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.

~ 

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

~

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! 

 source

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...

source

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.

~

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

~

Cock-a doodle do!

Source

Wood you like to change? ~ part 1

(this post is long and will come in two parts)


Recycle, Repurpose, Refinish, Reuse

 These words can be related to items that furnish a home. Recycled furniture is so popular now, that many antique dealer and flea market businesses across America and Europe, are booming. Estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, auctions, and online websites like; Etsy, eBay, Ruby Lane, and 1stdibs feature quality previously owned items and antiques that can add just the right touch to the interior of a home. 

Getting excited about most of the mid-range furniture made today can be challenging. Over the last 30 years people have become high on instant gratification and keeping up with the ads, or I dare say... CATALOGS! Shoppers seem unconcerned that things are made cheaply and disposable. Mass marketed furniture for the brand addicted in-crowd is classified as "mid-range" priced and sold in the plethora of corporate stores surfacing shopping malls across the country. 

You can buy those "Made in China" clothes to coordinate down the mall with an overpriced, poor quality, pattern-of-the-season chair. And just as you turn the corner a cute accent table catches your eye and you are convinced to buy it too because of the great sale! Months in, the table is wobbling, its finish is dull, or coming off and the darn thing begins to crack. The pattern on that chair now looks hideous and the seat cushion is flattening. Actually, the chair cushion and fabric looks older than you. 

You call the store and they direct you to their customer service number. You then dial it only to talk to a rude CS rep who enlightens you on how it's all your fault and the warranty doesn't cover items that people heavily use. They claim you should have been more careful. Suddenly you realize the helpful sales person who sold you that crap was no more knowledgeable about furniture quality
 than the jeans folder at the GAP.

IMO, gone are the classic techniques in producing quality items in America's mass market furniture era of PB, WE, C&B, RH, A haus, and the like. Oh, they claim to still use some CT and do say their pieces are made from quality materials, but all you have to do is visit one of their factory outlet stores and the product tells the real "Made in Wherever" story. Much of their items are very attractive and I am sure some do hold up, but read the online complaints and reviews from real buyers. It can be discouraging to a person shopping for the classic quality many older American furniture makers once produced.

Authentic dove-tailed drawers made from solid hardwood was a fine feature. Veneers were placed over real wood, not particle-cardboard. The wood finishes were done by hand instead of an industrial machine that creates plastic looking results. You could once smell real craftsmanship, but now you gag from the stench of low wage labor and the fumes of chemicals. And today, most delivered new items never turn out looking as awesome as the floor models you fell in love with at that mass marketed store.

Okay I'll get off the soapbox

These days there can be sticker shock when you do find new furniture or antiques of iron-clad quality. With a tight budget in mind you can either...  

a) find satisfaction with ill made items engulfed by synthetic and cheap materials

b) cough up the ducats on that beautiful refinished antique piece and plead "the 5th" on what it cost, then eat more ramen

 OR

c) inspire to be resourceful for finding quality used items at a practical price and revise them into worthiness

Refinished

First, let's admire a visual of superbly refinished small antique pieces. The two beautiful tables featured below are from the Maryland antiques shop...

Tone on Tone

 (source)

(source)

Both of them (gorgeous) probably had an old wood-stain finish before being transformed into these fabulous pieces. Many older wood accent items look dated and some of their finishes are no longer pleasing to the eye, but the construction and style is remarkable for today's interior style of mixing the old with the new. 

Oh, I must mention that these two antiques probably aren't budget beauties. The first one is Swedish and the second one is stated being 19th century Continental/French. 

The point is... with a little patience and effort, you can find and transform a used item into something fabulous!

Readjust

With moving into a new home comes an adjustment period, where taking inventory is needed for what the home will need to flourish and reflect your style.

1

A small chair side table adds convenience.

 Purchased at my favorite place to browse thru in the city, Austin Antique Mall this small table is well made, but the stained finish was not for me and needed to be changed to give it a softer appeal. I sanded the shiny glaze off the top and painted the bottom using Farrow & Ball - Middleton Pink, then toned down the color with a dark wood stain and finished it with a layer of Howard Citrus-Shield neutral paste wax.

The plan for this cute little table is to sit next to the future slipcovered reading chair in our master bedroom. It's the perfect size to set my glass of wine, or cup of tea on.

2

I found this old grandma looking footstool at the same antique mall with dark stained legs and dated fabric...yeesh! But it is a solid piece and I wanted a nice size footstool instead of larger ottoman for that same MB chair. I refuse to pay the cost for reupholstering, so I painted the legs a light taupe using a small color sample, then aged them with a gray wood stain and made a simple slipcover from heavy Libeco natural linen fabric. 

3

The next two items are an example of what can be done with good used furniture, having a wood-stain finish that needs to… disappear! The Ethan Allen french country nesting tables were found on the eBay shop Z Brothers and are thick, solid American made with a date stamp, 03-11-85. The small cabinet is an imported (yes, I did once buy a "made in wherever" and it had fumes that are gratefully long gone! lol) piece I purchased 12 years ago and has only the after photo, because I was in too much of a hurry and forgot to take the before shot. These will sit on each side of a brand new Belgian style linen slipcovered sofa, atop of a hardwood floor.

Come back soon to see the revisions of other used furniture items I have found while shopping on a tight budget. They will be featured in Wood you like to change? ~ part 2.

~

Some of my favorite eBay used furniture dealers are…

Hollywood Antiques Center

Center Stage Antiques 

Bucks County 

Z Brothers

Be sure to check out the wonderful blog for the shop Tone on Tone 

In Austin during the hot summer, if you're in the mood for recycled treasure hunting, try the air-conditioned booths at Austin Antique Mall 

~

Till next time ~ Rethink

Finding New Beauty in Old Dutch Tiles

I was spending too much energy looking for an ideal tile style for our kitchen walls. I thought of many styles; Mosaic 1x1 or 2x2 squares, but didn't care for the square grid paper look it would have resulted in; Arabesque lantern shapes, but knew I would soon grow tired of seeing the curves and mad as H for overspending on it to get a quality ceramic version that would have to be ripped down in two years when the curves begin to make me scream. Glass tiles are too cold looking and trendy, and the colorful ones can appear to look a bit cartoonish.

Porcelain tiles (IMO) are American tile stores drug of choice, meaning that the sales people try to shove and push the stuff on every potential customer walking through the door, despite of what they asked for. Most Americans are addicted to using faux materials verse the real thing, which is why this country is stuffed with cheap knockoffs that look cheesy, don't age well, and don't last very long. I realize using natural stone, which has been around for centuries is not appealing to everyone. But visit a stone architectural structure, or tiled wall in an ancient country that has been standing for 100s, or perhaps 1000s of years improving the look of its patina with time and get back to me on that. I do love natural stone tiles, but they would make the kitchen look like stone overkill since the floor tiles are marble and the counter tops are honed black granite.

I knew the choice needs to be something ceramic with a casual elegance, yet a simple design that would presenta timeless French or European country look in an American urban townhouse,
but this is what I kept running across…

White Subway Tiles!

 

Source Unknown

The copycat inspiration I found suggested to follow the direction of overabundant kitchen remodeling images on the internet and in home interior blog-land, which would result the same look. Seriously, I must pass on this popular trend. I do consider the look to be good for adding a simplistic and accommodating visual to walls, but it has become so trendy that other tiles which are indeed timeless, simplistic and aesthetic are either overlooked, forgotten, or unknown.

Kitchen owners having not understood the depth of what can be accomplish by having a broader vision and a little patience for finding proper materials, instead rush to big box stores and purchase the cheapest supplies to create another rectangular, or 3x6 white brick-laid tile, wall of fame.

Where's the individuality for creating a sanctuary in that?

I realize we all borrow most of our creative ideas from someone else, but even in this world of mass production there is still room for a little bit of individualism… something different… some up-cycled and resourceful design style… borrowing and reflecting timelessness and quality made materials of the past, while being ingenious for the future of a kitchen wall.


Friese Witjes ~ Old Dutch Tiles


Old dutch tiles that come in approximately 25 various shades of white, is a resourceful material
worth consideration for creating a classic European style and aesthetically tiled kitchen wall.

(Belgian Pearls)

(Belgian Pearls)

(Belgian Pearls)

(Belgian Pearls)

After viewing these and many other images of European kitchens with Friese wijtes tiles on the walls, I began to appreciate the simple elegance they offered and desired to use this classic approach for our kitchen. The only problem was I didn't know if I'd find these tiles in the USA, or whether to skip the authentic old dutch look and use American square white cheap field tiles instead. But the choice was not hard. Going authentic old dutch is the only way for me. So I began to search the Internet for the real thing and eventually...

I found them here!

I contacted the company Rozendonk Antiques of Holland, via email and their representative Wil Elderman responded and sent me an invoice for the shipping fee, to send a sample box of varied shades of white tiles. The 14 tile samples were free!

The samples arrived...

There are 14 samples in the box.

These square old dutch tiles (Friese witjes) are 5 inches and came in 13 shades of white. The small hole is in two corners of some of the tiles and it is a custom to have them on various tiles used in a project.

 
The tile below (AW2) comes in 8 shades and has a crackle surface. This style is often used in restoration projects for homes to match antique dutch tiles.

 

 Each tile has the color number label on the back.

In the box was also a cute gift. A small journal with a replica cover of a 5 inch antique dutch Delft tile.

Now I will pick out 9 or 10 of the shades, or maybe use all 13 shades of the samples I received and send in the proper measurements, along with photos of the kitchen project area. There are also "edge tiles" and I will need a few of them to be added with the order for the top of the backsplash on both sides of the kitchen window. The entire wall area above the stove and behind the refrigerator will be covered in these Friese witjes tiles. I am so excited and can't wait to share the finished project with you. I look forward to having a tiled wall that will have a variation of whites like this one...

 (Belgian Pearls)

Be sure to check out Rozendonk Antiques of Holland here
~

Stay inspired!