Waiting Patiently

 

I am so excited to start painting this French Provincial Hutch and Buffet.

 

I know the transformation will be amazing.  I am always amazed myself when I see the base coat applied and it instantly turns into a completely new piece.

 

I am still thinking about colors:

Like this French Blue cabinet... so soft and yummy!

 

Or, this monochromatic grey would work nicely into any space.

 

But I am really leaning towards this black and cream combo.  I love this cabinet.  I may also add interior lighting.  Even though it will only illuminate the top shelf's (because they are not glass) it will still add some splash!

 

You can link to those beautiful photos at: http://pinterest.com/bonflourish/furniture/ to see their original post.

The next project lined up after the Hutch is this incredible book shelf.

 

I really should have taken a photo with the doors still on!  These are the doors:

All three doors have this beautiful grill work design, but are badly damaged and may need to be removed if I can't repair them.  I have not decided yet on the colors for this.  Hopefully I can get started sometime soon!

More new tables

This week I said good bye to this dining set.

 

That table, started out like this:

 

 

I wish I had a before of the chairs.  When I bought them they were painted in a high gloss (with lots of brush strokes) chocolate brown and a nice hunter green with white pin dot upholstery. 

After a fun makeover, they went into the Mercantile.

The six upholstered chairs and table with leafs almost found their way into my sun room. 

As I was planning the new draperies that would be needed for that move, I received a call from the Mercantile saying that they had been sold.   So, with mixed emotions, I said good bye. 

Of course I am always happy to sell my furniture, but in the back of my mind, everything I paint, I paint for myself... just in case it becomes mine :).

With that table gone, there is new room for this table:

 

 which would look great in my Foyer... but I do hope it sells. 

Hello Fall!

 

Vintage containers like these milk glass mugs,

 

Carnival glass mug,

rose patterned creamer,

 

a pressed glass candy dish

and this vintage French tin, hold hand poured soy wax scented with delicious fall aromas.

 

I've stocked the store with two incredible scents, Pumpkin Souffle and Warm Hug.  Warm Hug is a combination of cinnamon and winter berry that smells like being wrapped up in a blanket on a chilly day while the oven is on and baking something sweet and cinnamony.  So, "Warm Hug" seemed to sum it up!

 

Bring on the crisp days of fall! We're ready.

 BonFlourish Pumpkin Souffle and Warm Hug candles available now at the Mercantile, 104 Main Street, Milford, Ohio.

New Designs

It has been a year since I have made a new post. How time has flown. I thought this would be a good time to start playing catch-up by posting two new designs I have for my client Judy. She is having me paint a design on her beautiful chalkboard and wants a design that showcases her favorite Parisian restaurant.

I hope you like the designs Judy. I can't wait to hear what you think.

Before and After Dresser

My client came to me with this absolutely gorgeous dresser. She wanted me to paint it exactly like a dresser I had previously painted. Apparently when she saw it in the store window she immediately went in to buy it and it had already been sold.

Normally I would not paint over such incredible wood... at least not ALL of it. But, she knew what she wanted.



And this was the end result. She was very happy and so was I.

Before and After Chair

It's probably hard to tell from this photograph, but this adorable vintage chair is double the width of a standard chair seat. It was so cute and unique, I knew I wanted to do something with it.


I reupholstered the seat, distressed the finish and began to paint.



I painted the burlap fabric


and I painted the chair back. I waxed and top coated.



I had to rush it to the Mercantile before I found a spot for it in my house... I tend to do that!



It's for sale now at the Mercantile Mall in Milford, Ohio.

Before and After Frame

Okay, I knew when I was buying these frames from the thrift store people were thinking, "hmm, nice taste lady". But look at those beautiful frames, with a little bit of paint, I knew they'd be perfect for what I needed.


No offense to the artist that painted those lovely ladies - just not my style.


I designed what I thought looked like a vintage French butcher shop window sign and painted the glass.


I gave the frame a white washed aged looking distressed finish.




My favorite part of these painted frames is that the colors change with the wall they are hung on! There isn't a backing on it, so it truly feels like a vintage window sign.

This is for sale now at the Mercantile Mall in Milford, Ohio.

Before and After Trunk

I came across this great trunk at a yard sale.



The lock was broken, it was D I R T Y and it smelled musty - I knew I had to have it.


I ended up having to pry the broken lock off the trunk, there was no fixing it. Then I was left with a big hole in the top.

I remembered that I have been keeping this metal medallion FOREVER. It has been sitting waiting in my studio. Waiting to be put onto the perfect piece of furniture.


It fit perfectly!


Then I thought the entire trunk needed a make-over. Everything got a spray of chrome paint, everything that is except the hardware. I loved the rusty finish, so I made sure and taped over everything rusty.



Once the chrome paint dried, I gave everything a rub down with a raw umber glaze.


What a difference the glaze made! It gave it a wonderful warm aged patina.


I peeled off the tape to reveal the rusty hardware... this is the fun part!





And I was finished... I thought. I ended up rusting the medallion. As you can see in theses pictures here, it doesn't match the rest of the hardware.




When it didn't sell at the store immediately... it ended up smack dab in the middle of my morning room, go figure. It fit's perfectly and will probably never make it back to the store - it's the hardest part about selling painted furniture.

I only paint what I like, so my painted furniture always fits perfectly somewhere in my house!


I have a tip for you with old smelly trunks, fill it with several perfumed soaps. After a couple days the musty smell will be gone and your trunk will actually smell really really pretty! So if you come across those little Avon shaped soaps at yard sales or thrift shops, now you know a great use for them! I have many drawers in my garage filled with them too.