True Confessions of a Lamp Lover

 

I have a fetish.  For lamps!  Lighting is so key to setting the feel in a room because it creates so much ambiance.  I even have a routine for when certain lamps are turned on in my house.  

 

Like furniture, old lamps can be recycled too.  The old ones are usually quite nice and solid, and heavy !  Like this one.

 

This is a big one!  For reference, that the covered BBQ in the background!

Nice lines.   Ugly finish. Nothing a little spray paint can’t handle!

 

Maybe a little sump’in else?

 

Silver Guilder’s Paste maybe?

The old shade seemed a little off scale.

 

How about a hand-tyed rag shade?

 

Despite the shadow in the pic, I like it!

From Yucky to Meh….Not too bad

 

When it comes to furniture I am all about curves.  I love ‘em!  I am not a fan of mid-century modern nor Eastlake.  That’s not to say that they aren’t nice but hard lines are not for me.

 

There is one ‘style’ (and I hesitate to use that word because it certainly is ‘stylish’) is 70’s chunky pine with a dark stain.  Like this…

 

Uh-uh-uh-ugly!  I would never have picked this up but it was dropped off in my driveway.  Free is good.  As I pondered how I would get rid of it, I thought that since it couldn’t look worse than it already did, I would play with it.  Out with the grey paint….

A little distressing.

A little better.

Add some appliques?

Hmmmmm……. I thought this one couldn’t be rescued but it’s not tooooo bad!

Beautiful Flow Blue

 

I am breaking away from my standard whites to play with Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint. 

Last summer I ordered the retailer starter kit and anxiously awaited it’s arrival.    Unfortunately for me, 2 days before it arrived I fell and sprained my ankle.  I was completely out of commission for 3 months.   Then along came winter, yada, yada……   So now I’m ‘playing’!

 

I can be a little color shy so I started out with a small piece.

 

So here I go again with no real before.  I had already sanded the top when I thought to get a picture.  I don’t know about anyone else but sometimes I get myself in a tizzy when choosing colors – it’s very annoying.  It’s not like I’m paint the Sistine chapel or anything.  Jeez. 

 

 

I opted to stain the top (dark walnut) and paint the rest in MMS Flow Blue.

What a gorgeous color!

Finished it up with some Hemp Oil.

 

Here it is installed in the shop.    The photo isn’t very good because the sun ‘got in the way’ but………

Spiffing Up a Silver Tray

 

I love silver.   I would pick it up whenever I came across it and have accumulated a few boxes.  Well, now it’s time to give it a little love.

 

So I pulled out this lovely, ornate tray and gave it a spray of white.  Then sanded the raised parts.  (Of course, no “Befores”, I’m working on that.)

 

I applied a graphic using the wax paper transfer method which can be a bit challenging.  Very slippy, slidey.    When I tried to apply the image the first time, I smeared it.   I quickly wiped it off and tried again.  Success.  I then let it sit for two days thinking it would ‘set’.  Not so.  It was still wet.  What now?  I had some Mod Podge spray sealant so I applied several very, very light coats.  (If you use this, make sure you use it outside.  It is the most toxic smelling stuff ever.  Effective but smelly.)

 

I used a final coat of clear spray and voila!

Weekend Finds

 

Since I seem to repeatedly lose or forget to take before pictures, I’m trying a new approach.  I’ll take pics of the items when I find them.  Then I’ll have a record.   Which may also serve as a way of guilting me in to dealing with things in a more timely manner.

 

A quick, last minute jaunt into thriftland on Saturday yielded these…

 

Matching deco side tables (probably part of an old vanity)

 

…..and a sweet little bench.  Love the detailing!    They’re usually pretty plain.

With the weather starting to cool, I hope to at very least deal with their ‘issues’ (like lifting veneer) soon.  Let’s see how I make out.

Chair, Fabric & Chalk Paint

 

At this time of year, with summer fading away, I like to prep a few things for a time when it becomes impossible to work outside.  I have a million projects going at a time with glue & clamps, sanding & priming, etc.   Nothing finished.  Just waiting their turn for love and beauty shots.  Then, when their turn comes up, I have no before pics because I took them so long ago.

Sometimes I get tired of looking at all the unfinished projects and decide to tackle one.  Out of the blue, I feel the urge to do an itty bitty project and get it done lickety split.  Usually I can cherry pick something in the garage.

 

One night last week I went out to the garage to get something in the fridge and spotted a chair that needed love.  No sanding (good thing because using an electric sander at 11 o’clock at night is kind of “frowned upon” in the ‘hood.   I’m OK with it but…..)  So I gave it a quick coat of spray paint and took the seat in.

The first layer of fabric was easy to remove.  There were very few staples and …..masking tape(!) holding the fabric in place.  I could tell that there was at least one other layer under the 1st.   I anticipated a few hours spent prying out staples and tacks.

 

My to my surprise, the next layer was in very good condition!  That never, ever, ever happens!  An off white with a little texture.  The perfect candidate for attempting to paint the fabric with chalk paint.

 

First coat of Paris Grey using a water dipped brush and then dipped in paint.

After a second touch up coat.

             

A little silver guilder’s paste on the curlicue on the back.

 

I’m going to run it into the shop to go with a desk that is already there.

They make a purty pair don’t you think?

Chunky Monkey!

 

As I sat writing my last post it was raining and drizzly.   I was sitting at my desk which overlooks the backyard.  At a distance I noticed something creeping across the yard towards one of my little garden boxes.  It disappeared for a second and then plunked itself in my zucchini bed!

 

The next thing I see is zucchini leaves flailing about  and a groundhog going to town!  I was going to run out to shoo it away but before I did I grabbed my camera and took a picture through the window (through the screen).

 

There he is on the left side board having lunch!  Chunky monkey!  Cheeky too!

 

By the time I got outside, she/he had left the scene of the crime.

With a full belly I’d say!

Grey & White Love!

Imagine a lovely, curvy French provincial side table from the 70’s in all it’s dark wood splendor……unfortunately you will have to imagine it because I don’t know what I did with the pics.  Again!

 

Whenever I shop the hardware stores I check out the “Oops” paint.  It’s hit or miss.   While shopping at Lowes last week I came across a gallon of grey.  It was so light that I had to compare it to a white color card to see if it was really grey.  It was!  Just a whisper of grey (called Bay Waves).  Sold.  Not only was it $10 a gallon, when I took it to the register it qualified for a $5 rebate – awesome!

I painted the “frame” and legs in the grey.  It still looked almost white.

Taped off the center sections of the table and drawer and painted those white.

Now it shows!

The handles were painted white then highlighted with silver guilding paste.

 

Waxed and ready to go.

Installed in the shop.

 

I have a feeling there will be a lot of grey furniture in the coming days.   This table barely made a dent in the gallon!