Dresser or Cabinet?

I found this wonderful dresser/cabinet at the flea market a couple of weeks ago.  It was already painted black, but the paint job was awful.  I have never seen a dresser quite like this before although I have seen vintage dressers that have been encased in cabinets with shelves as well.  This sweet little cabinet is very compact and would even be a great entertainment cabinet in a bedroom with the flat screen TV on top.

The inside needed painting because it was still oak inside.  All it took to transform this gem was a little paint on the inside and a lot of sanding on the outside to bring out its character.  I put some numbers on the drawers and I wish I would have used a color other than antique white for the numbers, but all in all I think it turned out all right.  My photos are showing a lot of glare because of the lighting.  I see a huge shadow on the inside of the door in the next photo.

I love the details of the cabinet itself and the wood showing through gives it a nice aged look with a lot of character.

Thanks for your visit.

I may be partying at...

Mondays           Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Making New Galvanized Buckets Look Old

Old buckets are very popular in decorating these days and I sell a lot of old buckets.  Sometimes I'm lucky enough to pick them up at yard sales for a dollar or two, but usually at the flea markets even the smaller ones are $7.

So when someone told me they found some large buckets at The 99 Cent Store for $1.99, I bought a whole bunch of them.  The problem was they were shiny and new looking.  The size was great though at 12 inches high and 11 inches across the top.  Even better was that they had handles with the wooden grip on them.

I looked on Pinterest for how to make new galvanized metal look old and I found a tutorial for using Lysol toilet bowl cleaner.  I followed the directions which said to leave the Lysol on the metal for 30 minutes and rinse off, but at 30 minutes I found no change.

Here's how I aged my buckets.  I scuffed them up with 100 grit sandpaper just to scratch up the shiny surface.  Then I took a scrubby sponge and used the rough side to spread the Lysol all over the inside and out of the buckets.  Don't forget the lip and the handle.

After 30 minutes there was no change so I left them to sit.  I came back over an hour later and I could see something was definitely happening so I went on about my day and after about four hours, I was getting some nice patina.  The problem was there were still some shiny parts, probably where I missed a spot when wiping on the Lysol.  I did not clean the buckets at this point, but rather put the Lysol on my sponge and reapplied it to the buckets inside and out.  The following morning I went outside to check, and the buckets were nicely aged.  At this point I put them in the utility sink and rinsed them well and dried them.  If you're working outside near any landscaping, I would not recommend hosing the buckets because you could get run off that would damage the nearby plant life.

This was an easy project that required a little more patience than I had anticipated but it was worth it.

Thanks for stopping by.

I may be partying at...

Mondays           Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

French Farmhouse Cabinet

I don't normally do large pieces of furniture but lately I have been finding some great pieces like the two vintage bedroom sets I found and painted aqua.  When I found this beauty, she was washed with stark white paint.  Her leg was broken and she had been left out in the elements which split and cracked her counter top.

The first thing she needed was a good furniture surgeon to mend her broken leg.  That would be my husband.  He did a wonderful job and you can't even tell.  She's as good as new.  Her counter top got a good sanding and so did the rest of her.  I painted her Old White, except the counter top.  That got a coat of primer gray automotive paint and then that was rubbed down with gesso.  I wanted her counter to mimic an old worn metal top.  She got some pretty French drawer pulls to glam her up a bit.  Her white coat was glazed with some diluted Minwax stain to give her some nice aged patina.

On the lower doors I reverse mod podged a toile image.

I used a small corner stencil in each of the corners of the shelves and then used Frog Tape to join the corners and box the back section of each shelf.  

Once that was done, I used some of my French stencils which I always mix and match to get the desired wording that I need to use.
By mixing up the stencils, you can get something really original and it adds charm to an old piece of furniture.

This would be a fantastic cabinet in a bake shop.  Don't you think?

I'm thrilled with the way she turned out.  I'm using her for display in my space at Aubergine Emporium, but she is for sale too!

Thanks for your visit.

I may be partying at...

Mondays           Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors
           

Milk Paint Cabinet

Last Saturday, I ventured up the coast to Ventura, California to take a milk paint class from Mary Livingston.  She has an adorable shop called Lavender Blue and she just recently expanded her store to larger quarters.  Mary has been painting with milk paint since she was in high school.  Our class lasted around 3 hours and during that short period of time Mary shared so many tips and tricks that she has learned from her many years of experience.

Primitives are not for everyone, but where I live and sell, original peely paint pieces are highly sought after and coveted, and although I have tried to attain this look with every paint and special effects product on the market I have never been able to replicate an original paint finish.  Until now!

I can't give you all of Mary's secrets because she is writing a book, but I can tell you the tools I used, and by the way, Mary has her own line of milk paint.  It's called Lavender Blue.  This product really delivers.  See all that glorious crackle?  I didn't have to use glue or a crackle medium either.

I painted the cabinet with Calendula which is an old yellow color.  Then I top coated with French Linen which is a white.  I'm a mix and match kind of person, so I started with a candle stick.  This is my own trick so I can share it with you.  I rub my corners and any place on my piece that would receive natural wear.  Then I paint my piece.  When I sand those areas that are waxed, the paint falls away unevenly like it was worn that way over the years.  So yes, I did rub this piece down with the candle.  I did not use a binding agent either with the paint because I could get the aged finish much better without it.

