How to Paint Your Old Fireplace for a Modern, Elegant Look and Make it Look Taller! Plus, a DIY Motivational Decorating Idea for the Mantel

February 2, 2021April 29, 2021 by Jody Ellis

Since getting stuck inside with the quarantine, have you been eyeing that old fireplace from the 1980’s with contempt? I know the feeling. Today’s blog will go over how I transformed my old fireplace into a modern, updated version (before/after video below). The blog will also discuss a DIY decorating idea for your fireplace to help keep you inspired.

What you’ll need to paint your fireplace :

Masonry, stucco, and brick paint
3/4 nap roller
Angled paint brush
Paint pan
Ladder
Bucket
Scrub brush
Water & soap
Painter’s tape
Paint can opener
Mixing stick

Paint Supplies — Supplies for painting the fireplace: ladder, paint brush, painter’s tape, can opener, paint roller, paint stirrer, cleaning bucket, Masonry, Stucco & Brick paint, and paint pan

Instructions for painting :

Fill up your bucket with soap & water. Using your scrub brush & soapy water, wash off your fireplace clearing it of any mess, then let dry.
Using the painter’s tape, mask off the fireplace so as not to get paint in unwanted areas.
Paint fireplace with the thick nap roller. You’ll most likely still need to use a paint brush to get into the crevices.
Let dry and repeat for second coating or if satisfied use paint brush for touch ups.

Key tip (save yourself some trouble!) :

Start painting from the top of the fireplace working your way downward; otherwise, you will have issues with dripping paint onto already painted areas or possibly touching wet painted as you move up.

Want a more polished look & perhaps some height to your fireplace?

For a sleek look, trim out your fireplace in crown molding and use wood corner blocks at both the top & bottom of the fireplace. Paint trim to match. The added trim gives the impression of a larger fireplace; as well as, creates sharp lines for a more modern look.

Fireplace remodel ideas — Crown molding and corner blocks added to fireplace

DIY Decorating Ideas for your fireplace

Since the fireplace is often a focal point of the living room, it’s an excellent spot to place inspirational décor (candles as well – check out my blog on why decorating with candles is good for your mental health here). Below is a breakdown of how to make the decorative sign I used for the fireplace remodel above (it’s the one in the center).

What you’ll need:

Picture frame
Staple gun and staples
Magnetic dots (purchased these through Amazon, about $10)
Fabric of your liking
Print out favorite inspirational quote on paper of choosing
Pair of scissors
For added fun, the flower is an old, broken ring (earrings can also be lovely) repurposed by simply sewing it on

Instructions:

Select the style frame, fabric and motivational imagine or saying that you want.
Print and cut out your motivational imagine/saying on the paper you wish to use.
Next, use your staple gun to attach the fabric to the backside of the picture frame. Be sure to pull the fabric taut because the fabric will act as a sort of wall/support for your paper. If the fabric is sagging then the printed image will sag too.
When done stapling, cut off any excess material with your scissors.
Using the magnetic dots, attach the paper to the fabric by placing a dot in each corner of the paper on the front and backside so that it holds firmly a magnetic pull.

Special Note: Since, the paper is held by magnetic dots (and not a more permanent choice, like glue), you can simply remove the dots and replace the image with a new one whenever you like, for an easy change up. Doing so, gives you wonderful options for decorating with the changing seasons or any upcoming holiday!

Here’s a quick guide:

I’d like to see what DIY inspirational décor you create : ) Please head over to my Instagram (@jellisbydesign) and drop me a pic of what you made in today’s blog posting. I’d love to see it!

3 Decorating Tips to Help with Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Regulation (decorating for ready-made grounding exercises)

January 25, 2021February 18, 2021 by Jody Ellis

Have you ever feverishly eaten a pint of ice cream, only to look up from the bowl when you’re done and realize you weren’t even hungry? I can so relate. *sheepish grin* Or perhaps, in an argument your mind goes full lizard brain and slips right into one of the four F’s (flight, fight, freeze or fawn) of stress responses.

