What to do? Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

 Don't know about you, but I really sweat over how I'm going to finish a lot of  my projects. There are times when I see a piece, an know just how I want it. So often I start on them and they become something totally different than I imagined.

Take this piece for instance:

 It was going to be a low sheen black. What changed? I often tell people, I allow my furniture to speak to me.  While reaching for my paint, I moved the paint can, picked it up, and looked at it. Wah Lah! This was to be my color, Ce Ce Caldwell's Young Kansas Wheat. Was it the furniture that spoke to me? Hhmmm. Not sure this time. Maybe the color  spoke to me.

I decided to modernize it a bit with a faux wood grain on the top. The top was a rendering candidate for a well needed makeover. It's finished was exhausted, with many stains and water marks.
Once painted, her bottom half was just a little plain. I like my furniture to have that extra, WOW, something to make it pop. I decided to give it a wax glaze. I first gave it a coat of clear wax, then added a glaze made from Howard's walnut color paste wax.

Well next you will see how I went just a tad overboard. I decided to paint the door inserts a faux wood also... That was past WOW, way, way to busy. Good thing being, its just paint!


The next step was fix it. I was using chalk paint, the great thing about chalk paint is... no prep work. I just painted over it. Added a little extra walnut wax to the carvings instead. Now there ya go that's better. I wanted to keep the original pulls. Gave them a good cleaning and some paint.

Now for the end results... Sooo much better!   What inspires you?               

A little vision, A lot of inspiration

The minute I saw this dusty piece that was being stored out of site, I knew I had to save it. I had a vision. With its exhausted finish and exhibited wear. It was a rendering candidate as one of my many projects.

My Inspiration: Beautiful fall colors! Those colors that you look at, an get the over all feeling that God, himself, just took out his paint brush.

I started the transformation of my vision with a good cleaning. Mr. Fix It then sanded the carvings and scratches from the top to exhibit a beautiful, colorful wood grain. Oh! I could never cover those beautiful colors. I gave them an ever so light pecan stain. Leaving the splendor of the colorful wood grain exposed. Sealed it with several coats of polycrylic for durability.

Being inspired by God's masterpiece, I chose Ce Ce Callwells, Cottonwood Sienna as my color. Adding to the one of a kind look, a pecan glaze. Other features include, bun feet and autumn green/ brown glass drawer pulls.

 As I began to paint, my thoughts were taken away to crisp mornings and cool afternoons. Mugs of warm apple cider, and the smell of  apple and pumpkin pie. To a time of the sound of the leaves, crunching underneath my footsteps.

Being so inspired, opened the eyes to my heart. I began to ponder on many of God's glorious masterpieces. The bright color of the sun, the blue of the Sky's. The gray of the clouds, the rainbow after the rains.

Can you tell? I really became excited about this piece. The style and the function lends itself well for use as a statement piece for an entryway, living room, den, or functional for a bedroom. Serves as a wonderful conversation piece. Before I knew it I was dragging it around to take photos.

This piece is now available for purchase. It's my hope that this piece will inspire you, and your hearts will be open to God's many masterpieces.


Thank you for reading this! Wishing all of you, many blessings! ~Deb.~

Answer to most ask question: Where do you find your furniture?

Answer: Here There and Younder ! I know that's not much of an answer so I will go further and explain. I am constantly on the look out for furniture to rehab. Mr. Fix It compairs me to that of a bloodhound snooping out pieces. Here would be just a few of the places I find my treasures.

YARD SALES: 
I picked this set of for $30.00! Yes! You read it right! $30.00! I broke out in a sweat when the sweet lady said, "I'll take $30.00 dollars. $30.00 a piece. I was excited!!! NO! She meant $30.00 for both pieces. It was all I could do to hold my composure.

 

Dumps: Yes, Dumps
I saw this piece on top of a pile of  garbage that was about to be  haled off to a dump. (This one almost caused my daughter to disown me!)  Yes, it was a mess. But solid wood. Best of all Free!!! My favorite. Sanding and sanding and sanding some more. She became quiet a beauty. And just guess who became the new owner? The daughter that almost disowned me.

Word of Mouth:
Let your friends and family know that you are looking for pieces to refinish. Ask them to be on the lookout also. I received a message from a friend. She saw the dresser on a swap and shop page for $10.00. Of course this lady was making a quick call and off to pick it up with paint in my hair. A call from another friend alerted me to the set of ladder back chairs for $30.00. I'm racing off to a thrift store with bed head!!!

Thrift Stores:
I frequent so often, they know me by name. I often have them tell me they've got some nice stuff in and when they are putting it out. After all, I'm probably there best customer! My advice is frequent often. Some days I come home with nothing others I come home with a truck load.

Swap n Shop ( Or whatever its called in your area)
The dresser, top left, was listed in a swap and shop.  During my pick up, I ask if she might have any more items she would be interested in selling. (Doesn't hurt to ask)  I came home with an entire set. Once you purchase from someone, let them know what you are doing. I often have people that sold me one piece contact me with something else.

Craigs List:
My advice here, DO NOT, commit to buy sight unseen, and never ever pick up alone. Unfortunately there is some crazies out there. I bought this piece sight unseen, just a picture, which must have been an earlier one. Mr. Fix It had to completely rebuild it. It was in really bad shape and must have been stored in a barn. It sure smelled like it. Took me forever to get rid of the smell. After months cleaning and a lot of hard work, she did turn out a beauty.

Second Hand Stores:
I had my eye on this pretty set for a while. It was priced a little higher than I was willing to pay. I kept an eye on it, checking each time I went to see if it had sold. The day I walked in and saw it was half price. I really had to contain myself not to do the moon walk right in the middle of the store. (I was afraid Mr. Fix It might crawl underneath something.) if I did.


Where do you find your treasures?

U-G-L-Y Thrift Store Chest turned European Painted Beauty

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