painted side tables || Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint + Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®

I bought two night stands years ago at a garage sale.  I used them in the girl's bedroom for a while and then for the past few years they have been sitting in the garage.  I finally decided to paint these little guys....

The blue color is BERGERE {Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint} and the white detailing is OLD WHITE {Chalk Paint® decorative paint}.  I distressed the piece and then waxed it with Miss Mustard Seed Antiquing wax.

I priced them and plan on taking them to La Bella Casa.  However, I brought them into the living room to photograph them and now I kind of love them in the space.  They might stay here for a while....we shall see ;-)

PAINTED HUTCH || painted with Chalk Paint®

I often forget to take pictures of different pieces I am working on.  I guess I just get side tracked, or I am just ready to move onto the next project ;-)  However, I did remember so here are a few pictures on a small hutch I finished last week….

The top is has three different colors/layers (all Chalk Paint®)…..French Linen, Old White, and the top layer is Pure White.  The bottom is painted with Paris Gray.  I lightly distressed the entire piece and then sealed it with Annie Sloan's soft wax.  After applying two coats of soft wax, I applied Miss Mustard Seed's white wax in areas and allowed it to build up, giving the piece a bit of a bleached look.

I added new knobs, painted the interior and called it 'good'.  It's a darling little hutch and it will soon be on it's way to La Bella Casa!

Enjoy your week and happy painting!!!

CHIPPY VANITY || a painted vanity

I have this sweet little vanity that I got about 5 years ago.  I originally painted it for Addilyn's nursery.  I used milk paint (I was super pregnant and wanted something safe to work with) and painted it a sweet shade of light green.  I have always loved this little vanity, and had no intention of selling it!  However, I just don't have a place for it and I need furniture for my little space at La Bella Casa!  So, it got a makeover and will be headed to the shop next week….

  

It was originally painted with a blue paint (probably lead based, the piece is very old).  When I got it, Matt completely sanded it down for me. I layered several milk paint colors and love the chippy, old look.  I sealed it with wax, added some pretty knobs, now she is all set for a new home!

PAINTED HUTCH || miss mustard seed milk paint

I finally finished painting a hutch that has been sitting in the garage for a few months.  I bought it to use as a milk paint display for the new shop, then things fell through with our downtown shop location so I just let the hutch sit un-finished.  Well, things are moving forward again with the shop space so it's time to get these pieces painted!

Since it will be a display for Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint line, I figured it should be painted and finished with Miss Mustard Seed products {wink}.  I layered, and dry brushed with IRONSTONE, LINEN, GRAIN SACK AND LUCKETT'S GREEN.  I accented some areas with LINEN, distressed the entire piece and finished with with white wax.  I left the original hardware because I liked the look of the brass.  That may change when it gets into it's new space, but for now it works!

We are starting to work on some outside projects {of course, before other projects are finished}!  I am starting to plan the garden, the chickens have spent the winter in the garden so I need my sweet husband to build a chicken coop and a new pen.  Of course we want to add some goats to our little family this summer, so they will need a little place to live, and the list goes on and on.  Plenty of fun projects to keep us out of trouble!

And my little baby is turning two next week!  Time continues to fly and I am always reminded that each day is precious.  No matter how long the to-do list is, I always want to cherish the time spent with family and friends!

PAINTED FABRIC || painting fabric with Chalk Paint®

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a lady; they were moving her mom to an apartment and needing to downsize.  She wanted to know if I would like to come look at the items they were needing move.  I loaded up the girls, picked up a girlfriend and we were on our way.  She had a beautiful table and chair set.  Absolutely beautiful!  But, it was a big set and I didn't have room.  So I came home with a pair of chairs and some smaller treasures.

The chairs were in really good shape, and super comfortable.  Since I don't have the skills necessary to reupholster these beauties, I decided to paint them.

Here are the details on how I painted fabric with Chalk Paint®.

- Vacuumed the fabric and trimmed the loose strings.

- Wiped down the wood with a warm, damp rag.  After allowing the wood to dry, I painted two coats of Milk Paint {Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint ~ ironstone} on the wood.  I was fine with the paint chipping, so I did not apply the bonding agent.

- For the fabric, I added water to Chalk Paint®.  I added 4 parts {OLD OCHRE} Chalk Paint® to a mason jar and 1 part water.  Shake it good to thin the paint down a bit.  By thinning the paint down it helps the paint to cover easier, and it makes it a bit softer to the touch once it dries.

- Once the fabric was painted, I touched up the painted wood with an artist brush.  I didn't tape anything off, so naturally I had a bit of the fabric paint color on the wood details.  I sanded the edges of the wood to give the wood a distressed look.

- The last step was to apply clear wax to the wood and the fabric.  The wax helped to soften the fabric and also provides a protective barrier.

