A Pair of French Country Side Tables

This pair of vintage tables has such awesome lines- so curvy and, dare I say, sexy! I painted them in a warm earthy brown, distressed them, and then used a custom mixed dark wax to give the surface some depth. Before and Afters below!

Flea Market Finds and New Acquisitions

It's been a busy week of buying and refinished. Yesterday's flea market seemed pretty disappointing until I got about 3/4 of the way finished when I stumbled upon a handful of really amazing objects. Here's what I've bought in the last week:

This set of TEN gooooorgeous wine glasses. Only $5 for all ten. My husband thinks I'm nuts for buying even more glassware, but I have so much empty cabinet space and I just loved the subtle amber hue of these. 

This amazing vintage drink set probably dates to the 40s or 50s. Still in the original box, never used. It's marked for the railroad line Union Pacific.

And this vintage 24k gold mug with a steam engine on the front.

I love this antique art deco stand. I'm going to use it to display a pretty antique plate.

An authentic set of antique sleigh bells.
Almost certainly made right in my own town of East Hampton at the Bevin Bell factory.

Three different pieces of stoneware. The large mustard and cream one is my favorite.

The perfect antique oak dresser. I started working on this as soon as I got home. It's going to be a superb kitchen island.

This antique tin cash box has soooo much character.

And the original owner, J. M. Taylor (Taytor?) scratched his name on the side. 

This sideboard is part of a six chair dining set that I got on Saturday. It had some ugly flower carvings on it that I've filled in with wood putty. I'm going to put a barn board top on it and paint it a pretty new color.

And finally this antique mahogany sideboard from about 1920. It's an almost exact copy of the Federal sideboards being made in the Providence Rhode Island region c. 1790-1815. 

A Solid Maple Desk

I found this cute little desk at the flea market a week ago. I was really excited about it so I got started on it right away. The top was such a pleasant surprise. I've worked on rock maple many times before, but this had some of the finest grain I've ever seen. I stained it english chestnut and then sealed it. I painted the case in a warm earthy brown and then used a dark wax to add further texture. I hand stained the wood drawer pulls to give the piece a Shaker aesthetic that suits its lines. The piece is finished on all four sides, so it could be used just about anywhere in a home. Before and afters below!

A Postal Cabinet Island

This was such a fun project. The cabinet itself was spotted by one of my clients, and she asked if I could turn it into a kitchen island for her. The piece has great bones, so it was just a matter of dressing it up a bit. The paint is custom mixed chalk paint with Benjamin Moore's Plymouth Rock as a base. I added the top and the moldings. I left the interior in a natural. So why am I calling it the postal cabinet? Well as I was cleaning out the inside I found a vintage USPS glove, and the crumpling remains of some old stamps. The cabinet was hand made of pine and oak, and judging by the hardware I'd say it's c.1890-1915. I also created a base framework below the cabinet to hike it up to island height.
Before and afters below!
I hope you have a happy and festive Independence Day!!

Stunning Storage

Firstly, I've been busy as a bee working on furniture, and I might have a new and exciting announcement in the next couple weeks as well. I promise to have some photographs of new stuff to show you by tomorrow. For today though, let's talk about all the pretty ways you can tidy up your space and store away that clutter.

The ultimate in storage. This vintage industrial shelving unit would be fabulous in a mudroom. 

I love the beautiful midnight blue of this basket. Baskets make perfect kindling carriers.

This stack of antique boxes is as much sculptural as it is functional storage

An absolutely outstanding stack of antique pantry boxes. 

Vintage style boxes make perfect planters- or use them instead of wrapping paper to give an ultra chic hostess gift. 

I'd use this as a jewelry box- perhaps I'd actually be able to keep my necklaces organized for more then one minute.

This mint green 19th century cupboard is really fantastic. The make-do drawers up the side are adorable and quirky. 

I think I'll try this paint finish on a cupboard soon. I love the look of it.

This vintage glass door cupboard allows the home owner to show off her collection, while still keeping it corralled. 

And finally this breath taking antique table top cupboard in a brilliant emerald green in the perfect counterpoint to the soothing cream of the iron stone collection within.