Today, we’re going to talk about three decorating tips that can help when you find yourself in one of those spaces . . . head space, that is.

Tip One: Identify where you feel the feels

Sometimes when we’re overwhelmed or stressed out, it can feel like a whirl-wind has overtaken us, and we don’t know where to start. One tip, that can help you begin to calm the storm is to identify where in your body you are feeling an emotion. In understanding where it’s felt, you can begin to listen to your feelings and honor & support yourself around what is happening. For more information on processing negative emotions click here.

Hanging up a visual prompt in your home can aid in helping to find where the feeling is living in the body. Here is an example below which is a spin on the game Operation for a retro look:

Tip Two: Smells Good

Did you know that smelling pleasant things can improve pain tolerance and create instant relaxation? “Sweet tastes reduce pain by activating opioid systems in the brain, and the odor comes to activate the same systems,” says Australian psychologist John Prescott, currently a visiting scholar at Oxford University.” You can also use your sense of smell to deliver instant relaxation, says Pamela Dalton, a sensory psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia. Pick a distinctive odor, then pair that aroma with a calming meditation session. After a few sessions, the odor itself will elicit a relaxed state, even when you don’t have time to meditate. (The hidden force of fragrance, 2016)

So, I recommend decorating with candles; in particular, lavender ones since that scent was linked to reducing anxiety and stress by 20 % with patients during MRI procedures. (Allina Healthy System, 2016)

Lavender candle, soap, bath salts and purple towel

Now, if you want to doubled-up on your stress relief just add humor. Laughter has been scientifically proven to relieve stress. (How laughter can relieve stress + ideas to laugh it off, 2019). WaxOnFire has a host of funny, hand-poured vegan soy candles to enjoy. Check them out for yourself here.

Tip Three: Walk it off with the Labyrinth . . . no, not David Bowie’s (but yes, David Bowie’s ; ) )

It turns out, “strolling through a labyrinth can help you feel the relaxation response, which is the opposite of the stress “fight or flight” state, says Herbert Benson, MD, founder of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of Relaxation Revolution” (Leland, n.d.)

Depending on your level of interest, here are five ways to do a labyrinth:

One: If you’re strapped for space, a finger labyrinth can be quite relaxing:

Two: Purchase a portable labyrinth rug (but fair warning these can get a bit pricy):

Three: Paint a labyrinth pattern on the floor:

Four: Create a rock labyrinth outdoors:

Five: For the green thumbs among us:

Outdoor labyrinth done in grass and sand

In case you were wondering here’s instructions on how to walk a labyrinth:

Before entering. Consider a contemplative question, prayer, or favorite image to hold in your mind before you step into the labyrinth and begin walking.
While walking. Just follow the path. As you concentrate on your steps, everything else can melt away.
Upon reaching the center. Sit or stand with your eyes closed or looking downward. Take three deep breaths, and in silence ask yourself: What am I feeling right now?
Walking back. Bring to mind again the contemplative question, prayer, or favorite image you began with.

(Leland, n.d.)

Is there a stress relieving tip you find helpful?

Let me know in the comments

References

5, 4, 3, 2, 1: Countdown to make anxiety blast off. (2020, June 6). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic Health System: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/5-4-3-2-1-countdown-to-make-anxiety-blast-off

Allina Healthy System. (2016, Sept 8). The effects of lavender aromatherapy on reducing stress and anxiety during MRI procedures. Retrieved from Clinicaltrials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01809067

Diana Raab, P. (2017, May 23). Are you grounded? Centered? Or both? Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201705/are-you-grounded-centered-or-both

How laughter can relieve stress + ideas to laugh it off. (2019, Nov). Retrieved from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences: https://www.usa.edu/blog/how-laughter-can-relieve-stress/

Leland, K. (n.d.). Labyrinths: Ancient aid for modern stresses. Retrieved from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/labyrinths-for-modern-stresses#1

The hidden force of fragrance. (2016, June 9). Retrieved from PsychologyToday: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200711/the-hidden-force-fragrance

Learn decorating tips on a budget for your home [using stylish trends, a mix of psychology & spirituality with a splash of whimsy]

January 18, 2021February 18, 2021 by Jody Ellis

Do you ever have problems remembering important things you’ve learned? I do. For example, I love to read, in particular, on topics around psychology and spirituality. I’ll read some amazing, life-changing insight and then . . . about three months later . . . I’m like, “hmmmm, what was that again?”

