Dressing Up Wardrobes

As usual, we’ve been busy bees at Knott So Shabby this week.  As the custom work keeps us on our toes at our home work shop and some custom pieces I can do in the shop during business hours, it can be quite challenging to keep the shop’s floor full of goodies especially when a big piece or pieces sell and you need to fill that space FAST.  This week the grand Dining Room set sold, therefore leaving a big part of the room to fill.  We do have 2 other dining room sets we could be refurbishing to put in it’s spot, but I’m thinking we need to switch it up a bit.  More on the lines of living room or sitting room instead. For the past few weeks, I have been on the search for just that.  The new owners of the Dining Room set are picking up on Wednesday, so that gives me about a week to finish up on the French Cottage style pieces.  There will be a newly upholstered settee or sofa (it’s that big), a French style armchair newly upholstered to coordinate the settee, and a set of French side tables and a coffee table.  More about these coming soon!  Sorry if I tease:)

I have also been doing a few redos. Sometimes a piece just doesn’t fit the color chosen or the style.  Case in point 2 wardrobes.  You may have remembered seeing this wardrobe in the shop or on my For Sale Page painted in Annie Sloan’s Arles.

 I originally chose Arles (yellow) because I felt it would give it a French Country feel. Well, it sat and sat in the shop for a couple months.  Everyone seemed to like it and did compliment it, but that was just about the extent of it, no buyers.  After a couple months of looking at it, thinking why no one was buying it, I finally decided to give it a make over!  Firstly I thought about what room it would go in, most likely a bedroom that lacks space or closet.  Next, what color? I could go with a neutral like I have in the past such as the wardrobe in French Linen and Old Ochre or with the ornate wardrobe,  I used a custom mix of ASCP Louis Blue and Paris Gray, not so neutral, but gorgeous just the same.

For this wardrobe, I felt it needed more than the just neutral,  but maybe not quite as bold as the original choice Arles.
Something soft and pretty.  What is a girl’s favorite color?  That’s right, pink or my favorite shade Antoinette by Annie Sloan.  It’s a color that we have had a lot of luck selling in the shop.  I could definitely see this wardrobe sitting pretty in pink in a nursery or in any girl’s bedroom.  And so, the redo began and within a few hours, a completely different wardrobe emerged.  I used a mix of clear and dark wax to soften the pink and to give it more of a vintage feel.  I also added some pretty whimsies around the doors in Old White.  Not more that a few days of the transformation that this pretty wardrobe was sold!  And just as I'd thought for a little girls room, perfect.

Now on to makeover #2.  This was the huge wardrobe we scored at an estate sale a few months back.  My husband was in a basement looking at a few other pieces when a yellow tag caught his eye.  And there it stood before him, this massive wardrobe, consisting of a closet, 6 large drawers, and a cabinet.  It even had a bar that pulls out for hanging ties and a tray that also comes out for make-up or hair accessories perhaps.  It was so big nobody in his or her right mind was going to haul this big boy out of a basement.  Nobody but my big strong husband that is!  We just couldn’t pass this one up.  Yes, it was huge and heavy but in solid condition.  They just don’t make furniture like this anymore.  We hauled it out of that basement and into our workshop awaiting it’s turn for a makeover.

The Beast before!

The talk around our workshop amongst my husband, myself, and my friend Jen, was to re-purpose it into a kitchen pantry!  How cool would it look as a farmhouse styled pantry in maybe Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint Tricycle Red with chicken wire in the top cabinet insert and a chalkboard on the door to keep organized?  It would be perfect for a kitchen that needed more pantry space or a mudroom to be a stylish “catch all” for a busy family.

As it sat in the workshop a few weeks,  I would tell my customers about this grand wardrobe I had at home.  One day a customer was looking for such a large piece and hired us to customize it for her.  She envisioned it in more of a curvy feminine style with ornate woodcarvings and soft colors.   And so our dream of making it into a farmhouse pantry or storage was gone.  

