Painted Red

This is a great little nightstand that is made by Stanley furniture.
Little bugger is heavy, I know this because I have lugged it in and out of the house.
Into the back of the truck, out of the truck, back into the truck and back out again.
I would really like to NOT have to move it again.

Standard procedure on the painting...
Did a little sanding on the top because the original finish was flaking a bit.

 

Pretty exciting huh?

 

Can hardly contain yourself right? Thought so.

 

 

Martha was hanging around while I was taking pictures.
Martha is always near me because I may do something crazy like leave and never come back.
Because I always leave and never come back.

She is guarding the driveway.
Because she is so ferocious. Serious eye rolling here.

So I have my furniture in a Antique Store here in Asheville called Bittersweet.
It's not going great.
I have sold 2 peices in the store.
Everything else has been sold through Craigslist and is selling well.

I have since given  my notice at the store.
Have to say this kind of bums me out. They have done very little advertising. No website up and running. I have sent people to the store and they have not been open. I would put out my business cards in my booth and they would collect them and put them up front of the store.
Anyway, I have 15 days left.

So for now, this nightstand that used to look like this.

That has been transformed to this...

Is listed on Craigslist....

English Family {Asheville Family Photographer}

A quick peek at a photo shoot I did this afternoon.

JUST warm enough to take the pictures outside.

Just cool enough to want to hurry up and put our jackets back on.

A new little boy with two big sisters.

With BIG blue eyes.

and sassy little flair.

 

Honestly, so adorable in your sparkly high tops and leopard patterned top!

 

 The link to view the rest of the photos below...

 

http://kristamosbyphotography.smugmug.com/Family/English-Family/26726077_7fqmhC#!i=2236512559&k=qb5s8SL

 



Old White You Are So Reliable.

Annie Sloan's Old White does it again.

It is consistent.

I am always thrilled with a piece of furniture that is covered in Old White.

It can bring a nightstand out of the dark and gloomies. (one thing great about having your own blog is you can make up your own words)

When it is sanded and you drag you hand across top it is as smooth as butter.

Absolutely beautiful.

You cannot get that with latex paint, just does not happen.

Ever.

After the wax is brushed on I rub it with an old t-shirt.

Then the best discovery ever...an old shoe shine brush.

It gets into all the nooks and crannies.

Buffs all the fingerprints out.

Gets all the wax out of the tight little corners.

Another one I wish I could keep.

A solid well made piece of furniture.

Thanks for visiting.

Maison Blanche's Wrought Iron on a Repurposed Map Desk

This little jewel received a new home today.

It started out as a very rough and abused map desk that has found it's way to being a TV stand in a guest bedroom.

The before picture shows it fresh out of the Goodwill.

The front drawer looked as though it had seen better days. Reattached a few times I am sure.

Everything that I have painted has been with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I really like it, have zero complaints.

But Maison Blanche Paint has come out with a chalk paint called La Craie and they have a black called Wrought Iron. It is much darker than ASCP before it is waxed.

You still have to wax the paint to get the depth of the paint to come out but I waxed in clear instead of dark. The difference is a much more even color, not as many variations in the shading of the black. 

When you have a piece to paint that has spots that make it very difficult to wax it is nice. 

Clear as mud,  I know.  Sorry.

 

The wood on the desk was stained with a red hue so that when it was distressed and waxed  that color came through and it really looks nice next to the black.

 

 

 

The inside of the drawers were painted with a mixture of ASCP Old White and Country Gray. I had a little bit of both so I mixed it up.

 

Worked pretty well.

 

 

Love the color of the wood coming through on the knobs.

 

 

 

I really like the unique look of this piece also.

 

I do wish there was an easy way to date these pieces though. I would love to  know the year it was born.

 

 I really liked using this paint for the color. The consistency is different that ASCP. Thicker than what I was used to but I just added water to thin it out.

 

 

Unfortunately I had to order it and have it shipped to the tune of   $97.00 for 2 quarts of paint.

 

Yup, you read that right.

 

That is a lot of money.

 

Cannot do it again unless I can pick it up directly and no one in Western North Carolina carries it.

 

**update** I now have a supplier in Asheville...WOOHOO!













How to Get Rid of Bingo Wings

I have figured out exactly how to get rid of BINGO WINGS.

You know what I am talking about.

These beautiful horrible things. UGH!

They tend to show up around 40 when everything starts to go to hell in a hand basket.

So if you are 39, guess what you have to look forward to.

Not kidding.

Anyway...this is the answer.

Gather your husband, leave the kids at home and jump in the truck.

Jump in the truck and head to the nearest Estate Sale, Thrift Store or Goodwill.

That is my husband.

He keeps asking why I didn't pick up a "lighter" hobby like tatting lace or something weird like that.

So to get back on track.

You have your husband, you have a truck load of furniture and you have one of these.....

With a can of this...

And after sanding the rough and bumpy spots, no cheating by using an electric sander.

You start to paint.

Back and forth with the brush.

Back and forth, feel the burn.

Once it is dry and looking wonderful you are going to make it even more wonderful by grabbing one of these.....

A SANDING BLOCK.

Again, sand every surface of the paint you have just applied.  

Heavier in some areas.

Make it smooth.

Are you starting to feel the burn?

Switch arms every so often to spread the joy.

You are heading to the home stretch....

Grab your wax and round brush..



and rub that wax all over the entire surface of the dresser, small sections at a time.

Then take your rag and rub the entire surface AGAIN.

Seeing a pattern here?

Bet you look like this now don't you....

I am telling you....gets rid of Bingo Wings.

That is what was running through my head as I was finishing this piece.

There is a lot of surface to cover on this baby.

The Coco Dresser with its Old Ochre on the drawers.

Isn't she pretty?

With her original hardware,

and her swivel mirror.

Just beautiful.

The before....

The after.

And now she needs a home.

Her job is done, she got rid of my Bingo Wings!

Country Sideboard in Emperor's Silk with Medium wax by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

 

This is a country server or sideboard or buffet or.... not really sure what to name it.

But let me tell you this, it is a beautiful piece of furniture. 

You know the ones that when you are working on it you are fitting it into every little spot in your home.

It would go perfect here.

With this sitting on top of it.

Oh, and at Christmas with the red I could do this....

Can you tell I would really like to keep this one?

LOVE IT!



 

 And of course it is in the Emperor's Silk that I love.
This time instead of doing the dark wax all over it I mixed the clear and dark and covered it in one coat.
It really seemed to go on much smoother and  a lot more even.

 The wood is maple and maple is just so nice to paint over.
So smooth.
Yummy, just love it.

 I really do think I need to keep this one.
Unless of course, until the next piece.
I am kind of addicted to this.

This is the before shot.
I found it at an estate sale, it had a price of $799.00 on it.
NO, I did not pay that much.
Lord, my husband would have killed me.