My Favorite Projects of 2012

As we approach 2013, I have been thinking about the new opportunities for transformation that come with each new year.  In honor of the new year, I would like to share my favorite furniture transformations from 2012.

All of my projects are painted with Chalk Paint decorative paints by Annie Sloan.  I love using Chalk Paint and I, like thousands of others, think it is the best paint in the world!

1. Restoration Hardware Coffee Table Restored

This table was one of the original pieces of furniture I bought to furnish my first house.  I loved the solid wood and column legs, but the old espresso finish was in bad shape.  I removed the finish from the top and made a wash with French Linen Chalk Paint to put over the base.

2. French Linen Caned Headboard

I painted this headboard for a client with French Linen and Old White.  I finished it with clear wax and dark wax glaze for an antique look.  

3. French Linen Buffet

I know, three French Linen pieces in a row...but, it is a gorgeous color.  I love this piece of furniture! I delivered this buffet to a lovely woman that lives north of San Francisco in a pristine and elegant home.  I felt like I was walking into a Veranda Magazine feature when I walked through her front door.  She has exquisite taste and I was thrilled when she told me that this buffet is now her favorite piece of furniture in her very well-furnished home.

4. Louis Blue Frenchy Mirror

Judging by the number of pins this mirror has on Pinterest, I would say that I am not the only one that favors it.  This mirror was transformed with Louis Blue, a little Old White and a wash made with Coco Chalk Paint. This one was hard to part with, but I have no space for it in my house and I cannot keep everything.

5. Paris Grey Bedroom Set

This vintage bedroom set came complete with two twin beds, a nightstand, a dresser and a vanity.  I painted the vanity for a client to use in her salon. The rest of the set I painted with Paris Grey, Old White, and a Coco wash, making it perfect for a Parisian bedroom.

6. Dresser & Vanity with Gilding wax and Crackle

I consider this vanity and dresser one of my masterpieces.  The details and age of this set make it special and I wanted to make sure I gave it a finish that was worthy.  I mixed Provence with Old White to make a soft aqua color and then crackled, antiqued, and gilded the set to perfection.  A sweet husband came in and bought this set for his wife, who had seen it and fell in love with it the week before at Loot.

7. Louis Blue Buffet with Graphite Top

I am a little obsessed with French Provincial style furniture and this gorgeous buffet has all the lovely lines and  French style I love.  I painted the base with Louis Blue & Old White and the top with Graphite for contrast.

8. Graphite Sideboard

I have painted many pieces of vintage, Thomasville furniture and I am always impressed by the quality and craftsmanship.  This vintage, Thomasville Sideboard turned into a stunning piece of furniture with two Coats of Graphite Chalk Paint and a dark wax glaze to deepen the color. 

9. Vintage Union Jack Chair

I am not sure why this little, vintage chair is one of my favorite projects of 2012, but it is.  Maybe because, as you can see in the before picture, it had a worrisome future, possibly destined for the dump.  This was the first time I used Chalk Paint on vinyl and I was impressed, not only by the adhering ability, but also by the texture of the finished, painted and waxed vinyl.  This chair went to a loving home when a mom brought in her three sons and bought it for a new desk in their bedroom.  The boys were arguing about whose turn it was to sit in the chair and their mom told them they would have plenty of time to sit in it once they got it home. I am sure this vintage chair is well-loved now.

10.  Country Grey Kidney-Shaped Vanity

I rarely see kidney-shaped vanities and luckily spotted this one at a yard sale.  I painted the vanity with Country Grey and Old White with a French Linen wash.

I wish a fulfilling New Year to all of you, filled with many positive transformations and new opportunities! 

Happy 2013!

Graphite Buffet

A client brought this grand buffet to me to have it painted for her dining room in a new house she just bought.  It is such a beautiful piece of furniture with stunning details.

It may be hard to tell from the pictures, but this is a huge piece of furniture.  

This is not the best after picture because the lighting in the back room at Loot is not the best and there was no way to move this piece around to better lighting.

I painted the buffet with Graphite Chalk Paint and then distressed all the edges, so the wood underneath showed through.  I used Annie Sloan clear wax and then thinned the dark wax with mineral spirits to make a glaze that deepened the graphite.  The paint makes the details stand out and I love the way the dark paint contrasts with the brass hardware.

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Christmas at Loot

We decorated Loot at the beginning of November and it is hard to believe that Christmas is nearly upon us.

I wanted to share a few pictures from the shop before it is time to un-decorate.

I love the tiny, felt owls!

I made several sheet music wreaths, like the ones I made last year, for the shop.

We ordered lots of cute ornaments for Loot this year, including these darling mushrooms.

