Saturday, March 29, 2014

Color and Shimmer for an Old Tilt Top Table

 
I often wonder if I was meant to live in a different age and time.  I do think I could have been quite happy living during the Victorian era, sitting quietly day to day, sipping tea and laboring away at needlepoint and writing long, thoughtful letters to dear friends.  I am sure that the troubles and tribulations of that time would be wearing and I might change my mind, but it's fun to romanticize and dream about these times past.
 
 
 
Although this tilt-top table isn't from the Victorian era, it is older and was modeled after the tables used in parlors for tea time.  I have always wanted to get my hands on one, but up until a couple of weeks ago had not come across one for sale.  For this reason, I was willing to pay a little more for this table than I normally would for a piece this size.  Also, it was very sturdy and the mechanism functioned well.  It seemed worth the investment.
 
 
I knew this table top needed something extra special, as it would not only serve as a place to set things, but as a piece of art when displayed upright.  I started with a mixture of Louis Blue and French Linen Chalk Paint®.  Once this was dry, I applied a stencil by layering and alternating colors in Paloma and Pure White.
 

Once I had the stencil technique just right, I brushed on some slightly watered down Pearl Plaster by Artisan Enhancements to give the finish a beautiful Pearlized effect.
 


I applied the Pearl Plaster all over the entire table and sealed it with Annie Sloan's clear and dark wax.
 
 
I was hesitant to use dark wax on this piece, but when I got to the point where the decision had to be made, the finish was looking a little too modern for this table. 
 
 
The dark wax seemed to add just the right amount of aging to get the antiqued finish I was looking for.
 
 
The day after waxing, I buffed and buffed this sweet little table to give it a lot of extra shimmer and shine!  The finish feels velvety and soft.  I am really pleased with how it turned out.  It now sits in my booth at Camas Antiques awaiting a chance to grace someone's lovely parlor (or living room) and hold a beautiful tea set and needlepoint work (or a glass of white wine and a kindle).
 
The more I think about it, the happier I am to be living in this day and age.  At no other time in history could a woman sit down at her computer and correspond with other like-minded, passionate, creative individuals all over the world!  Amazing, isn't it? 
 
I will fill my longings for times gone by with Masterpiece movies and mini-series!  They transport me to a romantic era, fill me with creative inspiration and offer a glimpse into a different kind of life.  When I can, I love to watch (or mostly listen) to period films while I paint.  All during the time I worked on this piece, I had the North and South series on in the background.
 
 
If you love period dramas like I do, you've probably seen North and South many times.  If not, it is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime!  All you Downton fans will surely recognize the gentleman on the far left in this promo ad!
 
Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!  I appreciate you stopping by!
 
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
 
Let's stay connected!  Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
 
 
 
Sharing With:
Inspire me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 
 Before and After Wednesday at The Decorated House
What's it Wednesday at Elephants and Ivy
Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground 
 Friday's Unfolded at Nancherrow

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Decorative Column...from Brassy Gold to Concrete Chic

 
Last Saturday morning I set off to Camas Antiques for a Chalk Paint® demo.  My mom had just given me this heavy, ornate, solid plaster column, and I thought it would be a fun piece to demonstrate my favorite decorative paint on! 
 
 
The column had been previously spray painted a bright, shiny gold and was desperately in need of a Chalk Paint® update!
 
 
I had to really push my brush into all of those nooks and crannies to fully cover the bright gold paint.
 
 
  After roughly 2 coats of French Linen, there was no sign of the original shiny gold finish.
 
 
I let the paint dry overnight before applying a wash in Old White.  Normally I wouldn't wait this long, but I wanted to be absolutely sure that I didn't reveal any gold during the wash or wax process.  I have a tendency to be a little aggressive with my buffing, and sometimes buff away the paint in spots on a shiny surface.  I am learning to be more gentle, but in this case allowing the paint to dry overnight seemed to do the trick!
 
 
I love how the Old White wash brought out the amazing imagery here as there are so many interesting things going on with this piece.  It was hard to fully appreciate the details when it was painted a solid color.
 
 
I brought the column outside this afternoon to take advantage of the beautiful, soft overcast lighting and to photograph my lovely pink magnolia tree.  Because I did wax this piece with Annie Sloan's soft, clear wax, it isn't suitable to be left outside.  Anything painted with Chalk Paint® intended for outdoor use, should never be waxed as the wax doesn't hold up well to the elements.
 
 
These blooms are so wonderfully fragrant!  I had forgotten just how lovely their scent was until I brought a branch inside to enjoy.  It filled the whole kitchen with it's heavenly fragrance!  I wish this tree would bloom all year long!
 
Thank you so much for your sweet visit!
 
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
 
 
  
Sharing With:

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground 
 Friday's Unfolded at Nancherrow

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Antique Radio Cabinets - Restyled and Repurposed

 
When fortunate enough to find them for a good price, I don't hesitate to pick up an antique radio cabinet.  I especially love the ones with pretty curves and details.  The person I purchased this one from had already cut the cupboard doors and created shelves inside, so all it really needed was paint! 
 
 
I finished it up and took it to the shop on Thursday night only to hear the next morning that it had sold!  I later learned that it was a friend of mine who bought it!  That's always fun to hear!  Thanks for the sale, Diane!  I hope you find the perfect spot in your home for this sweet cabinet!
 
 
To create the pale blue for this piece, I mixed approximately 3 parts Old White to 1 part Louis Blue Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan.  The accents were painted in Old White and the entire piece was finished in clear and dark wax after some light distressing.
 
 
These cabinets are great for holding stereo equipment, dvd players and all of those entertainment components!  This very cabinet was on loan to our play room for this type of storage up until last week when I reclaimed it to paint and sell!
 
 
Now, the cabinet I painted over 3 years ago for our family room will be moved upstairs to the playroom.
 
 
I shared this cabinet here in 2011.  It has worked out great in our family room.  Last week my husband mentioned that he'd like to have something a little larger to house more equipment.  I always jump on an opportunity to buy and paint something new for our home!  It just so happened I knew where to get the perfect cabinet for our family room!
 
 
This beauty, an old music cabinet is now awaiting it's Chalk Paint® destiny!  I hope to get to it in the next week or two!  So, be sure to stay tuned!
 
 
Let's connect!  Please find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
 
Thank you so much for your sweet visit!
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
 
 
 
 
Sharing With:

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground 
 Friday's Unfolded at Nancherrow
Make it Pretty Monday at The Decorated House

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Made Pretty with Chalk Paint® - My Updated Portfolio

 
 
 
Hello friends!  I hope your week is going well!  I just spent some time updating my 
Chalk Paint® Makeover Portfolio.   I hadn't realized how far behind I was in posting to this page until I sat down to add projects to it.  There are over 80 projects posted here, all Chalk Paint® makeovers!
 
Besides being up-to-date, this page now has a link beneath each photo that will take you directly to the blog post where the colors and techniques that I used are described.
 
I often receive emails asking what paint colors I had used on a piece of furniture that was seen on the Portfolio Page, so I hope that the corresponding links will prove useful for readers.
 
Thank you for your visit today!  I hope you will be back next week as I plan to have some more projects to share with you!  I am on my way to the garage at this moment, waxing brush in hand...ready to finish up a few pieces I've had waiting in the wings!
 
Have a lovely weekend!
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
 
 
 


Sharing at:
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home