DIY THURSDAY: REUPHOLSTERED DINING CHAIRS & A FEW NEW PURCHASES!

Ok ya’ll, let me start by stating: I am NOT a professional reupholsterer by any means. In fact, this was my very first attempt at reupholstering and, well, it isn’t my best work. But luckily, I practiced with very inexpensive drop cloth so…no harm no foul! And practice does make perfect, right?

So with that said, let me share with you my perfectly imperfect dining chairs!

I had been in search of new dining chairs for over a year when I discovered these chairs in the hands of a dealer and friend that I work with. Needless to say, I immediately fell in love – they were exactly what I was looking for! She had two of them in her space and when I sputtered my love for them, she mentioned that she just so happened to have two more in storage – SCORE! I snagged all four of them for an exceptional deal and went home a very happy camper indeed (thanks Ellen!!).

I painted two of them fairly quickly, in my go-to ASCP Old White, but they then sat around for a while as I got up the nerve to replace the stuffing and reupholster the seat. Let me tell you, it looks exceptionally easy but after pulling out hundreds of old, rusty staples, you’ll think otherwise!

I had a bit of trouble with 1. cutting the thick foam stuffing, so the seat corners ended up much more squared than rounded and 2. properly folding the drop cloth around those edges, so I simply folded the whole thing just like I would wrap a package. Whatever works, right?!

I have now finished two of them, have another painted and waxed and ready for reupholstering (waiting as I once again get up the nerve!), and one more needing the complete works.

Perhaps guests should think twice before sitting at my dining table…between seatless chairs and large dogs under the table, it could be dangerous!

But it’s coming together, slowly but surely!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I also recently snagged a few pieces that didn’t need the slightest bit of upcycling (which makes me very happy!):

Ok, the mirror needs upcylcing, but the pie safe is pristine!

I had absolutely no intention of purchasing any furniture on my most recent thrifting trip – I have so many projects in the works that I’m already up to my ears! But when I came across this pie safe, I just couldn’t resist. Not only was it in perfect vintage condition, it was something I had every intention of keeping for myself. And when it was offered to me at an incredibly lowball price, I knew it was meant to be. I can’t wait to fill it with more ironstone!!

Next, I can’t say enough about a little town called Farmville, about an hour South of Charlottesville (VA). If you’re looking for furniture, this is THE place to go! In search of a new rug for the library and a glider for the nursery, my husband and I browsed through 12 warehouses and 700,000 square feet of showroom space that is Green Front Furniture. And holy moly! We ended up spending thousands of dollars and came home not only with exactly what we were looking for, but also a couple pieces that we weren’t. Like the leather chair you see next to the pie safe in the picture above (my husband is a very happy man!), and this guy…

It’s the perfect industrial-rustic touch for the library (aka Man Room).

With all these purchases, I think I’m going to need a bigger house soon!

NESTING & NURSERY PROGRESS!

Well hello my friends – I can’t believe it’s been a month since I last blogged! (Time flies when you’re having fun). Yes, I’ve been in full nesting mode and have been working on a handful of projects that I’m excited to share with you.

First, I have finally made progress on the nursery! You see, I’ve had an idea in my head from the moment I realized I was expecting, but have been dreading the process of actually bringing it to reality – specifically, the painting process. Sure, I do paint for a living, but painting multiple stripes on multiple walls does not sound the slightest bit appealing to me. Add to that a 100 year old home with crooked walls and floors and it’s a recipe for disaster!

But one rainy day I decided to go for it – if it didn’t work out I could just paint over it, right? And after much measuring, taping (a roll and a half of frog tape, to be exact!), and more than a few hissy fits, things finally began to take shape…

(ps…I love, love, LOVE this diaper bag I got from Skip Hop!)

A day and a half later, the straight-ish lines were complete and the crib put together…

And now comes the fun part – the details! I can’t wait to start shopping for the baby blankets, artwork, and pops of color…10 more days until I find out the gender!!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Obviously, I’ve had baby on the brain, but I have also managed to complete a few projects not at all baby related.

Like this dresser that sold in less than a day, and it’s now very lonely counterpart…

Or this outdoor table (built by my wonderful husband) that I painted in ASCP Old White and stained using an aged vinegar and steel wool mixture…

Thank goodness I put on multiple layers of spar urethane before the downpour! Now to purchase new chairs….