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Chalk Paint on Brass Lamps

Vintage, brass lamps, like this pair I picked up at a storage unit sale, are easy to find and, thanks to Chalk Paint®, easy to transform too.  Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan adheres effortlessly to metal surfaces without requiring any primer. I painted a base coat of Old Ochre and then applied a wash of French Linen over that.  I finished the lamps with clear wax, followed by dark wax.

Now these previously unimpressive brass lamps are an elegant pair.

I always show these brass lamps to customers at Loot when they ask if Chalk Paint really sticks to metal.  Everyone wants to touch them to see if they are actually made of brass because the new Chalk Paint finish makes them look like wood.

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Pair of Union Jack Chairs

I found these sturdy, cane back, side chairs at a community yard sale.  I initially only bought the one with arms, but I had to go back the next day to pick up a hutch and I saw that the other chair was still there, so I decided to rescue it too.

Besides a little dust, the chairs were in perfect condition.  I love that Annie Sloan Chalk Paint sticks so well and feels so natural on vinyl.  I had already painted the Union Jack on this vintage office chair, so I knew Chalk Paint would work beautifully over vinyl and was easier than reupholstering.

I painted the chairs with Old Ochre Chalk Paint and distressed them before waxing with Annie Sloan clear wax.

Here is the armless chair.

I painted the Union Jack with Napoleonic Blue, Emperor's Silk and Old Ochre Chalk Paints.  Before waxing the seats with clear wax, I made a wash by mixing Old Ochre with water and painted that over the whole seat.  This gave the Union jack a faded appearance.  

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Linen and Tulle Lampshade

I know it seems like all I do is paint furniture, but there was a time when sewing and lampshade making occupied a lot of my time. You may remember the pair of linen shades I recovered for twin, vintage lamps or this basic lamp shade tutorial I posted on my blog in 2010. Don't forget about these two, linen lamp shades I recovered in 2011. Now, taking you all the way back to my very first blog post with the mini burlap shades I made for a plain little chandelier.  It is nice to take time out from painting and focus on other creative projects.

One of my regular Loot customers brought me a lamp to consign for her.  She also left an old lamp shade and a vintage bridal veil and said I could use the veil to make some kind of shade for the lamp.

I ripped off the old shade covering, exposing the bare, metal frame.  Then, I cut the veil and some pretty, white linen fabric into strips and tied them to the top and bottom of the metal frame.  

This was such an easy way to create a new lampshade!

This shade sold right off the lamp the first weekend I put it for sale at Loot.  Now, I am back to where I started and need to make another shade for this lovely lamp.

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Graphite and Pure White Console Table

 This long, narrow console table came from an estate sale I attended recently.

The curving lines of the table give it a French provincial style, while the existing wood finish made it look straight out of the 1980's.  

The original, dark stain on this table masked the carvings.  After painting the table with Pure White Chalk Paint, I used distressing and dark wax to make the lovely details and carvings stand out.

My initial plan for this table redo, was to paint the whole thing with Pure White, but after finishing it that way, I decided it looked too uninspiring. At that point, I made a change and painted the top with Graphite to make this table more appealing to me.

I applied Annie Sloan's clear and then dark wax to the Pure White table base.  I also used clear wax on the top and finished it with a dark wax glaze, made by thinning dark wax with unscented mineral spirits.  I love the way the dark wax glaze deepens the Graphite Chalk Paint, making it appear almost black.

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Kidney Shaped Vanity in Country Grey

I was thrilled when I found this elegant vanity at a yard sale.  I love the kidney shape and the carved details on the drawer fronts. 

The finish on the top was damaged and scratched, so I filled the top with wood filler and sanded it smooth before painting.

For this special piece of furniture, I chose one of my favorite colors of Chalk Paint: Country Grey.  Country Grey is one of the colors I picked when I placed my very first Chalk Paint order, via the internet, back in June of 2011.  Since then, my love for this sophisticated neutral has never waned.

I wanted the carved, scrolling details to stand out, so I dry brushed Old White over them and then distressed, allowing the wood underneath to show through. To soften the contrast between the Country Grey and Old White, I went over them with a wash made by mixing half French Linen and half water.

click to enlarge

This vanity is no wallflower!  The backside, with its rounded sides and graceful lines, is just as stunning as the front.

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Blue & White Striped Cabinet

I picked up this small cabinet from the same seller that I bought the Old Ochre hutch from at a community sale.

It was just a dull and homely cabinet with scratches all over its surface.

I painted it with one of my favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors: Louis Blue.  Since this cabinet was so plain I decided to dress up the inside panels of the doors with Old White stripes to add some character.

I finished it by distressing all the edges and putting a Coco wash over the whole thing to create a soft, French blue.  I purchased several old, glass knobs at a barn sale and I used these to add a little more charm to an otherwise plain, little cabinet.

I am currently using this cabinet, along with the Old Ochre and Aubusson hutches, as part of my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint display at Loot.

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