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

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

A Little French Inspiration from Maison Decor

For quite a while now I have been thoroughly addicted to Amy Chalmers blog Maison Decor. Amy is a local Boston designer who had not too long ago opened a shop in Malden MA. I had been trying to get over to this shop for months but it’s been a busy summer and tough to squeeze in a visit even though it’s almost just in my backyard.

Finally several weeks ago, after months of perusing her blog admiring all of the fantastic French inspired furnishings in her shop I took a few moments of my vacation, coerced my one of my best pals who is from Atlanta and happened to be in town for a visit to head to Malden to check it out.

Me & my pal on our visit to Maison Decor included a really fun chat with
the incomparable Betsy Speert
Photo borrowed from Maison Decor

Ok, let me just start with the shop is quite a bit smaller than it appears on Amy’s blog but it is filled with such goodness you don’t even notice it’s really quite a small space. Really such lovely things!

Such a beautiful space at
50 Summer Street
Malden MA
Photo borrowed from Maison Decor

Amy is (self-professed) obsessed with Annie Sloan chalk paint and after reading & hearing a ton about this unique finish I have been super curious. And with my recently re-done bedroom (see here for my “if at 1st you don’t succeed” bedroom) having neutral walls I've been very conscious of my need to pull pops of color into the room.

So when I kept seeing the Annie Sloan chalk paint my wheels started churning on how I could use it on some little fun something. And then, I happened to see this piece in a lovely little home decor store in Lancaster PA while I was on vacation this summer:

Beautiful inspiration piece from Bed & Bath Affair
in Lancaster PA. If you are ever in Lancaster
this shop is pure loveliness!

And I loved loved loved the color. It was just what I was looking to bring that “pop of color” into by master bedroom. But, the cabinet was a bit beyond my budget. Hmmm….

Then I considered my current bedside table that I had purchased along with 2 other matching pieces at Goodwill in Atlanta probably 15 years ago for way cheap. I thought it was kind of cool and liked the lines of it. I’ve enjoy edit for all of these years since but it now has definitely reached the “seen better days” category.

Good storage, right size, just a sad finish kept
this piece from being perfect.

So….. great inspiration piece +my desire to try the chalk paint + a very tired bedside cabinet = a new project I just had to work on!

Now that I had a plan I was so excited to get started.

My dining room seemed just as good a place as any to lay
out my Dollar Store plastic tablecloth (ie drop cloth) and
go to work

Amy told me that basically no prep was needed just a clean dry surface and brush the chalk paint on it. Guess what, she was so RIGHT! The paint went right on.

One coat down.....

Two coats later I was rubbing on the wax to seal the paint and give it that nice finished look.

Waxing on...

Then just reattaching the original hardware; I contemplated replacing the hardware but I was operating on a "see as you go" policy…why spend the $ until you are sure what you have on hand isn’t going to work. And guess what, I actually like what I had.

Finished product...just pending my decision on whether
or not to add the white edge accent

The only question now is do I add some white edge highlighting to the doors & top? It sure would make the blue pop buuuuttt it kind of looks nice as is with the lines of the piece speaking for themselves. What do you think…to detail or not to detail, that is the question…