I used a heat gun to dry the paint and I worked in small sections.  I painted a side and then dried it with my heat gun.  Then I went to the other side.  Then I did a door and then the other door.  Working in small sections helped me concentrate until I reached the desired aged look I was going for.  I also rubbed a little Annie Sloan clear wax here and there.  I'm not sure it's compatible with the milk paint because it is an oilier wax so next time I will stick with the Lavender Blue wax.  This all sounds like it took me forever, but the cabinet was done start to finish in around two hours.

When all the painting was completed and dried, I scraped it with a paint scraper to get any flaking that occurred with the heat gun.  Then I gave it a rub down with a wet cloth.  The wet cloth helped expose the Calendula that was hiding under the French Linen color.  Milk paint will wash right off if it's not sealed with a sealer such as wax or hemp oil.  Next I took a fine grit sanding block and just sanded enough to knock off any more loose paint and to gain a little more patina.

When all of this was completed, I rubbed it down with a light coat of clear wax mixed with a little dark wax.  Mary's wax is more like a thick hand cream and, therefore, it is much easier to manipulate into the crevices than a harder wax.  This look isn't for everyone, but if you love aged patina like I do and many of our customers do, then I strongly suggest you give milk paint a try.  Below is the before picture.  Milk paint gave this cabinet an amazing transformation and so did Mary's wonderful class.

Lavender Blue has a website and they do ship the milk paint and the accompanying products.  Their website is http://www.lavenderblueventura.com.  

Thanks for stopping by.

I may be partying at...

Mondays           Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

French Figural Window

I found this window a couple of weeks ago.  Unlike my faux etched windows, this is the real deal.  I spotted it on a dealer's truck before it was unloaded and could only see the top portion of it.  It was love at first sight.  I bought it on the spot. 

It stands about five feet high and about two feet wide.  The detailing is incredible and, of course, I love anything with French details.  I put it in front of the hedge in our front walkway to see what it would look like and I love seeing the foliage through the window.

I have no place to put it in my own house so off to Aubergine Emporium it went.  I hope it finds a good home very soon.

This might be my find of the year, and it's only February.

Thanks for your visit.

I may be partying at...


Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed

Contemporary to Farm House Chic

I've been finding a lot of these import pieces of furniture lately that are akin to Home Goods, but I have been having a nearly impossible time finding good vintage pieces to redo.  So while I'm waiting to find the stuff I really love, I'm reinventing some of these newer items to fit my style better.

This is a great TV stand, console, cabinet, whatever you want to call it.  It's two-tiered, has some great storage space and overall it had great lines and detailing, but with the finish it had on it, it had a contemporary vibe, almost Asian.  Definitely not my vintage look.

This is a very functional piece, but let's face it, it's not high end and it's not heirloom quality so I didn't spend a fortune on expensive designer paints that are so popular these days.  It got a good sanding since it had a very high gloss finish, then two coats of latex paint in a warm white tone.  The surfaces were painted a medium shade of gray just to give it a little more personality.

Then to give it a more farm house feel, I shabbied it back just a bit to give it a more worn appearance.

Once that step was done, I rubbed a bit of Minwax stain diluted with mineral spirits.  I didn't want to muddy the finish,  I just wanted to give a little depth to the imperfections.  When it was all completed, I sprayed it with a clear coat to seal in the stain.

The photo below is the before.  This is the photo where my husband is saying "You want to do what?  It looks fine the way it is."  Then I say "Just paint it!"

Thanks for visiting.

I may be partying at...

Mondays           Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed

Faux Etched Window Tutorial

One of my best sellers when I sell at the Little French Flea Market are my faux etched windows.  They are very simple to do and although there's a lot of photos in this post, it's a quick and simple process so stay with me.  You will need Martha Stewart's Frost Etching cream available at Michael's and Joanne's.  You will also need a stencil of your choice, a mixing bowl - my mixing bowl is about a half cup custard cup - acrylic paint and a stencil brush.  Of course, you will need a window.  I get mine at the salvage yards.

I use approximately a dollop of the frost etching cream and about half as much of my acrylic paint.  That's it.  Mix it together.

Clean your window on both sides and work from the back side of your window.  Once this product dries, you can clean it with windex and a paper towel but do so gently.  Since the front of the window does not have the design on it, that can be cleaned normally.

Your stencil will be turned over because you are working from the back side of the window.  Tape your stencil in place.

I keep a paper towel handy so when I dip the stencil brush in the paint medium I can dab it off so I don't get too much paint on my brush that could run under my stencil.  It's the same principal as when you're working on walls or wood.  Now just dab the paint on your stencil.

Make sure you cover all the lettering on your stencil image.

Now rinse off your stencil in the sink so that the frosted etching cream doesn't dry on the stencil.  It's easy to get off if it's not totally dried.

For this window my stencil wasn't quite big enough to fill my window space so I needed to come back and do my corners with a second design.  Put your extra paint mixture into a zippy bag for about 20 minutes while the window dries enough to lay another stencil on the window.

Here is what I had left of my mixture after doing a whole window.  It doesn't take much.

Here is a Paris window I did last week.  The scrolly stencil is from    Wall Masque Stencils and the Paris stencil is from  Maison de Stencils.

Here is another popular stencil I use, also from Maison de Stencils.

Here is the cute little window I just finished.

This weekend I will be selling at the Little French Flea Market.  It's our first flea market of the year.  We have moved to Northridge so please note the new address.  Hope to see you there.

Thanks for stopping by.

I may be partying at...

Mondays           Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style   Ivy and Elephants
                         My Salvaged Treasures
                                           

Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors