Thursday, August 30, 2012

Furniture Projects: Bedside Table

This little bedside table came to me via a friend who was cleaning out her teenage son's room:
It was part of a set, along with a matching daybed that I turned into this:

But the end table sat forgotten in my garage for about a year until I needed more furniture for my booth at Oregon Street Antique Mall and went desperately poking around, looking for something to paint!

I decided on pale blue:
 added some numbers:
and knobs I found at a Habitat for Humanity store.
A really cute piece for a child's room.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Furniture Project: Blue and White Chairs

Thrifting with my daughter-in-law one day, we ran across these cute chairs:


 Granted, they need some work, but they have good lines and were in good condition, just a bit dated.

 
 I ripped off the fabric and painted them a soft white. I had a fabric in mind, but when I went to the fabric store, they didn't have it. So I found a couple others I thought would work.


The chairs sat in my living room for a couple of days like this while I decided which fabric to use. I would walk by on my way outside and think, "Definitely the blue one"; then I would walk back inside and pass the chairs again a few minutes later and think, "No, I think the yellow is better".


Finally I chose the blue, partly because I realized I wanted to use the other on a black chair.


I think I made the right choice!


And the yellow and black looks great on this little black chair!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Furniture Projects: Vanity Chair

The day I came across the Deco end tables, I also found this little chair. 
I might have passed it by, but it was a steal!

While I was painting the tables, I thought about what to do with this little chair. 
I decided to coordinate it with the grey tables because the lines of the chair go really well with the lines of the tables.
So, grey it was!
I used the same technique as with the tables, dry-brushing white over the grey,
 then wax on top of it all.
I went with a yellow and grey print for the cushion. I love the color combination of
yellow and grey!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Furniture Projects: Numbered Coffee Table

 Husband brought home this sad little coffee table one day

 and I thought, "maybe I can use it for parts".

 It sat in the garage for a year, then one day I literally woke up with the picture in my mind of a table I had seen on Pinterest quite a while ago.
I tried to find that picture but couldn't, so I just went with the picture in my head.

First, I put a couple coats of country white paint on the sad little table.
White paint helps everything look clean and fresh.

Then I got out some numbers I had just bought at a yard sale and randomly traced
 them on the top of the table.
I painted the numbers black and let it all dry over night. The next day I brushed a mix of stains over the top. One was a medium oak and the other was natural, I just sort of dipped and mixed on the table as I went.
The finished product:
It was so cute, I almost kept it!
But, alas, it is destined for the Oregon Street Antique Mall!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Decorating is in the Details: A New Summer Mantle

By the time the 4th of July was over, I was growing tired of my red, white and blue mantle decor,
and longing for something simpler and softer.

So I packed up Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam for another year and started looking around the house for inspiration. I wanted soft, neutral, beachy...something cooler for these hot August days.
I started with some shells the kids had gathered from the beaches of Washington when we lived there. That was a good start. What else did I have that fit my criteria?
How about some white squash from the garden?
A white pitcher... white birdhouses...
and other odds and ends.
Plus a new summer banner.
Put it all together and it is just what I was looking for!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

A New Adventure: Oregon Street Antique Mall

I know it has been quite a while since I have posted, but between my life and computer issues, there has not been a spare minute! My life is still crazy, but at least the computer has been fixed!

A few weeks ago, I decided to commit to a booth at the Oregon Street Antique Mall in Redding, so I have been working like a crazy woman, painting, sewing, trying to finish so many projects! Actually, my family was getting a little crowded by all the great "finds" I kept bringing home and I figured I either had to stop thrifting or find a way to make them work for me.

So, on August 1, I loaded up some of my treaures.
Chalkboards
Chairs
Tables
Pictures
Pillows
And so much more!
And yet, there is still so much left at home!