Refreshed Chest!

     So often, we are scared to change something that we love, even if we don’t like how it looks very much.  Does that make sense?  Something handed down that is a memory source, something that we so want to keep, but the appearance just doesn’t quite do it for us anymore?
     Upgrading a treasured item is a fabulous way to honor someone’s memory.  Adding a fabulous coat of paint, refinishing, or up cycling can bring a item back into the mainstream of your living so you enjoy it.
      That’s what Nora (The Pantry Elf) and I did with a chest that belonged to her father.  The chest itself is in excellent condition, the classic stained maple.  She wanted to refresh it to go with her plan for her guest room, where it holds a prominent spot.  Nora envisioned a minty green, distressing and new hardware.  I did a sample board and she placed her chest in my hands with freedom to do as I saw fit.  I used this for inspiration:


                                 
      This is actually my chest in our bedroom.  It’s not really finished:  I didn’t distress all the edges of the drawers.  I am also thinking about painting the drawer edges a contrasting color.   I have gotten compliments from everyone who has seen it.  My frister (you know, the friend who’s like your sister) Terri loves it.  I described this to Nora and she liked how it sounded.  Is that a first for selecting something décor related?  How it sounded?  Thanks Nora for trusting me!
     Yes, that is a sparkly lava lamp.  Don’t hate.  I want to put it back in the kitchen because I turn it on more in there.  It has special meaning to me.  Maybe one day I’ll do a post of the different things in my home that are special.  It kind of goes with this post.
     Nora had originally posted a pic of the chest on my Facebook wall; it has magically disappeared.  Or I have become totally FB illiterate.  Which is what my husband would say since he says my blonde moments are on the increase.  (Update:  Nora reposted the before pic-thank you!)
      Before: 

And After

                             
                            
                            

     The paint color is Annie Sloan Versailles with a clear wax.  I used AS Chateau Gray to accent some areas.  It’s the same as my chest, just different lighting.  The wood texture also gives it a slightly difference hue as well.  I have learned that you cannot replicate a finish unless you do it to an identical piece.  Each piece of furniture is unique, just like people and pets!
     Speaking of pets, Nora is mommy to Joy, a sweet Shih-Tzu who knows she is supposed to be the center of attention!  Precious!
     Just to leave you with some memories of my little hellion, Mavi Kedi.  We tore the sheetrock off the wall between the living and dining rooms a few days ago (beam to be installed and studs removed later).  Mavi likes electricity.  She also likes the bath towels that Todd and Terri are going to use this weekend.
  
     
   
She at least color coordinates...

Tables are Awesome!

 Hello, it’s been a while.  Had a lot going on with a semester ending, then another starting, then death in family and other life stuff. 
Recently, I completed a custom order for a local interior designer.  It’s a round dining table for the her customer’s guest house.


Classic 70’s or maybe 60’s?  Very solid with a leaf.  Reminds me of the Imperial Walkers from The Empire Strikes Back.  Wow.  That both dates me and makes me look like a geek. 
The client wanted the table to coordinate with the Annie Sloan Provence she had used on the kitchen cabinets.  I didn’t have Provence on hand, but came up with an extremely close match mixing Duck Egg Blue with some CeCe Caldwell Santa Fe Turquoise.  I think.  It’s been about a month.


Once again, I didn’t stage “after” shots.  Taken at the designer’s location.  Camera phone, nuf said.

The base color here is the Provence wanna be, then layered with white, distressed and waxed. 
Here is table set that is available right now at Two Women and a Warehouse in Savannah.  The backstory of the table is it is from Tennessee and over 75 years old.  I have had three of the chairs for about 14 years, the other (Eastlake style) is from a Tybee Island estate sale early this spring.

I normally cover seats in burlap, but went all out with real fabric for this one.



I love the detail in the table.  The chair on the left is a military task chair from the 40’s-it still has the tag on the bottom of the seat. 
Hubby is helping out a lot.  He is building custom farm table style occasional tables, coffee tables and sofa tables.  He wants to venture into custom farm tables, but hasn’t had the time to build a dining size one yet. 
Now, let’s go work some more before it’s time to make dinner and study!
Carol


Sharing at:
  

Revived Chest

I found this cedar lined chest at a yard sale back in, like, October.  It sat around in the apartment, was drug through the move, then had the pleasure of sitting in the workshop for about 3 months before I felt sorry enough for it to work on it.  I failed to get a picture of the top before starting to strip off the ugly.  Besides desecrating it with blue acrylic paint, someone added old fashioned “Americana” graphics on top.  I hope I don’t sound unpatriotic, but this was one instance of Americana that should not have occurred. 
      
After sanding, I realized that the blue was not coming off without more chemical stripping, which I prefer not to do.  So I made sure it was smooth and started painting.  Jump ahead, the painting, distressing and waxing completed.  Realize that it just doesn’t look right.  See the bottom trim in the left picture (lid is to the right in the pic)?  That should not sit directly on the floor, right?  So to the internet I went, armed with a pic of the manufacturer stamp on the inside lid. 

