Treasure Tweaking - Imports and Thrift Store Finds

Do you resist...

 those resin, wood, or metal decor items with the "Made in China" sticker on the back?

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Come on now... You know the ones I am talking about. They have invaded every hobby and decor shop in strip malls across America. Some are very pretty, some are too cutesy, many are kitsch, but mostly all are made for a fraction of a fraction of their retail price. Did you get that?

Every Target, Hobby Lobby, Home Goods, Kirkland's, Tuesday Morning, T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, and Ross are full of them in droves. A complete store list carrying imported decorations is so long it would take months to type. The imports even managed to invade department stores from the low end like Kohl's, to the high like my all time Texas favorite... Neiman Marcus/Horchow. That oh-too-common sticker on the back has caused some minor political debates about jobs and merchandise being made and sold from this country. But, when people start to shop for decorations, low prices usually trigger most of us to toss any political correctness to the side. Many times I have been one of those PC tossers and because of my "real life" budget, I will continue to be for a very long time.

I prefer to find these imports second hand, or passed on to me by others who got tired of looking at them in their own home, or by rummaging garage sales and charity thrift stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and an original in Austin... Top Drawer Thrift. 

TDT's charity sponsor, Project Transitions was created in 1986 by Barbara Davis to help support people dying from AIDS. In 1993 the thrift store was opened under the charity's vision to incorporate its proceeds to PT, helping to cover the cost of supporting individuals and families with HIV/AIDS. This thrift shop has been awarded many times as the best in thrift by the Austin Chronicle.

Once upon a time, my vanity motto was to not indulge in supporting the import invasion, because I naively looked forward to a day when stores would stock primarily American made items that we actually don't NEED, but WANT. But the geographical areas we all live in are full of thrown out decor treasures, old and new, large and small, American made and imports from various countries. Recycling anything usable is powerful, imports included. Besides, the truth is this world consist of countries that have been importing merchandise for over thousands of years and will continue to do so till the end of time. So get over it PC'ers! The world seems even smaller while clicking on the Internet and you can now get that treasured decoration for your home shipped from wherever in less than a week!

The point is that there may be times to shove aside PC thoughts and buy what you are attracted to and can actually afford without breaking your budget, or worrying about what others will think. The most affordable decor fillers ARE imports or thrift store finds. For me, tweaking the appearance to give these items a different appearance turns them into a personal treasure. It's like having a one-of-a-kind piece that actually blends with the interiors and it carries at least some partial "Made in the USA" pride, lol.

Here are some of my latest import and thrift store tweaks, plus one purchase makeover that was not a bargain.
(of course I forgot to take some of the before photos)

A Goodwill found metal planter that had a horrible orangey/dark brown spotted finish is now the right color for the entry area in our townhouse. (ignore the lower level floor…wood will be on it in the future)

These small small vintage Syroco (Made in America) wall shelves were purchased on eBay for the kitchen, but now they will be placed above each of the nightstands in our bedroom with some type of large white sea shell on each against the black wall.

The downstairs powder room is very narrow and needed a slimmer trash bin. I found this wood one at Goodwill and used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey, Country Grey and stenciled the fleur de lis with Old White, then followed with a finishing wax.

Next is a 24x24 inch wood, fleur de lis wall plaque that I purchased online for the kitchen because it was inexpensive and distressed white. It arrived with the cheapest/cheesiest distressed paint job I have ever seen, and I have seen plenty. Despite the dark lines this thing looked awful and had minimal depth, no texture, or variations of white. Plus the paint job was so mat and chalky and it was rubbing off. The first photo is what is seen online, but in person this thing really looked CHEAP! I had no choice but to repaint it and by layering it with 6 different paint colors, followed by some sanding and finishing wax, I got the texture and color variation it should have had in the first place. Of course then it would not have been so cheaply priced. 