And as usual, I have a few other projects that I’m working on simultaneously that I hope to finish after this non-stop rain!

With a little help from the dogs, of course!

But back to baby….almost 21 weeks (on Wednesday)!

Obviously this was taken on a productive painting day!

DIY THURSDAY: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STRIPES.

A few weeks ago, I purchased my very first quart of CC Caldwell’s chalk/clay paint. I’ve been anxious to try it and compare it to Annie Sloan as I heard there were a few noticeable differences. So I picked up a beautiful shade of Green (Tundra Green) and waited for the perfect project to begin my experiment.

When I stumbled upon this adorable antique dresser while browsing Craigslist, I knew it had to be mine. I loved the original castors, the lines, and the engraved detail and immediately envisioned what I was going to do with it – it would look beautiful in a tundra shade of green!

Of course, in my excitement, I forgot to take before pics but the gal I purchased it from was kind enough to email me one of the pictures she had posted on Craigslist.

So on the first good weather day (what is going on with all this rain ya’ll?!), I went to work. As I began applying the CC Caldwell paint, the first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t quite as chalky as the Annie Sloan paint. CC’s is also a noticeably darker shade when wet (due to the clay in it) so you can easily see how quickly it is drying. This may initially freak you out as it did me – your masterpiece will look awful and quite blotchy until the paint is fully dry!

As I continued painting multiple coats, I also happily noticed the lack of odor in the CC paint. Don’t get me wrong, Annie Sloan paints have little odor but it seems to be non-existent in the CC paints! For a pregnant woman, this was a huge plus.

Once I painted on several coats of tundra green, I realized that the dresser needed just a little more oomph. So I pulled out my measuring tape and frog tape, and taped away. For the stripes, I fell back onto my beloved Old White (Annie Sloan). And what a difference the stripes made!

Not the best picture – taken with my phone….

Once the piece was fully dry, I lightly distressed with 180-grit sandpaper, and began waxing. Now, I have used multiple waxes, from Minwax to Miss Mustard Seed Beeswax, to Annie Sloan’s waxes. So I thought I’d give the CC Caldwell wax a try this time around and I must say, I wasn’t disappointed! The can could be a little wider in order to fit in a wax brush, but instead I just used a cloth and it went on nice and light – not streaky at all. And again, there was practically no odor! As you put on the wax, you’ll notice the paint become a darker shade, but again, once it is dry it will go right back to its original color so don’t freak out!

To be quite honest with you, I’m not the biggest fan of the Annie Sloan wax, although I use it often. It’s a little too gloppy and…waxy for me. It seems to streak just a little more than some others. Plus, there is most definitely an odor with the Annie Sloan wax. So far, my favorites have been the MMS wax and now, CC Caldwell’s. Both go on incredibly smooth, have very little odor, and leave a nice streak free sheen. But to each there own!

And voila, after a little buffing of the wax, the dresser was complete:

Yep, it’s definitely all about that stripes. This lovely dresser is now in the shop so stop on by 7572 Greenwood Station Rd. in Greenwood, VA (540-456-4681) if interested!

DIY THURSDAY: GLAMOUR WITH A VINTAGE TWIST

I’m actually super excited to share my most recent DIY with you today. I veered a bit from the norm, took a risk, and think it turned out amazingly (if I do say so myself…). As mentioned, it sold in a single day so I must have done something right!

As soon as I saw this piece, I fell in love with it. The faux marble top wasn’t ideal, of course, but I loved the lines and at 60% off, I just couldn’t turn it down! So I lugged it home with a few other goodies and immediately began my grand plans…

Now, I’m typically inspired by the clean, crisp whiteness of a room, but lately my eye has been drawn to bold, jewel tones and pops of color. Like these lovely interiors:

Perhaps it’s the thought of warmth and sun and clear, blue skies, but cobalt has become quite the favorite color of mine. Pair it with a deep, glossy black and you have instant glamour! So with the thought of adding a little glamour into my own life, with a vintage twist, I went to work…

First, I sanded down the top and wiped down the table to remove the dust and grit. I then painted the entire piece in Annie Sloan’s Graphite and allowed it to dry for a day. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures in my excitement so I ask that you use your imagination!