I am very happy with the results.  The fabric is not 'crunchy' or hard.  It's not super soft like cotton or linen, it feels more like an outdoor fabric.  One day I may have these chairs reupholstered, but for now I am very happy with how they turned out!  And no sewing skills were required ;-)

BEFORE + AFTER || oak table

Matt has wanted to build a farm house table for our dining room, but the reality is, it's falls short on the priority list.  My wood working skills do not even compare to my handy husband, so I knew there was no way I would attempt to build my own!  My in-laws lent us their extra oak dining set since we sold our last dining room set with our house.  A few weeks ago I was telling Matt's mom that we just couldn't agree on a new dining room set to buy.  Matt really wants to build something but I want something sooner than later.  :-0

She said we could just have the dining room set we were borrowing!  Perfect!  The next day I started painting..

The table is in great shape.  Solid oak and the perfect size for our dining room.  I painted the base with Chalk Paint® {Old White}.  Just one coat since I wanted it to be heavily distressed.  I then applied one coat of clear wax and a bit of dark wax to age the base a bit more.

The top is painted with Chalk Paint® {French Linen} and thinned with water, for more of a washed look.  I sanded the edges and applied two coats of the Annie Sloan lacquer.  The lacquer has a matte finish and is very durable, great for our family who uses this table almost three times a day.

I bought four metal chairs and two upholstered chairs to replace the oak chairs that were part of the original set.  I love mixing different styles and finishes.  Plus, these chairs are pretty indestructible…..good for a family with little people and messy big people ;-)

VANITY AND CHAIR || before + after

You know how there are certain things you think will just never happen to you?  For no reason, other than you just don't think they will happen.  Well, my computer crashed last week and of course the only thing I ever backed up was Quickbooks (which is good since I would be in a deep state of depression if I had to muddle my way through re-entering accounting for our personal and two business accounts....ugg.) Anyways, I am slowly getting applications re-installed on my computer and now have a fancy-smacny external hard drive attached at all times.  Lesson learned!

I had some great before + after photos of this darling vanity and chair.  Of course I lost all of those photos and haven't yet re-installed my photo editing program.  But, I still thought I would show a few 'after photos'!

I picked up this darling vanity and chair at a garage sale a few weeks ago.  It was orange and had 

I picked this darling duo at a garage sale a few weeks ago.  It was orange, brown and white.

I used OLD WHITE {Chalk Paint®} for the vanity with one coat of CLEAR WAX. I sanded the edges lightly because this piece had A LOT of paint layers.  I wanted to add to the history of the piece, not make is look like it was brand new.

I used LUCKETT'S GREEN {MMS MILK PAINT} without the bonding agent.  I sanded the edges and applied a CLEAR WAX.

I sell fun knobs at the studio.  I snagged this darling white flower knob for a bit of a feminine touch.  Right now this cutie sits in my bedroom.  I am not sure if it will stay there, but it's the perfect spot to keep my planner and journal.

In other news, I thought I would show a few photos of the basement progress.....

Matt is busy modifying the cabinet so it can house the TV.  He moved windows and doors so we are changing the layout a bit.  He is going to re-purpose the mantel {taken from a job years ago} and then paint all of the cabinet and woodwork white....

It's a bit of a mess, to say the least, but we are almost ready to start cleaning up and prepping for paint {walls,ceiling and cabinetry}.  Yahoo!

The play room is right off of the great room.  I am getting ready to paint the walls and then remove the flooring.  Addilyn already loves cozy-ing up in their soon to be book nook.  Love that girl!  And so fun to create a room just for the girls!  I can't wait to start getting some work done in there!

OK, I am off to work on my computer a bit more, super fun.

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE + AFTER || a darling dresser

A few weeks ago I bought a darling dresser at a thrift store.  It wasn't necessarily a screaming deal, but I loved the lines of the piece.  I decided to purchase it and it has been sitting in the garage waiting for a little makeover.

It is a heavy one, so pardon the picture of it on it's side!

And here she is all painted and cleaned up.

I painted the inside of the drawers ANTIBES GREEN {Chalk Paint®}.  I know it takes extra effort to paint the insides of the drawers, but I love how it really finishes a piece off.

The pretty blue is actually a mix of three different Chalk Paint® colors.

2 parts Louis Blue

2 parts Provence

1 part Florence

I finished it off with a coat of clear wax.  I am starting to work on pieces for my little Spring Sale, but it will be listed for $345 if you are interested in purchasing earlier ;-)

And this was the scene outside while I was painting.  Little Miss was playing in the pond and my sweet hubby was recuperating from spending his birthday in the hospital.  Poor thing.  He had an accident with his table saw first thing in the morning.  The girls and I piled into the car to take him to the ER.   I didn't know how bad it was {he kept his hand wrapped in a towel}.  He ended up having surgery and finally coming home around 10pm.  It was a rough day but we are so thankful for great friends who stepped into help and for God's provision!

REFRESHING A VINTAGE OAK CABINET || an afternoon project

Whenever I have a few minutes of free time {girls are playing together and keeping each other happy, so not truly free time ;-} I sneak away to work in Matt's office.

A few days ago, I purchased this great old oak cabinet from a friend.

She had texted me a photo of it.  I knew it would be perfect for Matt's office!  I wanted something that didn't necessarily need to function, was darker and masculine, and was at a decent price point, this fit the bill!