Redone it now hangs on a black painted wall in the kitchen. For now I take all of this blogs pictures with my iPad and it did not pick up the color variations and textured details very well, please forgive me. (note to self…must add a digital camera to my wish list for this blog)

A fleur de lis cross statue found at Goodwill that was brown with metallic gold on its edge lines. The main color is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and this is will sit on my nightstand next to a smaller Waterford Crystal cross. I love seeing beautiful crosses used like art pieces in interiors.

I grew up looking at a Last Supper picture in every relatives home I visited. Of course my mother had one too. I searched and searched for a small carved one and found this vintage Syroco piece on Etsy in the shop called TandRTreasures. I painted it white and followed with a Valspar antiquing glaze and placed it above the kitchen window.

This was a dark stained carved wood and metal box.

I do not like the pole/stand paper towel holders. I prefer to use containers. The outside of this old brass planter for the kitchen paper towel holder was spray painted white, leaving the inside and handles with the original tarnished brass.

I painted the old wood top on this flea market found glass canister, which is used for holding laundry detergent and added a pewter butterfly knob.

All the thrift found inexpensive baskets in the kitchen laundry closet were washed, dried, then spray painted with Rust-Oleum's Heirloom White for a crisp look against the greige (Martha Stewart's Sharkey Grey) laundry closet walls and shelves. The kitchen itself has black walls and black honed granite counter tops, with a white ceiling, doors, trim, cabinets, modern ceiling fan and antique milk glass light fixtures. The tile floor in the kitchen, pantry, and laundry closet is a gray-beige marble. 

This cute Goodwill oil painting had a dark brown frame and beige cloth matting that I spray painted white.

Remember the cross pictured at the beginning of this post, well it was given to me by someone who was throwing it away and I never cared for the color, but really like the fleur de lis accents. It is now spray painted with two shades of white and hanging in the laundry closet.

Here is the "not a bargain" piece. I purchased this folk art cross at Cowgirls and Lace because I wanted a large one made from solid wood this shape and size, with a rustic metal floral design attached. It is 38 inches tall and very heavy. The red was very pretty and a great shade...more like a country red that looks great anywhere. I just needed it to be a more neutral color for our home. So I sanded it down a bit to remove the sealer and whipped out some color sample paints that I had laying around and began brushing. Some of you may think I am a bit crazy for painting it, but the new color blends better with what's going on around it.

Some things found at a thrift stores are broken, like the resin fleur de lis top of this metallic gold scroll tree, which is leaning on its base. Sometimes it seems there isn't much creative effort put into these imports when it comes to the painted finishes. In another color combination this piece will be very pretty. I'll pull out the magic glue and wait till its dry then paint away! But this will be one "after" photo you will have to wait to see in a future post and I promise to add more color to it than white or gray-beige. I have plenty more thrift find tweaking projects to share with you later.

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Till next time...  

Seek the thrift and you will find!

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Linking to...

Feather Nest Friday

Fridays at Redoux

 Mod Mix Monday

Wood you like to change? ~ part 2

This post journey started with... Wood you like to change? ~ part 1 and it can be read here

 Since then I have worked on several wood pieces for our townhouse. It seems sanding, painting, distressing, faux finishing, and finding satisfaction with the results has become my favorite weekend habit. After I finally complete all of the items that can actually FIT in our little piece of heaven on earth, I will need to find another venture. Until then here are some of the new-old editions, before and afters. Please pardon the before shots. I took some of them with my iPad and could not get a crisp photo. Also ignore the dirty painted carpet on the floor and stairs. A few months ago I allowed the professional house painters to leave both uncovered and finally it's all getting ripped out this week to prep for 
french herringbone solid wood flooring.

Entry Table 

I have had this table for 13 years. It was a minor purchase with the intention to be faux finished, back when I tried working for a business in the area of interior design. I never got around to revamping it. Yes, many years ago I dabbled in the field, but back then I lacked patience for indecisive people (like myself) who were wanting quality furnishings with either limited funds, or had unlimited means but were too frugal (unlike me). It seemed what both wanted was free advice, because the "do it yourself" attitude was becoming popular from the growth of HGTV. Austin was at the start of its heavy transplanted population and McMansion housing boom. Many of those earlier transplants really 
favored lower prices over value. Like the prices for furniture they ran and bought at 
Rooms To Go, or the Room Store to fill their new large spaces. 