Once the base layer was dry and settled, I brushed on a layer of Martha Stewart’s crackle medium (available at Michael’s). This is a medium you apply between layers of contrasting colors, and I was not shy in my application – I ended up using the entire bottle! Per the instructions, I allowed the medium to fully dry and then began painting my final layer. For the base, I used Valspar’s Fjord Blue in satin and for the top, I used Valspar’s Kettle Black in semi-gloss.

On a side note, there were actually quite a few things I was nervous about during this whole process: 1) how the crackle would turn out as I had never used the Martha Stewart brand before…if the crackle was too small, you wouldn’t be able to see the Graphite Black underneath, and if the crackle was too large, it would simply look like a big mistake! 2) If I went with too much gloss for the table top. I wanted it to look slightly muted with the Graphite black showing though from the crackle, but it could easily turn out looking like a bad paint job. 3) If I chose the right blue to contrast the black. I’ll let you be the judge…

Once the final layer was dry, I sanded the entire piece, used a bit of gold leafing (also available at Michael’s) to add that little touch of detail (which I also very lightly sanded), and finally, I gave the table a nice protective sheen using Annie Sloan’s clear wax.

Voila! You’ve got yourself some vintage glamour, baby!

What do you think…a little too much or just right?

IN THE WORKS…

Today is a day that makes me feel as though Spring is right around the corner. Unfortunately, come tomorrow, temps are going to drop again, but a girl can dream can’t she?!

With a studio that lacks heat, and the lack of a garage or basement, I have to take advantage of days like today (paint doesn’t work too well in temps less than 45 degrees!). With that said, I hope to finish at least one of these projects I have in the works…

Set of 4 cane back chairs needing a new paint job and reupholstering.

A game table.

A lovely vintage mirror.

And a soon-to-be fabulous console table!

The chairs I will actually be keeping for myself, but once finished, the rest of the pieces will be on sale at Greenwood Antiques!

First come, first serve ya’ll!

A FARM TABLE + CHIPPY WOOD PANELS = A VERY HAPPY WIFE!

Ack! I was having a few computer/internet issues yesterday and quickly gave up on writing a post before I tore all of my hair out. But for today, my laptop is back up and running – I pray to the computer gods that it lasts just a little while longer!

So, over the weekend my husband and I drove out to the quaint town of Orange, about 30 minutes outside of Charlottesville, to pick up a farm table that I had found on Craigslist. And let me tell you my friends, it was a steal! Unfortunately, I don’t have photos as it is currently in pieces in the back of my husband’s car, but I can’t wait to put a paintbrush to it.

Currently, the table looks a little something like this:

I’m not quite sure on what look to go for, however, and would love some input! Here are a few options:

Natural wood top and distressed grey base.

Shabby chic white.

Stained top, white base.

Or stained top, and base with a nice pop o’ color!

I’d love to take a vote and hear your thoughts!

While in Orange, my husband and I also stopped by an architectural salvage shop called Salvage Wrights and let me tell you, if you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping by! It was  like stepping foot into a little piece of heaven. Weathered wood, chippy paint, shabby shutters, old barn doors, oh my! And the prices are really quite reasonable.

In the midst of looking for a barn door to replace our bathroom door with, I came across some fabulously chippy wood that had come from a patio ceiling of a 1910 farmhouse (and here is an interesting fact: did you know that patio ceilings are often painted sky blue to prevent wasps from nesting? Apparently, the wasps actually believe it to be the sky and will nest elsewhere. I may have to give this a try!). Each panel was 7’ long and there were dozens of them. And at $.50 per linear foot, I couldn’t say no! So I piled 10 boards on top of the farm table and went home a very happy wife.

The very next day, in our excitement, my husband and I threw together a frame fashioned from two of the chippy panels. Here’s a little sneak peak:

This guy will soon become a perfectly chippy chalkboard (and will be for sale in my Greenwood retail space) – tutorial coming Thursday!

DIY THURSDAY: CHECKERS ANYONE?

Happy Thursday my dear friends! I just finished a fun little something this afternoon that I’m anxious to show off…

(Don’t worry – this is the before picture!)

I picked up this table months ago and as I tend to do, left it neglected in a far corner of the house until I felt the creative motivation to actually do something with it. I finally felt the motivation yesterday, and with a very vague idea in mind, went to work.

It’s difficult to tell the exact size of the table from the picture above, but it’s actually quite odd – too small to be an end table and too big and bulky to be a plant stand or miscellaneous corner table….what in the world was I to do with it?

