canvas floor cloth

I have found that it's really easy to get caught up in home decor trends. While I love to use popular styles and patterns in our home, I don't like spending the money on items that I might get tired of over time. One thing I have been wanting is a colorful geometric or Moroccan inspired rug to go beneath one side of our kitchen counter. I wanted something long and narrow but the options that I found were the wrong size or were way out of my price range. When I run into this type of challenge (as many of you know), I like to figure out a way to make my own!

I settled on the one thing that I have lots of experience with...canvas! And while I know that canvas floor clothes are nothing new, I wanted to share this project to pass along a little inspiration to those of you out there on a tight home decor budget!

I've found that when creating canvas floor clothes, it helps to have your canvas primed really well. You can use any kind of canvas. Raw canvas or even canvas drop clothes will work, you will just need to prime it with gesso or white paint. I typically work with raw canvas but for this project I actually used medium weight cotton canvas, acrylic primed. I have a roll of this canvas that I've had for years that I pull out for floor clothes or projects that require a a heavy or smooth surface.

TIP: A canvas drop cloth will work just fine for this project but the cheaper drop clothes have a very loose weave and can distort over time. I've found that a couple coats of white paint (I use house paint) or gesso will give you a nice smooth and heavy surface for painting.

Even though my canvas came primed, I gave it one more coat of white paint and then I got busy painting pattern with acrylic paint. Before I started my project, I collected all kinds of inspiration from different rugs, patterns and designs. I decided that I wanted my floor cloth to have a crazy "mash up" of patterns and lots of color.

I also decided that I didn't want things to be too perfect or fussy so I free handed most of my patterns and embraced my lines and shapes being a little wonky.

Most of my painting projects end up going pretty fast but this floor cloth took me forever! There was a lot of space to fill and a lot of layers which means lots of time spent waiting for paint to dry.

The last step was to seal everything. I've tried a lot of products when it comes to sealing canvas and my favorite thing to use is Minwax Satin Water-Based Polyurethane. While a canvas floor mat will go through wear and tear, sealing it with a couple coats of polyurethane will make it last longer!

When using a canvas floor cloth in on hardwood floors, it is important to make sure it doesn't slip. You can use a floor gripper or double sided carpet tape under the floor cloth to keep it from moving.

You can check out how I created our doodled dishwasher HERE and our painted counter tops HERE

painted deck project

Ok friends! I've been hard at work on a big painting project again! Our deck was in need of some serious attention. It wraps around half of our house and while the sides and front are in great shape, the back was really worn. We probably have about one, maybe two more winters (if we are lucky) before we have to do some major work repairing and rebuilding the back portion. We decided that this spring we would get it cleaned up and repainted. In typical Alisa Burke fashion, I suggested painting a big colorful pattern on the surface. Andy loved the idea and after checking the weather and seeing that we would be having a big streak of sun, we decided to dive into repainting.

I feel like before I begin sharing the process I just have to provide a disclaimer or at least share my philosophy on home projects:

I am not into the latest and greatest home decor trends and I NEVER want to feel like my home is "too precious" to take risks and try something unique, creative or even weird. While I love home decor shows, magazine and blogs- I also think it is easy to fall into trendy, safe and practical thinking when it comes to your house. I am not safe nor am I practical and I tackle most DIY projects like an artist. I love color, pattern and I believe that paint is one of the most affordable and easy ways to transform just about anything in your home into art. My husband Andy is super supportive of my approach but he always asks that we try to find a long term, well thought out way of making my ideas happen. 

Ok here we go! So the back portion of our deck was really worn. There was lots of moss on the surface, lots of warped and weathered spots that are at the beginning stage of rot. This is all pretty typical in Oregon. We get so much rain in the winter that the outside of our homes can suffer. Since we have another year, maybe two (if we are lucky) to live with our deck before replacing most of it, we knew we would be painting (not staining) it.

