Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Little Black....Desk

When I found this little desk it was in sad shape, just begging for a makeover. You probably can't tell from the pic but the top was covered in crayon, markers, finger nail polish, tape, and some unknown substance that I refuse to think too hard about.  And, just for the record, one of my goals is to hunt down the person that invented those wing backed plates (and not so I can tell him thanks!)....



Before




After








I love these crystal knobs.  Simple but upscale at the same time.














Is it funny that after painting so much black two weeks ago I was ready for color, and after painting so many colors last week it was fun to paint this one black?  The grass is always greener....  :)

White Antique Dresser

I've developed a thing for antique dressers.  Love the lines, the details, the legs, the hardware...This one is replacing this monstrous wardrobe (which ended up being too big) for a little girl.





Before



 After




















 She loved these knobs (what's not to love?), so we used them again.



 Love a chest of drawers on taller legs....someday I will have one of my own. :)











I still love the look of a classic white!


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Antique side table and a lesson


 This little table came to me with two different colors already on it.  The second coat was peeling in spots so I thought I could just lightly sand it in the spots it wasn't peeling and sand off the parts that were.  Well, when I painted over it (6 coats! because of the color) it looked fine until I started distressing it and then the second layer of paint started peeling off leaving the first coat exposed (it was pink) underneath.  I ended up having to strip it (which I should have just done in the first place).  About an hour into stripping it I wanted to cry.  It was a mess!!  I had 8 layers of paint, 3 different colors, and the stripper which was drying up faster than I could get it off.  It looked impossible and I was ready to call my friend and tell her I would just pay her for the table.  I finally decided I would just work on it one small part at a time.  It took me hours and hours but I finally got it down to where I could sand it down to the bare wood.  So, I was back to square one--primed, painted, distressed, and sealed.  

The point of me writing this book?  Do it right the first time!  :)

I also realized we're a lot like this little old table...that's a thought for another day...

By the way--the first color I painted this was called Forceful Orange.  It certainly was.  When I couldn't stomach looking at it for more than 2 minutes at a time I knew I had to change it (and it didn't really fit the personality of the wonderful woman it belongs to!).  


Before



 After

Oh, she's so sweet and sunny now! :)



 Instead of painting the whole thing orange (like the disaster the first time) I opted for a rust colored primer, so when I distressed just the very edges had that nice contrast.












I loved all the dents, dings, and other imperfections of this little table--so charming. 


color = White Raisin SW




Navy Coffee Table

Another great little coffee table from my friend! :)  At first when she told me she wanted it navy blue I was a little skeptical, but it turned out to be a beauty.   I can still be surprised! 


 Before




 After









Am loving these legs and this color!!



















When I first saw this top you couldn't even tell it had any grain to the wood because of the old finish.  After sanding it and staining it I loved the warmth of the wood--so pretty, and I love the tone of the wood with the blue.


color = Indigo Batik SW
stain = Special Walnut Minwax



Coffee/side tables

My client picked these two end tables and coffee table up for cheap!  Love that.  But, she didn't really like them.   Don't love that.  So, they ended up in my shop.  Love that. 

They have a great shape.  Even Craig said he liked how chunky they were! :o  But, her furniture is a little darker and she didn't like the reddish tone to the wood.  

Sorry, the after shots aren't so great cuz I had to get them off my phone, send them to FB, and then upload them to the blog...yah.





Before


 After



 Blurry, but you get the idea.  They look really sharp now with the dark wood tops and black on the bottom.







The tops look awesome.  Love how the pieced it together so the grains are running different directions.

She said her husband even loved them, so that's a bonus in my book. ;) 


Thursday, May 31, 2012

Wardrobe

Ok, I must admit, I nicknamed this one "the beast".  It's absolutely, ginormously (don't you just love that word?!), HUGE!  It's over 6 feet tall and about 4wide.  Imagine the square footage of storage in this baby.  I love that it's a hand-made piece of furniture and that it has that feeling to it.  My hubby added shelves on the inside for her and I gave her some fun knobs to break up all that white.  

 Before



 After



 Ania picked these out and I <3 them





This ended up being too big for my client's space so it is:

SOLD
asking $170 or make a reasonable offer


Desk Redo

My client was looking for something to use as a vanity.  I saw this little desk and thought it would be perfect.  She said she liked the look of  this dresser, but wanted to incorporate lime green somehow.  Of course, I loved that idea!  

 Before



 After




am in love with the hardware--sometimes I think that's my favorite part!













Seriously so cute! 




















I love the old look of the paint, the new look of the hardware, and the vintage feel of the fabric all together.  





color = custom color 
fabric = HL
knobs = HL