Bench in Paris Grey....

Hi Everyone!  My two-day fair is this weekend.  I've gotten everything set up and ready to go and we did it in record time.  Now I just need a good nights sleep because tomorrow will be a long day.  So tonight I thought I'd show one of the benches I took to the fair.

I love how this bench turned out.  My mom picked it up at a used furniture shop for me.

  I love the lines on it.  And it's one heavy dude!  I think it's solid walnut.

I painted it first with a coat of black primer.  I wanted black to show through when I sanded it back especially on the new wood.

I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey.  I love Paris Grey!  It is my favorite color.

I sanded it to reveal the black and wood through the Paris Grey.  I upholstered the seat in drop cloth.  I love the way it turned out.  Now I'm going to play with the dogs a bit and then go to bed early!  Tomorrow will be a long day.  What are your plans for the weekend?  Make it great.  Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2013/09/196th-power-paint-party-popp.html

Dresser remade...

Hi Everyone!  I finally completed this dresser remake that started two weekends ago.  I picked up this bow front dresser at my first auction, here's what it looked like when I got it.

 I had a vision for it as soon as I saw it at the auction but it had a really bad paint job.

 So I used CitriStrip to remove five layers of paint and varnish.  In fact, it took me two days, half of a large jug to strip the top and three drawer faces and then 7 sanding discs to clean up the wood.

 As you can see in this picture, I painted the insides and the sides of the drawers before I stripped the top and then touched up the Wildflower blue paint before I stained the drawer fronts.  I also had to do a little repair on the drawers.

 This is what I ended up with and how I got there.

 I painted the body of the dresser in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and stained the top and three drawer fronts in a custom mix stain.  I wanted the wood stained really dark.

 Then I waxed the body and the top in both clear and dark wax and buffed it.

 I could have just added the pulls and this point and I would have been happy with it, but I had a vision for it before I started so I moved the whole thing into the Studio for the next step.  I really love the contrast between the Paris Grey and the dark wood.

 But I like it even more once I hand painted this floral and vine graphic onto the drawer fronts using white craft paint. 

 I put all three drawers together and drew the graphic on with chalk and then painted it on using white paint.  I also put a coat of antique medium on the sides of the drawers to tone down the Wildflower blue on the sides. 

 I picked up some new pulls that were brass and wood so I primed them in grey primer spray paint and then hand painted them in ASCP in Paris Grey to match the body of the dresser.  Then I lightly sanded them and sprayed them with a sealer.

 These drawer pulls look better than the 70's style pulls that were on it.

I really like the way this turned out.  But shortly after I took the pictures I added a little more vine and swirls to the drawer fronts to finish it off.  And I like it even better.  I still have to wax the drawer fronts but the paint needs to set a little more.  I like the contrast between the masculine look of the wood and the grey and the feminine of the white floral graphic.  What would you have done with the dresser?  Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2013/08/show-me-what-ya-got-134.html 
http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com/2013/08/rock-n-share-55.html 
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2013/08/181st-power-of-paint-party-popp-2.html 
http://startathome.blogspot.com/2013/08/furniture-paint-party.html 
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2013/08/22/creative-inspirations-linky-party-50/ 
http://madeinaday.com/2013/08/22/made-u-look-linky-81 
http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/08/link-party-119-and-a-paint-brush-giveaway 
http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2013/08/catch-as-catch-can-134.html 
http://www.504main.com/2013/08/tickled-pink-times-two-no-2.html 
http://missmustardseed.com/2013/08/furniture-feature-friday-link-party-favorites-8/ 
http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com/2013/08/fridays-five-features-no-5.html 
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/08/diy-rustic-shelving-ideas.html 
http://www.alderberryhill.com/make-the-scene-monday-89 
http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2013/08/knick-of-time-tuesday-101.html 
http://www.livelaughrowe.com/fabulous-furniture-makeovers-live-laugh-linky-76 
http://www.craftionary.net/2013/08/friday-link-party-79.html 

Antique stool remake...

Hi Everyone!  It has been hot here...no rain lately, but now that the hay has been baled, we need rain and soon.  I hope your weather has been better than it has been here.  Today I thought I'd show you the remake of the antique stool I showed you here that I picked up at the junk store this weekend for $2.00.  I just couldn't pass it up for that price.  It needed a little bit of work but I think it turned out cute.  Here's the before....

 It needed to be cleaned up and painted because it had an odor to it..I cleaned it and painting helped get rid of the offensive odor.

  And here it is painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and Old White.

