My Definition of Home...A Dictionary Wall

If you are a detail-oriented person,

today's post will be right up your alley.

If you're not...

it might be best if you came back another day.

It's been over a week in the making,

so you may want to grab a

beverage and get comfortable.

Okay, for those who are still here,

here we go.............

When you find a $3 dictionary that looks like this...

and it is a postbound book, with 1,888 easily removeable pages...

and you have paneling in an entryway that looks like this...

You know why you were meant to become

the rightful owner of that dictionary.

You just know...

My options were:
1)  paint the paneling - but then it would have been
ugly painted paneling
2)  Tear down the paneling
and replace with something else -
maybe someday, but not a priority right now
3) wallpaper over the ugly paneling - much more doable and less expensive, so that became my plan!

The first page of the dictionary
got centered above the doorway.
I used good ol' Elmer's glue to adhere the pages.
Modge Podge would have been much too pricey
for a project as large as this.

Working my way around the door frame.

About half of the first wall is almost done.

Once the walls were completely covered in pages,

I put a topcoat of glue over all the pages.
It gave the pages an even lovelier
golden tone when it dried.

The illustrations are like little works of art.

 And so many wonderful words to choose from.  

In keeping with the aged look of the

dictionary pages, I decided on a
combination of a vintage & industrial look
for the entryway.

It's all in the details, so
here's a little tour of how I dressed the area up.

I reattached the coat hooks

that were previously hanging in the entryway.
I love the darkened, authentically-aged
look of the wood - scrapes and all.

It's perfect for hanging

baskets, antique scissors & snips...

and an old hanging ruler.

Resting on the coathook board is another old ruler.

And above the coathook is another

basket with a vintage linen inside...

and my handmade

"Nantucket Chair Caning" sign.

On the floor is this old carpeter's tool trunk,

which holds an antique wooden cheese box

stocked with chair caning supplies.

This roll-top desk was purchased
by my uncle, who gave it to my mom
(and she refinished it), who gave it to me.
I've had it for at least 15 years.

I replaced the original wood knobs
with some lovely glass ones.

These knobs were salvaged 
from this cabinet.

 You can read about

what I did with this cabinet here.

The keyhole is missing the original metal plate,

but I still love it.

On top, 2 gorgeous old sewing machines.

I love the names of them - 
"Honeymoon" & "Domestic".

 The name is especially fitting for the Honeymoon.

The details are "sew" love-at-first sight.

  I used lots of vintage sewing goods.

And some tattered antique books.

Above the rolltop desk is this wooden frame
that I added a chalkboard to,
with a portion of Psalm 19:14
written on it.

Here's the steamer trunk tray and the amber bottles
I decided not to sell.
They both were just too perfect
for this space to part with them.

On the side of the desk
is my Industrial Chair
that I added vintage ephemera to.

Now to put the details together...

Total cost for this project?
$23
$3 for the dictionary
$20 for the glue
I'd love to say this room is finished,
but the floor is plain concrete
that has lots of stains.

I'd like to cover it with
reclaimed brick road salvage,
for the look of
an old Midwestern street.

We have a few of these left in our town,

and while bumpy to drive on,

Their bygone-days look is beautiful.

If the price quote comes back
unreasonable high,
then I think I'll try using the
brown bag technique on the floor
that I read about on Lovely Crafty Home here.

It will use the same process as the walls,
except I'll use our leftover floor sealer
that we used on a wood floor in our old house,
instead of glue as the topcoat.

The other part that isn't finished in this entryway
is the whole other side of the room!
I still have plenty of glue left
to finish the other walls.
I have enough dictionary pages left
to do another small room!

My husband is working on one

of the walls, for the remodeling

that he's started in the bathroom on the other side,

so it may be awhile before the

entire room is done.

This entryway will have an
ever-changing display,
because although some of the things
are mine and I'm keeping them,
some are available in my Etsy shop,
so I'll rotate things in and out as they sell.

Step by Step

it's feeling more like

our home, instead of just a house.