Chateau Gray Dresser

This vintage dresser is one of my favorite curbside finds.

While I was visiting my sister in Southern California, we were, as usual, out yard saling, when we spotted this vintage dresser at the end of a driveway with this sign posted on it.  I mean, I would have paid $15 for this beauty at a yard sale and here I was picking it up for free! 

It was in pretty good shape when I found it, besides the missing hardware.  My biggest concern was being able to replace the hardware since that can get pricey, especially when there are 18 places drilled in the dresser where hardware used to be. 

I decided to simplify and, so I patched all the previous hardware holes with wood putty before painting.  

While I was helping a customer decide on a Chalk Paint color for her newly purchased armoire, we painted a sample board with Chateau Gray and then applied dark wax.  I loved how the Chateau Gray looked with dark wax over it, so I decided to try it on this dresser.  Chateau Gray seems to be a misnomer because it is truly a shade of green.  I think it is close to the popular decorator color a few years back called sage green.

I was not sure what hardware I wanted for this piece, so I patched all the holes, figuring I could redrill them later, once I picked which hardware I wanted.  This dresser sure looked plain without any knobs.  

I decided I wanted oil rubbed bronze bin pulls for this dresser.  I went to Home Depot to check out the prices and  there was no way I was paying $5.99 per bin pull on a dresser I got for free.  I originally planned on putting two pulls per drawer, so that would have been over seventy dollars plus tax.  I searched on Ebay and found these lovely, oil rubbed bronze bin pulls for only two dollars a piece.

After I got the bin pulls in the mail, I had Nancy hold them up on the drawers and we decided the dresser looked better with just one pull in the center of each drawer. 

I have to give credit to Mr. Rubbish, whose excellent math and spatial skills came in handy, for locating and drilling the two holes required for each bin pull to line up exactly centered on each drawer.

This dresser sold at Loot this past weekend after being at the shop for less than a week.  Not bad for a roadside find!

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Antique Piano Bench

I found this antique piano bench at a yard sale for only $3.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take before pictures.  When I found the bench, it had a dark reddish brown stain and a dirty needlepoint cushion cover.  One of the sides had a crack in it too.  My handy dad repaired the crack with a little wood glue and a long pony clamp.

I painted the bench with Old White Chalk Paint and applied clear and dark wax over the paint. When I started to paint the first coat of Chalk Paint, the original finish came off and was turning my brush pink.  I had to stop and use primer before finishing it with Chalk Paint. I left the little brass feet as they were.  

The original foam on the seat was old and disintegrating so much that when I first lifted the seat up, the storage compartment was filled with orange powder. I bought new foam and reupholstered the seat with fancy, Paris script fabric.  

This is one of my items that sold at Loot this past weekend!

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French Country Baskets

I love baskets; wooden baskets, wire baskets, all kinds of baskets!  

I found this dark, wooden basket at a garage sale for $5.  It is a nice, large basket and I think the little, metal grommets add so much character to its unique style.  I thought it would look fabulous in an aged, French country style.  I started by whitewashing the basket with white paint thinned with water, wiping off the excess with a rag.  This is what it looked like after the whitewash treatment.

Next, I gave it a coat of Ralph Lauren's glaze in smoke color, which gave the basket a weathered gray patina.  I suppose I should call this technique graywashing.

This wire basket also came from a yard sale and only cost $1.  This photo is not very good at showing the color of the basket before.  It was actually dark black with kind of orange-colored wood handles.

I wanted to create another French country style basket with muted colors, so I applied the same treatment as I did to the other basket.  It really toned down the basket and gave it an antiqued look.

I love the way the handles look after being "graywashed".

Ahhh...Don't you love hydrangeas?  Each flower is like a hundred tiny flowers all held together in one large, magnificent bloom.

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Old Crate and Candle Wall Sconce

I found many great items at yard sales on Saturday, but this vintage crate is my favorite!  I found it at the last yard sale of the day and it was only $2.  The man I bought it from said that his family told him to just throw it away, but he thought someone would want it.  Well, I am glad he saved it and glad I found it!

There are so many uses for these lovely, old crates. I think I will use this one under my coffee table to hold some books and magazines. Click here to see the other large crate that I made into a side table.

The really unique thing about this old crate is that it folds up!

I love the weathered wood, rusty hinges and worn, stamped lettering.

 I also found this vintage, brass wall sconce with a French bow on top.

I primered it first and then painted it at the same time as the chalkboard frames.  I painted it aqua, applied a glaze, and finished it with my favorite accent, Gold Rub 'N Buff.

I love painting old, brass candle holders and lamps because it changes the look so much.

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Paris Junk Box

I found a sturdy, large box, about double the size of a shoe box, at an estate sale for 50 cents.  I am always looking for additional creative storage solutions for my tiny house and this box is a perfect addition.

I printed tons of black and white clipart from The Graphics Fairy and got ready to decoupage! There are so many amazing graphics to choose from on this site, but I settled on all black and white because I do not own a color printer.  I printed old, French postcards, scripts and embellishments on creamy card stock and vintage book pages.

This is what I started with - an ugly, but sturdy Christmas box.

I printed some of the labels on my vintage book pages.

I painted the backside of all the pages with Modge Podge and then pressed them onto the box to make a collage.  I finished by painting a thin coat of Modge Podge over the entire surface to protect it.

 

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Shabby Chic Letter Holder

I could definitely use a letter organizer. The problem is I have no room for one and, therefore, am destined for unorganized stacks of mail around my house. I found this lovely, shabby letter holder at a yard sale for a couple of dollars. It was dusty, dirty and in need of a new coat of paint and that was all it needed. I love easy projects! It has graceful lines and scrolling wooden appliques on top and on the bottom drawer.

Here it is looking dingy before I repainted it.

....and after

I dream of having a library someday and reading and writing letters by candlelight at my desk which will be adorned with a charming letter organizer.