Nouveau Trumeau Mirror

Gotta love Craigslist!  I picked up this mirror with matching bench this summer.

It was a 40 minute drive.  When I saw I liked the shape and condition but the finish was yucky.  Hand painted flowers that were raised (relief) and would require sanding to get rid of them.  Since it wasn’t a simple “paint and done” project, I offered the seller a bit less than she was asking and that kind of put her in a snit.  She said I should have told her before.  Huh?  How could I tell her anything before I saw the piece?   In any case, I ended up getting for what I offered.  End of that.

I removed the medallion at the top part and sanded away.  (No pics – I was busy!)

All painted in ASCP Paris Grey with wood applique painted gold.  Then waxed.

 

The bench received the same love.

And….tada!

Let There Be Light!

I love lamps!  I picked up a pair at a yard sale a few weeks ago.  The finish was dated but the “bones” were good.  They are nice and heavy but the finish was dated.

Nothing a little paint can’t fix.

Sprayed with grey paint. 

Then for a little more interest, I did somewhat of a whitewash with gesso.  It toned down the paint and added a little depth.

The original shades were definitely not a match for the lamps so I bought shades and added a beaded trim.

Installed in the shop!

Updating a Curio

I picked up this curio cabinet last Saturday at an estate sale on Cape Cod. 

It was in excellent condition but the golden oak had to go! 

Nothing a little white paint (Chantilly Lace) and toile can’t cure.

The original applique was kind of blah…..so I changed that too.  Something more in keeping with the with toile.

Already installed in the shop.

   Gotta love a quick flip!

Whispers of Color

Although I love color, I use a lot of white paint.  (Not because I don’t love color.  Because I do!)  White just seems to sell quicker.  But who can resist the “oops” paint section at the hardware store? 

I picked up this “whisper” color and went to work as soon I got home.  Just a touch of minty blue/green.  In fact, when I was painting in the dark garage it appeared to be a shade of white…until I took it outside and added the white handles. 

Since it was rather plain, I also added the appliques to spiff it up a bit.

The mirror and dresser were not a set but I think they are a good match.

It won’t be long before I look at these pictures longingly…..wishing the snow would go away!  For now, I’ll enjoy these days that Mother Nature has blessed us with.

 

Linking up with Making Broken Beautiful

Pretty in Pink

I had this deco dresser sitting in my garage without it’s partner mirror.

It was missing handles and lots of peeling veneer. 

Why oh why did they ever used veneer escapes me.  More often than not the wood underneath is every bit as nice… with a little sanding of course.  Veneer is a bugger to repair!

The back was warped so it had to be replaced. The original mirror sat in a recessed part on the top but the mirror that I chose to use with it had to sit on the top so I had to use a piece of wood to fill in the recess.

I tried Rustoleum’s new “chalky” paint on this.  Love the color!

New pulls and it’s good to go!

P.S.  The color is true in the close up not this photo.

Linking up with Making Broken Beautiful

Am I Nuts?

ar·moire

ärmˈwär,ˈärmˌwär/

noun

noun: armoire; plural noun: armoires

1. a wardrobe or movable cabinet, typically one that is ornate or antique.

That’s the definition of armoire.  Sounds fancy right?

Antique = check!  Movable = check!  Fancy = possible!

With a toooooooooon of work!  Peeling veneer might just be the bane of my existance!  Sometimes I might just be my own worst enemy.

Ahoy Navy!

I love white but it can become booooooring to do one piece after another in white.  Granted I do have several ‘go to’ whites (Woohoo!  How wild am I?)  but sometimes I just need to change things up.  So I cracked open some ASCP in Napoleonic Blue.  Gorgeous color!

No “before”, only a “during”.  A golden oak commode.  And I do mean golden.  Nothing a little sanding and stain + paint can’t fix!

Dark Walnut Howard’s “Restore a Finish” for the top.   Clear and dark wax over the paint.  Gold acrylic for the pulls.  Et voila!