Shabby Headboard Bench

Happy Weekend!!! I don't know about anyone else but I am so excited for this long weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice, I'm going check out a new junk store down the road, and who knows what else is in store!

I've been meaning to share this furniture makeover for some time now- I've been to busy and to much of a procrastinator to get around to it though. Until today!

Antique Princess Bed Makeover

So right now it's snowing outside. Which some people probably love but being a southern girl growing up in warm weather this is no fun to me! But given that my birthday is 2 days away it will be cool to have a white birthday- you know since my birthday is in December and all. 

Anyway- today I wanted share with you a bed makeover I recently completed. I found the bed at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago. 

I loved it so much I really wanted to keep it for myself  (like a lot of my recent finds) but I don't need a bed frame and its kind of girly as my world is full of boys. And once again I was having an internal struggle as to paint or not to paint. The wood was gorgeous but was marred needed fixing in several places.

I went the paint route as this bed is going in the shop. Where we live painted furniture is all the rage so I kind of go along with it. After fixing all the problems the bed had (including screwing the top of the headboard back on and adding new decorative moldings) I sanded and began painting it with my homemade chalk paint.

After some distressing I finally got my hands on some furniture wax (MInwax Brand) and gave it a few coats. I love how it made the surface feels smooth and glass like!

I found myself wishing I had a little girl or space for this bed once it was finished but oh well! Can't keep them all I guess. Hopefully a little girl will have a new Princess Bed for Christmas!

Mini Dresser Makeover

Just a quick redo today- the old blog has taken a back seat lately and I apologize. It's that time of year when 8 million things are going on and sitting down to edit photos and write an interesting post is last on the list.

Plus I have been incredibly fortunate recently to have 2 real paying design jobs that of course take precedence over my usual furniture fun. :D

Antique Ceiling Tin Table

One of the things I am loving about having a space to sell my creations is that if I see a piece of furniture I can save I don't have to justify it by finding a place for it in our home. Or convincing the Hubs that we do need another chair, or table, or side board. (Our house is getting pretty full...) And I can design the piece the way it speaks to me- I don't have to make it fit to my decor.

This table for instance:

It was a throw away because the top tier was broken and gone. The top for the bottom table (faux leather) was warped and worn. I can see why the people tossed it. But something about it spoke to me and I knew I could make it new again.

A few Furniture Updates~

So ever since I decided to actually sell I've been kind of antsy and nervous. What if no one buys my stuff? What if no one likes it? what if what if what if?!?!?!

Ugh scary. But those fears haven't held me back from making more- it's a sickness I think. 

Remember when I found that cute little side table for $5? Well it is now all redone, shiny and new and ready for someone to take it home!

The top was all messed up with some sticky gunk that I had to remove with GoGone

The wood on the top was actually really nice. So I restained it a darker color and painted the bottom blue.

I also revamped this little beauty I found on the side of the road:

The mirror was broken and long gone out the frame. But the frame was in good shape so I knew I could save it. 

After removing the mirror that was left behind and some clean up and paint, I used the side "wings" to create a cork board/ chalk board:

I used mending plates to attach the two pieces together. And I used the existing backboard (that the original mirrors were attached to) to make the cork and chalk board. Pretty easy and I saved something from being thrown away!

The larger mirror frame I turned into a large chalkboard. The existing backboard on this piece was in bad shape so a new piece of hardboard was cut and painted with chalkboard paint. You can see it hanging up in my booth!! Yay!

More exciting projects coming soon!!

A Sunny Chair Makeover

~Before we dive into our makeover today I just want to take a moment to remember those who lost their lives and were affected by the events on 9/11~

So I lost my first Fantasy Football Game. I thought that maybe I could make a come back in Monday night's games but alas it was not to be. Oh well, try again this weekend! And do you know what day it is?

That commercial cracks me up!

Anyway- let's get to the subject at hand here. Today I wanted to share with you a chair makeover that I had finished up last week. Remember these two sad guys? 

I bought them for super cheap because one had a broken leg. (See how I fixed it here)

After that was taken care of it was time for painting. I've been wanting to try chalk paint for a while now and thought this was a good opportunity to see what the fuss is all about. Using a recipe I found online I went the plaster paris route. Which included mixing plaster of paris with water:

Then adding my paint (I used Pantone Chamomeille) 

I love how thick and creamy it is!

Overall my first chalk paint experience was a good one. I can see why everyone loves this type of paint! A little bit of paint goes a long way, it goes on smooth, and not a lot of prep work is required.

Ta-Daaaa!!!

I used some leftover Dwell fabric from my slipcovered chair, I thought the modern grey print worked well to contrast with the traditional shape of the chairs and the soft yellow paint. And the chalk paint was great at getting just the right amount of chippy-ness when I sanded the details.

To seal the paint I didn't go the traditional soft wax method as is used in most chalk paint applications. Instead I went with a non-gloss sealant. The chairs are for sale and I wanted to be sure they are super durable.

I like how they turned out, a far cry from where they started! And I'm a new chalk paint enthusiast.