Stenciling on Furniture and Some DIY

A little remodeling is taking place at our house this week.  We had some of the furniture backed up to one another and pushed out of the way and I walked by this secretary and did a double take.

 There is an original stencil marking this piece on the back.  I didn't know it was there.  I suppose this was a manufactured piece and this was just a way to mark it.  It probably dates from the 1900's. Did anyone know that they marked American furniture in this way?  I don't know much about it but, thought it was neat, since these stencils are showing up  every where.  

So, I have some wonderful new furniture that is "new" to me and all I wanted in my old living room (which is now my dining room) was a new floor, BUT Hubs, who is a weekend warrior (which now, in our older age, is more like a week long warrior on "staycation") has my dining room looking like this..... 

.....I went and got some new Swiffer dusters.....and Swiffer wet mopy things.......I hope it helps.

Sherry

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage 

Furniture Feature Friday  at Miss Mustard Seed

Cottage Table

I have a cottage kitchen table that I showed this makeover on last year. 

The little table was from the nineties and had a tile top.  I wanted to update it and make it into a plank top table.

It wasn't hard to transform it.  My husband just unscrewed the tile top and we put two pre-cut pieces of pine in it's place.  They were sold this pre-cut size at Lowes.

What I am showing you today is the care of the pine top.  It is getting a little scratched up, but that was my intention.  I like it rustic with some wear so, any dings it has is okay.

To care for it every so often I apply this Boos Block Mystery Oil.  It is a mixture of linseed oil and some other oil.  It is the perfect finish for this type of top.  We have set glasses on this top and it gets no water rings.  This is a old finish that has been around for a long time.  It is very durable and works great.  If you use this be sure and dispose of the rags as directed on the label.  Linseed oil can become highly flammable on rags and should be disposed of properly. 

When I applied the oil the wood soaked it right up.

This gives your plank top a lovely finish that will last for years.  
I have been sick these last few days and will continue to post a little less.  I plan to have the Home Sweet Home party on this Thursday.

Sherry

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Cabinet Makeover

The husband has been home all week and we did a little spontaneous bathroom remodel.  It was a twenty-nine year old bathroom with all original fixtures.  Today I am going to show you the makeover of the vanity cabinet.   Here is the before.  It is bad isn't it.  Most homeowners would probably pitch it.  But, we didn't plan any budget for this so we painted it.

I started with paint I already owned and this was Georgian Green a Benjamin Moore color.  It just was too yellow, maybe for another project.  I would love a chair this color. 

I started to mix my own paint with gesso.  You can read more about that here.  This color was too dark for what I was wanting.

This is what I was wanting.  This is a gray mixed with the above color. 

Here is the finished cabinet.   I distressed it a little and glazed it with a Valspar mocha glaze.  I spray painted the hardware oil rubbed bronze.  I'll put the paste wax on it later this week.  It is still a little tacky since I put three coats on it. 

 This is the only picture I have of the cabinet in place for a before comparison.  We have raised three boys and this was the one room that really took a beating.

So, it is looking much nicer.  We are still caulking and painting trim.  I will wait and show you the rest later.  We did all of the work, including the drywall with a knockdown finish.  

Thanks for stopping by.  

 Sherry

I will link to:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Mixing Your Own Paint Colors

Excuse the mess around here.  Hubby is off for a week and being very spontaneous, he starts peeling the wallpaper off of one of the bathrooms.  I am given the challenge of redecorating this bathroom with mostly the supplies we have on hand because, being an unplanned remodel we will buy only what has to be replaced.  We discovered if you buy a new vanity cabinet they are at least 4 inches taller than what we already have.  Well right away that means a plumber to redo the plumbing and that won't do, so we are going to paint the vanity cabinet.

That means starting with the paint I already have.  The color scheme for the house is set.  We have paint for the walls and trim, so, we are good there.  But, the vanity, that should be an accent color, something different.  I start with the paint I already have.  This is Benjamin Moore's Georgian Green.  I saw it on Kim's blog Savvy Southern Style.  Not being at a Benjamin Moore paint dealer the day I purchased this, they matched it on the computer and mixed it at the Pittsburgh Paint counter.

