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she brought me, but they had nothing much wrong with them except for being blah and being guilty of having a honey-oak outdated stain on their tops.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!