Furniture Update…

I recently finished three more pieces of furniture that I want to share.  The dresser has already found its new home so I only have two on the market at the moment.

 

 

 

I don’t have a “before” shot of this coffee table, but it was just a plain, brown color, in fairly good shape…

I’ve held onto this little dresser for quite a while and finally got the calling to work on it.  This wasn’t quite the look I was going for.  I should have just dry brushed the white topcoat rather that painting it a solid white and then removing the paint by sanding.  It turned out a little too spotty for my taste…but hey…it sold right away.  So what do I know?

And finally, here’s a little bed table/cabinet that I picked up at a 50%off sidewalk sale at a thrift store.  That means in set me back $5 plus tax.  My only investment was the oversized, square chrome pull from IKEA.  But the hardware is always the eye candy and my favorite part of the project.   Well worth it!

It’s funny how I just hated that tacky Mediterranean look from the 60’s and 70’s, and now I get so excited if I find a piece out there.  It’s amazing what a little paint can do…

Camper Update!

We’ve been working our buns off on our little 18’ Go-Tag-A-Long Travel Trailer.  The interior is becoming very comfortable and livable. It’s starting to feel like home.  Randy is a great sport about how I choose to decorate the camper.  His only two requests were that I DO NOT paint the paneling (I guess it adds to the 70’s ambience?) And also, he wanted it gender neutral…not ruffles or gingham.  Here’s a little of what we’ve done.

This view shows the new curtain on the large front window.  (More on curtains later.)  Also, this great orange laminate was discovered on the table underneath a filthy layer of “granite” contact paper. Earth tone cushions were embraced for their “70ish style”…cleaned and left original. Original sconces got a good scrubbing.  Also, new carpet tiles.

The contact paper
shown on table above
before the exciting
discovery underneath.

My kitchen is still a work in progress.  I ripped off the old wall covering and replaced it with “hammered copper” squares from Home Depot.  Randy made the wood grid for my sink topper.  It practically doubles my counter space…ha ha.  I accessorized with fun IKEA stuff!

Note in the before shot, the counter top was also covered with the “granite” contact paper.

I was horrified at the cost of having to purchase four quilt sets for our bunks.  Then I realized that I could purchase two full/double size quilt sets at a significant savings.  Each came with two pillow shams.  I split the quilts down the middle and finished off the cut edge.  Then I put the cut edge up against the wall side of the bunk.
  

All the cabinet and closet doors were removed and taken down to my workshop.  Each door was wiped clean.  Then I used liquid scratch remover on the entire surface. It’s amazing how the scratches and gouges just disappeared.  Then I repainted all of the edges of drawers and doors a medium brown.  The old hardware was removed and replaced by knobs and pulls that have a slight southwestern feel and are edged in copper.  I’m attempting to use the copper accents throughout the entire camper.

Note the lovely blue carpet in the before shot above.  The after picture gives a glimpse of the mocha colored carpet tiles.  I’ve kept most of the permanent fixtures neutral colors, and I’m accessorizing with the fun, bright colors since they can be changed out at little cost and effort.

Neither of the shots above are a very good quality, but I just wanted to illustrate the location of my new microwave.  You will notice a cabinet directly below the fridge.  I took the door off and had to cut the opening slightly larger. An electrical receptacle was installed inside the cabinet when we had the wiring updated after purchasing the trailer.  So then I was able to slip the microwave into the new opening and secure with wood strips.  Then I framed out the opening and reframed the fridge to blend the two together.  They were painted the same brown as the cabinet door edges. 

Next on my list is installing a “portable” air conditioner that will sit below the microwave. I will take out both the old furnace and the cabinet below the furnace.  This will allow enough room for the air conditioner to roll into place.  It vents through a five inch hose similar to that of a clothes dryer.  That hose will attach to the existing furnace vent opening that goes to the outside.

A bathroom update is on the horizon also.  More on that later!

Get ‘er Done!

Another before and after!

This one went pretty quick.  Just a few cans of black glossy spray paint.  Unfortunately, I had to break out the old Singer…I have lost my love for sewing, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.  IKEA fabric makes anything special!

   

This little guy came straight from the late 50’s/early 60’s.  The wild wild west upholstery was the giveaway!

IKEA Makes Anything Better!

I sold this whole set this week.  It’s so much fun to fix these things up…and a little sad to see them go.  I guess I get attached after all those hours we spend together sanding and painting in the Bat Cave. 

But they have a new home in the bedroom of a 7th grade girl.  I sure hope she enjoys them.

The chair in these pics is the one that I used in an earlier post on how to dip legs.

I honestly think the adorable IKEA fabric was the key to success on these pieces. I bought eight yards of it a few years back and couldn’t decide where to use it.  Now I think I’ll be cranking out lots of grey and black pieces, at least until the fabric runs out! 

Thanks for clicking!

Laurie

The Big Dipper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE DIPPED LEGS!

First of all, it’s so easy even I can pull it off.  Second, it can dress up a rather drab piece.  It’s great for pulling out a second color that may be in your fabric or adding an additional color to your space. 

So I thought I would give it a try on this tired, little chair:

So here’s the steps I took…and I’m pleased with the results!

Rather than measuring from the floor up to get a level line for painting, I found an object that was about the height I was going for.  I sat that object on the floor and drew the pencil line using the top edge of the template as my guide.  Repeat the process on all four sides of each leg.

I used ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape Delicate Surface to tape off the legs.  I put the tape slightly above the pencil line so the the line would be painted over in step 3.  NOTE: I found it easier to use one short length of tape for each side of the leg.  If one long piece is wrapped around the leg, the tape starts to go either up or down hill.  So to keep the line as level as possible, use four short pieces. 

Just be sure that when you wrap the tape around the corner, and then place a piece on the next side, the bottom edges stay perfectly matched.  This will give you a crisp, straight paint line. (Picture illustrates how tape goes uphill when wrapped around the leg. The next piece of tape will overlap this piece, staying right above pencil line.)

 

Paint time!  First be sure to rub your finger or maybe a plastic putty knife on the bottom edge of tape to be sure it is securely adhered.  I paint from the top dragging the brush down over the tape.  This keeps you from forcing paint under the tape.  I give the legs a fairly thick coat (in hopes of just needing one coat). 

As soon as all four legs have been painted, and the paint is still wet, carefully pull the tape off.  If you can see a few streaks and prefer a second coat, you can either retape the legs again after first coat is dry, or I just free hand the second coat…being very careful to paint to the edge of the paint line without going over!! (But don’t worry…you can always touch up any boo boos).

AND HERE YOU HAVE IT!

Now that’s a cute little chair…thanks to paint and adorable IKEA fabric!  I love the dipped leg process so much that I tried it on this table too…

In an upcoming post, I’ll show the desk I paired with the grey chair, and also a set of red chairs that I have paired with the striped table.

Thanks for clicking me…

Laurie