Welcome, 2016 Resolutions

It's a good thing my livelihood doesn't depend on the consistency and regularity of my blog postings. Lately around here, I've been welcoming pieces in and sending them on their merry way without taking the time to document much of their transformations. But now and then, a piece comes along that deserves the extra time and care needed to highlight it.

Check out this vintage French corner desk. These beauties are very hard to find, and this is the first one I've ever gotten the chance to work on.

It's cute in its original state, but rather bland. When discussing this piece for a redo, this client had a startling and ambitious vision: give it the Midas touch.

We were going off of a single picture from an outdated blog that included no links or information on the perfect shade of gold that we were set on. So, by trial and error, I tested and rejected no less than fourteen different shades of gold until I was happy with this shimmering champagne-gold hue.

Problem was, this type of paint was a true metallic, and it wasn't a fan of adhering well to anything. I coaxed it with priming, bonding agents, thickeners, and stabilizers. Little by little, layer by layer, the gold began to build up. It was about as time-consuming as applying gold leaf.

But I think it was worth it. All twenty-two layers of it. Ok, the top only has fifteen, but those stubborn legs...

This client wanted even more unexpected touches, as if a metallic gold desk wasn't enough already. So she requested a juicy purple to peek out from the solitary drawer:

Thankfully, the original hardware was still in pristine condition, so it underwent the gilding as well.

I'm a fan of how it turned out. This was a fabulous opportunity to transform a unique piece for a client and friend with a bold and exciting vision!

My one and only New Year's resolution is to picture catalogue every piece I do this year. Last year, I remembered to do that less than 10% of the time, so I can only improve, right?

I'm excited to show off some of the amazing pieces I'm finishing up soon--I have the best clients who find such phenomenal pieces for me to transform!

Thanks for stopping by:)

Odds and Ends

Vintage paneled door headboard

So I'm pretty much the worst at mercenary blogging ever. My account had to send me a reminder about how long it's been since I updated my posts.

I've had a lot to work on, and rather than dutifully taking pictures and cataloging the many pieces I've been working on, I've just been sending them on their merry way with much love to their new homes.

But that's not the best method for showing off some of the fun pieces I've gotten to tackle, so here's a little catch-up in pictures:

Bedside table 

Pottery Barn knockoff bed crafted by a local carpenter

Matching desk

I need to get a pic of this in its new home rather than in my messy workshop. This piece was a gorgeous transformation with new black legs and a rich, weathered stained top!

Antique primitive dresser with mirror in cream with espresso glaze

Delicious chunky vintage end table in lacquered white with gold accents

Cute little storage chest

Precious light blue end table with a tea glaze

And there's lots more to come!

Thanks for stopping by!

Beginning Again

Recently, I did a couple of small projects for a good friend. She's had me do several other pieces in the past, and it's always nice to know that your work is making people happy enough to come back rather than so alarmed that they switch to outfitting their homes entirely with Ikea furniture.

Nothing against Ikea. But pieces like this need to be given a new beginning!

She envisioned this old magazine side table as a perfect addition to her front porch. Her aqua color choice inspired another client to redo a dresser in the same color, and this project inspired me to completely revamp my tired side porch. 

I distressed the aqua down through the primer to the dark wood, and sealed the table a few times to help protect it at its cheery new station outside.

I love how she has it set up!

I didn't take before pics of the pair of end tables she brought me, but they had nothing much wrong with them except for being blah and being guilty of having a honey-oak outdated stain on their tops.

Easily remedied:

The pedestals were redone with a light green and highlighted with a stained glaze.

I restained the tops with a custom mix of dark walnut with some added red mahogany for warmth. These pieces had beautiful details in the veneer that were highlighted with the new stain.

I should have taken pics of what I've done to freshen up the porch, since that little end table was what initially inspired me, but I don't shine at blogging in a human interest sort of way. So here's a couple of pics of my cute kids instead. That should count as human interest:

Thanks for stopping by!

Hollywood Glamor

This vintage bedroom suite is the real deal, folks.

One of my dearest friends brought a tall dresser, a headboard, two nightstands, and a rather bewildered face to my house, where we talked through how to best give these pieces a new life.

They were the quintessential Hollywood Regency look with the original speckled yellow finish and brass hardware. 

Her parents gave her first pick of a couple different bedroom sets. Being the generous, heart-of-gold person she is, she let her siblings choose what they wanted first. She got left with the banana yellow set. Because, who wants that as first pick?

I sure do. Have ya'll seen what these sets go for on ebay and etsy?

Speckled yellow gave way to lacquered glossy white. And since Charise isn't much of a bling girl, I toned down the brass with a milder silver-champagne hue.

I plan for her to will me this set when she dies.

She was kind enough to let me show off a couple of pics of the rest of her room. The new pieces blend with her eclectic, colorful style so nicely...

I take back what I said a while ago about gallery walls. I've recruited her to come help me when I format mine.

And her cozy reading nook with the coolest clock ever.

And did I mention that she made this bedspread to coordinate with her new furniture? 

I always cherish working on heirloom pieces like this for my friends. I hope you enjoy this set for years to come, sis!

Fun and Whimsy

I'm ecstatic about this super cute dresser upcycle. Not that I can take any design credit--my friend and client was looking for a statement piece for her son's playroom. She chose the colors and had the vision for those precious polka-dot knobs!

This is what she brought me--an older vintage dresser of her husband's:

One Room Down

I LOVE this piece. We were needing a corner cabinet to fit our dining room more efficiently, but then I found this on Craigslist.

"How is that a corner cabinet?" my practical husband queried when I showed him the listing on Craigslist. 

"It's a Hollywood Regency faux bamboo mid-sized china cabinet!" I countered. He was not convinced.

He was even less convinced after we picked it up and got it home.

"I'm scared of this piece," he admitted. 

"You'll love it when it's done. It's going to be a glossy white and I'm going to paint the inside back bright orange!"

He looked more, rather than less afraid at that point.

But now he's a believer.

Sugar Highs!

I got to make a cute little smash cake for the first birthday of a friend's daughter. Smash cakes are my favorite! And pink ones rate especially high. Happy birthday to the sweet princess!

To keep sugar highs to a minimum, I did a no-sugar-added cake with bananas, strawberries, and applesauce. Granted, the frosting was genuine all the way...

Thanks for stopping by!