Console Table from Foot Board...

Several months ago I purchased an antique bedroom set (dresser, mirror, head & foot board with side rails) off of Craigs List for a very good price.  At the time, I really only wanted the dresser.... I didn't have a need for the bed.  But the price was right and the woman was selling both as a set (I basically got the bed for free).

I finished the dresser a while back (I'll show the pictures of that in another post).

This is a project we created using the antique head board....

You can read all of the details about it  here.

The foot board I kept in my stash, waiting for inspiration to strike.

Several months later, it struck! This is just after I'd removed the ruined veneer from the center. There was small beaded trim work that was broken in places and had to be removed.  I saved some of the larger "chunks" for another use down the road.  If you've ever shopped for trim pieces in the store, you'll know that stuff ain't cheap!

This was after sanding it to smooth out the surface.  You'll notice I've also removed the scroll work piece from the bottom.  I wanted a straight line on what would become the back of the table (the part against the wall or sofa).



At first my plan was to paint it in ASCP Old White.  This is after 2 coats.  Something about the ornate section at the top was buggin' me.  It looked odd to me I guess because the rest of the piece was pretty "plain".  And leaving it on, to me, made it look like exactly what it was.  Part of a bed....which would eventually be "stuck" on some legs and called a table.  Not the look I was going for. 

I ended up having my son cut the top off... and I changed the color, too.

And this is the end result.  My son routed the edge where we removed the scroll work and I ended up going with 2 coats of Graphite and clear wax. 

And the piece we cut off of the top...

...became this.  

Out of a bed I didn't need or want, I was able to make a custom sandwich board sign for the shop, a console table for someone's living room, and a unique towel/coat rack.  

Can't beat that with a stick!

Miss Mustard Seed

The Shabby Nest

What-About.co

Repurpose With Paint... Standard "Thirfty Store Find" Dresser....

My sister recently asked me to refinish an older dresser that she's had in her bedroom forever and transform it into something my older nephew might want and be able to use. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, and hope he will be as well.

We've seen them everywhere.... most often in thrift shops or on Craig's List.  I've had several in my home for my children when they were younger because they were affordable and durable.

I've seen them for sale for as little as $15 to $20, and provided the drawers are in good shape and the runners intact, with a little paint and elbow grease it can easily become something stylish and useful for more years to come. 

(before)

While the above photo is not the original, it is almost the exact dresser we were working with (outside of the fact that ours was taller and not as wide).

The drawers were in good shape on this piece.... the runners had to be realigned and glued into place and the frame itself had some minor dings and deep scratches.  After a rough sand on the bottom portion, I completely sanded the top down to the bare wood.  After an hour or so, I still could not get the top to look uniform until I realized there were 2 different pieces joined together to create the top. 

Once I got the entire top smooth, I moved on; hoping a few coats of stain would even things out.  At that time, the top was still to "red" for me and I was hoping for the best.

I was also hoping to replace all of the dated wooden knobs with some cool ORB knobs on the upper 3 smaller drawers, and some cool cup pulls to match on the remaining drawers.  That was before I realized that the remaining 10 drawers had 2 knobs a piece (versus the 1 knob on the upper set).  While the finished product would have looked awesome, the cost to replace 23 knobs/cup pulls would have outweighed the cost of repurposing the piece to begin with. 

That's when, as the professional you hope you are,  you have to trust your instincts.  Sure, the new knobs would have given the piece a whole "NEW" feel versus the dated piece it was, but it didn't make sense monetarily. I had then thought to spray paint the existing dated wood knobs with ORB paint, but I couldn't see it making any difference.

After walking away from it for a few hours, it occurred to me to just clean them up, apply a little Danish oil to make them shine and restore the wood, and work with what I had.

I figured I had already stained and oiled the top....

...and left the darker spots to fall in naturally with the finish to tie in with the black paint.  Why not leave the knobs as refinished wood, too, and tie the whole piece in together?

After doing a linear distressing on all of the drawer fronts, refinishing the top, cleaning and refreshing the knobs, and leaving the frame itself fully painted.... I love how it turned out!

The lighting in the room gives the wood tones a much "redder" hue than it actually is (and what my sister swears is a dark blue versus actual Graphite Black body) the overall effect is a beautiful updated chest of drawers that I hope my nephew enjoys for many years to come!

Proof positive that you can take something you LOVE (with sentimental attachment) but don't LIKE (due to age... aesthetics... or just not your "vibe") and turn it into something you can live with happily for years to come!