After talking over what colors were in her bedroom, and also what we could do to “girl it up” a bit, we came to the decision to paint it in ASCP Old White and Duck Egg.  We added wood filigree pieces in places where the customer chose, and new glass pulls to replace the original wooden ones.  She also liked hearts and flowers and requested to have something on those lines painted on the door.  I had found an image of a floral wreath and added that to the door with a bit of the Duck Egg and some Antoinette.  Although this was not my style, it was of the customer and so it was finished. 

Sometimes things happen for a reason.  While we were working on the wardrobe, trying to turn this square duckling into something of swan if you will, the customer decided she was going a different direction in her bedroom style and didn’t think this wardrobe would fit that. 

And so,  just like that, we were left with our perfectly square rustic wardrobe dressed in drag, haha!  I know I’m horrible, but tis the truth.  With all of the work that went into this piece, I had to give it a chance “as is” to sell in the shop. As a week or 2 went by,  I would stare it daily wishing someone would just take it home so that I wouldn’t have to look at it and remind me of what could have been.  

Although I seriously thought I could “magically” turn this "rough around the edges wardrobe"  into a pretty swan, it just wasn’t meant to be.  BUT, one of the wonderful things I love about paint, you can ALWAYS change it and that’s just what I did! 

Although it's not exactly what we had in mind, by using chalkboard paint over the decorative door and using chalkboard stickers on the drawers, the piece is now perfect for a kitchen pantry, mudroom or of course a bedroom.  And who knows, if it doesn't find a home in a few weeks, I  just may have to bring out Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Tricycle!

Pillows and signs and wreaths-oh my!

What a wonderfully busy week at Knott So Shabby!  Besides being chosen to sell Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint,( yay!),  I was a crafting, furniture refurbishing, decorating machine!  I really wanted to not only provide beautifully refurbished furniture for my customers, but to also offer other hand crafted decor in the shop.  Yes, it would be way easier for me to order from a wholesale company, things that were mass produced in a warehouse, but how unique is that?  I'm not saying that I make every thing in the shop, but proudly a majority of it.  So this week, I got out the glue gun and sewing machine and went crazy!

And here are the fruits of my labor......

These cool box signs were actually a custom job.  A customer had seen
something like this on Etsy and asked if we could
make them and we did!  My husband made the boxes which I then
stained in Dark Walnut to match the farm house table we had also done for this
customer.  It was then painted using ASCP Graphite for the backdrop and Old White for the letters.
We will definitely be making more of these for the shop, very cool and fun.

Made my first, of the ever so popular,  music-sheet wreaths!  These were really fun to make too, although by the hot glue burns on my fingers you wouldn't think so, ouch.

 Sewed up a few pillows; one is a throw pillow in my favorite blues and browns, the other I made using 2 tea towels. By sewing just the 3 sides and then leaving one side open with a flap and a button, allows easy cleaning. You can just throw it in the wash with your other towels, done.  I especially love the blue stripe running down each side. It reminds me of an old french grain sack!

Of course I couldn't go without painting a few pieces for the shop....

This stunning washstand is in such wonderful condition.  The wood was so nicely preserved,
that I decided to just give it a pop of color with MMSMP Kitchen Scale
and to leave the rest of the wood exposed, love it!

I used MMS Hemp Oil to protect the Milk Paint and to revitalize the wood.

Another fun desk with chalkboard paint
on the drawers and top. The body is in ASCP Coco

Another adorable pedestal table in Old Ochre
with a pretty bird graphic
compliments of The Graphic Fairy

Tried my hand at painting Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on fabric, and guess what?  It works!! You need to dampen the fabric with water a bit first, but it went on so smoothly.  After it dried, I took a bristle brush and brushed it lightly to soften. I couldn't decide if I wanted to completely reupholster this chair or not.  It's in such good condition and I really like the pretty blue, so I decided to leave it alone, and try using a grain bag log iron on image.  The problem was that the black of the iron on couldn't be seen over the blue, enter Old White chalk paint:)  The Old White provided a nice bright background for the logo.  I also painted the legs and arms in Old White to compliment the new look.  I thought it turned out really cool, and obviously was right because it sold after a day in the store!

