Vintage Dresser Done!

I’ve been painting like a mad woman all weekend.  Finally, I’m back at my day job on Monday so that I can get some rest (did I say that?).

I finished this chest of drawers over the weekend and the companion dresser should be done in a day or two after I get around to giving it a coat of poly.

I can’t get enough of retro hardware…a lot of thought and imagination was put into creating all those cool circular, ameba, and boomerang shapes!  I gave these tarnished brass pulls a fresh coat of brushed nickel.  

Here’s a before shot of the chest.  Check back later to see my plans for repurposing the matching full size headboard.  (It won’t be a headboard for much longer!)

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!

Weekend Thrifting

Hubby and I were out shopping for bargains again this weekend.  He spotted a great coffee table that I had seen several weeks ago, but thought was overpriced.  It finally got marked down…so it’s mine now. 

My initial intent was to clean it up, cover up the scratches, and flip it.  But once we got it home, we both fell in love.  So out goes my old coffee table (which was purchased with the intent of being temporary anyway) and in goes my “new” retro table.  I’m thrilled with it! 

I’m sharing a few shots I took.  I’ve been working on my sofa pillow arrangement too. You can compare these pictures to the ones in  my previous blog to see the old table and old pillow arrangement.

      

 

 

 

 

 

      Love the brass leg accents!

I also spent some time this weekend breaking out the spring/summer accessories.  Hello sea shells, driftwood and baggies of sand from last summer’s trip to the Gulf. I added a few shells to one of my vintage ashtrays that I’ve been collecting (here). The ashtray brings a touch of coral to the coffee table without screaming matchy matchy.

Fringe Benefits

The best part of giving new life to sad old castoffs is that I’m ALWAYS shopping for “that special find”.  Sometimes that “special find” never makes it on the market…I fall in love and it stays with me!  I thought I’d share of few of the treasures I just couldn’t part with…

I hit a thrift store at least two days a week, usually more.  I drive right past the Good Will on my way home from work and it takes me less than five minutes to cruise through the furniture section. And if I’ve got the time, there are three other thrift stores within ten minutes of the Good Will.  NO TWO VISITS ARE THE SAME!  I can come up empty one day, and bam, the next day I find something fantastic!  So persistence pays off!

I found this great lamp on a day when all the good pieces in the entire store had a sold sign on them.  I was so bummed out.  Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this dusty, dirty metal pole leaning on a box.  A closer look revealed it was one of those floor to ceiling lamp thingys.  The pole has tension on it like a shower rod, and it stands on the floor and goes to the ceiling.  Those dark tips on the shades are actually wood!  So I felt triumphant, for one day at least.

I usually take a quick walk through the house wares department just to see if any little vintage thing has been thrown in with the mismatched Tupperware, chipped up glasses, and skillets that have no Teflon left on them. These are a few of the things that I’ve found:

Vintage Pyrex is always an exciting find.  I don’t save it for special occasions, I use it everyday. I love serving pieces too.

 
I bought this single aluminum canister because these are the ones my mom had when I was a little kid.  Such a blast from the past.  I store dry goods in it and keep it in my pantry. 

 

 

 

 

This little carafe holds eight ounces.  I gave it to my daughter to steep her tea in.

 

And then there was my “lucky owl day”.  I think that someone must have been cleaning out their dear old grandma’s house, because why else would there be this many owls sitting on the same shelf on the same day?

 

 

 

 

 

I know they don’t look like much, but I painted them all white and now they look like these at West Elm!

And then there’s my set of tacky table/floor lamps.  They were pretty ugly, but I thought they had sleek, modern lines.  Nothing that a few cans of white spray paint can’t handle.  And the shades had been sitting in a closet for two years.  I’m planning on covering them with burlap. 

And now I have found myself collecting something that to some may seem disgusting, but I am in aw of the funky design and color of these mid century ashtrays.  They make a great dish on the dresser for hubby to empty his pockets into.  I have several groupings of them.  Throw some shells,  pinecones, or acorns in them, and you’ll forget all about their previous life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So th

So there you have it.  One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure!