Instant cottage bedroom

I love working on maple. It's wood grain is wonderful and bold, and you can never ever see it under those muddy tan finishes that all the pieces had in the 1940s and 50s. Sanding them is kind of like unwrapping a gift. The grain slowly appears, and you really get a sense of the piece. The stain is the final touch, it brings the grain, makes it pop. There two dressers started life separately, but look so nice together. I sanded the tops, and replaced the drawer pulls on the tall chest. The low chest had great original drawer pulls already. I painted both pieces a soft antique white. I stained both tops a mixture of minx's sedona red and dark walnut, which is fast becoming my favorite stain color. All the top surfaces then got five coats of polyurethane. The night stand is, unbelievably, solid cherry, all the way through, even the underside of the drawer. They just don't make furniture like they used to. You simply can't buy solid wood furniture these days, not from stores at least. So there you have it. A matched set tall chest and low chest (solid maple) and night stand (solid cherry). Add one bed and you have an instant cottage style bedroom. Before and Afters below. Enjoy!!

This is why I love maple. Look at that grain!

Cherry's not bad either!

Just one last picture of it. So pretty!

You won't believe this dining set

Really. You won't. I can't believe it. Every time I walk by the dining table in my workshop I have to run my fingers across the top. It's soooooo smooth and sooooo beautiful. The dining table is a real deal mid century modern solid teak. It's marked on the underside, 'Made in Denmark 1964'. The table is so utterly sexy with a very subtle curve to it's rectangular top. The chairs are also vintage, solid fruit wood. I reupholstered the chair seats in a simple elegant canvas cloth, but otherwise just conditioned the wood. I refinished the table, bringing out the glorious sheen and grain of the teak. I can just picture the table all decked out for thanksgiving dinner! Before and afters below, and this one's available for purchase!

before, without the legs on it, and partially sanded.

chairs before, and that purple velvet just had to go!

An antique dining set

Ok- get ready! I've just taken a bunch of photographs of my completed projects, and before they get listed on craigslist I'll do some postings with before and after pictures. The first of the projects was the gorgeous antique dining set. The table is solid chestnut and quite early, probably about 1840. The assembled dining chairs are all around 100 years old. I painted the base of the dining table and the chairs a soft antique white. The top of the table had seen quite a bit of action over the years, and needs to be refinished. I sanded it, stained it, and sealed it so it will be ready for another 170years of service.
It was definitely a fun project to work on and I hope it finds a good home!

Flea Market Sunday- New Acquisitions

It's yucky outside. Foggy, damp, muggy, raining off and on. It really makes you crave the crisp cool air of fall. It wasn't a great flea market morning. I always know it's a bad one when they only charge you $1 instead of $2 for parking. There were only about 1/8 of the normal amount of vendors. Nonetheless, I didn't do badly. I snagged two vintage globes for my front porch fall decor, and a FABULOUS vintage shield with the Swiss cross on it. I don't know where it came from (surely not Switzerland?) but it's so stunning and so perfect for my fall decor plan. I'm also working on a little project for a friend/ client and I got three vintage bowls and a pair of wrought iron candlesticks for her. I managed to hit a tagsale as well. I didn't think there'd be much left late morning on a Sunday, but I got three adorable vintage white shelves, an abercrombie and fitch plaid shirt, and a wonderful vintage satchel that I'm going to use as a laptop bag. Finally, I picked up a solid oak vintage, but not terribly old, console table. Remember I said I wanted an antique rustic console table for my dining room? Well I saw this and just couldn't walk by. It's 100% solid oak and just just what I'm looking for, it just needs a facelift. When I'm through with it- OMG it will be perfect. Since I didn't buy anything to sell- the prices I paid are all below. Enjoy!

I got all three bowls for $6.... but the old guy who was selling them would only go that low if I kissed him on the cheek. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

They're from Mexico. I love how rustic they are, and the fact that they're pretty large, maybe 9" tall. $5 for the pair.

I know. You're dying of jealousy. I don't blame you. But it's mine mine mine. When I asked how much it was, I was seriously expecting it to be about $125. When the guy said $15, I just about died, but controlled myself long enough to talk him down to $12. It's bug too, probably 28" tall and 14" wide. 

A nice pair of globes to complete my globe collection. I think I have seven now, which should look pretty good all lined up on the shelf on the porch. I got the pair for $10.

I actually picked this sign up last week, but forgot to photograph it. I got it for $9. I suspect that it's not too old, made to look antique, because why on earth would anyone have made a sign that said 'cradle scythe'.

It's perfect. Crazy, obnoxious perfect. I've wanted one with a shelf for ages. It's solid oak all the way though, like holy cow how awesome. I think I'm going to do the top in a stain to match my dining table, paint the body white, but I'm still considering my options. Just itching to get started on this project.

It's very long too, maybe 45" long, and not too wide, which is great for the space. 

Three sweet little white shelves for $1 each. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these yet, but I think it will be in my upstairs bathroom, as soon as its finished.

I've been looking for a new laptop bag for weeks, was willing to spend quite a bit for one, but hadn't spotted just the right one till I saw this vintage looker. At $3, I'm pretty sure I'll get my money's worth.

Great little size small Abercrombie and Fitch button down. Will be just what I need come fall with jeans and boots. $3! 

A shaker style dresser

I found a great solid maple dresser at a tag sale about a month ago. It needed a little love, surface wise, and had lost all but a handful of it's ugly, not original drawer pulls. Just my kind of piece :). I refinished the dresser custom for a client. We decided to go with a Shaker inspiration- clean lines, a bit of age and presence. We choose a soft butter cream color that is both warm and delicate. The top was sanded, stained, and poly's. I also stained the wooden knobs to give the piece more contrast. Finally, I did a little bit of distressing and then waxed and buffed the case. Pretty charming! Before and afters are below- don't forget, I'm always happy to custom refinish a piece for you, it generally costs the same as to buy one of my completed pieces, but it's made just for you!