 I sanded it and waxed it with clear wax and then buffed it.  I upholstered the seat in a cream linen....

 .... that matched the Old White I used on the feet.  I thought adding the pop of Old White on the feet helped tie the fabric into the piece.

I had to add a cross piece on the inside to give it more stability but you can still slide something under the board to store.  I painted the inside and the underside to kill the smell and it really did do the trick.

The before picture again....

 I'm really happy with the way it turned out.....

I'm on a Paris Grey and Old White kick right now...two of my favorite colors...I'll change it up soon, I promise.  Thanks for stopping by.

Linking:
http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2013/07/catch-as-catch-can-130.html 
http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/07/inspire-me-please-linky-party-20/ 
http://missmustardseed.com/2013/07/furniture-feature-friday-link-party-say-hello-to/ 
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/07/party-junk-196-a-diy-link-party.html 
http://too-much-time.com/2013/07/get-schooled-saturday-85.html 
http://www.twiggstudios.com/2013/07/sunday-show-off-linky-party_20.html 
http://www.alderberryhill.com/make-the-scene-monday-84 
http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/10-diy-room-projects-monday-funday-link-party-27 
http://www.homemakeronadime.com/2013/07/creative-bloggers-party-hop-120.html 
http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2013/07/knick-of-time-tuesday-96.html 
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/07/wow-us-wednesdays-128.html 
http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com/2013/07/rock-n-share-51.html 
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2013/07/187th-power-of-paint-party-popp.html 
http://www.southernlovely.com/2013/07/show-share-102.html 
http://startathome.blogspot.com/2013/07/paint-party-7.html 
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2013/07/25/creative-inspirations-linky-party-47/ 
http://madeinaday.com/2013/07/25/made-u-look-linky-78/ 
http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/07/link-party-114-and-le-fabulous-features/ 
http://www.504main.com/2013/07/tickled-pink-no-153.html 

Dresser in Grey...

Hi Everyone.  Today I thought I would show you the dresser I painted back before the Open House.  I picked it up from a guy that handles a lot of antiques.  It had been sitting in his warehouse forever. 

 I just love the lines of it with the rounded drawers (that open and close easily).....

 ...and the great front legs...and the fact that it still has it's original casters.  There's only two problems with it, the veneer on this side has a little damage and the fact that it has that orange glow to it.  So look away if you don't like painted wood pieces.

I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  The body is painted in Paris Grey and the top and knobs in Old White.  I painted it in the studio and then hauled it out one day to the front yard to sand it.  I took pictures of it from different angles outside but I can't seem to find them.

 I never waxed it but I might still do that.

It didn't sell at the Open House and I'm really okay with that.  Because now I get to enjoy it for a while longer.  Doesn't it just fit perfectly in that space?  Like it should stay there for ever?  And it might too.  It's another great weather day here so I'm off to the shop to build things.  I'm working on a custom order right now for some friends of mine.  Yesterday was a big build day in the shop and I hope today is just as productive.  And I hope the weather is great wherever you are.  Thanks for stopping by.

Linking to:
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2013/07/184th-power-of-paint-party-popp.html 
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/07/wow-us-wednesdays-125.html 
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2013/07/04/creative-inspirations-linky-party-44/ 
http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/07/inspire-me-please-linky-party-18/ 
http://www.twiggstudios.com/2013/07/sunday-show-off-linky-party.html 
http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/07/link-party-112-and-the-fabulous-features/ 
http://missmustardseed.com/2013/07/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-a-link-party-24/ 
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2013/07/show-me-what-ya-got-129.html 

A painted headboard...

Hi Everyone!  I've been busy getting ready for a mini-open house at the Studio.  The business contact I made at the Fair this Spring is coming tomorrow afternoon to take a look at some of the things I've made, hopefully she will find something she likes.  But tonight I thought I'd show you what I did with one of the headboards my Aunt Barb gave me last year that I hadn't done anything with yet.

 It was nice enough the way it was, but I thought it needed a little sprucing up.

 I painted it in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and then I sanded it.  I haven't waxed it yet.

 I thought I had better get pictures taken before the sunlight goes down too far.

 I really like this color.  I painted a dresser in it too that I'll show you soon.

And these feet are wonderful.  It still has the original casters on it...only one of the wooden wheels is split.  I was going to turn this into a bench, and I still might, but for now, it will be on display in my Studio.  Thanks for stopping by.

Linking to:
http://startathome.blogspot.com/2013/07/paint-party-6.html