First things first, I want to say a huge thank you for all of the kind and really supportive comments many of you left on my blogiversary post yesterday! You guys are the real reason why I keep doing this blog! If you didn’t see that post yet, be sure to check it out and leave a comment by Thursday to be included in the giveaway drawing.
Now, on with today’s post!
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that not many of you immediately think of black & white when it comes to Christmas decorations. But I’m about to prove that it can be a festive combination (I hope so anyway).
A couple of years ago my sister gave me this funky barn wood Christmas tree.
She was definitely on the right track with a gift for me. It’s distressed and rustic, which I love, but the traditional red and green just weren’t working for me. Especially with the black ‘trunk’.
So I decided to give it a q-style makeover.
I started by painting the horizontal boards with Miss Mustard Seed milk paint in Linen.
Next I added an IOD transfer.
This is the small (11″ x 14″) Memoir transfer. I cut it apart in sections to fit perfectly on my tree.
One caution I have for you is that sometimes the transfer backing will lift off chippy milk paint rather than leaving the transfer on your surface. You can see where that happened on the right portion of the scroll-y design around the word “memoires”. That’s just something to keep in mind if you are pairing a chippy milk painted piece with a transfer.
Personally I’m OK with this look, I just think it adds to the overall distressed style I’m going for. But it could be frustrating if you don’t expect it. You can prevent this by adding a sealing top coat (Miss Mustard Seed Tough Coat Sealer, or the Dead Flat I used later) over your milk paint first, then adding the transfer, then adding another layer of top coat.
I added my transfer directly over chippy milk paint though. Once applied, I sanded lightly all over and then added my top coat of The Real Milk Paint Co’s Dead Flat finishing cream. I really love how easy this stuff is to use. No worries about drip marks, no smells, flat sheen, soap and water clean up, and a little goes a long way. The Dead Flat will help prevent any further chipping.
And now it looks like this …
I loved it so much that I decided to hang it next to my specimens cupboard and decorate the whole area with black & white Christmas decor.
My painted black & white sled is leaning on the wall under the ‘tree’.
I draped a faux evergreen garland with cotton bolls, that I picked up on sale last year, over the cupboard.
My friend Sue gave me the calendar for my birthday. Although she bought it at a garage sale (she seriously always finds the most amazing things at garage sales), there is a sticker on the back from Decor Steals.
She had it set to my birthday when she gave it to me, and I thought that was so clever, so why not set it to Christmas Day to instantly turn it into a Christmas decoration?
Normally I have a photo of my grandmother on the little metal wheel that hangs on the knob of my cabinet, but I switched it out for the holiday too.
I have no idea who The Binke’s are, but I love their black & white holiday post card!
So what do you think? Is a black & white Christmas for you?
Or do you prefer more color for Christmas?
q is for quandie 
I think the black and white is a very classy look. Perhaps, you will be the start of a new trend, which would be quite a coup for you.
LikeLike
So funny, I was reading an article about vintage ornaments last night and it said that for a time it was popular to decorate without much color and many people washed the color off their Shiny Brites to leave them just silver. Who knew? Maybe I’m just bringing back a pre-existing trend!
LikeLike
I loved this! Such a great look…nice and subdued. Lots of “stuff” to look at…which makes it interesting too. The cottonball wreath and calendar are pretty cool. And I have to say this is one time where I think it looks better in person. Photos are great, as always, I just think it looks a lot more impressive when you are standing in front of it. Love your house and your decorating style.
LikeLike
Thanks Terri! I was thinking the same thing, that I didn’t really manage to capture it that well in photos!
LikeLike
Christmas looks just great in black and white, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, the best Christmas movie ever, was in black and white! LOL I think your vignette is charming, and love that so much of it is hand crafted. But more importantly, what does Debbie think? LOL
LikeLike
Ha, well, there’s what Debbie thinks in the next comment 😉
LikeLike
I like it in person better too! But I really need more colors. I even prefer colored lights over white ones to decorate with. We do have a white tree but only because it is my daughters. I like the traditional red and greens for Christmas.
LikeLike
We definitely have different taste in pretty much everything, apparently even including Christmas decorations. But your house is looking super festive sis, I love the bright colors, the large light bulbs, and your sign pointing to the North Pole!
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so pretty, Linda! I LOVE black and white…and the thing about it is, if you want some color with it, you can add as much or as little as you want. This year I’ve been in a red mood…but next year…
Enjoy your beautiful decor!
LikeLike
So true Linda! It really wouldn’t be hard to pop in some color and totally change up the look of this display!
LikeLike
I like it, it’s many shades of white and black, so it works. I would have to incorporate a bit of color in some areas of my house – blues and greens and pinks and reds, not a lot, but some.
LikeLike
Not to worry, I have multiple-personality disorder when it comes to decorating. This spot is black and white, but the kitchen is red & green, the dining room is all golds and silvers and my Q Branch is where I’m having a pink Christmas this year 🙂
LikeLike
Black and whtte is my favorite! I love this for Christmas. I have used it for the last couple of years with small touches of gray also. Love the little tree makeover.
LikeLike
Nice! Love the idea of adding a little gray too.
LikeLike
Christmas in black & white is beautiful! Awesome job in decorating, although everything you touch is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with us!
LikeLike
Thanks so much for saying so!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love it!! ❤️
LikeLike
Thanks Wendy!
LikeLike
Hey Quandie! (-: Just wanted you to know how much I like it that you’re posting more often! It’s like getting a “real” letter in the mail in the “olden times” (ha ha) along with all the anonymous solicitations and flyers! But take care not to burn yourself out! (-:
LikeLike
Thanks for mentioning that Constance. I started posting daily back in what? September maybe? Originally I had absolutely no plan to keep it up, in fact I still really don’t plan to keep it up, but I seem to keep finding lots of things to blog about. But I don’t want to get to the point where quality suffers due to quantity. And I definitely have to be careful about not burning out. So definitely don’t count on daily posts, OK?
LikeLike
The black and white is lovely. Just like snow and the dark trunks of trees after the leaves are all gone!
LikeLike
I love that analogy Sharon, I can just see that pretty picture in my head 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful! Absolutely love the whole black and white look. This entire vignette is gorgeous. I want to come over with a uhaul and truck it back to South Carolina!
I didn’t realize you have different colors going on in different rooms. I have done the same thing. But it’s not at all jarring it really flows well.
Love all your posting – I cannot seem to keep up lately but I get here eventually.
LikeLike
You’ll see some more of my other colors coming up soon!
LikeLike
I love your black and white Christmas. I might borrow the tree idea :-).
LikeLike
Although I received this tree as a gift, I was also eyeing it up and thinking it would be easy to reproduce. I say go for it Goedele!
LikeLike