Awesome 'works with any decor' dresser!

This is a great vintage dresser that goes well with any decor--shabby chic, modern, child's room,  . . .I sanded, primed, painted a cool off-white color, distress, glazed with DARK brown, & clear coated the bottom. The top I stripped, stained a dark walnut color, and clear coated.  Then I added these  new fantastic old English drawer pulls.

 If you prefer round black knobs I can switch them out--or for $10 extra I can put clear glass knobs on.

Whatever you like!!

Super sweet dresser.

Sold!

New Pieces Available at Treasure Towne! 4/27/11

(sorry for the bad photos-camera is still at the shop!)

Coordinating Off-black Child's Dresser & Desk

Dresser  $100

31" long, 17" deep, 37" tall

Desk $75

34" long, 17" deep, 30" tall

Together $165

Perfect Beige Side Table

24 1/2" long, 17" deep, 22 1/2" tall

Sold!

Primitive Red Bench

21" wide, 12" deep, 22" tall

clear coated in spar poly for outdoor use!

$30

Primitive Red Bookshelf

26" wide, 8" deep, 43" tall

clear coated in spar poly for outdoor use!

$75

Come check out the new goodies!

Find me at Treasure Towne!

I've just opened a new vendor booth at Treasure Towne in Post Falls, ID. 

Please stop by and check out my work in progress!
Items sold through Treasure Towne can be purchased with a credit/debit card. ;)

3930 W 5th Ave
Post Falls, ID 83854

Shabby Chic Changing Table Makeover

Shabby Chic Changing Table Makeover

Before

This is exactly how I got it--paint stripping circle and all!

After



I was going to try to save the guard rails, but then I found myself with an irresistible urge to do some demo. Out they went! I stripped the paint from the top--only to find an amazing treat underneath! At some point someone had painted the top bronze, and little glints of it stuck to the wood. Well I knew right then I was going to have to leave the top bare!  I changed plans. I covered the top to protect it, sprayed the bottom, and then distressed it. Another delicious find! The yellow paint peeked out just barely under the taupe, so I decided not to glaze and just moved straight to clear coat. Originally I had ordered clear glass knobs for this piece, but I decided to go with the bronzed black instead. However, if you wish to switch back to the clear glass, no problem. 

Sold!

Side Crib Rail Display

This is a little project I've been thinking about for awhile. I hate to throw ANYTHING  out that seems remotely useful. So, when my son's crib was recalled and I was told to throw away most of it, well, could I? Nope. So I saw an idea in a mazazine for turning the slide rail into a quilt hanger. I couldn't get to any blankets because they're stored where my twins are sleeping right now, so this is what I came up with. I could either do other people's crib rails, or find them and sell them complete. All the hardware, baskets, picture frames would be included. What do you think? Please take a moment to do my poll on the side! 

The Penelope Secretary

The Penelope Secretary

This darling little secretary came to me in pieces! It was so much fun putting it back together and seeing what a gem I had.  It was already stripped of paint, so I just primed, painted it in the ever popular Moroccan Sand, distressed, glazed and clear coated it. 

Dimensions: 14" deep, 42" tall, 27 1/2" wide.  

$115

Repairing the Beaten, Broken, and Beautiful

Well, there's not much I can tell you in one single post that others haven't written BOOKS to teach, but I just wanted to say that part of what I love about what I do is restoring these worn out, but beautiful pieces of furniture.

I try to find all-wood pieces with great curves and details. When I'm working on them I can't help but think about the kids, parents, and grandparents that used and loved these pieces once.

 My husband always teases me whenever we pass an old abandoned farm house because I always have to comment about the people who once lived in them. It's the same for these pieces of furniture. I love that I'm giving them one more chance to be loved.                               

    

Sanding, sanding, sanding

Ok, so I probably sand more than I need to, but having a touch of OCD in me, I love to get a beautiful finish. Here are a few tips on sanding:



 The bulk of my sanding is done with my little friend Mr. Delta Orbital. I start off with a 50 grit to remove the bulk of the paint or varnish. Then I move to a 120.  If needed I go to 220. Move nice and slow, no pressure, and remember you're not trying to get it perfect with the first grit. Let each grit do it's work.  Also, general use sandpaper is for sanding paint because the oxide in it keeps the paint from clogging the paper. 

My own little invention for curved edges: a small, fluffy paint roller puffy with a quarter sheet of sandpaper wrapped around it. Saves a ton of money since I get a full sheet of sand paper for .59 at my local Ace.  

Again, the poor woman's friend--a little rectangle of wood with a quarter piece of sandpaper for small, flat areas.  You can use adhesive to spray the paper on, but I never bother since I go through these like water. It's pretty important to use a flat block for flat surfaces so you don't end up sanding ridges into the wood with your finger tips--and it really rips up the sandpaper to do it that way anyway.



A Post on Primer

OK, here's my biggest help to all you fellow furniture lovers . . . don't skip the primer!  I've tried  to use paint+primer combo's, and so far I just haven't been happy with the results.  And just going straight to paint can give you bleed through or sticking problems. 

 See the yellow bleed through on these two pieces? 

 Of course user error is always a factor, I do have a hard time letting things dry as long as they should, I just get SO EXCITED to get to the fun part--distressing and glazing. But it's NOT fun when you start distressing and the paint starts peeling off!  And you have to start all over.

A few primed pieces waiting to get dressed up.

A good sanding and good primer saves so much time in the long run, and definitely gives you  better results in then end. Here's what I use:

If it's bare wood or almost bare I use latex Kilz through my spray gun.

If the paint is in really good shape and not peeling or anything, I just give it a light sanding and use oil-based Kilz in a spray can since I can't use both oil & latex based products in my gun--I don't do this very often, most pieces I get are real antiques that need to be stripped down.

The last part of priming is a light sanding with a fine grit general use sand paper--general use sandpaper has oxide in it which helps to keep the paint from adhering to the sand paper and clogging it up. I like to use something like a 220 here. Give it a quick wipe down and you're on to the next step!