Well, there is a solution for that . . .

Dr. Brene Brown, renown psychological researcher/storyteller, enlightens us that, “Creativity is the key to how the things (we learn) travel from the head to the heart to the hands.” (Brown, 2010) And that, treasured reader, is one of the reasons why I do interior decorating. Taking those learnings and creating décor out of it, you literally live with those messages which helps the insights seeps into your heart & mind.

Dr. Brene Brown Quote — Dr. Brene Brown quote

What is this blog for?

In this blog, I will show you budget-friendly decorating tips, trends, and styles for whatever space you’re living in, whether that’s a specific room in your home, an office, a RV, or an apartment. My aim is to show you easy-to-do designs that can transform your space; as well as, add personal touches based on psychology, spirituality, and the great minds of the past & present to help motivate and inspire you. At the very core, my desire is for your home to be your own personal sanctuary. The place you want to go to for respite, play and encouragement. A space for your babies to flourish as they grow up and for you to enjoy as you grow old.

Let me explain the name

This blog is called J. Ellis by Design for a couple of reasons. One being, simply that J. Ellis is a version of my name, which is Joanna Ellis, in case you were wondering. Secondly, it’s a play on words (say it three times fast . . . do you hear it? . . . Jealous by Design).

Now, some would say that being jealous is a bad emotion, but according to Dr. Anita Johnston all emotions have “a pearl of wisdom” to give us, and jealousy is the one that teaches us what we want for ourselves, our true yearnings. (Johnston, 2000) This suits me well, since I believe good design speaks to our desires; as well as, our functional needs.

Below is a wall art décor that I made to help explain all the gifts that emotions help us to learn, and its an example of moving the things we’ve learned from our head to the heart to the hands . . . and then decorating with it ; )

Emotions Sign — Wall art that explains the different insights each emotion give us

What to look forward to

Since my blog is launching on Martin Luther King Day, I’ll show you a quick tip that you can do right now in your home for less than $10, which I personally love and have found to be a great conversation starter with guests.

What you’ll need: measuring tape and a pack of alphabet stickers

What you’ll do:

Select an entry-way or area of your choice in your home
Starting from the floor and going up, measure 5’7 with your measuring tape
With your stickers, place the following at that measurement “5’7 – MLK”

When finished it should look something like below:

MLK Height — 5’7 – MLK written in stickers

What you’ve done is place the height of Martin Luther King Jr. on your wall.

After you’ve done so, if you will, take a moment and think over the following:

While, looking at the placement, imagine where your eyes would have rested if you had met Dr. King while he was alive.

Do you have to look up or down to meet where his eyes would have been?

Or are you two close to the same height?

How does this position feel in your neck?

Your shoulders?

Now, you have a better understanding of what it would have felt like to chat with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In my home, I have the heights of MLK, Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Gandhi, Eartha Kitt, Harriet Tubman, and Jesus in the entry-way to my dining room. I can’t tell you how I have loved walking up to it and imagining what it would be like to speak with them. I will say though, I’m 5’4 and Maya Angelou was 6 feet tall. I don’t think I could talk to her long standing up because of the crick in my neck it gives me to look up at her. I imagine, if she were alive, I would have to invite her to sit down to talk. Anyhoo, doing this small piece of decorating helps remind me that my heroes existed, they were real people and I feel inspired by their lives.

It’s tips like this one that we will explore; as well as, remodeling larger spaces focusing on principles of interior design in my future blog posts. To close out, I’ll end with one of my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quotes in honor of his day.

Martin Luther King Jr Quote — Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others? – Martin Luther King Jr

P.s.

In case you were wondering, here is a short video of the entry to the dining room with the heights of my heroes (I put a mannequin in the shot to give perspective).