Monday, November 17, 2014

Blue Bell

So I totally got off track yesterday and started painting another piece all together (I did do the coffee table and end tables eventually!!) it was so much fun!  In my excitement I forgot to take a before picture but it's a piece I've had in my home for years and just don't have the room for anymore so I'm going to let someone else love it from now on!!! 
 
I started with a clean canvas of dark wood, cleaned it well with TSP to get off the years of grit and dirt, sanded off the top to clean off the water stains from a potted plant that sat on it for years.  I wanted something different for this piece, beachy, fun, a little out there so I started with light tan colored paint, then a coat of a green that I had from another project
 
light tan base coat
 
A close-up of the green going on.
 
The blue layer (General Finishes Halycon Blue) - she has authentic claw foot legs with the crystal balls intact!!
After painting, I took my sander and heavily distressed the edges to the wood, showing the layers of paint and across the flat surfaces to give it the washed out look before dry brushing white over the whole piece.
Dry brush white
 
 
The finished project!
Here are a couple angles of the finished piece, after applying Annie Sloan Clear and Dark Wax.  Basic staging for now but the blue in the artwork sort of pulled it all together so I put the table there for the shot.
 
Hope you like what you see, I'm loving the creative outlet of refreshing furniture and I'm building my pipes up nicely too from the effort it requires to get the "natural" look of aging!!  ;)
 
Until next time, Keep Refreshing!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Pinterest, Facebook, Blogs, oh My!

Good Afternoon Refreshers!!!
 
I'm in painting mode today! Picked up a few pieces this week and I'm eager to get started on a few projects around my home, too...I always start the day painting with a look on fun sites like Pinterest and blogs of fellow refreshers...today I was perusing Pinterest and found this awesome site for tips and tricks Painted Furniture Ideas I am now raring to go!
 
Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on today...
 
 
 
Happy Refreshing,  Julie

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Before and After!

Hi Refreshers!  How is your Sunday going?  Keep scrolling for a post on my kitchen Island painted with General Finishes Milestone and distressed with Martha Stuart Dark Wax and Annie Sloan Dark Wax!!!
 
I brought work home with me this weekend so along with the normal weekend duties of a home owner, I've been working, playing, cleaning and painting!  Fun! 
 
Here are a few before and after's I promised you!
 
The antique chair below started out boring old brown - I'm all about white's, cream's, beige's...you know, neutral warm colors.  So I painted on  my DIY mixture of my trim color - Dulux Swiss Coffee (gorgeous color!!) and Plaster of Paris.  Loved it but....
 
 
I ended up purchasing Martha Stewart's Vintage Décor Paint to see if I liked it...Tomillio, I think it's called...so I figured, Step Out of That Box Julie and paint something fun.  I actually LOVE it! It's a little to lemony for my décor but someone is going to love it for their home, I know it!
 
 
 
 The seat cover is just a tester I used from some existing fabric I had.  I'm going to hit the fabric store soon to buy some good quality fabric to cover it for someone to love!
 
 
Next I had to take a little trip into "painting fabric" land!!!  I had an old ottoman that didn't match anything ever in  my house...think my mom gave it to me.  Figured what the heck...and started spritzing water on it to begin painting...here is the before, between and after!  It turned out wonderfully!!!!  Not hard and "crispy" at all!!!! 
 
 
Before
 
 
 
Coat one


Coat two

 

 
Finished!!!!! 
(now it matches!  ;))
 
And this is my fav of all!!!  Bought a coffee table from our local yard sale Facebook site for $35.  It had been left outside overnight after a college party and had some pretty bad warping and even worse "repair attempt" on the top but I fixed it up as best I could with a bit of sand paper and some elbow grease then I stained it Espresso from Minwax.  Tasty!!!
 

half stained, have natural top view. 
 
 
Top stained legs natural.  Table was hand crafted in Mexico (stamped on the bottom) so it was actually pretty nice wood visually to begin with but not what I was looking for to match my home.
 
 
 
 
 
 
All done, distressed with sanding block, Annie Sloan Dark Wax and looking fabulous in my home!!!!  At the present time I'm using it as a coffee table/desk so disregard the cables and cords, please!!!  ;)
 
 'Til next time...Keep Refreshing!!!!!
 
 

Happy Mail Day's Make Me, well, Happy!!


Hi Fellow Refreshers!!!! 
 
I finally received my General Finishes Samples thanks to a miscommunication at Customs...well worth the wait though.  Yummy colors and the Top Coat is amazing!!!! 
 
 
I used the Milestone to test it out on something "small" on my island. 

Here's the before and after.
 
 
 
Plain white - melamine doors, oak frame.
 
 
One coat
  
 
See description at bottom for details!
 
 
Three angles of the finished project.  Had to get creative with the Annie Sloan Dark Wax.  Actually ended up taking Martha Stuart Dark Wax and mixing it with the AS Dark Wax and painting or glazing it on...then went back over with just the AS Dark Wax in spots I wanted it more distressed. 

Tried scraping the GF Milk Paint off the melamine with my fingernail and it wouldn't come off...I'm a little bit excited.  Might be time to do the cabinets, too!!  :)  "happy dance"
 
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the finished results!!  Hope you enjoy them, too.
 
Keep Recreating!!!!
 
Julie