Gold to Chalk Chapter 2...The Mirror

A hundred years ago (well really probably  more like 7 or 8 years ago but you know how time flies) I was at an Andrews & Andrews auction in Northport Maine (I originally told you about Andrews & Andrews in this post) and picked up an end lot of goodies…some linens a couple of glass pieces and this little lovely…

All for a total of $5 (plus the 12.5% buyers premium the auction house charges).  This was for sure a bargain by anyone’s definition.

The mirror was definitely “aged” but that look worked perfectly in my old Marblehead apartment with its rustic wood beam ceilings.  Sorry I don't have any pics of said rustic beams...it was long before I started to think to photograph everything for the blog so you'll just have to use your imagination here.

It still worked in my 1929 bungalow but…..

I needed a change…I used to start packing when the need for change impulse hit me…now apparently I paint….probably a healthier way to manage an aversion to commitment so apparently I’ve experienced some personal growth ha.

The During...painters tape & brown paper protected the glass

So, I pulled out my Annie Sloan Ochre Chalk paint, but knew I wanted a pop of color for the stripe inside the frame.  I have this fun picture on the wall in my dining room so thought pulling the red into another piece might be a good look.

All chalked up and ready for some milk

After much contemplation and blog surfing I decided to give Miss Mustard Seed milk paint in tricycle a try.
It was not my first experience with milk paint but was my first time trying Miss Mustard.  I don’t really think this small stripe was enough for me to really have a strong opinion yet but I have another project coming up that will definitely give me a better idea (stay tuned).

Initially I used a sponge "brush" to apply the milk paint...it was a little messy & clearly the wrong applicator

So I went back with a smaller art brush & free handed a much crisper line.  I have a pretty steady hand so have
more success free handing than taping where there isn't the clean edge that the glass provided

 Once I had it painted and put on the clear wax it definitely didn’t quite have the depth I was looking for so I added the dark wax and we’re much closer for sure.

Waxed with the clear wax and ready for a coat of dark wax.  I read it was better to apply the clear under the dark but
I'm not sure I noticed a big difference in application.  But this is a very small piece so I'm not sure it's a fair test

But…I’m still not totally sure this ended up where I wanted it to go…

Finished & hung...for now

I have a strong feeling we aren’t quite there yet.

What do you think…maybe a Annie Sloan Provence Chalk Blue stripe instead?  Maybe a pretty paper decoupaged in to create a patterned "stripe".  Maybe some silver or bronze or even copper rub-n-buff?  So many more possibilities to contemplate…

sharing this week on:
Between Naps on the Porch
The Dedicated House
Savvy Southern Style
Coastal Charm
Cozy Little House

From Gold to Chalk...The Table

I’m not usually one who falls victim to every trend or must have of the moment…but….I keep reading about Annie Sloan’s chalk paint and all of the fabulous things you can do with it so…..

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre

A few months ago I gave it a try on my old “seen better days” bedside table (check it out here) and more recently gave my entryway built-in chest a face lift (check this out here) with a little rouge & wax.  Both were painted Provence blue and added just enough of a pop of color.

Well, last week with proof of my addiction taking hold I looked at a sweet little old table that my grandmother had painted gold and was forever in her bedroom and knew I had to go neutral and up the ante with a dark wax to give it some depth.

The Before...I just love the detail on this table

Yes, apparently chalk paint is merely a gateway DIY product meant only to suck you in to the hard stuff…wax & washes (yet to try but I do have a Martha Steward copper wash sitting on my project table just taunting me).

So down to the basement I went to dig my table out from under a plethora of paint accessories (yes, I’m one of those who can’t get out of Lowes without a new paint pad, roller, brush, ect).  I had just the perfect place for it.

The real before...yes this mess really did exist in my basement.

Up two flights it went to my office/project/hang out room (officially my 2nd guest room but since I hardly ever have 2 guests at once I've taken over) and off I went with the paint…yup you've heard right Annie Sloan’s chalk paint does not need a primer or any real prep other than making sure your object is clean.
Two coats of paint later and the table was looking pretty good.

In process - this is the first coat...look how great the coverage is.

Fully painted just waiting on me to get some time to add the wax

But in the spirit of never leaving well enough alone, I went at it with Annie Sloan’s dark wax…I had never used it before and really had not done much research on how to use it.  I’ve used enough wax products though to know to brush wax on, rub into the crevices, and rub excess off but this was definitely going to be a bit of an experiment.

It sort of looks like shoe polish when you first brush it on

Half waxed - rub as you go before the wax dries too much

I did give a test run on a board I had painted with the same color as my table just to get a feel of how much to add and how much to rub off.

It was a quick maybe an hour or so to finish this up.  Looks pretty good huh?

Finished product in it's new home in my livingroom

And a little closer...it doesn't look quite this dark in person but I do love how the dark wax highlights the
crevices in this piece

Meanwhile, this week I have been in Charlotte on business and was visiting a huge antique mall (more on that later) when I happened upon a booth full of Annie Sloan paint and a couple of half done projects (as well as several finished) with some “helpful hints” tacked to the WIP’s (work in process for those non-production folks out there) and one of her hints was to ALWAYS add a coat of clear wax before a coat of dark wax.

Hmmmm, I didn’t do that…now I’m wondering if maybe I missed a very important step…

I think I’ll have to settle for next time…I’m not starting over on this one.


Sharing this week at:  Savvy Southern Style, Cozy Little House, Beyond The Picket Fence, The Charm of Home, Coastal Charm, Jennifer Rizzo, Elizabeth & Co., Primp,The Cottage Market

Well Hello: Entry Chest in Provence

One of the things that made me instantly know that my house was the one was all of the custom built-in’s…really they had me at laundry chute.

You also may recall from my one of my very first posts (or you can check out the before & after here) the wonderful built-in that is in my livingroom:

Livingroom Built-in

Well, in my front entry is a built-in chest that is not only functional (perfect for boot removal in the winter) but also has great lines.  Of course I didn't realize until looking through my house photos I really didn't have a good before shot so hopefully you all can get the basic gist from the not so great pics below.

The Before

When I moved in it wasn’t so cute though…stained in a 1970’s dark walnut color it just wasn’t my cup of tea.  That coupled with the peanut butter colored walls can you say brown overload?

Up Close before - yes it really was this sad.  Plus it had a huge water mark on the top from a plant I might
possibly have over watered :)

I thought it was really a great place to add a pop of color and bring some life to the entry.  As usual I have spent far too many hours contemplating what would be the absolute perfect color…red, hot pink, green, yellow…they all could be fabulous in just the right shade.

Primed & ready to add some color - I primed before I decided to go with the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

So, a quick painting of the walls the same beige as the exterior, the wainscoting & trim a glossy beautiful white certainly helped but the chest was still a bit sad.

After so much contemplation I finally just decided that I needed to plunge in and try something.  It’s just paint right so I can always change it with another coat - so I went with a light green/yellowish color that ended up being for sure what I wasn't was looking for (proven by the fact that I totally forgot to photograph it).  

How's this for an inspiration piece - I loved this chest in a "discount" furniture outlet - $600!!  Still love it.

So while out looking for something I'm sure I didn't need one day I found the piece above at a beautiful furniture outlet.  This was one of those specialty decor places where everything is pretty pricey but I love to go to for inspiration.  I loved the blue Provence Annie Sloan chalk paint I used on my bedside table (you can check my table out here) so why not?

The After...I'm loving the color...now just have to do something with that not so
cute carpet.

Another angle....the doorway leads into my livingroom

Turns out I didn’t need to spend all of that energy over thinking this project...I had the color all along (go figure).  I thought about doing a fancy paint treatment but it turns out I love the blue  just as it is – just the right pop of color for my little bungalow.  

What do you think – should I have gone with the hot pink?

Linking to:  Between Naps on the Porch, The Dedicated House, The Charm of Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Coastal Charm, Beyond the Picket Fence, Saavy Southern Style

Local Goodness - Grace Sales Co

So, today Christmas shopping begins for me.  Small Business Saturday is so much more my pace than the craziness of Black Friday…and I get to support my local communities businesses as a bonus.

I have decided that this year I am going to do my best to do at least 80% of my gift buying from small businesses (Etsy & Ebay count as small businesses since the transactions are from individual sellersJ).  Wouldn’t it be great for all of our communities if you all could join me in this mission?

So in honor of Small Business Saturday I thought I would share this post that I wrote a few months ago and never actually got it posted. Grace Sales Co has such wonderful quirky things I often wander in when I am in the neighborhood and today this will be my first stop.

Grace Sales Co
185 Pleasant St., Marblehead MA

Sometimes in the place & time you least expect it, you meet the nicest people.  This was the case when after a lovely day of meandering through Marblehead with a wonderful friend I decided on one more stop before heading home. 

My wonderful friend Leslie had mentioned she had missed out on a fab bookcase from Harvard University that was for sale at a fun little antique shop called Grace Sales Co just down the street.  She contemplated just a little too long and someone scooped it up just before her….I call that “just not meant to be”.

Love, love, love these orange wood stools!  They look like something
my friend Leslie would also love.

I have been to Grace Sales Co several times and this is another one of those places where I always see something unusual that I (or one of my friends) just have to have. 

Isn't this blue tufted sofa from Grace Sales window just fab?
Looks very Doris Day in Pillow Talk.
photo source

When I first moved to Marblehead this shop was an interior design shop that had just the most fabulous windows.  I had never visited the shop when the decorator had it but did make regular drive-by’s just to see the windows – they were always so colorful with lots of classic pattern fabrics and chic furniture pieces displayed.  Loved them!

This was one of a pair...wouldn't these just be magnificent in grey?

I’m not exactly sure when the decorator vacated and Grace Sales Co. moved in but I do know Grace hadn’t been open very long the first time I went in.  She has such great things that I have returned many times and usually with friends and we’ve all purchased something.  

photo source

I find this isn’t a shop where I just can’t live without everything in it but there are always a few really cool things I lust over.  And really isn’t that all it takes?

photo source

So on this particular Saturday I stopped in with very little on my list of wants/needs but was in need of seeing what new items were in the shop. 

What a great way to bring a pop of color to a room

While browsing in the back room I happened to strike up a conversation with a woman who was in the middle of checking out a vanity that her teenage daughter was admiring.  Her daughter really, really wanted it but she couldn’t figure out exactly how she wanted to update it.  I suggested Annie Sloan chalk paint and perhaps doing an accent color on some of the edges to make it pop as well as some new hardware (or painting the existing in a fun color).

Some teenage girl in Marblehead has fab taste...this is now a part
of her bedroom.  She loved the lines.

We ended up having so much fun imagining what this piece could be she bought it and was heading out to get some paint to start her project.

Sure hope it looks as fabulous in pink as it does in this original form.

I purchased these a bit ago and love everything about them!

This will soon be hung in my dining room.  I love both transfer ware
and commemorative plates so this just had to come home with me!

So today, I head back to Grace Sales Co to see what interesting finds she has for Small Business Saturday.  Wish me luck on my quest to find all of the goodies my family & friends desire at all of the lovely shops locally owned & operated.