Downsizing the Antiques
My obsession with vintage furniture grows and my house feels like it is shrinking. So… some items must find a new home! I thought I would list a few things here and there on here for you to all check out. Feel free to contact me with any questions!
1. Two vintage metal lawn chairs and matching table. So adorable! SOLD!
2. Vintage tin top cabinet. We used this as our kitchen island. This isn’t the best photo, but it also has lots of charm! SOLD!
3. Vintage Danish modern chair.
My 50 Cent Table
Last weekend I found the sweetest little antique table and a garage sale. For 50 cents. Yes, 50 cents. Here she is:
I saw the potential. It was a bit wobbly, but with the tap of a hammer, the leg was put back into its slot, and viola! No more wobble. Next, I lightly sanded the entire table. Then I applied about 4 coats of a turquoise pant with a sponge brush to the entire table. Once the final coat was completely dry, I used a fine sandpaper and roughed up the edges of the table and legs for an antiqued look. Here she is now:
I love it! And I really like the way it fits in the living room, but I think this could be one of those pieces that travels easily from room to room. I’m completely satisfied, and all for a total of 50 cents!
Vintage Plates
When I got my first apartment my mom and I found an entire set of unused, gorgeous black dishes for $40 at a resale shop. I have lovingly used them ever since. A couple of years ago, during a hurried move, a box broke open and almost all of the salad plates, bowls, and mugs were broken. Fortunately, all of the dinner plates pulled through. But, I have been on the hunt for some fun dishes to mix with the black plates ever since.
The other day at a thrift store I ran across a full set of adorable blue, vintage salad plates. They were .49 each, so for about $4 I added these to my set:
Here are a few shots of a mock place setting, just to see how sweet they looked 🙂
The blue glasses are from a flea market and the black charcoal glasses were given to me by my grandfather and came from Germany. The candlesticks are a mix of vintage and CB2, and my silverware is all new Oneida. I really like how it all mixed together. Although, these photos remind me how I can’t wait to refinish the dining table! What do you think?
My Own Chair Love
Here’s a chair that I inherited and eventually redid. I love these basic old wood chairs, but the white chipping paint and scratches on this one were in need of some help.
First I sanded the chair down until it was nice and smooth using a palm sander. I then made sure to clean and dry the chair very well. I first painted the bottom portion of the legs black. Once that was very dry I taped off each leg at the same place and proceeded to paint the rest of the chair with a fun silver spray paint. The final step was an idea I wanted to try, which proved to be the most work of all. I used black nail head trim nails to form a pattern around the seat. I measure where I wanted the nails to go and made small marks with a pencil. Eventually, this step proved to be useless and I was off of my marks anyways. Ah well, trial and error with a new project. I also learned that tapping these nails in with a hammer scratched and smashed the nails, as they have a black finish on them. I found that covering the nail with a small piece of cardboard from the packaging after it was in place, and giving it one good tap with the hammer was the most effect and precise way to apply these. My pattern still ended up a little bit off, but overall I like the idea and would love to try it on one of my chairs for the shop now that I have my technique down. I lastly tied on a pink and purple vintage scarf to tie the chair into the bedroom (which you will all see eventually!) So, here she is…
What do you think?
The Lounge
There is an extra bedroom upstairs that I did not have a particular use for at this time. Why not use the room as a chance to have some fun and make a relaxing lounge where I can work on some projects?!
Here’s a little tour:
Bright, no? But, I love it and find it so cozy. Remember that couch from before I bought the house? The trunk was my birthday present a few years back and it now holds scrapbook and craft supplies. The bright flash made some of the paint look patchy, but I promise, it isn’t so. The door knobs and latch plates are from doors that were found rotting away in the garage when I moved in here. I couldn’t keep the old doors, but also couldn’t part with the the hardware. Any suggestions?
DIY Art for a Bathroom
Once I got my budget bathroom remodel completed I was pondering how to add a bit of art that was also inexpensive, but unique. I then came across a box my grandmother had given me. In it I found a set of vintage metal hair rollers. Light bulb! I had the idea to frame the curlers in a shadow box with a funky background or bright colors to match the room.
The curlers I found:
A little hot glue, some magazine cut outs, scrap book paper, and a basic shadow box frame…
Simple and within budget, but funky and vintage! What do you think?
Chair Love
I love the round shape of this vintage chair… and also the cabinet behind it!
“chair,” by lngthings on flickr.
Fun Chair Love
This is a gorgeous room and not to mention an amazing chair!
I’m sorry I forgot where the image came from, so if you know just let me know! But, isn’t this beautiful!?
Bright Chair Love
Wow, this bright baby is stunning!
Maybe I’m loving the pop of color because I’m craving SPRING…
Make Mine Eclectic 
