I know that wonderful things are in store for you. Listen to Peter Pan and think wonderful and good thoughts.
Xxxxxxxxx
Pate
mia pratt
Beautiful! I shall do this! Oddly, it reminded me nostalgically of those oval colored pastel buttermints my mother used to sit out on the coffee table just in case company came, along with a crystal dish of cigarettes and a giant crystal decorator cigarette lighter. I'm a fan of plants in the fireplace, I believe I might just go hog-wild and do the painted logs AND THEN a plant, too. Gawd, it's all just too much fun, isn't it?
Ann
Cute. But I would not suggest that anyone ever burn the wood that they have painted. I wouldn't trust even a water based paint to not have fumes.
Have you ever seen the pics of people who artistically stack their firewood?
http://gowood.blogspot.com/2012/12/real-firewood-stacking.html
I am just wondering where people get their energy. Most days I am lucky to just put enough wood on the fire to stay warm!
Donna Huebsch
Whoa, those pix are incredible! I'm wondering how the first lady gets a piece of wood out of the stack without the whole thing falling on her!
kate-v
great!!! now that we've had the artistic painting of logs - to match palette on the mantle, I'm just waiting the artistic stacking of the wood - maybe a giant woodpile chicken - or a stalk of brussels sprouts - since that is the only way brussels sprouts would appear in the yard.
-- it is good to have you back --