Just an Old Door

There are people who don't understand how an old door can make my heart sing. (My husband being one of them!)

 

 

 

They just don't get why I love the patina of worn-off paint.

 

Or how the texture of old wood can put a smile on my face.

 

 

 

 

It's just an old door!

 

But I've been looking for an architectural element for our family room for awhile. One that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg.

 

I tried an old blue shutter I have, and some other things, but nothing looked right.  I saw a great chippy paint door in a shop, but they wanted $150 for it.  A column I liked was $500.

 

 

 

 

And then I saw it.

 

I found it when I went to look at some things another dealer was selling.  She's downsizing because she is going to have a baby. 

 

 

 

 

I got a few things for Mr. P's Emporium, and then I noticed the door.  When I asked her how much she wanted for it, she said $20.

 

Sold!

 

 

 

I just knew it would look perfect in my family room corner. I love the faded white and wood with the white furniture in the room.  And it will go well with some changes and additions I'm planning on making to the room in the next few months.

 

 

 

 

So my husband helped me carry it in and propped it in it's corner, and I just started to do a happy dance.

 

He thinks I'm nuts. I'm sure he's not the only one. 

 

It's just an old door ...

 

 

 

But it makes me happy!


Sharing at:
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party
My Romantic Home: Show and Tell Friday
The Charm of Home: Home Sweet Home
Common Ground: Be Inspired
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

 

 

Mid-Century Dresser Makeover

This mid-century dresser makeover has got to be one of the favorite projects I've done. Unfortunately the photos do not do it justice. 

 

I snapped some quick shots when I first took the dresser out to the shop, but since it was pretty busy that day I just hurried and replaced merchandise and planned to take some more photos later.

 

I quite was disappointed that I didn't get the chance.  Well, kind-of disappointed. 

 

Oh, who am I kidding?  The very day I was going out to take some better pictures I got a phone call that the dresser had sold and I needed to bring out another piece!

 

It sold in three days!  And I'm sorry folks, but a sale trumps a blog post any day!!

 

So here's the story of the make-over of my record-breaking selling dresser--and the first dresser to sell out of my new space.

 

I found it at Goodwill for $60 and it was in what I thought was comparably great shape.  Some veneer was chipped, some water stains, but nothing big. 

 

 

 

It's a good size, heavy dresser with dovetail drawers.

 

 

 

 

The top drawer has built in dividers. And I loved the drawer pulls.

 

 

 

 

However, as they were loading it into my car for me I noticed a major flaw.  A dog had chewed a big piece off of the bottom of the dresser by the back leg.

 

I forget to take a photo before I started to do the repair, but you can get the idea here:

 

 

 

 

I had never dealt with a fix like like this, and wasn't sure what to do.  Because it was such a large divot, I decided to use Plastic Wood for the first time because it is stronger than wood filler and you can mold it.  Warning:  Use this in a well-ventilated area. 

 

I had to build up several layers, and I tried to mold it to the existing design.  As you can see, that didn't work too well the first go-round.

 

 

 

 

I ended up sanding most of it down and starting over again.  But now that I know more of what I'm doing, if I took more time, I think I could do a much better job matching up to what was there. And it did do a great job of filling in the hole, which was significant.

 

The veneer was missing in places on the top, but I didn't want to bother with chipping off the entire top piece. So I just filled in those areas with wood putty and glued down any loose pieces.

 

 

 

 

I then sanded everything down so the top was smooth and even and I could make sure everything was permanently adhering.

 

 

 

 

I painted the base and top of the dresser in ASCP French Linen.  I painted three coats on the top, then waxed the entire piece with  ASCP clear wax.  I took a lot of time with the waxing on this piece. The finish was so smooth and lustrous looking on the top--which is one of the reasons I wish I had better photos!

 

 

 

 

 

The fix on the hole at the bottom turned out okay, not great. Luckily it's not noticeable because it is at the bottom and at the back.  Most people don't squat down and take close-ups of the bottom backs of their dressers. But I priced it accordingly anyway.