The line detail on the top of the table gave me the idea to transform this awkward little thing into a checker board table. Without a color scheme in mind, I started off by painting the entire piece in white – my go-to color when I’m at a loss and without a strategy. I suppose it just gives me that blank canvas I need to get the creative juices (hopefully) flowing!

Once the piece was nice and white, I measured the top, calculated the measurements so my checker board would be evenly centered (3” from each edge), and then created a 12×12 square in the center, marking each individual square at 1.5”. I then taped away using Frog Tape – my first time using this particular brand and it really does work far better than the usual blue painter’s tape. I highly recommend!

Once the piece was taped to my liking, I decided to paint one set of squares in Annie Sloan’s “Louis Blue” while leaving the other set white, which also meant that I would have to repaint the current white border in a contrasting color…

So with a bit more taping, re-taping, and more than a few disgruntled moments, I finished painting all of the squares to my liking and created a custom light grey for the border, which I also used to paint the rest of the table.

After a bit of distressing and detailing, I’m actually happy with the finished product!

The perfect little game table. Now I just need to find (or make) complementing checker pieces! Any ideas?
LINKED TO:

A STUDIO, A SHED, & A SHAMELESS PLUG

When I first began writing this blog, just a few of months ago, I was on a desperate search for a studio, as you may have seen from this post. Not just any studio, mind you, but a space so full of vintage character and industrial charm that simply stepping foot into it would transform me into a state of inspired bliss.

And for a brief second, I actually thought I found it; obviously, the space was being used for storage, but try to imagine it as a blank canvas…

(note the list of dates on the building – these are flood lines! The James River is just a block away…now with a well-built levy, of course.)

Oh, be still my heart! The distressed brick and original wood beamed ceiling (the track lighting is an added bonus!) makes my heart go pitter-patter. The only downfall: location, location, location! While located in the heart of Scottsville (about 20 minutes from Charlottesville), the heart of Scottsville consists of half a block of storefront…and nothing else. Beyond this is farmland, a few gas stations, and a dollar store.

Of course, despite this one, huge downfall, my heart was still set on this little building, but being a bit risk adverse, I decided to test the market with a 12×12 space at an antique mall down the road first. And for once, I can actually say that I made the smart move.

Yep, I sold next to nothing and my little dream of becoming a shop owner went straight to the gutter.

Now, I haven’t fully given up on this dream, but I have become slightly more realistic with it. Rather than jumping headfirst into the unknown, I’m taking baby steps. First things first: find a space to store my pieces!

I’m in the process of closing my little 12×12 nook in Scottsville, which means that all my vintage and furniture items will be finding their way back into my home…

…but have I mentioned to you the lack of storage space in my house? No attic, no basement, no garage, and a shed the size of a hobbit’s home (or a Mattie-Lu size pup…):

It’s cute (the shed and the pup) but the lawnmower and garden tools already fill the shed to the brim!

So, I’ve decided to build a new one. And amazingly, my husband actually agrees with me! We’ll be keeping the shed you see above – possibly converting a portion of it into a chicken coop (more on this later…) – and will build an additional studio shed in the far left corner of the yard. Here are just a few ideas…(click on the below pictures for link to original source)

(I’d build a one level extension to this on the right side, but I love the idea of having a portion of the shed two levels to create a loft space feel.)

We are debating whether to go with the rustic vibe (my husband’s idea) similar to the shed we currently have, or the glam cottage style (my idea…). What do you think?

Lastly, when finished closing up Scottsville shop, I will be reopening my Etsy shop – this is where the shameless plug occurs. Please keep your eyes peeled for the Grand Reopening! Here are just a few items you will be able to find in my shop:

Refinished drum table with matching parfait chairs.

1965 military issued bookshelf (refinished) and misc. vintage items.

Refinished wicker-back French provincial chair.

Cute little copper pot!

Lots and lots of sheet music…

A chippy turquoise chair.

And much, much more. If you are interested in any of the items listed above, feel free to shoot me an email and we can make arrangements.

Cheers!

DIY THURSDAY: DRUM TABLE REDO

Despite the dirt and grime, the broken drawer, the surface scratches, and the overall hideousness of this piece, I knew it had potential as soon as I saw it. I happily dished over the pocket change that made it mine, and went to work on it a few days later.

