DIY stacked stone fireplace (where there was none!)

Well hello! I have a BIG reveal for you today! I worked so hard on this basement fireplace and I'm so so SO thrilled it's done. I'm excited to share it with you today! I took a ridiculous amount of photos so bear with me. :) 

I'll show you where we started first! We have this little bump out in our basement and from day one we knew what we wanted to do with it. When we finished the basement years ago we went ahead and bought an electric fireplace for that spot. It sat on a bench for four years. 😁

A few months ago we decided to have the fireplace built in since the whole space was torn up for the new floors anyway: 

Then I was craving a little more traditional look so we had the hearth added along with a mantel: 

Then it was time for me to do the rest! I knew I needed to stain the mantel and hearth before I tiled -- it would have gotten all over the tile otherwise. I sanded both down and then cleaned them really well. A wet paper towel does fine: 

I ALWAYS use a preconditioner for staining projects because it gives you an even finish when you stain: 

It takes just a quick swipe (I use foam brushes) and then you can stain immediately! 

I did two coats of Minwax dark walnut stain -- one of my favorites! I wanted to match the top of the wall of cubbies we have in the room: 

I know I say it a lot but staining is one of my favorite DIY projects. It's instant gratification! I always love seeing the details of the wood coming through. I like to remind you to make sure you have plenty of time to tackle your staining project -- you'll want to finish it all up at once and keep a "wet edge" while working. Otherwise you may see where you stopped and started. 

I usually let my stain dry for about five minutes but you can wait longer for a deeper stain. After that I wipe it down with a clean, lint-free cloth. Wearing latex gloves helps to keep the stain off of your hands! 

Here's the stain I used: 

Dark walnut is a deep brown that doesn't have any red tones -- I love it! It will vary a bit depending on the wood you use, but I always love how it looks. 

After the stain has dried, it's time to add the polyurethane on top to protect it and give it a beautiful sheen. Because I was working with vertical surfaces I used the Minwax wipe on poly: 

I applied it with a clean cloth and it goes on really easily: 

This stuff is perfect for spaces like this one where the poly would drip if you used a brush. I sanded down with a scrap paper bag piece in between coats: 

I shared more about that process here -- it's my new favorite way to knock down small bumps in between poly and after! Who would've thought brown paper bags worked so well? :) 

After it all dried I started the tiling process and I shared how to tile using stacked stone here. The large pieces were pretty easy, it was the smaller sections that I had to cut just right that took the most time. By the time I was done I may have cried tears of joy, ha! Seriously, I was ready to be done. 

But it's beautiful and exactly what we envisioned for this room for years!! We are obsessed with it! I added some Christmas touches to it of course: 

I took a ton of pictures in different light so you'll see a mix here today. I also ended up taking down the stockings and kind of like it with them down so you can really see the stone!: 

I'm head over heels for the dark wood combo with the stone -- it's exactly what I wanted! It's rustic but still feels modern: 

I had so much fun decorating this spot! It has completely transformed the basement -- literally it looks like a brand new space. When we finished the basement years ago and did our lighting, we made sure to add lights over this spot, knowing we were planning to do the fireplace wall. 

But this time of year I think I like it better with the lights off: 

The last thing I need to do here is put a dimmer on those lights -- we have them throughout the rest of the basement and I want that softer light here too: 

I'm just going to keep putting up pictures and saying things cause I worked my butt off on this project. 😂

The frames used to sit on the cubby built ins and I think they'll stay up here. Love how homey this spot feels!

We always put our flocked tree down here and it's usually decorating with green and blue ornaments. I went much more natural and neutral this year with white, silver and bronze ornaments instead. I'm obsessed with those colors on this flocked tree:

The hearth isn't super deep but it's the perfect size for accessories. You can sit on it too, but it's not deep enough to sit back really far: 

Stuffed reindeer butts fit perfectly.

Here's another look at the before of this spot: 

And here's how it looks today!: 

Here's another shot from a couple months ago: 

And that same angle, just closer: 

I have to clean up all of the tools and Nerf bullets and then I'll get a full shot of the room! :) 

Whoohoo, I'm so thrilled to be done with this massive project! We've spent every evening down here with the fireplace on -- we're definitely enjoying this space! 

If you have any questions about this project, please let me know! I'm off to finish up our Christmas decor to share with you later this week. I'm seriously just going to sleep all day long on Friday when I'm done! :)

I work with Minwax to share how I use their products in our home and they sponsored this post. I only work with brands I know and love!

The inviting home of a Danish florist

One of the surprising things I learned about Sweden when I moved here is that Christmas decorations are officially taken down on 13th January. This unnerved me as I grew up in England where I was led to believe leaving them up past twelfth night / 6th January is unlucky (what tradition do you have in your country?). These days I go with the flow and although our Christmas tree has long since gone I've grown to love the twinkling fairy lights which brighten up our neighbourhood in the first half of January.  It helps that the festive touches are subtle and all about nature too. A fine example of this can be seen in the charming Danish home of florist Signe Nelleman Bruun. White walls and floors and old wood beams serve as a magnificent backdrop for lovely displays of spruce, pine cones, moss and bare branches while lanterns, cosy blankets and rugs both inside and out add a warm and inviting feel. Let's take a peek!