Thank goodness both Austin and I have changed. Now, I love to share ideas and explore options that are $ friendly and Austin has become an interior savvy and chic people filled city. My only concern is that it's gotten overcrowded with an average of 170 people moving here daily! However, having transplanted here in the early 1970s myself and experienced some of the best things Austin has to offer, I do understand why people move here. 

(back to changing the wood finish)

The table's dark finish was dreadful to my hubby and did not work well with the Texas-French Country atmosphere of our townhouse. I combined sample pots of paints I had hanging around to create a french gray color, along with applying a Miniwax wood stain mixture of part Classic Gray with Espresso. It stayed on for a view hours and then was removed with mineral spirits. This created the streaks and uneven color on the legs. Next, I re-painted the top and x-bottom with square sections with a darker gray. Afterward applied Valspar clear crackle glaze to that, followed by my sample paint mixture. I slapped on the color with my brush, instead of using normal brush strokes to create texture. Once it dried, sanded to distress it to get the effect I desired. It was a timely process waiting for the layers to dry but… IT WORKED!

 

TV Console Table 

I purchased this console table from the eBay store Center Stage Antiques. Its dated look had a high gloss finished top. A console was needed that would allow light thru. It sits in front of windows and its new paint job had to be simple to compliment the fireplace masonry next to it, in the living room. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color Cocoa and finish it with light distressing and Howard's Citrus Shield clear paste wax. A long antique french harvest basket will sit on the bottom shelf soon.

 

Step Stool

The top of the mattress in our bedroom is 35 inches off the floor and now that I have gotten older wiser, the use of this small step stool to get my 5'3" self in the bed every night to keep from feeling like I'm crawling up a hill makes sense. The red had to go. I used ASCP in a combination of French Linen over Country Grey. But, after distressing it a bit I liked some of the red showing and finish the piece with Howard's paste wax.

(the wall to wall sisal flooring upstairs is staying put)

Etagere 

This is one of my favorite purchases ever. I watched this etagere in Neiman Marcus Last Call like a hawk for over 3 years. It was kept in the restroom hall covered with china and boxes so I believe it barely got noticed, or the reason could have been that the original price tag was a holy cow amount of 3217 dollars, and then the first marked down was only to 2899. SHEESH!

I knew one day they would have my ideal price… 75 percent off another markdown with a 20 percent off coupon added to that. Yes, I shop there often and know how they roll, lol. A few years ago on the 4th of July I sped over there because I knew this was the moment. Sometimes a holiday can feature great shopping bargains and my claimed prize was purchased for a taxed total of 323 dollars! It may not appear to be, but is very heavy. Before moving the original color stayed put for a while. I gave the wood section and some of the stuff placed on it a much needed makeover with white paint. The rest of the etagere is wrought iron with two glass shelves. 

 The wood stand for the art pottery piece that hubby and I bought in 1997 during a trip to Denver was painted, and also the frame that holds a small watercolor painting of the Gay Head Cliffs. I purchased it in 2002 during one of my Martha's Vineyard trips with my mother-n-law, who lived in Cape Cod. My hubby's parents lived there for many years before passing and they are dearly missed. The Cape and its two sister islands Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are my favorite areas in this country.  

Nightstands

Our old nightstands were too large and rustic for the master bedroom. I desired new ones that would be functional with a shelf, drawer, and storage area to hold objects (cell phone, iPad, notebook, magazines, books) that we I drag into bed with us, on a nightly basis. Most of all, they had to be made of solid wood. Not particleboard, glued, toxic, cheap factory made or imported junk. I decided to take into custody these two ugly ducklings that were found on the eBay shop... Hollywood Antiques Center. They are from the 1950s by an American furniture company called Davis Cabinet and are made of solid maple. I chose them for their perfect measurements for our space and a visual plan. So I thought.

My impatient side took over and this project has become a nightmare. The plan was to paint them, put storage baskets on the bottom and have Carrera marble cut to fit the shape of the top. Somehow I got the idea to forfeit my original plan and crackle the sides, top, and first shelf. It turned into a hot mess! Such a BIG MISTAKE. Instead of getting a small crackled finish I got huge death valley drought cracks that look cheesy and cheap. It really looks bad. Now I am in the process of stripping off the paint and starting over. DIY projects are meant to be fun and rewarding, but can come out looking scary when patience and a good visual idea is not a part of the process. And removing this mess is a waste of time and energy that could be spent on relaxing with a glass of wine. Ha, perhaps I should have been drinking a glass at the start of this project.

This blogs motto is to "create beauty" not ghastly eyesores!

Lesson learned:

Do not rush onto your next project just because the last complicated one turned out great. Also, different woods desire different finishes. These maple nightstands will look better in a smooth white chalk paint finish with a light antiqued silver glaze on the edges. I do plan to get Carrera marble tops and place two light gray-washed natural wicker baskets on the bottom shelves. So now I will go and get busy over the next few weekends cleaning up my mistake and 
share the non-scary result photo later.

If you desire an interior change in your home and have many wood items that you cannot afford to get rid of, do not be afraid to paint them despite of possible mistakes, because you can always revamp the item again with a better idea.

One living room wood piece won't be getting painted. It is this 18th century chair I recently won at Austin Auction Gallery, which is in great condition for its age. I'll just clean it up and reupholster the seat cushion in a Ralph Lauren linen fabric.

Some wood furniture is meant to be left in its original finish.

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You can find info on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint here

For furniture painting tips, a popular painter and blogger, better known as Miss Mustard Seed explains the pros and cons of using different paint types here

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And till next time remember that mistakes are why erasers were put on pencils!

Linked to 

Feathered Nest Friday

French Country Rooster

Le Coq Gaulois (the Gallic Rooster)  ~ You collect what?

Er, er, er…er, err!

Cock-a doodle do!

I collect roosters, 

but don't expect you to, too!

For some strange reason at a very young age, I knew yard-birds would be my attraction for the odd collected item in my grownup home. Perhaps it is because several older women in my family had rooster and hen collections that I admired as a little girl, and those same women were my personal family heroines. I have often wondered... What makes a grown woman collect such oddities? It wasn't as if these women didn't have the usual things a young girl admires like; a "handsome and awesome" husband, or material goodies like; money, a nice automobile, jewels, beautiful clothes, decorated homes, or travel adventures that are envied, and plenty of shoes. I drooled over those things too and swore I would be just like them when I grew up. Roosters and hens have been a part of my whimsical side for many years now, but awhile back I regrettably let the opinions of others get the best of me and rid myself of some yard-birds that I had no business ever departing. 

At that regrettable time, I had over 54 rooster-hen items in my apartment. I had separated from my husband and became obsessed with buying them, probably to fill a void, which was silly, but it felt good at the time. I will admit a lot of them were unnecessary, but most of them were very attractive and well made. As all collectors do, I went through a stage of buying every piece I found that had to do with my dream theme. Ask me what that theme was. Hmmm, was it... Country Chic?  No. Southern Charm?  Nope. Crazy Divorced Lady allergic to Cats? Not hardly, but I am allergic. I don't remember, lol. But French Country (Texas style) was where I remember my taste being when I bought my first major piece that permenatized (is that a word?) my theme… pictured above. 

He is heavy and made out of something that looks similar to paper-mache. He stands 23 inches tall and is 18 inches wide. In 2003, I fell for him while shopping in one of my all time favorite Hill Country, girly girl shop stops… Cowgirls and Lace  Located outside of Austin on West Highway 290 as you exit Dripping Springs heading into the hills. C&L has served many people well for finding whimsical and chic country treasures to add to their home and wardrobe, or to give as gifts. And, the women there are very creative and fun to talk to. Finding him upped the annie on my Texas-French Country rooster obsession. I no longer needed any ol'yard-bird piece. I then desired only items that are made in palettes that could blend in with the rest of my home and not be crowing or clucking away at my nerves. And I decided that despite what people say, a woman should collect what SHE adores, because after all… it is HER sanctuary, which reflects her beauty and spirit that people grow to love.

He now stands watching over-the-house on our french country sideboard cabinet in the dining room, under his morning-time friend… the sun. 

Most women start collecting a variety of made things other than shoes, like:

Horses

Cows

Pigs

Ducks

Rabbits

Turtles

Dogs 

Cats

Flowers

Birds

Birdhouses

Crosses

Angels

Teapots

Pitchers

and even Plates

What is is about roosters and hens that seem so fitting in a french country, or any chic country interior setting? 

The Gallic Rooster, is known as one of the national emblems of France and a revolutionary symbol. Throughout its french history the image has been placed on flags, atop church bell towers, on stamps, painted and carved on furniture and within the heart of the French as a symbol of strength. In ancient Greece the rooster greeting each morning was the symbol of triumph over each night. The Chinese Zodiac claims the rooster symbolizes honesty. In Christianity the rooster crowed three times in the famous New Testament story… I'll just assume you know which one it is. In most rooster folklore it is said that they watch over us. 

Roosters are also well known for being used in weathervanes in America. Seriously, I would love to own a copper antique rooster weathervane by A. L. Jewell & Co. (Waltham, MA) but they are now so outrageously expensive that I can only admire a copied photo. Here's a splendid one from around 1870 listed on 1stdibs with an asking price of 26k! 

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Well, my remaining roosters and hens all together aren't even worth a 10th of that price, but I do enjoy them in my home. That is all that matters. Collect what you enjoy. Below are just a few of them.

A colorful Italian Intrada (what? that's not french!) 

A Vietri (Italian) ceramic funky chicken statute. 

                        

A wood carved pink hen (import)

A small vintage "made in Japan" rooster planter.

A large urn/vase (import)

A large tray sitting atop of the refrigerator (import)

Two Aubusson throw pillows (24 and 20 inch) which the velvet backs and tassel trim had to be removed, because that look is too dated and drove me nuts. Aubusson pillows are great for any country style interior, and IMO the simpler (without fussy trimming) the more pleasant they are to mix with contemporary things. After a few years of use, I recently took them apart and replaced both backs with heavy Belgian basket weave linen. 

My grandmothers hen on a nest

Now on to my latest rooster find. 

A vintage pair of white rooster lamps from the wonderful vintage Etsy shop Heartkeyologie. Amy (the shop owner) states she sells "vintage goodies with personality." I had been searching for a pair of white rooster lamps that I would like, for several years and finally found these...

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They are probably not the most sought after duo by many of you, but they are definitely a had-to-have item for this yard-bird lover! I will paint the wooden bases in some light taupe - french gray and aged color mixture and perhaps replace the harps for shorter ones from my favorite vintage lamp pro's at Tipler's Lamp Shop. Then they will be able to hold a smaller linen slope shade. One lamp will go in the kitchen on the bar cart and the other, on the front door entry table. 

The moral to this story is never let anyone steer you away from something that brightens your day. Sometimes it is the whimsical and odd collected things that bring needed joy into our lives. We all can find joy in sharing our differences. Either that or give each other a darn good laugh. 

After all my rooster collecting, my "handsome and awesome" main rooster (the above mentioned husband that I separated from and divorced) and I are back together, happily roosting away.

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If you're passing through Austin on your way to the Texas Hill Country, be sure to stop by

Cowgirls and Lace

If you are looking for some fun vintage items be sure to check out the Etsy shop

 Heartkeyologie

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Cock-a doodle do!

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