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?
Virtual Tour-Starting in the Dining Room
I think I will give you a little before and after tour of each room as I update them in the new house. Besides the bathroom, the dining room was one of the first rooms I refinished. I decided not to mess with the beaded board walls or drop ceiling at this time, and the carpet may someday come out to reveal the… hardwood floors! But for now… the before:
Yeah, not much for a dining room, right? And After…
I really wanted initially to get rid of the blue ceiling fan. However, family and friends convinced me to work around it. The fan was new and it had a remote and a dimmer. They swore it would be handy. Turns out, they are right! So, I covered a large lamp shade in silky black ribbon and attached it to the fan over the light bulbs. I also hung a crystal from the pull. I think the set-up helps a lot!
On this wall will eventually be a buffet I am refinishing. Stay tuned for that project soon.
And remember the armuoir I turned into a mini bar? So, what do you think so far?
Dining Room Inspiration
I found this dining room photo on flickr and just couldn’t resist showing you all. This room is just awesome! I love how elegant and glamorous it is, even when paired with the rustic wood table. I love the mirrors on the table; what a simple yet glam way to dress the room up. The wall paper makes the room bright, but still in the shades of gray that I love right now!
untitled photo by uydurrukcu on flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/uydurrukcu/5033782889/
Table and Chair Love
It has been forever and a day since a new post… I know! But the new house is keeping me busy!
Here is a table and chairs “set” that I love, mostly because it isn’t a set at all. I like how the chairs are different colors, yet look so good together!
An Office Project Finished
As I said before, I have recently started a new job. With that has come a new, but bland, office. So, I got to work. The first project I have completed is a table for the office. I found this ugly guy with a paper top for a couple of dollars at the thrift store:
I started by sanding the wood legs and sides a bit and then painting them black. I then used scrapbook paper on the top. I taped the paper down, starting with a full sheet in the very middle of the table. When the sheets were lined up nicely, I used ModPodge to cover the sheets, using a foam brush. I did several coats of this, drying in between.
Black and white, of course!
One thing I learned from using the ModPodge was that it makes the paper wet, so at first it will bubble up. This smooths out as it dries. But, I did make the mistake of lining the paper sheets up perfectly edge to edge. Lining them up with a bit of overlap would have prevented the sheets from moving as they dried. I do have a few tiny spots where there are gaps between the paper now. I learned! 🙂
More Flowers
A few of the seeds we planted in the spring (which I forgot about!) have popped up now! They are tall purple flowers, and oh-so-pretty! They are in the front of our house by the mailbox. Not very exciting out here, but they do brighten the space up a bit.
When I got home last night I was surprised to find flowers and candles on the table and a spaghetti dinner waiting for me! Aw! I had this vintage table cloth (from the engagement party) on the table the other night when we had friends over, so it looks all fresh and summer-y in here!
Sweet, huh? And, don’t worry, I do have a few more (and more exciting!) things to show you all this week! I am trying to figure out how to change bitmap pictures into something I am able to upload here. Any ideas? Anyway…stay tuned! 🙂
Junkin’ Projects
I have finally gotten around to a few projects with the junk we found at the junk yard! Here’s the elephant statue all painted up and pretty with a teal pot and pink flowers:
Don’t mind our mud pile of a yard. All this rain has made the place a pit!
We also painted a few pots for the back yard.
And, I painted the little lantern from the junk yard teal as well. It sits on the front porch. I also made a tiny table for a few drinks out of a plant stand and a clay pot bottom. This project was inspired by Crafty Nest, so check out her even cooler project here: http://www.craftynest.com/2009/06/plant-stand-lazy-susan-mini-side-table/
Did you also notice the antique lantern on the floor? That’s from my grandma. It even has a globe made by Pyrex. Very neat. Any suggestions?
Table And Chair Love
I happened upon this table and chair set today and loved the curves and shiny metal of the set (oh, and of course the lucite of the table)!
I think this would be a glamorous dining set, rug and all!
Make Mine Eclectic 