I rarely know exactly what I’m going to do with a piece of furniture when I begin. I simply wipe it down, start sanding it, and let the grain of the wood, angles, and grooves speak to me along the way. Of course, sometimes I don’t listen well enough, or at all, and the project ends up turning into a bit of a disaster! But these disasters, while sometimes time consuming, have always been recoverable – so far…

When I started sanding the top of this drum table (with an electric hand sander), I realized the wood was actually quite nice! At this point, I knew I wanted to fully sand the top down to its original state and leave it (mostly) as is from there.

Once I finished sanding the top, I starting painting the base with Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in Old White. Now, I’d be pretty darn surprised if you haven’t yet heard of this paint, but if you haven’t, it’s definitely a must have! Not only is it perfect for that old-world and distressed appearance, it is easy to use and requires no sanding or priming of the furniture beforehand! Yep, you heard me – you can slop it right on top of any old paint or veneer and viola! You’ve magically transformed that grimy piece of furniture.

After the white base coat, I knew I wanted to add a pop of color and depth to the piece. A vibrant, cornflower blue came to mind, but somehow my husband convinced me to go with a green. Here it is after one layer of Annie Sloan’s Antibes Green and a bit of hand-distressing with 180 grit sandpaper…

Eek! Hideous right?! Yeah, I should have gone with my gut…

With that said, I repainted the base with 2 layers of Old White, and then mixed a custom blue with Annie’s Louis Blue and Old White and painted 2 more layers…

A little better, eh? You may notice in the above picture the drawer laying next to the table. You may also notice this drawer is missing the back slat. To fix this, I simply purchased a small slat from Lowes, cut it down to size with my Dremel, and nailed the slat right into the slide slats. Piece of cake!

To darken the top very slightly, I added a layer of Annie Sloan’s dark wax directly to the wood to give it a light stain. I did this in very small increments, and quickly wiped on and even more quickly wiped off. Now, I ‘m not quite sure how kosher this actually is, as you’re technically supposed to put down a topcoat of clear wax before using the dark wax, but I like to experiment a little. The dark wax looked a little too dark to me, so I put down a coat of clear wax to pick up and remove some of that dark wax. Again, a quick wipe on and wipe off process. The top still wasn’t quite to my liking so I very, very lightly white-washed it with Old White, and removed most of the paint with a wet washcloth to leave only a light hint of white in the crevices. Much better!

FINALLY, I did another and very light coat of dark wax over the base, and finished with a final coat of clear wax. Here it is all done…!

What do you think?

PS….The bistro chairs you see were painted to match, but I’ll share that in another post!

PARTIES I HAVE LINKED TO:

DIY THURSDAY: WINDOWS GALORE!

I admit, I have a small obsession with old, chippy windows. They’re just so versatile and irresistible! With a little creativity and TLC, you can transform these suckers into anything your mind can conjure…

I have quite a few old windows sitting around my house as we speak, most still needing that extra TLC, but I have managed to put my handiwork on a few of them…

This little guy, for example, was found at my local Habitat store, an excellent source for windows, doors, and shutters on the cheap! It was a little less chippy than I would ideally go for, but the shape, size, and price caught my eye, and I was certain I could put it to good use.

It took a bit of scrubbing and sanding to get it good and clean (*it’s actually quite important to remove the loose paint on old windows and other architectural pieces, particularly if you have children, as this paint could be lead-based. And make sure you wear a mask while doing it!) but once I got it to my liking, I pulled out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and went to work.

I painted the base in Paris Grey and then dry-brushed with Old White – these are actually my 2 favorite base colors to use because they are so adaptable to the other colors! The piece was then sealed with Minwax wax in Natural and left to cure for the day.

This is a picture of the base coat, pre dry-brushing and waxing.

The following day, I nagged asked my husband to break out his circular saw (which, as quite a klutz, I am too afraid to use) to cut to size an old, weathered board that had been stashed behind the shed by the previous owners of the home….yep, there was a goldmine of old, weathered boards that I had discovered shortly after moving in, and it makes me even more certain that this home and I were meant to be!

And with a handful of screws and a few small hooks, the piece was complete:

What do you think? Here are a few more of my window creations….

Window mirrors!

Window chalkboard!

Window holiday décor!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there, get yourself a window, and get creative!