 

 

 

 

On the drawers I used ASCP Paris Grey.  When I waxed the drawers, for some reason the wax gave them a bit of a washed effect, (which unfortunately you can't see in aforementioned crummy photos!) which I actually loved.  Then I distressed the entire piece, going a bit heavier on the edges of the drawers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the outside was finished I painted the bottom of the inside of the drawers in French Linen to give them a fresh, clean look.  The final touch was putting the cool original drawer pulls back on.

 

 

 

 

 

And that's my record-breaking selling dresser.  It's a great transitional piece. I really did love it, and was thinking I should keep it and put it in my son's room since the colors match the new bedding I bought for the room exactly. 

 

Oh well!

 

Sharing at:

 

Primitive & Proper: POW
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint
Elizabeth & Co.: Be Inspired Tuesday
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
Redoux: Link Party
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party
My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best Party
Elizabeth & Co: Be Inspired


 

New Finds & What Should I Do??

Hello Everyone!

Can you believe it's Friday already?  Where has this week gone?  I've been busy working, but not the fun kind of working like painting furniture or digging in the garden!

I do have a couple of things to show you though.  Usually I wait to show you my "befores" with my "afters" but since the "afters" aren't done yet, and I'm pretty excited about these thrifty finds, I decided to give you a sneak peek!

I found this console on Craigslist.  I have the hardware for the other door. 

I love the detailing and know I can do something beauteous with it.  It has two drawers inside and is very heavy.  I love these smaller consoles because they are so versatile. 

This lovely table was in a thrift shop I decided to stop by.  Not one of my usual haunts. It would make a great foyer or sofa table.  Look at those legs! (The spot you see is a hole I've filled in with wood filler.)

The detailing on this one makes me swoon (really--I'm swooning as I type).  The cantilevered tabletop edges, the curves, the swirly legs. It's probably going to be a bear to paint, but I think the end result will be worth it.

Now normally this is where I would tell you how much I paid for these pieces, because I get all excited about my bargains (and I'm not going to lie--I like to brag!).  But recently a friend of mine told me I shouldn't be saying how much I paid for something, since I plan to sell it for a lot more. I can see her point.

But here's the thing: 

First of all, even though it may be my favorite part of the process, hunting for the pieces I buy takes a lot of time.  And as you other furniture refresher's know, there's also some talent involved in having the ability to see the potential is something that most people would figure was destined for the landfill. I've seen some amazing things in blogland that were originally pieces of, pardon my French, le crap.  These pieces obviously don't fall in that category, but my lavender bedside table certainly did. 

Then there is the time and materials to fix and handpaint the piece. Since each painted piece is unique--how do you price creativity?  And even though it may be priced a lot higher than I paid for it, it is still going to be better made and less expensive than something comparable at stores like Wisteria or Ballard Design, for example.  I would think that if someone wants to buy it, they would understand all the time and work that went into it and be willing to pay for that.  Or they could do something similar on their own if they want to spend the time and go to the effort.

Which brings me to my second point.  The  message of this blog is how you can have beautiful things you love in your home, without always having to pay retail for them.  Renew, refresh, think green--that type of thing. The price is a crucial little tidbit in that story.  I just happen to love the hunt and the refreshing process so much I've run out of space in my house--so now I sell the stuff!

But, as I said ... my friend has a point. So I'd like to ask you more experienced furniture selling pros out there your thoughts.  And I'd also like to hear from those of you who may not be into the diy furniture thing, but who love to buy vintage.

What should I do?  In the meantime all I'll say is I got both pieces under--let's say $50 each.  Okay, under $30 each. (I just can't help myself!)

I'm Just (Craigslist) Browsing

For someone whose blog title is "Confessions of a Craigslist Junkie," you may have noticed I haven't talked about any new Craigslist finds for awhile.  That's because my garage and basement are full of furniture waiting to be painted, and I promised myself I wouldn't even go looking for any more deals until I finished working on the projects I already have.