I think that staining (and sealing) a deck is typically the way that most people go because a stain allows you to hold on to that natural look and feel of wood. You also don't have to deal with weathering and peeling. Paint will cover up the wood BUT you have a lot options when it comes to color. When it comes to paint, I think "the normal" and practical thing to do is to not use crazy colors on your deck but as I mentioned above I am not normal and I love color!

Here are the reasons we selected paint instead of stain:

• Paint will fill gaps and cracks.
• Paint will resist mold, rot and sun damage.
• We own our home and I know that we will be living here for a long time so a crazy project like this doesn't affect us like it would if we were renting or planning on selling soon.
• Our deck will eventually need to be replaced and painting it this year is simply taking the necessary steps to buy some time, save for a deck renovation and get a little more time out of it. 
• We liked the idea and look of colorful paint weathering and even peeling.

For our deck we used both Valespar deck paint and exterior paint. There are all kinds of really great heavy duty deck paint and exterior paint out there that is made to seal wood and stand up to the elements. The best part is that you can get just about any color mixed with that paint.

The first step was getting things cleaned up. Andy cleaned and scrubbed the entire surface. Moss is a big problem around these parts so this process took a while. Once it was cleaned up, we let it dry out then he sanded down things down. Since we would be using paint we didn't need to sand it all down- just the trouble spots. 

Now it was time to paint! So here is the crazy thing about me...I don't like to plan or sketch out my designs. I know this is insane but a big part of my painting process is all about the moment and letting things evolve and change. I knew the color scheme I would be using, I also knew I wanted a suzani inspired design on a LARGE scale. I started by using a large brush and began outlining my design. Again, this is all off the top of my head. Something I know (and something that makes me commit to the process) is that if I mess up or if I am not happy with the design, I can paint over it and start again. This is the BEAUTY of paint!

Once my outline was dry, then I began filling in areas of color. Once again, this is off the top of my head. 

The process of adding color, is all about using my gut so I spent a lot of time standing and looking at my design from different angles. My biggest goal is to achieve balance and harmony with my colors. 

As those big areas of color began to dry, I added more color to the top and then started laying down details. We really wanted to make sure that the deck had about 2-3 layers of paint on the entire surface so each of my designs all have layers of colors to ensure that the wood is nice and saturated with paint.

I worked back and forth with painting different areas with layers of color and details. Thankfully we had nice weather so the paint was drying as I worked and I could move around easily.

Lucy even joined in on the painting!

This process took me about 3 days working in chunks of about 3 hours at a time. So a total of around 9 hours. Working on a floor is much different than working on a wall and it can take a fast toll on your back and knees. My body can take about three hours straight of painting then I step away and come back the next day.

The last step was to touch up the remaining side of the deck with a solid dark brown.

NOTE: We did not seal the paint only because the paint we used was made to withstand weather and the elements. But keep in mind no matter how heavy duty the paint or even if it's made for a deck, eventually it will age, weather and peel...there is just no way around it. 

The end result is CRAZY COOL! What I love so much about working large is that you don't need lots of tiny details for something to feel dynamic. My design is pretty simple and FAR FROM perfect. But the scale, the color and the contrast all comes together to feel really dynamic! 

Then came the really fun part and that was doing a little bit of decorating! Up until now, we really haven't used our deck. We have a huge backyard that we love to hang out in. But we do a lot of grilling so we really wanted a fresh, colorful updated space to use while Andy cooks outside on the BBQ. 

We moved some of our outdoor furniture to the deck, purchased some plants to add even more color and the next thing I knew, we had completely and TOTALLY transformed this space! Now we've been enjoying our meals out here, using it as a place to hang out and draw or read. It has been so much fun to have a new space to use now that the weather is nice.

Looking for a little more inspiration when it comes to using paint and creativity in those home decor projects?

painted floor runner   painted countertops    statement wall   kids statement wall  flower mural   guest room mural   doodled dishwasher

a shared family work space

Last week I shared that I have been doing some major cleaning, organizing and rearranging in our house. I moved the furniture around in our living room and created an ocean themed gallery wall. Next, I wanted to get organized with our shared work space. 