Well, found out that this chest originally came with 6 inch Queen Anne shape legs.  To the tune of one exactly like mine (well, with the original legs and minus the fabulous Americana paint job) in good shape was going for around $600 online.  I can’t believe someone did what they did to this chest.
So, the butt on the ground problem.  Do I replace the 6” legs?  Decided no.  Two words. Bun feet.  Hubby added bun feet and she was done!!

There she is!  Made the most of the icky blue paint and the roughness to create great texture and color layering.  The interior is in GREAT shape. She’s available at Two Women and a Warehouse on Bull Street, Savannah. 

For your amusement, here’s Mavi Kedi (aka CCITW) enjoying an open window…the wrong way.

Linking to:

Playing Catch-up!

Wow, it has been a while since a post.  Yeah.  I’ve had stuff, just like everyone has.  I’m not special and I won’t bore you with it.  I really need to share some furniture with you instead!
My friend (and picker) discovered three tables in one remote location in North Georgia back in the fall.  I didn’t even have room for these tables til we moved to the house in December.  Finally painted one of them for MY dining room.  That was first.  Of course, I had to pick the heaviest biggest of the three, but it is so similar to one in Resuscitation Restoration Hardware I couldn’t resist.

The center had a few chips in the veneer, but I can work with that.

 

Number one, I don’t tweak pictures…yet.  Heck, I’m lucky to take the darn things, so I’m not into computer manipulation right now.  Number two, please excuse the unpainted trim, unadorned window and the neat junk (that I took OFF the table to take the pic) in the sunroom.  I do have another café chair, but I was too lazy to retrieve it for the pic.  I had planned to have another chair to match the larger chair, but I sold the other one.  So that is my current dining table.  May keep it, may place it for sale in my booth at Two Women and a Warehouse on Bull Street.  We’ll see.
Here is another piece just finished up this weekend.  Hubby and I worked SO hard for like three days straight.  He had to go to work to get a break. Seriously, this wardrobe/dresser/armoire thing was soooo clean and in great shape with a rough finish.  I loooove rough finishes because they simply facilitate the look I want, so I dance when I find superficial water damage. 

And here is the after!

Just wanted to do a quick update and have quite a bit more to share...I'm getting so much better at remembering to take pictures!
Linking to:
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Such a CUTE table!

Okay, so let’s see how well this works.  Natalie over at Vintage Revivals said to try this Windows Live Writer, so I promptly downloaded it.  Way cool that you have SO many more fonts to choose from plus the fact you can watermark your pics way easier than that photoshop/painshop/whatever that just annoyed the heck out of me.  So I am experimenting with this post to see how well this thing works.
So this little table/desk is pretty old.  The veneer top had seen better days, which is probably obviously by the honking big wood filler patches clearly visible.


Well, I really like this table for some reason (and it’s not the big wad of gum I found underneath), so in the midst of moving/half demolishing and painting a kitchen, I found the time to work on him.  Why?  I REALLY needed some prep space in my kitchen, so he is serving proudly as my kitchen island at the moment.  Sadly, he is a  normal height table, which is actually to my detriment.  Need him to be taller.  I am thinking of how we could extend the legs without completely looking goofy, but haven’t figured that out yet. 


There is some lovely chippiness on the drawer front and the sides, purely by chance.  Well, not really by chance, but by the fact the I gunked up my sand paper on the orbital sander and that caused the nice chippys.  It’s all about technique, folks.

I don’t know why, but I love that big acrylic knob!  Looks cooler in person-you know what glare can do.  I used Aubusson Blue mixed with French Gray as the base with French Gray layered on top.  I don’t remember exactly how I did the top.  There is a two week blur…
Anyway, I finished him up with wax and he is taking a beating.  It’s really the only prep area I use right now.  Two months and the waxed top is holding up even with wiping and disinfecting.   I do use Melaleuca’s furniture polish occasionally, which is some good stuff. 
I would show the whole kitchen, but I want to at least get the trim painted, which has been on hold til Hubby got the replacement window in (which is done), but now I’m in grad school, so trim painting hasn’t been a priority, even though the paint waits patiently about 4 feet away.  Actually the WHOLE HOUSE needs trim painting done.  It’s all wood with varnish, poly or something.  It’s driving me nuts.  I may whip out the brush and tackle something this weekend.  Oh, and when I get the trim painted, then I can hang my curtains.  My lovely vintage muslin sheets that await my attention…I really hope Cutest Cat in the World (CCITW) doesn’t decide to practice her rock-climbing on them.
It’s pretty much spring here in Savannah.  Yeah-pollen hit a week ago.  I have a lone jonquil in bloom.  It’s lonely. 


Linking to>>>