Grey and White Desk With Hutch

Desks with hutches on top are a great invention.  I found this one at a yard sale and at first I passed it up because I really did not need another big project.  Then, I kept thinking about this piece later in the afternoon, so I sent Mr. Rubbish back to the sale to see if the desk was still there and to try to negotiate a better price than they offered me.  He accomplished both goals!

I was not crazy about the desk portion of this two-piece ensemble.  I think the dated drawer pulls were detracting from this desk's potential beauty.

The half clover shapes on the top are what I really loved about this piece.

I wanted a two-toned finish, so I painted the outer part of the desk and hutch with the same grey, custom mixed, Chalk Paint color I used on the cane back dining chairs.  I painted the inside of the hutch with Old White Chalk Paint.

For the drawer hardware, I wanted to keep it simple while complementing the clover arches on the top of the hutch.  I ordered inexpensive bin pulls from Ebay that had the same screw width as the existing hardware, for easy installation and no re-drilling of holes.

I painted and distressed the bin pulls to match the rest of the desk.

I love that this desk is both functional and beautiful now. Couldn't everybody use a desk with a hutch somewhere in their house?

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Grey Cane Back Dining Chairs

These vintage cane back dining chairs came from a community yard sale.  I was just heading back to my car, after an unsuccessful visit to the community sale, when I saw a woman carry one of these chairs out to her front yard.  I stopped her immediately and purchased the four chairs for a very good deal!

The chairs looked similar to the first set of cane chairs that I fixed up here.  They were old and dirty with flaking paint covering up their beautiful bones.

The gold velvet upholstery is indicative of the era from whence they came.

I used a mixture of about 50/50 Paris Grey and Country Grey Chalk Paint to create a soft, pale grey hue for these chairs.  

I love the wooden details above the caning on these dining chairs.

I dry brushed some Old White Chalk Paint over the appliques and along the edges of the chairs and then distressed them with 220 grit sandpaper.

Fortunately, the cane backs were all in flawless condition.

I reupholstered the seat cushions with a charcoal grey and white striped, hemp linen fabric.

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French Blue Wall Shelves

I loved this little, vintage, wall shelf when I spotted it at a yard sale recently.  

The scrolling detail at the top is beautiful, even if it is made from some type of plastic or resin.  Once painted, it is almost impossible to tell it is not real wood.  This piece can either be hung on a wall or set on top of a piece of furniture.

I painted the whole thing with Louis Blue Chalk Paint and went over the edges and top piece with a coat of Old White.

I lightly distressed it all over for a time-worn look and then used my favorite Chalk Paint wash color: Coco to soften the blue and white.  

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