But this weekend prior to my basement clean-up marathon, I was looking on CL to see if I could find some metal shelves to add to the workspace area.  And while I was there, I couldn't resist checking to see what kind of furniture bargains were listed.  So since I'm being good ... well, trying to be good--I do have an email in for a little console, but it's the style of thing I love to paint, and it's just too good of a deal to pass up!  Um ...  so since I'm being semi-good and not buying anything (else), I thought I'd just show you some of the things I found with a quick browse.

These two campaign style chests were hard for me to pass up. Two of them for twenty bucks -- just $10 each!

Keep them together and paint the drawers bright alternating colors like this and they'd be great in a kids room.



Or a paint them a snazzy blue and use them in an office, or as bedside tables.

This little ottoman is only $10. 

Granted, it needs a little love, but a paint job on the legs and a slipcover like this would give it a totally new look:

Grab some burlap and upholstery tacks ...

Or, splurge on some great fabric.  Since it only cost $10, why not?

I love this antique bed.  It's listed for $50.  Look at the spindle detailing.

I think this would be adorable painted a bright color for a little boy or girl's room.

And speaking of a little girl's room, this dresser would be perfect, and you wouldn't need to do a thing to it. Just $50.

This desk from the 1920's would be fun in a kid's room, or anywhere in the house. At $100, it's already painted for you--in one of the Pantone color trend picks of spring 2012--tangerine!

Speaking of color, these chairs will add a pop.  They are vintage Thornet (marked) bentwood chairs.  The set of 4 is $120.

You could go for the reverse look of this dining set:

This leather settee looks like there may be some issues with the leather on the seat cushion, and there may be a dent or something on the arm.  But look at those lines.  Look at those legs. Look at this price: $25! Even if you have to reupholster the whole piece,  you still can't beat $25.

And lastly, look at these two beautiful pieces:

Bow front china cabinet with lighted interior and matching buffet.  Looks like cherry or mahogany wood with very cool silver hardware.  I think this set is gorgeous, and could work with a variety of decor styles, from traditional to Hollywood Regency, to even contemporary with the right mix of other pieces. You'd be paying in the thousands if you were buying this retail.  Listed on Craigslist for $300 for the set!

I'm telling you, there's a reason I'm a Craigslist Junkie! 

FYI: These were all listed in the Washington DC edition of Craigslist if anyone is in the area and interested in anything.




Sharing at: Type A Decorating Anything Goes

Latest Cheap Finds

Hey there -- Happy Friday! 

I was planning on sharing a furniture make-over with you today, but Tammy at Type A is starting a "Hunter Gatherer" party on her blog, so I'm sharing some recent finds instead. Now I know my last post was on "stuff" shopping, but really, who doesn't love a good deal?! I promise I'll talk about something else next week!

Last weekend after the yard sale where I scored the harvest basket and wood crates I showed you in the last post, I decided to stop by Goodwill to see if I could keep the bargain mojo going. Yard sales and thrift shops in one day -- my idea of a good time!

And my luck continued!  I found this set of milk glass vases. 

I think they'd look great with a bud in each and lined down a dining room table instead of a centerpiece.  The small ones were just 50 cents each, and the larger one was 75 cents. What a deal!

I love these little bud vases. They are hand-blown glass rimmed with what looks like 14k gold. A label on the bottom of one says it was made in Egypt. 

I think they'd look beautiful with a sprig of holly in them for the holidays. They were only $1 each.

Speaking of the holidays, look at this candle holder! 

It's brass detailed with red berries.  I've never seen one like this before.  (It's going on Etsy in Mr. P's Emporium if you're interested!)

I've talked about how versatile cake plates are before.  This glass one is a bit smaller than typical, it would look great with a couple of larger ones on a buffet.

This serving plate isn't vintage, but it's fun! It adds a little savoir faire!

And lastly, these two large hobnail goblets are a beautiful green.  Personally I think they are too big to drink from, but they will make great candle holders for the holidays! 

I think the candlelight bouncing off of all those facets will be lovely.

So that's my haul from last weekend. Who knows what lies ahead for this weekend?!  Thanks for giving me an excuse for sharing Tammy!