It truly is about rejuvenating your home and restoring your style for less!

Sew Many Contests....

...so little time!

This is the time of year for winning something- even if it's something you can't use!  Been there; Done that!

However, if you check out today's Facebook post, you just may find a way to win something you'll actually use and even enjoy receiving!

We're giving away one antique sewing machine cabinet drawer to one lucky winner.  FB has all the details, so make sure you visit the post (vintagehomeobx on Facebook) and enter. 

As they say at the Publisher's Clearing House... you can't win if you don't enter!

A Necessary Update for the Crate...

...furniture that is!  Which is nearly (or the same as...) Cargo furniture.  I've had this set of bunk beds since my oldest (now going on 29!) was a child.

The picture above is not my actual set, but it's very close!  I think I originally paid about $40 for the set almost 20 years ago and it has made the rounds in this house.  All of my boys have had it in their rooms at one time or another.  A few years ago, I took the beds apart and used one in one of my son's rooms, and stored the other. 

My youngest is going to be 15 this year.... I think it's time the ole' crate furniture was retired... and so does he!

But I'm glad I hung on to all of it as we need "kids furniture" at our house in Nags Head.  We've used the third, smallest bedroom there as a home office.  Now that we're putting it into a rental program, we need to use the room as a third bedroom.  But the beds have been through it and couldn't be used as is. 

I had wanted to use my fav ASCP in Graphite (as I used in the Living Room makeover) but I was a little nervous about the wear and tear on the bed and how it might hold up in a rental house.  I ended up using my old standby Behr's Black Suede in a satin egg-shell finish instead.  I painted one coat of primer and 2 coats of paint.  After waiting a day or so, I finished it with1 coat of poly-crylic on the bed and 2 coats on the ladder.  

I've still got the upper set to complete, but hopefully the paint will hold over the course of the season with  little wear.  I can always touch up over the winter, or eventually replace if need be when finances allow.

For now, I am very happy with the results and can't wait to pull things together with bedding and accessories.  We should be able to get it set up sometime this week, so I'll be sure to post the after pics when we're done.

And the best part for me is although it's a 20 year old set that had seen better days, I think it looks nearly new now.  And once I make some pillows and stuff it will look great!

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Nifty Thrift Tuesdays...

Not Just a Housewife...

A Room to be Proud Of....

At least that's what I'm telling myself.  And my children are as well... though they wonder where they're going to put the Play Station (considering we don't have a TV in here yet, that's still a ways off!).

I finished the last piece last week... this is the love seat that I reupholstered to match the "slouchy couch" that you can read about here.  Both pieces were originally a faded green plaid that were hand-me-downs when I got them five years ago.

The black dresser shown against the wall (above) was my first project using Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint.  It started as this...

And finished off with this...

I've had this chair forever.  Originally dark walnut stain with a red crushed velvet upholstery, I painted this as well and recovered it with fabric remnants I found at Wal Mart.

My man made the foot stool and I covered it in drop cloth fabric and transferred the image using one from the Graphic Fairy's site.

I made the window treatments from drop cloths, too.  They replaced the original ones I had made from vintage bark cloth (seen here).  The french-inspired wall piece is actually a stenciled bamboo floor rug that I framed and re-purposed.  The two smaller pieces of artwork to the far right are watercolors my 15 year old painted for my man & I for Christmas.

I've had the antique shoe trees forever.... they were originally in my bedroom closet.

The ottoman was also recovered in drop cloths.... the pleating for the skirt took me longer than recovering the actual piece.  But I'm glad I did it.... it makes it stand apart from the couches.

This is just an old produce box I found for .50 at a garage sale a while back.  I painted the it black and waxed the image on the end.  I use it to hold extra blankets.

The folding child's chair was a garage sale find too.  I gave it a white wash with ASCP, distressed it, and applied a light coat of wax.  The bears are, well..... we'll just say I have a thing for teddy bears.  We'll leave it at that!

The rug is one of the few things that I bought new, but I'm so glad that I did.  At first, I wasn't sure about the dark rug with the dark painted furniture.  But once I got it home and put in place, I absolutely love it!  It's just the pop of color the room needed.

Eventually I'll have shelving or a bookcase made for the alcove behind the black chair (thanks Man of Men & DB).  The wall above the dresser has been left blank for a wall-mounted flat screen TV, but that's several months off yet.  

There are a few odds and ends that I want to add.... I just haven't found them yet!  But for the most part, I'm just happy to be done!

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