Simple and clean chest in ASCP Old White-
this one was requested by a customer who would
like to have it for her lake cottage 

 And last, but certainly not least, my big announcement of Knott So Shabby carrying Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint!! Not only do I get to use this amazing paint product, but now I get to teach and show others just how awesome it really is!! Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on when classes will begin:)

 Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint proudly displayed
front and center of the shop! 

The first picture taken of me as a new retailer!  I wasn't really
expecting to be photographed that day (hence my hair do), but
at that point I was to excited to care, haha!

Oh yeah and I almost forgot.  Kevin (my husband) and I went to an estate sale yesterday where I found my very first Ironstone pitcher (see it on the wash stand above).  I spotted it as soon as I entered the house. I think, no I'm sure,  my heart skipped a beat.  Not only was it a true-made in England Ironstone pitcher, it was a large one at that!  It was even holding a fresh bouquet of peonies, one of my favorite flowers.  We were actually there to check out a 7, yes 7, library/harvest/farm/work tables.  After placing our bid in the box, we were excited today to find out we won 4!  Looks like I may be getting my rustic farmhouse table sooner than I thought, woohoo! That leaves 3 left for you:) keep an out on here for them!

So now you know why this was such a wonderfully busy week for me.  I feel truly blessed to be given such wonderful opportunities,  to have a happy healthy family, and to meet new friends everyday:)




Linking to: Three Mango Seeds

My heart throb...the farm house table

Today was a great day at the shop, I finished rearranging the entire shop for the millionth time. Every time a piece finds a home, I have to shift all the other pieces around the room and then re-acccesorize them all.  Last week we brought from our home workshop a table and chair set that is very special to me.  I know I could say every piece I refurbish is special, but I had hopes for this set, hopes that it would be MINE!  A year ago or so, I bought Annie Sloan's book "Quick and Easy Paint Transformations" and I fell in love with this-

Isn't it gorgeous?! Sigh...

I have been searching for just the right table and chairs to refurbish just like this.  Well, after months of searching Estate Sales, Craigslist and Auctions, I finally came across a work table with nice and big drawers, a solid oak top and tarnished brass feet in a dark dingy basement at an Estate Sale.  The  4 antique farm chairs are from an individual whose family actually owned a farm.  The chairs needed a little reinforcing and the table was a honey oak in color, but workable.  I started off by painting the chairs and bottom of the table in ASCP Antibes.  I really wanted them heavily distressed, so instead of hand sanding them, I went to them with a hand sander and achieved just the look I was going for.  

Don't let the brightness of the green scare you, they
get much better after dark wax

After distressing the chairs and the bottom of the table, I used dark wax to really deepen the rich green color.  It also brought out the grain and all of the perfect imperfections of the chairs that I adore.

I did the same technique to the legs and skirting of the table.

Next came the top of the table.  It was in pretty good shape, but definetly not the look we were going for it needed to be abused a little, so here is where the fun came in.  My lovely husband Kevin used a wire brush attachment on the edge of the table to really "cut" into the grain and give it a rustic texture.  We also hit a few times with a heavy tool to make sure there were dents and divots in all the right areas, fun fun!  Now it was coming along!  After sanding it down to rid the old poly and orangy oak stain, I did a white wash treatment using 50/50 Old White and water.  

Like the book said, we could have left it like
this and it would have look great, but
not what I had in mind.

So, I did as Annie did and used the dark wax to really deepen the crevices and to give the look of a table that has been used on the farm for decades.  

Using Dark Wax can be scary at times, but
as long as you work it in and go in sections
it gives it so much character.

Finished top that shows wear and tear
with a natural rustic appeal.

After all of the wax dried for a day, I buffed it out to a soft sheen.  As I was doing this I thought about how wonderful this would look in my kitchen with an old farm house fireplace mantel.  The kids could even beat on it and just add to the character!  But like all the rest, it had to go. Forced by my husband (yes, dear I called you out) we hauled it to the shop for it's turn on the floor.  And so, yesterday I found just the right place for my rustic little heart throb of a table.  It sits next to the fireplace mantel, in a great big room, not my little kitchen, but looks amazing still the same.  Like in Annie's the book, I took inspiration of the simplicity of just a wooden bowl with a splash of color from fresh pears.  

