A Paid Beadboard Project … and a Reason to Explore Bryan

Remember me saying last April that we had been hired for a beadboard install project and that the work would take place this summer?

Well, we have been given the green light to start the prep work for the project.    We made the trek to Bryan, Texas to pick up the large stack of beadboard that the homeowners (Katie and Ryan) had stored in their garage.

The beadboard still has its original paint and they are such pretty colors, too!:  brown, burgundy, green, yellow, blue, tan, and pink.

The pile doesn’t look that large, but boy, oh boy, there was more there than what I thought.   It took us a while to load it into our trailer, not only because of the amount of lumber but because it was so HOT …. 95 degrees that day!

We got it done though, and it’s covered up on our trailer right now.

Next step will be to clean it, store it for a short time, then transport it back to Bryan when Katie and Ryan are ready to install it … probably in mid August sometime.

I can’t wait to get started and show that completed project to you!

We were pretty wiped out after loading all that wood — the heat just zapped us! — but we decided that we would make the effort to explore at least a few stores in old downtown Bryan.

I’m sure glad we did  — it’s such a pretty downtown area!     The City has done a fabulous job preserving and revitalizing their historic area.

It’s easy to see how it made it to Southern Living’s list of the South’s Best College Towns.

We walked around a bit, and I shot this photo of the cool, old Queen Theatre sign.

Check out the “before” photo, before it was restored and the crown installed.

I also shot this photo of a sign hanging on a beautiful old brick building.

Such a fabulous shape and color!    I would love to have it in my kitchen …. that is, if it would fit!

That will never happen, but I can wish, can’t I?

Of course, we did a little shopping.  My hunt for a special something never, ever ends!

Our first stop was an antique store highly rated on Yelp.    The Attic Antiques has wonderful toys, electric fans, dishware, fishing collectibles, old furniture .. and on and on.

We didn’t buy anything there, but we’ll visit it again.

Our second stop was Southern Grace.

We bought some of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint and waxes that they they sell and use.  I’ve been wanting to buy some for quite a while.  Lorena gave us a quick lesson on how to use it, and I can’t wait to try it!  I think I’m going to paint my bedroom dresser first.

Isn’t this old cabinet just fabulous!?!   I drooled over it.  Unfortunately, it was not for sale.

I wish I’d shot a photo of a multi-drawer cabinet behind their checkout counter.   Also drool-worthy, it wasn’t for sale either, but it was so gorgeous that I regret not being able to show it to you!  If you’re ever in Southern Grace, look for it and let me know what you think.

By this point, we were ready to head home, but we made one last stop at Corner of Time Antiques & Collectibles Mall.  I basically ran through the store, scoping it out for a more thorough visit in the future when we have more time and energy.    Next time, maybe we’ll treat ourselves to a soda or shake at their old soda counter.

Even though I did shop at the fastest pace possible, I did find and buy a used copy of Pottery Barn’s “bedrooms” book, for a mere $4.

I’m not a Pottery Barn fanatic — I don’t think I own a single Pottery Barn thing — but the photos in the book are inspiring, like this one:

… and this one.

Meanwhile, as I was exploring the store in record time, my husband shot these photos of the fabulous tin ceiling for me.

They are absolutely positively AMAZING.

One place we didn’t visit is the Old Bryan Marketplace.

The store definitely looks like it’s my kind of place — you can see more photos here.

I can’t wait to visit this yummy store next time we’re in Bryan!  After we build our new king-sized bed, we’ll need to outfit it, so I can’t wait to see their linens.

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