Saturday, September 29, 2012

Cottage Cutie

This is one of the pieces Kenny brought home
from his solo day out shopping...



It had some issues,
including this ugly repair on the door

While I was scheming about what color to paint it,
I was informed by my dear husband that he was painting it
and it was going to be green...
so green it is!


So he mixed up green milk paint
and got busy...

Because this piece was solid wood,
and most of the original stain had worn away
he didn't need to sand it, or add bonding agent...
just paint mixed with water

The above photo is after two coats
but before waxing and distressing


 hand distressing looks so much more authentic
than anything you can accomplish 
with a mechanical sander, in my opinion!


 four coats of Good Ol Brown Wax
helped richen the color
and protect the finish...
now it's smooth as silk

is a lighter shade of brown
and definitely not as scary
as some of the darker, deeper waxes!

 The hardware is original, and is pretty amazing!




This turned out darling...
we added new casters
and I can visualize this piece
loaded up with holiday yummies
being wheeled around the dining room 
before finding it's resting spot
right next to the kids table!

You can find this piece in our Etsy shop!

Chinoiserie Chicness

this rather boring, faux bamboo mirror
somehow made it's way
in to our studio...
I was just NOT feeling it
but Kenny wanted to paint it...
"go for it" said I
(with a dramatic eye-roll added for effect)

Boy, did I miss the boat on this one!



 It's nothing short of fabulous!
Chinoserie isn't really "my thing"
but as I saw this mirror  being completed
I started imaging it in a less literal setting...



 Mixed with other Chinoiserie pieces
but lots of more modern  pieces, as well

It fresh and attention-grabbing...
a little bit glam,
 a little bit classic and refined


 
 I was so inspired by this mirror,

I can see it now...
I'm already trolling Craigslist
for other Chinoiserie pieces!
 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Flyin' Solo

I woke up early this morning...
well, early for a Sunday!

Before I could be persuaded otherwise,
I put on my paint clothes and laced up my sneakers...
only to find Kenny dressed and ready...
to go pickin'

Not to be dissuaded, I sent him on his way while I happily went off to paint

The guy has got skills, what else can I say?

Would you look at what he came back with:

 A cute little frame

 Why yes, that IS purple corduroy!

 BOTH of these wonderful tables...
I can't decide which I love best!

 although, the wood grain pattern on the French one
makes a compelling argument in it's favor



and this little bit of cuteness...
with original hardware! 

With this addition  of the these items, 
plus the 9 drawer dresser
vanity, two nightstands, and mirror
we brought back yesterday...
we are OFFICIALLY 
out of room!


Mademoiselle Dresser

We've scored a slew of French Provincial dressers lately...
seems like it's feast or famine, and they typically sell so quickly...
we snatch them up whenever we see a great one

We're incredibly particular with our pieces...
they must be solid wood, preferably circa 1960 or earlier
with stand-out details that make them special

This dresser certainly met the criteria!



So heavy...solid wood cut nice and thick!
It's made by Dixie, circa 1950's...
before Dixie started using 
laminate and particle board

Check out the details...




Kenny spent lots of time
making sure each and every drawer
(there are NINE!)
looked like new...


We've been having a bit of a love affair with brighter, richer colors lately....
but for this piece, we went back to our "roots" so-to-speak
my first loves, Paris Grey and Old White
From Annie Sloan, of course!

Love this dresser?
It's for sale in our Etsy Shop

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Widdecomb Wonderfulness

I'm usually a bit of a Craig's List junkie...
but I've not perused in a while
(like, three or four whole DAYS!)
 
I had BIG plans to spend the day painting...
you see, I'm *THIS* close
to finishing a giant French dresser

but this morning, I decided to have a peek on CL
and just look what I found!



There is a gorgeous mirror, too!
 
Very few pieces make my heart skip a beat anymore...
we purchase SO many amazing pieces
but this set was simply BEYOND

The set had been listed for a MONTH
without a single person coming to see it...
are people CRAZY??
How I missed it for that long, I'm uncertain...
but they re-listed it this morning...
and I saw it minutes later.
Fate, right?
This set was DESTINED for us...
(doubtful that fate and destiny concern themselves with furniture purchases, 
but WHATEVER...)

Not only is it clearly GORGEOUS,
it's also Widdecomb
Highly collectible, highly stunning!

Check out the hardware...
it's cast brass

 
and would you just LOOK at that hand painted detail!

We purchased this from a sweet lady and her mom
It originally belonged to the young lady's grandmother,
 who purchased it new
right around WWII...
 
They are moving on Monday, and since they had no takers
and didn't want to see it go to Goodwill,
we got for a VERY good price!

The dilemma, of course, is to paint or not to paint...
on one hand, it would be stunning painted

on the other hand,
the original paint has so much charm and history...
 

HMMMM....
such decisions!

Could you paint over this?
Or would you clean it up and see if you had any takers??

Sunday, September 16, 2012

As you probably already know,
we have two loves when it comes to paint
Chalk Paint and Milk Paint


When it comes to Milk Paint, our hearts belong to
 



We know there are lots of options
for paint...
these are just the ones WE prefer
All of the above photos
showcase the variety of 
finishes that can be achieved 
with Milk Paint

The folks at Real Milk Paint
want to show you how absolutely 
GREAT
they are...
so guess what?
 
That's right, a give-away! 

A quart of Milk Paint
and a 16oz container
of our new favorite product,
(we like low sheen)

Just like them on FB
Visit their website 
Tell us your favorite Milk Paint color
and then leave THREE separate comments
on THIS blog
letting us know you did each of the above
 
Easy Peasy, right??  
 
Good luck! 

No Shy Violets Here!

Well...
this dresser...
it doesn't have a ton of fancy carvings
or too many frills...
but that is why I love it so

The subtle beauty of it
the long, tapered legs
the slight serpentine body
the elegant hardware

The fact that it's Hendredon
really pushes me over the edge!


I debated on doing a more subtle color
but really, why? 
The simple elegance of this piece was just 
BEGGING for something different

I perused Pinterest for color inspiration...
I knew I wanted a sophisticated purple
Very smokey and sexy and grown-up
if you're interested, here is the Pinboard

For the record, my husband and partner, Kenny,
was NOT on board with this color
When I said "Purple"
he envisioned deep, regal purple
with gold hardware
Me? Not so much!





I mixed up this custom color using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
then applied a glaze over the top using glaze base and pigment 

The top, well, it gave me some trouble!
My plan was to strip it  and re-stain it in that lovely
weathered wood look my friend at Stellar Junk does so well

I mixed up my staining concoction
and started stripping the table

All was good until towards the back,
 a HUGE burn mark materialized!!
NOOOOO!!!

I considered stenciling over it, making the top striped...
just wasn't working out at all...
so bummed!

Not to be discouraged, I mixed up a custom grey
then topped it with the smoke glaze

Perfect!

Such an elegant, sexy piece of furniture!
I've decorated the entire room this belongs in...

Velvets and silks, some crumpled linen perhaps
a chandelier, dripping in crystals
(check out the lavender one on my board!)
dark walls and a soft rug

plush, lush, and dreamy...

Available in our Etsy Shop