I wiped the entire thing {inside and out} down with a vinegar + water solution.  There were spider webs, a little mold, the usual things you find in  "old, funky furniture".  Once it was clean, I wiped it down with MMS Hemp Oil.

Hemp Oil is so simple to use.  Just pour some onto a clean cotton cloth and rub it onto the piece.   Just wipe it on and, since it’s all natural, it doesn’t have a strong smell.

Hemp Oil takes about 30 days to fully cure.  You can still use the piece during that time, but it might feel a little oily to the touch.

The top of the piece was in bad shape.  I painted it with Chalk Paint® {GRAPHITE}.  Once the paint was dry, I added a coat of clear wax and buffed it out.  I wanted the top to look a bit more aged, so I added a coat of dark wax.

The top would look best if it was still the original wood.  But, it's not and I feel this in the next best thing.

I have to replace a couple of the metal tabs, but other than that, it's good-to-go!

Isn't it a fun piece?

And the best part, it took less than 1 hour {total} and cost less than $100!

Have a great weekend!!

COME PAINT :: first Friday of every month

I am really enjoying being 'open' at the design studio on Fridays!  The girls and I are there every Friday from 9am-6pm.

I have a few exciting things up my sleeve for the studio.  The first one :: I have decided to open up the back work room to you....my lovely customers!

Yep, a time where you can bring your project{s}, ask questions, learn tips and paint away.  I have found that sometimes it's just easier to work on a project at a designated time and/or location.

I am hoping that by making the work room available to you guys, you will be inspired to create!!

Here are the details....

BRING YOUR PROJECT || EVERY FIRST FRIDAY

WHEN ||  every first Friday of the month

TIME  ||  open~come any time from 1pm-4pm

WHERE  ||  543 West Main Street, the work room

WHAT  ||  Bring your own project to work on.  Use our space, brushes and rags. I will be available {in between customers} to answer questions and offer tips.

COST ||  $10.  Feel free to bring you own Chalk Paint® and wax, or you can purchase it when you arrive. We won't have our opened paints and waxes available to use, as we do with our classes.

** no need to rsvp, just come and go at your convenience during the designated hours**

I truly value your input and ideas.  I want the studio to serve as a place of creativity and inspiration!  Please feel free to throw out ideas and thoughts on what you would like to see offered!!

BEFORE + AFTER :: a sidewalk treasure

 A few weeks ago, I was on my early morning walk.  I walked past a neighbor's house and she had just set out a dresser with a FREE sign on it!  I promptly walked my little self home, grabbed the car and wen to pick it up.  It's kind of funky, but I have been looking for a little drink station in the dining room.  I figured it was free, so if I don't like it, it's no big deal!

You can see the side of my little helper in this picture.  She seems to think anytime the camera is out, it's to take a picture of her!

I used Chalk Paint® to paint this little guy.  I mixed 1 part Pure White and 1 part Arles.

I applied a coat of Clear Wax and then a coat of Dark Wax.

I painted the existing brass knobs Graphite and then applied a Dark Wax.

I added a mirror and a little drink basket, then loaded the drawers with linens.  I am sure I will change things up soon, but this is a start ;-)  I don't love it, but it will serve just fine until I find something I do love!

Next week I will snap some photos of the dining room and share them.  But, girls are sleeping so I better get some work done!!  Oh, and I have to meet the delivery man at the studio soon, I have a really fun package arriving later today, I can't wait to share all about it!

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE + AFTER :: our dining room furniture

 Happy Tuesday friends!

I thought I would show you a few photos of our dining room furniture.  I am in the middle of re-decorating {or really just shopping the house and re-arranging} our dining room.

Confession ::  I would love to buy a long, rustic dining room table.  Pair it with linen slip covered chairs and I would be a happy girl.  But,  it's hard to justify that when we have a dining room set that works just great!

I thought I would try painting our furniture to see if I would like it a little better.  If I hadn't been introduced to Chalk Paint®, I would have never dreamed of tackling our dining room furniture!  What a pain!  Sanding, priming, several coats of painting, yucky fumes.....just doesn't sound appealing.  However, with the ease and beauty of Chalk Paint®, I was willing to give it a try.

I tried a coat of 'French Linen' on the table top.  I was curious to see how well it would cover.

Two coats of paint on the top, and I was convinced it was worth it to paint it!

I painted the table top and bench a gray...."French Linen".  The chairs and base of the table are painted a soft white..."Old White".

Sweet little Pea was quite the helper.

She happily slept in the swing and gave me a solid two hours of painting time!

I distressed the edges and table top.  I wanted the original black to show through,  but just a little bit.

I applied a coat of Clear Wax, and called it good!

The table, bench and six chairs, took about eight hours to complete.

Start to finish.

And, I was able to do the entire project right in the dining room!  I am so lazy when it comes to painting.....yet another reason I love this paint!

I still have a ways to go until I get the dining room put back together, but at least the furniture is painted...

 and the table is set!

Now all I need to do is prepare dinner!

xoxo~Darci