Done and Ready for one lucky kitchen or dining room!

The BIG DEEP drawers,  I will find you again someday...

And so, I will once again be on a mission to find this table and chairs again.  It may not be tomorrow or next week, but someday I will have my very own fresh off the farm rustic table and chairs.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed reading about this project as much as I loved doing it.  Have you done something lately or maybe not so lately that you just fell in love with? If so, I love to hear about it:)

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! 

Farm Fresh

Happy Friday once again!  My goal was to try to blog at least 2 to 3 times a week and it's just not working out that way lately. Between keeping the store floor full, custom work, and being a mom, my dreams of being a semi full time blogger is well, just a dream I guess!  This week we got caught up with most of the custom work which is great because I have been having a fit to refurbish something of my own for a few days now!  As much as I love to refurbish pieces for others, they usually pick the color or style so that leaves me thirsting for something to paint in what I want.  Yesterday, as I was having one of my fits,  I looked around the warehouse for something, anything!  I have several antique tall boy dressers in there, a couple dining room sets and a waterfall vanity.  The tall boys were to big for me to move into an open area, the vanity in there I want to paint in my Annie Sloan's Paloma which is a really soft purplish hue, but I left the paint at home, so that was a no. And then I glanced over to the corner of the room which by the way is just packed with furniture.  Seriously,  I am literally climbing over pieces to see what's behind them.  Anyway I spotted this nice vintage dresser that had straight lines and very interesting hardware.  It wasn't to hard to get to if I moved a few smaller end tables but could I scoot it out far enough to work on it, oh yeah!  And so, my day of finally getting to create my own treasure began.

As I mentioned it had straight lines and the top was in ok condition, but could use a little refinishing, so I used product that is great for just this called Restore a Finish in a dark walnut.  Yes, I do prefer to strip, sand and stain my wood tops, but on this dresser I didn't want perfection.  I had "farm fresh" in mind for this one.   In fact, I was inspired by one of my favorite antique linens, the German or French grain sacks. These can be seen everyone now.  In all different colors and from pillows to furniture upholstery and now on my little dresser.

These are a few lovely pictures of the grain sack look I found on Google. 

On the body, I wanted something bold that allowed this little dresser to pop, so I mixed up some of Miss Mustard Seed's Tricycle. I added bonding agent to this mix because it did have alot of varnish on it which meant I probably wouldn't get much paint to stay on and although I like the chippy look A LOT, I didn't want to risk it on this piece. After 2 coats of the Tricycle, I noticed the wood grain was still coming through and I like it so didn't put a third coat on.  I let that dry and then distressed around the corners and edges of the drawers.  I wanted to be sure my lines were even down the dresser, so I put the drawers back in and used a stencil with several lines and taped off a set of 3 individual lines to give it the grain sack look. 

After applying the lines, I didn't care for the heaviness of them. They looked to new, so I sanded them lightly to give them a more worn appearance, kind of like an old worn out grain sack:)

After sealing the body in hemp oil,  the vibrant red took on a rich new look!

The original hardware was a perfect fit in style to this dresser as they have an
old oxidized brass patina to them,  perfect! I'm also loving that warm, wooden,  imperfect
top that shows  it has been used and loved for years.

Since it is Friday, THIS is definitely my Friday Favorite Furniture Piece!  It does have the mirror that can be sold with it, but I think it looks just lovely without.  I can see this dresser used in a bedroom of course, but how cute would it look in a dining room to hold linens or even a foyer to welcome your guest and give the first impression of a home that is loved with style and comfort.

Have a blessed weekend! 

Thank you so much for popping in, if you would like to read more of my experiences, you can subscribe by email on the home page.  

I also LOVE comments and feedback, so go ahead!


Link to: http://www.threemangoseeds.blogspot.com/