Vintage Upholstery Love

This was my favorite addition to one of my booth's this week. Due to the configuration of my space, I  had to slide this table over to the far side of my booth...just happened to end up next to this vintage settee I just had redone. I stepped back and it just hit me that I love these two pieces together! I seriously fought the urge to load them back up and take 'em home!

I found this settee at a yard sale and ya'll...it was UGLY. I mean UGLY! It's lines were beautiful though and it still had really good bones.  Here is what I recommend when you purchase a piece to reupholster.

1.  Know you are probably going to spend quite a bit of money in fabric and upholstery if you can not do this yourself.  You may want to take that into account when deciding on what to spend on the piece originally.

2.  Make sure it is solid.  Any repairs to the wood work, springs, etc. will only be additional costs, and may end up not being reparable at all.

3.   Here is my biggest tip...if you are going to tear it up anyway (reupholster), then tear into it and make sure it has no bugs, lice, etc. before you even load it up into your car! Once you get those little nasties, it is very hard to get rid of them. I tore into this piece, then once home, I left on a tarp in the garage still hesitant to take into my home. Yes, I have a huge fear of little creepy crawly things!

Once I had it home, I rubbed it down with furniture polish, added some black paint, and sealed the wood.  I have never done an upholstery project this large...the settee also came without cushions, so I knew I was in over my head on this one. I contacted my "go-to" upholstery guy and we played with fabrics, trim, etc. This is always my favorite part! Who doesn't love to play in a ton of fabric??? He did a beautiful job and if you'll notice, he takes the time to line all the patterns up vertically; from the top of the sofa, to the cushions, down the back, and even on the pillow.  All meet up at the exact same point. 

This is the picture he sent me for approval...yes, I did do the happy dance when I opened it! He did a beautiful job.  Yay Rudy!

This is the table that sits next to the settee in the first picture. I'm not a big fan of super long posts, so I will post a tutorial on this table later this week.  Until then, Happy Painting!

Endless possibilities....

If you've ever read any of my previous blogs, you know I am constantly saying "the possibilities are endless" and every time I start a new piece, I am reminded of this and try to push myself a bit further.  This small, antique chest of drawers was brought to me for some custom refurbishing. The customer needed it to match a white daybed with yellow, green and brown accents (flowers). It is very hard to tell in this picture, but the drawers on this chest have flowers etched into the trim, so I thought this piece was perfect for her room.  The only problem was it came to me a REALLY nasty greenish/brownish "not really sure what in the world" color!

I first began by sanding it lightly. It is solid wood, but the varnish was very slick and I wanted to bring out some of its natural flaws.Step 2, I wanted to incorporate all the accent colors in the "matching" bed,  yet I did not want to apply four coats of paint!  So I took acrylic paint (yes, acrylic paint...you could also use latex, chalk paint etc.) and applied brush strokes of a light yellow, mint green, moss green, and doeskin (a light tan).  I put a dab of each color onto a paper plate, took a foam brush and just applied in random strokes throughout the dresser, at times mixing the colors and blending them into one another. I applied heaviest to the corners and edges I knew I would want to distress and really have these colors "pop." Below is the result of step 2:

Step 3, was allowing the paint to dry (acrylic paint dries VERY quickly), and then I applied my first coat of white milk paint. I let that dry overnight, and I applied a second coat the next morning. Once that dried, I took a 220 sanding block and just began sanding.  I finished the piece in two coats of gloss polyurethane per the customer's request. Tip: In any place you want the acrylic paint colors to show, sand lightly. Where you want a true wear and the natural wood to pop through, sand with a heavier hand.  You need a good mix of both!  Again, I always use the liquid milk paint...I don't like mixing it as it never gets clump free for me!  Here is the finished side of the dresser:

I am so in love with the chipiness and I am super happy with how it finished out. The customer absolutely loved it! Love when an idea works out and I don't have to start over :) Happy Painting!

Seeing Red!

 With the birth of our son, my DIY projects have centered around his room and some western flare. I realize most people do these things BEFORE the baby comes, but for those who know our history, know I never let my self truly believe in the small miracles until they are here safely.  Almost like I am afraid I will jinx it or something...I guess that just comes after such a devastating loss. Anyway, so I am now focused on little man's room and wanted to share a few projects I have been working on. 

First, here is a little wall decor.

This is actually a piece of barn wood from one of our family barns. It was honestly pretty perfect as it was...weathered, worn, etc.  I took some sand paper and sanded the edges just in case some little hands were to grab it (no splinters for us!) and then just took some red milk paint and dry brushed it over the wood.  Seriously as easy as that. The stars were made from heavy metal, so I used liquid nail to attach them to the wood (I was afraid hot glue would not have been strong enough).  I let that dry overnight, attached hanging hooks to the back, and TA DA! Done!

My second project has been this antique dresser.

I really thought it would be perfect for his room, however, after completing the project, we moved it into his room, started adding the clothes, and figured out it was not NEAR big enough...so, it will now go to one of  my booths...a little disappointed, but love it all the same! This antique dresser was well worn in that it had the perfect amount of knicks, wear, and yet still had beautiful lines and stain color.   I simply covered it in light coats of milk paint, distressed it lightly (I wanted that dark stain to show through, not as much of the natural wood), and then applied dark wax over the entire piece. I applied the dark wax pretty heavy over the corners of the drawers as that is where there was the most wear and I wanted to really draw that out and make it a focal point.  I had ordered western knobs to match his room, but I decided to save those bad boys for which ever piece we end up using in there and the original knobs on this piece were still gorgeous and fit the piece perfectly, so back on they went! I did add a little bit of antiquing gel to them just to deepen their color.

