Pair of Palomas

On Easter, I walked to the beach and on the way home stopped in a a little, vintage shop.  The owner told me that everything was twenty percent off for Easter.  When I asked him about the pair of night stands in the front room, he told me I could take thirty percent off those!  Since the price was already good and I was getting an additional thirty percent off, I walked home, got my truck and loaded my new night stands.

I love finding pairs of night stands, especially since I usually only find a single and everyone is looking for a pair.  These are very sturdy and the stamp on the back says solid maple.  

I have been trying to use new colors of Chalk Paint, so even though I was tempted to paint this pair white or gray, I went with a color I haven't used yet: Paloma.  Paloma is a soft, lavender with gray undertones and very pretty. Lately, I  have been hearing that lavender is the new pink!

I trimmed the drawers and base with Old White, so they would not be so plain.

I really wanted crystal knobs, but I did not want to wait for them to be shipped.  While I was looking around the shop for knobs that would work for these night stands, I came across a bag full of these bright gold, flower knobs that Nancy had picked up at a yard sale.  I thought they would be perfect after a coat of Old White Chalk Paint.

I patched the old drawer pull holes before painting and then Mr. Rubbish drilled new holes in the center of each drawer after I painted them.

Paloma is the perfect color for spring!

I distressed along all the edges, bottoms, and tops of the nightstands.

They even look cute from the side!

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Graphite and Old Ochre Desk

A couple that took one of our Chalk Paint workshops at Loot asked if I would redo their desk and  try to sell it.  The desk is a great size and shape, so I gave it a little Chalk Paint makeover.  They could have painted the desk themselves, after taking our workshop, but they said they were too busy painting everything else in their house.

This is what the desk looked like before with an old, dark wood finish.

I painted the top of the desk with Graphite Chalk Paint and the base and legs with Old Ochre.

Check out the amazing, woodblock art of the owls. I found them at an estate sale and they are both originals with the certificates on the backs.  The small one sold, but the large one is still available at Loot.

Before Dark Wax

I applied dark wax over the Old Ochre and Graphite.  Before I dark waxed the desk, it looked kind of bland, but the wax really finished the look.  I love the way both colors deepened with the dark wax over top of them.  

After Dark Wax

I painted the drawers with the hardware on and then went back and dry brushed Graphite over the Old Ochre on the hardware.  I also dark waxed the pulls when I waxed the drawers.

The dark wax really enriches the color of the Graphite Chalk Paint. 

I paired the desk with my favorite, old, office chair, built circa 1923.

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Paris Gray and Old White Mirror

My parents rehab houses and they are always finding junk left behind in the rehab houses.  They pulled this large, gold mirror out of one of their rehabs and saved it for me.  My parents are great at fixing up old, run-down properties and they have done this since I was very young. They have always inspired me to see beyond the broken down facade.

The mirror was dusty and gold with raised grape vine designs.

I painted the mirror with Paris Gray Chalk Paint and then dry brushed the corners and edges with Old White.

I applied clear wax over the entire frame and then blended in dark wax for an antiqued look.

I have not used Paris Gray for a while, but after painting this mirror I am reminded what a pretty hue it is.  I am planning on using it again soon on an old dresser waiting for a little relove.

Provence Coffee Table

Now that Loot is a retail partner of Annie Sloan Chalk Pain and I have access to all 29 colors, I am excited to branch out and try the colors I have not used yet. This is the first time I have painted a project with Provence Chalk Paint and I love it!  

I found this beat up, old coffee table at my local thrift shop.  It was in bad shape with an orange finish that was completely worn and scratched all over.  

Mr. Rubbish has been so motivated to help me finish all my projects before I find new ones, that he keeps getting ahead of me (not that I am complaining).  He sanded off the finish on the tabletop before I could even get a good before picture. 

After Mr. Rubbish removed the old finish, I white washed the top of the coffee table by diluting Old White Chalk Paint with water.  I painted the thinned paint on and wiped it back. After I applied a coat of clear wax, I rubbed a heavy coat of  dark wax over it and wiped it back with a cloth. 

Since the bottom was in rough shape, I used random brush strokes, as I painted, to accentuate the rustic quality of the coffee table.

After distressing the table base all over, I applied clear, then dark wax over the Provence paint.

  Doesn't the Provence Chalk Paint look beautiful with a little dark wax?

I love the small, center drawer.  I think this coffee table looks like a simple farm table now.

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Graffitied Dresser Restored

I came across this dresser at a local yard sale and it was totally covered in graffiti.  Once we got it over to Loot, Mr. Rubbish got to work sanding it off before I could even take a good before picture.  At least I was able to stop him before he got to the drawers! The woman I bought it from said her darn kids ruined it.  I don't think it was ruined, just in need of a little love. I could tell that underneath all the tagging was a very special, old dresser.

Considering how extreme this one looked, I was surprised at how easy it was to restore.  Maybe that is because I was not the one sanding through the layers of graffiti (thanks, Mr. Rubbish).

I love the existing, old drawer pulls and I love that I did not have to do anything to them.  They have a beautiful, dark, aged patina and an elegant shape.

The turned legs are so stylish and the little casters dress them up even more. This dresser has wonderful detailing!

I am happy that this dresser came with a mirror too! 

See what I mean about the details on this piece?

I got so caught up in the pictures that I almost forgot to tell you what I did to this dresser.  I painted it my old favorite combination of Country Gray and Old White Chalk Paint.  I finished with Annie Sloan clear wax and very lightly distressed.

You would never know that once, this dresser was covered all over from head to toe in tagging. She cleaned up nice!

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A Simple Ottoman

This small, vintage ottoman was salvaged from a local thrift shop.  

When I found it, it was upholstered with black, dirty leather.  The wood sides were even covered with leather and I pulled out excessive amounts of staples trying to remove the leather.

I found this simple, geometric patterned fabric at my local fabric shop.

The foam underneath the leather was in excellent condition, so I just stapled the new fabric to the top.  I painted the bench with two coats of Pure White Chalk Paint and then a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax.

It looks like a fresh, new piece now!

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