We have a new friend hanging out in our kitchen. I found this faux deer head at Hobby Lobby during one of their frequent 50% off sales for $12. If you know me and faux animals, you know I love them — faux for the win.
After the purchase it lived in our playroom for months (a while = 6+ months) until I walked in one day and told myself, “Stop hoarding things in this room. Use them or get rid of them.” Thus was born my mini initiative, “Dude, Get On That Already.” The dude being me, of course. Over the coming weeks I plan to tackle the clutter, decide what to keep and display, and what should be donated, sold, or given away. Most things end up in there for one of two reasons:
- I’m not sure where to hang them, so I stash them and tell myself I’ll get to it later — and later never comes.
- I intend to alter things with paint or stain, so I tuck them away and “get to it later.” Spoiler: later often turns into never.
Not anymore. I grabbed my antlered friend, paraded him around the house to find the perfect spot, and decided the kitchen, next to the fridge, felt right. The original black finish was cool, but it didn’t work with the kitchen’s palette, so I hauled a piece of cardboard outside and used leftover primer and white spray paint.
You know my spray-paint mantra: thin, even coats. I snapped a few in-progress shots to show how each coat goes on as a fine mist. One thin coat doesn’t give full coverage — and that’s good. The right approach is about layering three light coats, keeping the can 8–10″ away, and moving your hand to avoid drips. No drippies on my watch.
The antler undersides were still dark, and since they’d be visible when hung, I let the front cure for a day, flipped the piece over, and sprayed the back so it would match.
John and I briefly considered bolder colors — plum, navy, yellow — but white complemented our grellow walls and played nicely with the gold mirror in the nearby laundry room without competing for attention. Still, I have plans for other playroom finds; some will get plum or navy treatments down the line.
Ignore the little paint touch-ups we’ve been meaning to do — someday. Unless I get distracted spray-painting more faux animals, in which case the touch-ups might wait a bit longer.
Work it, antlers. Work it.
To mount it on our paneled wall, I used wall anchors — small, inexpensive, and surprisingly sturdy.
We’ve had this little box of anchors for nearly a year. They hold up well, which saves trips to the store for tiny hardware. If you’re not familiar with anchors: drill a small pilot hole, push or hammer the plastic anchor into the hole so it sits flush, then screw the screw into the anchor. Leave a bit of the screw exposed so you can hang the item — typically a few millimeters to a half inch is fine.
The whole process took under an hour of hands-on time (drying time excluded). That included multiple quick spray sessions and the final mounting after the piece was dry. I’m optimistic about my “Dude, Get On That Already” challenge and plan to keep the momentum going. And if I ever need a whimsical accessory for a fancy event, this makes a surprisingly fun fascinator.
Want to join me in tackling a procrastinated pile or a whole room of stuff? I’d love the company. My goal is to finish at least one project a week, though life with kids, kitchen projects, and books can slow me down. Also — what should I name this guy? Is naming faceless white faux animals weird? Malcolm keeps popping into my head.
And speaking of projects… surprise!
Apologies for the dramatic lighting (and the ladders and drop cloths) — we’re in the middle of installing new lighting. With only a floor lamp lighting the back corner of a windowless room, things look a little otherworldly, but it’s progress. I’ll share full details once the lighting is installed, cleaned up, and photographed — stay tuned for a proper update on Monday.