Spring has Sprung!

What a beautiful day it has been here today in New England!  I live in Massachusetts and I dare say it has been a long, cold winter!  Today is so beautiful and I have been outside most of the day!

I have almost finished the bureau I posted last.  Just needs a coat or two of ASCP clear wax!

It is for my son's girlfriend in her new apartment she is moving to, but not til later in May so the pressure is not on! 

I have been trying to work on my own around the house projects, not trying to sell a whole lot! 

Here she is! First coat of "Paris Grey".  I have done some accents in "Old White" and I am liking the way she looks.  Will update you soon! Thanks for stopping by!

custom piece

 

Did a little shopping this weekend and found this cool bureau for my son's girlfriend.  She is moving into a new apartment and needs a new bureau.  The "bones" of this one are awesome but the wood is pretty marked up and again a little veneer missing.

 

 

Got my wood glue out and bought a wood clamp at the hardware store to clamp the glued veneer piece to the bureau. worked like a charm!  Then used the wood filler to fill some small gouges. 

We cleaned it thoroughly inside and out with mineral spirits and a rag and then with some de-natured alchohol. 

We gave it two coats of shellac in case the dark wood decided it wanted to bleed through the paint. 

Christie chose the "Paris Grey" Annie Sloan chalk paint.  We talked about perhaps highlighting the piece with some "old white" or now i am thinking perhaps some "napoleonic blue". 

The "Paris Grey" looks quite light to me right now so I am thinking the blue might be best. 

I am undecided as of yet, she said she will trust my taste!
Will update you later when i have some more work done on the piece. 

small things

I dare say small things make me happy!  I have been busy working on my own projects and one custom table.  My son has a small white mirror that did not look good on his walls. i painted it a solid ASCP "Napoleonic Blue" today and it is quite the sharp color!  will look great on his "ice blue" walls. 

 I have also been doing some spring cleaning out and have a small pile of things to take to local consignment. 

 I painted the table in "antibes green", love that color.  as spring approaches my color choices i find are much bolder.  I found the green rush seat chair at a thrift store, i love it but the spot i bought it for is not working so out it goes!! I really don't hang on to things.  The frame to the right of the chair is an awesome solid wood frame-will show it again below. 

Someone could put a pic in it or hang on wall as is. 

My next project at home are a bedside table in my son's room and a mirror for the guest room. will post soon! 

little red table painted red...!

I found this awesome console table on craigslist. 

You may remember it from an earlier post, it was "Duck Egg Blue" but needed a little updating.  I am doing over my son's room into a guest room and thought it would work in there. 

 

 I did two coats of  "Emperor's Silk" color, and then clear waxed it with two coats.  It was a little bright so I put a coat of dark wax on and i think it came out great. 

It was very pretty in blue too but when I took the white bed out of the room, it just did not work!  Always changing something up!  

Happy Spring

It is really starting to feel like Spring here in the Boston area, very exciting stuff given our tough winter. 

Happy Easter to you all!

Source: liebesbotschaft.blogspot.com via Nilla on Pinterest

Source: architectureartdesigns.com via Debbiedoo's on Pinterest

Source: creeklinehouse.blogspot.ca via Bethany on Pinterest

You've gotta see this!

I went to my favorite thrift shop yesterday and found a beautiful old chair.  The problem is the springs are bent and when you sit in it it kind of gives way in the middle.  I was hoping to fix it up myself but not sure...

Isn't it the coolest??!  Someone said it may have been an old telephone chair, not sure but I will try to find out! 

It was so well put together.  It had so many upholstery nails placed very close together to adhere the fabric to the chair.  Then under that it had staples and then under the fabric it had nails holding the padding on the the frame.  a little sweat getting it off but no tears! 

Upholstery nails were flying around the room! 

The padding was horsehair and burlap and hay believe it or not!! Very well done.  I guess they did not make foam padding back in the day....just head out to the barn and give your horse a tail cut!!!!

I have it stripped all the way down to the springs and it looks like with some work the springs could be re-worked and re-anchored to support the chair.

Will keep you posted on it's progress,  even if I don't do all the work myself. 

Going to look for a cool fabric soon. 

a couple of good finds!

I don't always find exciting things on Craiglsit.  I feel like it used to be better but it is fun to browse.  So, it was to my delight when I recently found this item:

It is rather large for a bedside table but it is great.  I like to do the unexpected and never do matchy-matchy pairs of things.  Or very rarely anyway!

Look at those legs!  Ain't she a beauty.  I cannot wait to give her a make-over.  I like the color now a lot but it does not fit into my son's room which is getting a make-over. He has grown up and as they say, flown the coop!  To make myself feel better about that I need to spice things up in there. 




Not 100 % sure yet what I am going to do in there but I know I will have fun doing it. 

I also just found an antique settee on Craigslist.  I hope I am the first to inquire about it.  It needs re-upholstery but I can handle that I think and it is a steal! 

So, will update you when I know better what direction I am heading in!