Credit: Niels & Iben Ahlberg - www.ahlberg.photo. Shared with kind permission.

Oh so lovely, don't you think?!

I especially love the back yard with it's roaring fire, cosy blanket and the scent of hyacinths, spruce and rosemary in the air.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look from Signe's beautiful home: this lantern is similar, light grey reindeer hide throw, beautiful sheepskin and rug by Private0204. This dark grey linen duvet cover and soft grey blanket are similar.

Have a lovely day!

PS There's a blizzard raging outside here in Southern Sweden - definitely a double coffee and chunky knit blanket kind of morning!

Christmas thrift store makeovers

Hey all! Hope you're week has been wonderful! I've been incredibly lazy and it's been amazing. :) I've got a few more errands to run and a ton of wrapping to do over the next few days so it's time to get productive again. 

I have some super quick thrift store makeovers I wanted to share with you that I got at an awesome new store (for my local readers). 

The lovely folks at Mission 27 Resale in Indianapolis contacted me a few months ago and asked me to come out to visit their new location downtown. Mission 27 is run by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which is an organization that serves the poor and disadvantaged. I LOVE their mission for this store in particular. The lovely folks that run this organization noticed that the food that was being given out at their food bank wasn't always the healthiest of options (because of the cost). The proceeds from this store go to buying healthy foods for the food bank, among other things. 

ALL of the items in the store are donated and it is HUGE. I have to tell you I've never seen nicer items in a thrift shop! I can't wait to go back when I have more time to shop around. 

I grabbed a few treasures that I made over with spray paint for the holidays! They had a bunch of these stocking holders -- I got rid of ours last year because they were falling apart: 

Some were in decent shape but some had areas where the finish was coming off: 

I just took some sandpaper to those areas and sanded until the finish was smooth and not flaking anymore. 

Then I sprayed with my old go-to spray paint, oil rubbed bronze: 

They turned out as good as new! You may have noticed them on the new fireplace in the basement: 

I ended up moving them upstairs to the family room fireplace: 

I also found this CUTE wood reindeer set: 

I loved their modern shape! I took the old bows off and sanded them down a bit -- they were pretty rough. Because of their rough wood I knew spray paint wouldn't cover well, so I grabbed my favorite red paint for Christmas: 

You can't go wrong with Santa Red! :) 

I did a couple coats -- still letting a bit of the wood grain come through: 

I added some bows just to see how they looked but I think I like them without better: 

I spent about $15 on the four stocking holders and the reindeer and the makeovers were easy! The deer are my favorite because they are so unique and fun. :) 

This isn't your regular thrift store...check out some of the photos I grabbed from my visit: 

If you live nearby I would give Mission 27 visit -- the location is massive and they have an incredible selection. (Their women's clothing is crazy good.) This location is near Midland Antiques, another favorite of mine, so you could make a day of it! :) 

I plan to be back before Christmas but not making any promises! Depends on how much wrapping I get done. ;) Hope you all have a wonderful and safe end to your week! 

Cosy winter solstice / Christmas inspiration

Today is one of my favourite days of the year - the winter solstice. Not only do I love the short days, in the warm glow candle light, it also means that from now on everyday will gets a teeny bit lighter! And Christmas is only a few days away. This year we're celebrating 'Jul' - at my parents-in-law on 23rd (usually it's celebrated on Christmas eve). It's always such a lovely day with a 'julbord', schnapps, singing and then a knock at the door from 'tomten' (father christmas) with lantern in hand and a sack over his shoulder with presents for all the children (cue lots of excitement!).  Afterwards we're heading to London to celebrate a traditional English Christmas with my parents. So exciting! What are your plans? How do you celebrate Christmas in your home (if you do)? Just in case you're after a few last minute decorating ideas, I've compiled a little inspiration - think cakes decorated with pine, blue candles, foraged wreaths an oh so cosy bedroom and of course, a snowy log cabin. Enjoy!

1. Son de flor 2. Photos : Jeroen van der Spek, Styling Cleo Scheulderman for VT Wonen. 3. Foraged wreath photographed by Sian Richards styling Sarah Nixon.  4. Hanna's Änglar 5. Malin Persson
6. This lovely cabin has been separated from the photographer, can anyone help?

Aaaaaaa, I really do love this time of year, how about you?

If you'd like to discover some of the DIY tutorials / stories behind these images it's well worth checking out the 'Christmas in Blues' feature in VT Wonen - seen here (who would have thought blue could be such a beautiful Christmas colour?) and as always Malin Persson has worked her Christmas magic with a wonderful candle wreath. So inspiring!

And finally, a question for you. Inspired by this snowy cabin, my family and I are looking for a little cottage or cabin to rent in Southern Sweden, Denmark or around Oslo in the first week of January - something cosy, with board games and a log fire. If you have any tips we'd be such happy campers!

Have a lovely day!