Here is an up-close of the dresser's leg...this is why I love milk paint so...love its "chippiness" and it just adds so much character!

So blessed to have the opportunity to create this space for such a wonderful little boy and I love getting to share it with all of you! Many blessings!

A dream is a wish...fairytale toy box

Growing up, I loved fairy tales.  My most favorite was Cinderella...as I grew older though, I forgot about this long lost love.  As a graduation gift, one very amazing woman wrote this quote inside my card, reminding me of my dreams.  When in doubt or confused on what to do, I often pull out that card (yes, I still keep it in my top drawer), and am reminded that I hope I always dare to dream. 

I came across this little beauty on a garage sale site and once I began talking to its owner, I knew I had to have it.  Her father had made it by hand years ago and had since passed away.  He had made numerous pieces and she said she just couldn't keep them all. Kind of made me sad in a way, but I was happy to have it and give it a new life.  Instantly, this conversation with its former owner, led my heart to this quote and I knew exactly what I was going to do with the toy box.

I am not going to go into a whole tutorial on this project as I usually do as it is pretty self explanatory as far as the painting and stenciling go. On the quote "a dream is a wish your heart makes", I simply printed it out off the computer and then used the projector to line the quote up to my desired location, and just painted it on with acrylic paint.  Easy, easy!   I then just distressed it (hence the lightness of the quote) and waxed it! Here is an up close view  of the front:

 

And here is a view of the top:

The top and sides are the exact same color, however, in this picture, it looks a bit more turquoise on the top thanks to my wonderful garage lighting. 

I am still debating on letting this one go (hence my reluctance to put a price on it)...it matches my girls room perfectly, and it honestly makes my heart happy each time I look at it!

That is what it is all about isn't it...loving what you do , loving what you create,  and daring to follow your heart???!!!

Happy Dreaming!

What Paint Products I use...(my most common questions answered)

I receive A LOT of questions on paints, glazes, etc I use, so today's post will hopefully answer any questions you have! If you have any further questions on CeCe Caldwell's paints, please head over to RefunkMyJunk.com and Allison can answer ANYTHING :)

First, let me say I use CeCe Caldwell paint 99.9% of the time. Currently being pregnant, it is just simply the safest paint to use...hands down. I paint in a small area of my garage, I paint while my kiddos play next to me (and ocassionally while they put their little hands all over my fresh painting job), and the fact that it is all natural just makes the decision easy. My furniture goes into the homes of people who have small children and animals and lets face it, sometimes these little people chew on furniture...wouldn't you rather have the ingredients on your furniture be all natural vs. lots of chemicals?? Second, with chalk paint, there is no sanding or priming...that saves SO much time!! If you are professional refurbisher, you are all doing the happy dance on that one! Also, CeCe's finishes out so nicely. When I refurbish a piece, I like to make the old look new, but in an old fashioned way...I want to make the piece look as though it has lasted a hundred years and is still going strong with style. The finish of a paint is key to this look and a latex paint rarely gives me that look or finish I am aiming for. I realize that not everyone is hip on paying $32.95 a quart for paint, but if you are truly going to love a piece, want a true shabby chic or antiqued look, and want it to last years, you need to invest in the right paint. Plus, CeCe's paints are made in the U.S.A...enough said.

The other 1%: before pregnancy, I used Behr and Sherwin Williams quite often. I've always used paint/primer in one, but many of us refurbishers have differing opinions on this, so please note this is only MY preference. I prefer it because it covered the piece completely, as well as required only 2 coats. It also very much depends on the piece I am working on!! I can't stress enough that YOU HAVE TO STUDY A PIECE BEFORE DECIDING ON HOW TO TACKLE IT!

And on that note.....BUY YOUR PIECE FIRST...I used to do this all backwards. I would go pick out colors I just "loved" and then would make it fit into whatever piece I had in inventory. Such a big mistake and I would like to have a few "redos" from my beginning paint days! Each piece is unique and you need to have a vision for it. Once you know what needs to be repaired (if anything), where you want the piece to go or the feel you want it to have, then go out and pick your paint colors. My current method is to get paint swatches once I have an idea in mind and then go from there. Now living out in middle of nowhere, I have to have a plan when I head into the big city to get paint. I know CeCe's colors well enough by now that I can see a piece and know what colors I need and her quarts last so long, I almost always have what I need on hand. But my advice if you live near a paint supplier, take the time to get some swatches, take them back home, and tape them (with a very mild tape) to your piece to get the best idea of what you really want.

Finishes: oh boy...this is where things get fun! So many options, so many decisions...glaze, wax, poly...oh my! I will tackle this in a later post as it gets pretty in depth and there are so many options and techniques. For now, I will leave you with this: My current obsession is dark wax. I tint CeCe's Clear Wax with Hershey Brown (or whatever color I want to tint my piece with) and I rub it on. CeCe will also be releasing a dark wax soon, and I am absolutely giddy about that!! Wax gives the overall appearance of a glaze, adds an antique finish to the piece, and it is so much easier to work with. My best tip: fully work it in!!!

Ok, now all of you DIY'ers are motivated and ready to paint, right?? I hope this helps you out a bit as you begin your journey! Happy Painting!!