Antique Spool Turned Bed Turned Bench

How clever is this little bench! It was converted from an antique spool turned bed into a handsome and super sturdy bench big enough to seat two comfortably. I've always wanted a spool turned bed but I only ever see them in singles or fulls. And that wouldn't work as the husband, myself, and both our cats are already crowded in the queen size bed. The bench came to me in a fairly tired white and with a cushion that didn't really suit it. I added a pine plank seat, sanded, stained, and sealed, and painted the frame in a delicious teal the color of a tropical sea distressed to let the white peek through and sealed with wax.  Just imagine it in a mudroom or porch! Or at the foot of a bed!

A Coastal Cottage Hutch

Sometimes we all need a little kick in the pants. I was going to slack on this piece and only refinish the bottom portion as a sideboard, but one of my clients stopped by the workshop, saw the top, and insisted I refinish the entire piece. He was right, and it was the motivation I needed to take this hutch the whole nine yards. It's a great vintage oak piece but I was turned off by the mirrored backing on the top. I was able to unscrew the entire backboard, remove the mirrors, and reattach it for painting. I did the interiors in a custom mixed shade of antique mocha. The exterior is a custom mixed bright mint with a little hint of aqua. The drawer pulls are awesome and original, but I re-colored them in a darker teal to mimic oxidation on old copper. I distressed the piece and sealed it with dark wax. I staged it in fresh yellows with some vintage plates (that I found last year on the side of the road!) antique stoneware, a couple of my flower paintings, and a healthy dollop of antique and vintage glassware from my personal collection.

A Shaker Inspired Dry Sink

I love Shaker design, it's so pure and beautiful. I actually just bought myself a new book on Shaker design at the flea market last week. When Carl the Furniture Guy sent me a picture of this vintage solid pine dry sink it reminded me so much of 19th century Shaker pieces that I knew I had to have it.    I painted the case in a warm mustard meant to look like a time faded bright gold, and did the interior portions, drawer sides and original turned knobs in a buttercream that is the mustard cut down with cream. I very lightly distressed the edges and corners and then sealed the entire piece with dark wax. I staged it with a new antique painting I picked up two weeks ago that I just adore, as well as various pieces of antique stoneware.

A Vintage Dresser Turned Kitchen Server

This might be the quickest turn around I've ever had on a piece of furniture. I bought this handsome vintage Bassett dresser at a tagsale on Saturday morning, and sold it to some clients for a custom refinish on Saturday afternoon, while it was still in the back of my pickup truck. Likely because of that, I failed to take a 'before' picture, but I hunted around online until I found a picture of a similar Bassett dresser so you could get a sense of the transformation. I removed the bottom four drawers and ran four 8" boards across as shelves, painted the case and interior in an antique white, distressed and waxed, added a pine top to match the shelves, and swapped out the drawer pulls with brushed nickel cove pulls to match the client's kitchen hardware. I love the scrolled apron and how the white contrasts with the pine. Delivering it tomorrow!

again I want to reiterate that this is not the actual before, just a similar bassett dresser from about the same period. 

An Antique Dresser in Powder Blue

Phew! Where has the time gone?? I'm so sorry I haven't posted since Monday! Egad! I beg forgiveness if only because we're painting the outside of all three of our buildings right now and it's eating up all my free (blogging) time. I got this dresser on Monday from Carl who snagged it at auction. It's a gorgeous antique chest made about 1840-1865. It's cherry, mahogany veneer and chestnut secondary wood, which leads me to believe it was likely made locally, probably in Connecticut. It's Empire in style, but the turned bun feet are an amusing and unique feature that I've not seen on other similar dressers of the period. I sanded the top to reveal the beautiful cherry and then painted the case in a soft powder blue, finished with wax and distressed. I love the little box drawers at the top. For some reason the cabinet maker who built this marked it with the number '2' all over the interior in chalk and pencil in a fine early script. Who knows why, it's one of those antiques mysteries that will never be answered.