Random Renovations

I have so many projects around the house and hiding in the cellar, waiting to be transformed.  Sometimes I forget to do the 'before' pictures. but I promise the before was worth turning into the 'after'. 

The desk was free from a Facebook site. It was filthy orange pine, but really good quality all wood with dovetailed drawers. It is now a dressing table with a matching mirror. I painted it in Vintage Paints chalk paint in Nordic Blue, with silver dry brushing.

Lamp Stand

This lamp/plant stand was originally brown wood. It then transformed into a dark pink/terracotta colour, but having recently redecorated the hall in palest grey, the pink was horrible. I painted it in Everlong Chalk Paint in Noir and waxed it in Annie Sloan Dark Wax. 

At the Side of the Road

There I was driving through Thaxted, and there they were at the side of the road. Two slightly battered Windsor carver chairs with a scrap of paper attached. I skidded to a halt, reversed at speed and jumped from the car. The scrap of paper said £5 each. Well, it would have been rude to have left them there exposed to the elements.  One had a rather bad burn on the seat, but they were sound. I paid the money and put them in the car.  This is how they looked.

A quick wipe down with white spirit, and then on with the Everlong Vintage White.  Two coats and a quick buff up and they were done.

Now they look like this:

EMMAUS COMES UP WITH THE GOODS AGAIN!
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We love to go to all the Emmaus branches when in France. There are always treasures to be found.  This time we needed a dresser for our house in France and found this treasure.  It had to be treated for woodworm, although it was not live. Better safe than sorry.  Then it was allowed into the house.  We painted it with Annie Sloan Old White, but due to the age, it eventually turned yellow because the varnish melts and bleeds through.  However, over time, the yellow turned orange so it has been re-painted in Artichoke chalk paint from Vintage Paints, which is a sort of Duck Egg Blue.  The colour is a much better contrast against the walls and tones with the Duck Egg blue kitchen units. The old escutchions and the edges of the carvings on the top were dry brushed in Old White.

Voila!

Emperor's Silk and English Yellow
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Two chairs that have a new lease of life.  The red one was bought for a song just because I loved the wood grain on the seat.  It has been in the cellar for years, waiting for me to find inspiration and a home for it. It will now be my fifth chair in the kitchen when Lucy and family visit. Painted with three coats of Annie Sloan Emperor's Silk, finished with clear wax. Two coats of wax to the seat have brought out the lovely grain.

The next chair was in my large bathroom, which is going to have a grey makeover. Paint is Annie Sloan English Yellow. The accessories will be yellow and grey. The chair will have a new cushion in yellow and grey when the right fabric comes along.

BIRD ON A WIRE

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I was watching this box in my local house clearance

shop for several weeks.  I liked it but could not think of a use for it.  There is a constant conversation going on in the back of my mind once I see something about how it could fit in and what I could do with it.

As you can see, it had potential. The top was unusual in that it rolls away under the bottom.  I then decided I needed more storage in the bathroom where bed and breakfast glasses, cups and saucers etc are stored in a cupboard, and the box flashed into my mind. I rushed off to Reeds and it was still there, and at a slightly reduced price too! 

Too plain in Noir Everlong paint! I decided stencilling was the answer and after an internet search, found this:

The birds are in Annie Sloan English Yellow.  I have also put them on the top, but because of the roll top, which is reeded, they are missing bits here and there, which is an effect I like. I have dry brushed the edges to give more definition to the shape of the legs and the top.

It is now finished, other than a coat of matt clear varnish to protect it in the bathroom.

l'amour Armoire

l'amour Armoire!

This armoire was bought for my French second home.  We had been looking for a long time for an armoire that was affordable at a time when they were very trendy and popular in the UK. Eventually a French man who had sold two to my daughter suggested that there was one for sale on la Bon Coin and because it was in Albi, it was too far for him to go.  It was 2 hours from us in France so off we went.  It had already been disassembled so we had to guess what it would be like.  However, it appeared to be exactly what we wanted.  Double size, mirrored doors, a lot of shelves inside but with the possibility of installing a hanging rail.  The woman we bought it from told us it had been made by her grandfather, but it was too tall for her modern house and so had been consigned to the cellar.  It cost 150 euros! Solid wood and like all armoires, no nails or screws. It is in three parts, top, middle and base and just slots together.  We have loved it, but because we want the house to be as light as possible, I was always going to paint it.  Here is the process and the result.

Although beautifully made and carved, the wood was semi matte and probably oak.  It was not easy to see the carving and detail.

One coat of Everlong Lady Grey chalk paint, but it needed two coats.  It was then dry brushed with Annie Sloan Louis Blue on the edges of the carvings and the locks.

The splendid and very traditional top decoration.

Decoration around the lock.

Here it is finished.  It now lights up the room.

Let There Be Light

This lamp base was £5 from a young woman in my village. She had bought it to paint, but had not got round to doing it.  Lucky for me! It is very heavy, possibly oak with lovely reeding on the stem. However, it was dark brown and all the detail could not be seen.
It is painted in Annie Sloan French Linen, one coat, and dry brushed with Old White before waxing with Annie Sloan clear wax.