I am just getting over a case of shingles (half of people that get shingles are under 60 and if you've had chickenpox you have a 1 in 3 chance of developing them sometime in your lifetime). My doctor said they are brought on by stress and low immune system. I decided to make a change and to quit taking custom work for a while. I love doing it but it can be very stressful, especially when I have so much of it that nothing else gets done (which is exactly what was happening).
So, I made the decision (which is huge for me because I have a very hard time saying no) and by golly I was going to stick to my guns...
UNTIL...
Little Ms Michele shows up in my driveway with the cutest little beastie hanging out of the trunk of her car. How in the world could I say no to that?!! I just love her to pieces, too, so we talked over what she wanted and I totally and completely caved....again.
But, it's a good thing because I am so thrilled with how it turned out and so is she, so it was a
WIN WIN! :)
BEFORE (kind of)
I had already started sanding the top down. You can't see in this pic but it has 3 big cracks on the left side of the top. She liked how rustic the rest of it looked and I told her then why not just accept it for what it is and we'll just roll with it. :)
It's all oak and it was pretty dry so the grain was even more open than oak usually is. I knew it would be perfect for a very "used" look.
AFTER
I've been dying to use a new color I got from Farrow & Ball. It's Chappel Green and it's a lovely shade of blue/green.
It seriously is the sweetest little thing!
She is using it in her bathroom and has another barnboard cabinet, so we decided a dark stained top was too formal. She loved how the wood looked worn out. It does have so much character! So, I sanded it down, but not too perfectly and then just gave it three coats of Varathane in satin. It compliments the shape of the piece, the color, and the distressing so well!
This pic is pretty accurate for the color. I distressed it a bit heavier, in keeping with the feel of the piece. We were going to keep the original knobs, but when my hubby was trying to fix the one in broke completely in two so I substituted these cute things. I like how they mimicked wood.
It'll be time to plant flowers soon here! Can't wait!
You'll be seeing this color again soon!
:)
:)
Hope you are recovering well...you certainly are refinishing amazingly well! ;)
ReplyDeleteDear Lisa - my little sister had nasty shingles on her chest and belly when she was young in college - it truly can happen to anyone at anytime. I know really KNOW how much it can hurt. I do hope you stick to the promise you made to your good health and slow down a bit. Though looks as though Michele reeled you in. I can't lie I love her name and the way she spells it : - ) the French way! And, well, this table rocks and so does the color and all the decisions you made. It is AWESOME and we're all happy you did. But please, take care - we want lots and lots more beauties from you, but willing to wait it out for sure.
ReplyDeleteWell done, it looks stunning, big surprise there, huh? Hugs. Get well soon.
~~ The "other" Michele
Beautiful....lovely color
ReplyDeleteLovely! Lovely! But do take it easy. My mom had shingles and it was horrible. You poor thing. Spoil yourself and take it extra slow. :)
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you were sick! Hope you are feeling better. Despite being sick, you've done a beautiful job on the table. Great choice on keeping the wood light, goes well with the blue!
ReplyDeleteLisa, I has shingles last year and it is not fun, very painful, you take care of you. I think this is an amazing piece. I certainly did not see what you saw when I first looked at it and that is why you do what you do and I admire your talent and work. I have some talent but not like this...Good job. It is lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt is just beautiful. That shade of teal, or blue-green or whatever the paint people are calling it is everywhere in the magazines this season. I can see why it is one of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteThe top in its natural shade is the icing on the cake though it makes the base colour stand out rather than hinder. Bravo.
Susan