Honestly, it has taken me the last three years to get the hang of working from home with my husband Andy added to the mix. I spent years running my business by myself and now I am slowly bringing more people into the mix. Lately we have discovered a groove and implemented some systems that work for everyone. Andy has taken on a big chunk of the business side of everything, enabling me to focus on being creative! We have lots of space for creativity in our home, an office for all the boring business stuff but somehow we always end up spending the most time in our living room space. A while back I decided that it would be nice to have a shared work space that we all can utilize for different projects. 

I used the same furniture that we've had for the last few years as a foundation for our space. I've shared these things in the past but I will share again-

1. We've had 6 of these Baxton plastic accent chairs for the last couple of years and I love using them around the house. They are clean, modern and retro and are really comfortable!

2. These nickel plated Barometer work lamps from IKEA are perfect for our work space.

3. One of the best purchases we made about five years ago was a white Besta Burs desk from IKEA. It is big but long and skinny enough to work in different places. Over the years, I've used it as an entry way desk, a sofa table and a work desk. 

Andy installed two long white shelves above the desk and then I added baskets- lots and lots of baskets. 

Most people wouldn't believe the amount of random stuff we use on a daily basis- hard drives (where everything visual from the last 10 years of my business is stored), drawing/coloring supplies, cords and cables and photography equipment are just a few of things things that we use every day all day! The baskets are the perfect solution for all that stuff.

I added a couple of plants to the shelves.

I hung four clip boards above the desk to keep our tasks (business and personal) organized where we all can see and access information that we use every day-

We have a copy of my blog editorial calendar. I use a basic editorial calendar to keep all my blog posts organized for the month and having this information easily accessible for Andy is really important. One of the biggest lessons I have learned as an entrepreneur is that I can't keep all my ideas and plans in my head...I have to share them so everyone knows what is coming next! Now Andy can take a look at the month and know what is happening with my creative work load.

We have a business to do list that includes ideas for the future, goals, projects, items for the shop, information for online classes and anything that needs to stay on our radar. My brain works CRAZY fast and ideas/inspiration can strike at any time so I really like having my creative to-do list visible.

We have a monthly family calendar/schedule that helps keep all of us on track with our time. Again, it has taken a while to really find a groove with this co-parenting and business partner situation. We've learned through trial and error that as a family we really need a basic structure (with lots of flexibility) for our week. Our family schedule includes anything from child care, to activities, my work hours, social engagements, surf sessions, dates, free time and family adventures.

We also have a weekly schedule/lesson plan for Lucy. Before Lucy was born, we made the decision to homeschool (at least for the early years). We are about to officially begin school this fall so this shared space makes a great little headquarters for our lessons plans.

The only rule for this space is that once we are done working, it gets cleaned up! Something about a white desk with minimal clutter keeps everything looking fresh.

I am loving how organized and bright everything feels and I love that we have already put this shared work space to use! 

boho wall hanging

So if you didn't know, fiber weavings are totally trending right now and as much as I love the bohemian look and feel of a weaving, I personally have no time to learn (not yet)! So I decided to come up with something that had the same look and feel but made use of the materials and skills that I already have- painting- to create a boho inspired wall hanging.

I am most comfortable using canvas but just about anything could be used for this project- fabric, leather, denim, even thick paper. I started by cutting a large strip of canvas and painting it white.

Then I sketched out my design. This took some planning but I finally settled on some shapes and pattern that I see in both weavings and rugs.

Next, I painted everything. Since the shapes and designs were simple, I really needed vibrant color to add some POP! 

Once the color was dry, I used one of my favorite supplies- Tulip Dimensional Paint (or puff paint) to add lots of tiny embellishments.

The last step was to create faux fringe at the bottom of my wall hanging. I simply cut the bottom into strips and then gave the ends of the fringe a little trim.

I really love the way it turned out. It's great way to add bright color and bohemian flair to a room!