A Sideboard in Cherry and Gray

I picked this gorgeous vintage sideboard up from a house in Storrs on Wednesday and set to work on it right away. It's a beautiful cherry piece with wonderful lines and stunning flower form drawer pulls. I painted it in a custom mixed gray called 'Scottish Fog' and stained the top in a light color to bring out the amber hues of the cherry. I kept the drawer pulls but brightened them up just a bit. It's all done and ready for a new home!

A Vintage Armoire in Pale Blue and Linen White

Ready for another armoire today? This was a custom project for a client. We spent some time discussing the palette of her newly redecorated bedroom and decided on Benjamin Moore's Blue Hydrangea and an interior of Linen White for this vintage armoire that will be residing within. I mixed both into chalk paints since Benjamin Moore STILL doesn't make a chalk paint in their full palette... *side eye*

I painted the piece, lightly distressed it, and finished with a dark wax. My client choose some adorable hardware to replace the clunky old knobs, and I matched the hinges to the new pulls and knobs.

A Vintage Armoire in French Blue and Mustard

I spotted this fun vintage armoire at the ReStore in Cromwell, CT a couple weeks ago. The lovely carving and molding caught my eye. It's a good sturdy piece offering bountiful storage with two drawers below and two up top along with cabinet space on the top. I sanded the case down, replaced the drawer pulls with antique wooden knobs, painted the interior in a mustard, and the exterior in a custom mixed French Blue chalk paint, then distressed and waxed the whole thing. I painted the interiors of the drawers in the mustard as well, for a playful pop of color when you open the drawers.

A Handsome Pair of Antique Benches

There is beauty in simplicity and fine form. I was thinking on that yesterday while flipping through a book on Shaker design. Fluid clean lines, a fresh palette, because sometimes fussy is not what a room needs. These benches are a nice example. They're beautifully built, c.1920, or so, and I'm guessing they were originally in a schoolhouse or meeting hall. I love that they've survived together after so many years. I think they'd be dandy along a rustic farm table, or on a long covered porch. They're solid pine and the tops turned out so rich that I decided to paint the bases white, just to keep it fresh and simple.

Flea Market Finds and New Acquisitions

We're in the height of the flea market and tag sale season now, and my workshop is bursting with furniture and projects! I can't help myself though, so when I see a good deal, I buy more More MORE! I picked up some cute smalls from Past to Present Collectibles in Niantic, CT last wednesday, and then scored a load of stuff at the Memorial Day flea market on Sunday.  My favorite thing is an antique mahogany drop leaf table with the grouchiest jelly label affixed to the side. I can show you the jelly label and the underside of the table, but you'll have to wait to see the topside while I re-attach top to frame.
Hope your summer is off to a spectacular start!!

The jelly label reads, " Mahog. Dining Table , given me by my mother. To be sold, after my death for not less than $225.00. M. T. Russell" It cracks me up because I'd guess the label is from about 1920-1940. $225 was a lot of money back then. I paid $40 for it.... Sorry M. Russell!!

It's a lovely table with fluted legs and a stunning top, here's her belly. 

I purchased this original oil on canvas of chicks at the flea market. I'm kicking myself because there was an accompanying painting of roosters and hens but someone else had already bought it. If anyone knows who bought that painting from the Mansfield Flea market this past weekend, I would very much like to buy it from them.

My very favorite artist, Adam Brown, was at the flea market as well. I hadn't seen him in a couple years so I was so excited to see him unloading glorious impressionist oil paintings from his car on Sunday. I bought two large ones to add to my collection of his work. I think I have about ten now. He's brilliantly talented. 

Another oil painting by Adam Brown. I'll be putting both over the bookcase in the upstairs hall, where most of my painting collection resides. 

Just a sweet little stoneware bowl to add to the collection. I didn't yet have one in a nice buttercream color. 

A set of four antique bentwood dining chairs. I have held on to two bentwood armchairs since last fall. I'll pair them with this lot to make a complete set of six. 

A nice antique Autumnal oil painting that I bought from Josh at Past to Present Collectibles for a ridiculously good price. Thanks Josh!

I bought this pair of solid cherry night stands at a tag sale I saw on the way to the flea market. They're filthy but should clean up nicely. 

I've been looking for a set of four cherry Queen Anne dining chairs for myself for several months now. I finally found this set at a tagsale and snapped them up. I'll be painting them the palest celery green.

And finally a ceramic rooster and a brass Koi, because, why not!

A Maple Chest in Black and Gold

Sometimes things work out so nicely and neatly that one must pause a moment and wonder if it's all just the mad turmoil of causality, or if perhaps, every now and then, there's something more purposeful guiding our fates.... Which is almost certainly too heavy a consideration to lay entirely on this little vintage solid maple chest made by the Hale company c.1965.

       Wednesday morning I spotted the most magnificent antique chest of drawers, posted by antiques dealer firm Doe and Hope of England, on their twitter feed. I believe I choked on my coffee a little bit, it was just that damn lovely. Mere moments after pinning the image to my furniture inspiration pinterest board I recalled that I was to pick up, that very evening, a fabulous little vintage cupboard that would lend itself perfectly to recreating the look of the antique one. I've been wanting to try my hand at more decorative painting on furniture, and this seemed a most excellent coincidence.

         The solid maple chest was in flawless condition, giving me free reign to concentrate on surface and decoration. I mixed a deep deeeeeeeep charcoal, almost black, with the teensiest hint of midnight blue, and sanded, stained, and sealed the top. For contrast I painted the interior and drawers in fresh linen white. And then I took a step back and stared at the cupboard for a long time trying to work up the courage to drop my big furniture paint brush and grab the detail brush. After three false starts I finally figured out a design that pleased me and went from there. The drawer pulls are antique, re-colored in a bright gold.