Here is a trick I saw on Pintrest.  Isn't that smart.  You don't get such a messy paint can when you wipe your paint brush on this.

So , my sample of Georgian Green matches the swatch I painted really well.  I just sanded my oak cabinets lightly and went to painting.  This color was just too yellow. 

So, using what I have on hand I pull out some cans and bottles.  To the left is a standard Valspar Hunter Green they stock on the shelves.  The Georgian Green, center.  I am still not done with it.  And, on the right a bottle of Gesso.   Rosemary at Villabarnes introduced me to using Gesso beyond the canvas.  Visit her and learn all kinds of uses with Gesso.

So, finally, I am mixing paint.  The one on the left is hunter green with gesso.  Gesso has a chalky texture and it mixes and looks beautiful with any paint.  The next is the Georgian green.  Then I mixed the first color (in this sample board)  with the second, this is the third color.  The last color is the third mixed with a yellowish white (Brandied Pear by Pittsburgh Paint) that will be on the wall.  *Note: The first sample on left is very blue based by mixing it with the very yellow Georgian Green we get more warm tones in the sea green I am creating that will work well with the golden hues that will be on the wall and the trim.

So, since hubby threw this project on me I have done everything backwards. Ha.  Now that I have a color I like on the left here (it was the third sample above), I have found an inspiration picture to take me in the direction of how I would like to see the colors turn out.  I have a mocha Valspar glaze and a dark wood paste wax to finish the cabinets.  It should look pretty similar to the cabinet in this picture.  I'll let you be the judge.  The bathroom will look nothing like this picture, I am just using the color inspiration.  Stay tuned to see more of the spontaneous bathroom remodel.  You should get a really good laugh out of the before pictures, remember I have raised three boys!

Sherry

I will link this to:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Top Projects of 2010

I am joining Rhoda at Southern Hospitality  for her Top Projects 2010 post.  I didn't do a lot of furniture makeovers.  I hope to do more of them in 2011 but, I did a few and I will highlight them here.

The biggest changes I have made to my house has been the makeover of furniture I already owned, to fit the space I had gained, after a major remodel.  I took this little white chest and stripped it to make it look more grown up in my "new to me " dining room.

Here it is in it's natural pine.

 Next, I had a little tile top cottage style table that was out-of-date.  

 I removed the tile top and added two pine planks from Lowes.

 Then, I stained it and finished it with boiled linseed oil (same thing Boos Block uses on their cutting boards).  It has been waterproof and holds up well to the activity in our house.

 

Last, I blogged at this desk and it had seen better days.

I printed some images off of Vintage Printable and Mod Podged them to the top of my desk after I sanded it.  It has made a durable surface for a desk top and saved my desk from being so homely.

I completed the work space with a new bulletin board, desk organizer, and pillow.

I will also join:

Boring to Better Party at Savvy Southern Style.

Hop over and check it out.

Spooktacular Transformation

Yes, I can't help myself!  I am already picturing how I am going to get my table to haunt you in October.  I have been searching everywhere for a candelabra and I hit the jackpot this week at the thrift store!!!  The candelabra was $7 and the iron candlesticks were $1 each.  So, I brought them home to transform them.  I knew just what to do with them; oil rubbed bronze spray paint.  The drawers under them are another transformation I will show you later.

The oil rubbed bronze color is perfect for their style and for my spooky decorating plans.

 Even though these candlesticks were already darker than the candelabra, I repainted them to match.  

Just for fun and because I can't wait to scare you; I found this graphic over at The Graphic's Fairy.  Click on the link and check under the Halloween tab in the sidebar.  She has lots of great ideas for you there.  

I also found this fantastic script poem about "Night,"  that makes a perfect mat to my pressed leaf.  (This poem was also under the Halloween tab.)

I will link to:

Brag Monday at The Graphic's Fairy

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Today's Thrifty Treasures  at Southern Hospitality
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative
Power of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  at Coastal Charm
Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville
Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors