Shabby Painted Magazine Rack

Lately I've been experimenting with new paint colors. I've had this magazine rack for awhile and thought it would look better with a new paint job. I think originally it was probably somebody's high school shop class project. It is very well made and is quite sturdy.

In this "before" picture I had just wiped it down with a clean, wet cloth. It was very dirty to start with.

It was separating at the top so I clamped it back together using wood glue, then tacked in nails on each side. That's the only repair I had to make. The embellishments on the sides barely show up. My plan is to change that.

I used two shades of blue. The front panels are painted a lighter shade. I only did this because I am experimenting with colors. But I really like the subtle difference. After I was done painting, I lightly distressed it then sealed it with a clear wax.

I used a Fleur-De-Lis stencil I bought at Hobby Lobby. First, I stenciled it white, then dabbed on some pale pink. I used the same treatment on the side embellishments.

This little lamp is my next project. I plan to change the color of the base, change out the socket to a smaller one, and rewire it.

This is the first time I've used a stencil for awhile. I wish I could hand paint pretty flowers but try as I might, I've never learned how. Linking to:        

OMG Another Ladder

If you are in the business of "treasure hunting" you have probably found that you sometimes have a run on finding similar things. Lately, for me, it's been ladders. First, I bought a 6' ladder and got rid of it asap because it was too big and heavy. Next, I found a cute little 4' ladder. It's all painted up and pretty. And recently, I found this cute little ladder that only stands about 21" tall. It is adorable (after a little tlc).

This is what it looks like after I painted it. This was such an easy project. All I had to do was paint it, then distress it. I used Heirloom white, latex satin paint.

This is what it looked like when I bought it.

It's very well built. See?

The man I bought it from charged me $1.00 for it. As I carried it to my car I think he was laughing at me.

The shutter on the left is one of my painted projects. So is the "chic" sign. I made the sign out of our old porch flooring.

I have it sitting on the dresser I bought a couple of weeks ago. To see what the dresser looked like when I bought it check out  My Morning Haul

The little dresser has good bones but boy, did it need a lot of work! The first thing I did was add casters.

The paint job on the exterior was o.k. but I felt the sides of the drawers needed cleaned up. Plus, every one of the big drawers needed major repair. Mr. Shabby worked many hours fixing them for me.

After the drawers were repaired, I worked one whole day cleaning, sanding, and painting them. Then I wiped the inside of the drawers with orange bees wax. Now they look clean and smell clean.

I didn't paint the exterior , I just distressed it a little more.

This is my sweet little 4' ladder, all painted up and pretty.   Linking to:  

 

1930s China Cabinet

Those of you who follow me know I love to paint furniture, but I don't usually paint good pieces. I like to find pieces that are really bad, then transform them into beautiful, useful pieces..
When I bought this china cabinet a couple of weeks ago it was tied to the back of a pickup truck and the glass had slid part way out making it look like it was broken (turns out it wasn't).
 It was filthy and stinky, too.
But after I got it in my shop and took a closer look at it, it was in better shape than I first thought.
The major things wrong with this are: The fretwork that is so beautiful is partly missing and it looks like a can of stain was sitting on the top and dripped down one side on the front. Plus it looks like the pediment has been replaced at some point.
So, all things considered, I consider this piece borderline. If I clean it up and repair it, the value would be about the same as if it were painted.
After thinking about it for two weeks I've decided I'm going to paint it.

After doing a little research, I learned this piece was produced by the Reaser Furniture Co., in Gettysbury, Pa. sometime in the 1930s.

The fretwork is really beautiful.

Also, when I decide on a color, I will paint the inside of the cabinet and the inside of the very large drawer the same color.
The beveled rim around the glass door would also be painted the same as the inside of the cabinet.

At this stage I also plan to eliminate the pediment.
It adds nothing to the piece.

Here you can better see the streaks running down the front.
My plan is to replace the top shelf with a glass shelf (maybe both shelves).
I would like to add a light.
I haven't decided what to do with the hardware yet.
I think I will probably paint the outside Heirloom white with a Burnt Umber glaze.
Then of course, I would distress it giving it a shabby chicc look.
I probably won't get started on this 'till next week so any input you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for looking...Connie

Shutter Meets Drawer

A couple of years ago I purchased approximately 50 shutters at an estate sale, not knowing at the time what I would do with them. Every now and then I pull one out and paint it, then distress it. I price them around $8.00 to $10.00 and they sell pretty good.
I've had a a couple of old drawers laying around for awhile that I wanted to upcycle but wasn't quite sure how. Then one day I came up with the idea to put the drawer together with a shutter. This is what I came up with:

It just happened that the shutter fit perfectly inside the drawer.
After I painted and distressed the two pieces all I did was screw them together.

One evening I got creative and whipped up a shabby burlap flower.

I never really figured out how to use this.
The woman who bought it is going to use it on her porch with flowers in it.
I had thought about putting mason jars in it and using it to store kitchen utensils.

These are the 2 pieces "before".
Not very pretty are they?



This old radio cabinet is a project I have been working on.
I'll show you the finished project real soon.

Linking up with:

Art Deco Vanity Section Rescued

This is one project I should have walked away from, but the $3.00 price tag suckered me in. And besides, once in awhile I like a REAL challenge.

This is a section of an Art Deco vanity. As you can see it was badly neglected. It is all scratched up and pieces of veneer are missing in several places.

 But, with a little glue and some clamps and weights it can look as good as new.
Well, it can look "Shabby Chic". hehe