"CW" Dresser

This dresser was inspired by a little guy about to grow into his first big boy room.

Here's the before (there was lots of work to do!!!) :

And here are the after's:

Let me know what you think!

Desk Design Dilemma SOLVED!

Remember this desk?

And the color selection dilemma I told you all about in this post Desk Design Dilemma ? Well, I decided to go with a pinky coral color that I LOVE and think is great for my 3 year old daughter's room. She thinks it's pink and so I'm the coolest mom ever! And I can tell myself that it's coral...not pink!

I've had the desk painted for probably more than a month. It's been hanging in my garage feeling neglected and unloved. It's like she's got on a pretty new dress but the beautician is taking forever to finish hair and makeup so she can go to the dance! In my case, the makeup was a dark wax to highlight the character of this desk. Today, I was brave enough to take my dark wax brush to this desk and I am really glad I conquered my fear! I also lined all the drawers with some cute and pretty fabric. I can't wait to show my daughter the finished product!!  Please be sure to let me know what you think!

Church Pew Re-Do

Well, I went to church today..... kinda. I spent the afternoon at a client's home working to restore this old church pew. 

You might imagine that working in someone else's basement is a little unsettling at moments. [enter the client's  cat]. At first, I was a little freaked out that the cat was taking a pounce-like posture as he surveyed the basement's nooks and crannys, until it struck me that I'd definitely prefer to have his protection from any critter that squeaks. From then on, I dubbed him my "Lion King".  Lion King and I became fast friends. He didn't even complain about the fact that I sang old hymns all afternoon. I suppose I better find out his real name before my next visit. 

Today was a bit eye opening for me. I have always viewed the fields of furniture restoration and upholstery to have a sort of mutually beneficial relationship (you know, working together to make beautiful furniture), UNTIL TODAY. I spent a good chunk of the afternoon pulling out hundreds (and I debated about indicating it was thousands but thought that might be a slight exaggeration) of upholstery staples out of the wood. Yesterday, this pew had a cushioned seat. Today, all that remained was a strip of cardboard and fabric that had been stapled to the seat every 1/8 of an inch. This was what I'd call a long, tedious and slightly painful process! At least I had good tools for the task.

Then, I moved on to stripping the old finish off the pew. Let's just say that I also found this aspect of the afternoon to be painful as well. Despite my best efforts, I did manage to subject various limbs and extremities to small drops of the chemicals. NOT pleasant. But after about 30 seconds of intense burning sensation, the pain subsides. The finish on the pews was fairly stubborn. So after two applications of the stripping agent, I resorted to old faithful.... my sander. I'm not 100% complete with the prep, but I think the worst of it is over. This photo was taken when I was 1/2 through sanding the seat. 

I'll be sure to share the after pictures when this old beauty is finished. In the mean time, I'll be humming "How Great Thou Art" ..... it was Lion King's favorite (voice cracks and all). 

Drum roll please......

Well, some of you may be wondering what the heck happened to me! My last post was almost a month ago!   As you might know, I completed some custom pieces for a Homearama home designed by Natalie Officer, of Natalie O. Design Co. Well, this past weekend was the opening of Homearama which means I can share the "after" pics with you! I'm so excited to see what you think! 


Remember, this buffet?  Here's the before........

And here is the after......

The paint on this buffet is Benjamin Moore "Emerald Isle" and I love it!

I also stepped out of my comfort zone and put together a headboard for the Master bedroom using some crown molding. I am pretty happy with how it turned out! Remember this old door?

Well, she was transformed into this!

I also refinished the night stands in the Master bedroom. I'm so upset that I didn't take BEFORE pictures! UGH! But at least you can see the end result. I love the pulls!! I lightly distressed the end tables but unfortunately, you can't really see that in the photos.

Didn't Natalie O Design put together a fabulous master bedroom! I'm obsessed with those lamps! Wish they were mine!!!!

Let me know what you think!

I'm gearing up to get started on a couple of new pieces. Next on the list.....

I'd like to transform this into a kitchen island (with casters) that can live against a wall for additional counter space/storage or float in the middle of the kitchen. If you are interested in this piece being custom done for your home, shoot me a message!

I'm also excited to get started stripping the paint off this old dresser. There is some hidden detail in the drawers that will be fun to play with!

Until next time......

Fantastic Day!

Well, I was a busy bee today and have the sunburn to prove it! After a bout with a really awful sinus infection last week, I started on some really exciting projects today. Can't wait for you all to see them when they are finished!

This beauty really wouldn't need much work, except for the fact that she is the wrong color and the stain isn't exactly what the owner is going for. So, today I sanded down the top to the natural wood and will be staining it gray. The rest of her will get transformed to a lovely green (Benjamin Moore's "Green with Envy")...hopefully tomorrow.

I just love this piece of furniture. I love the drawers and storage! And those handles!!! ugh! Wish it was mine! Can't wait to see it finished!

Next up, I tackled prep work on a pair of 5 panel doors that were recently extracted from an old farm house here in Louisville. These doors will be used to create a stately headboard (and perhaps a footboard too). But first they needed some TLC and a GOOD cleaning! 

Every day when I bring my daughter home from school, she asks me if I've painted her desk yet. You remember.... this one!?!?? 

Well, the guilt is getting to me (and it's finally at the top of my to-do list), and so today this baby got a nice rub down from my sander. Tomorrow, she'll be fat and sassy and CORAL in color. I was originally thinking chartreuse but decided to go another way. This desk has definitely been a color challenge for me (which is also why she still isn't painted). 

While I'm at all the painting and staining tomorrow, I figure I better paint myself a new stool to sit on while I paint and do my projects (today was TOUGH! I am exhausted!). So, this guy will probably get a new color tomorrow too. I'm thinking blue for him, but we'll see. I need a little color in my garage.

I also got the lawn mowed today and even got a little (okay, a lot... as in too much) sun! When I took a break for lunch mid-afternoon, I was flying high. I had been working hard all morning seeing things transform before my eyes, and for lunch I was enjoying the BEST can of diet coke I've ever had, eating a bologna sandwich while keeping up with the Kardashians. After a day like today, I am a happy camper and ready for my sleeping bag. 

Night all! 

Desk Design Dilemma

As I dive into refurbishing furniture, I figured I needed one of these......
                                       
So, I took the advice of a friend and stopped at our local hardware store and purchased a Benjamin Moore color wheel. Um... only problem is that the unlimited choices are making it quite challenging to pick a color!!! My first (furniture) project (since leaving my 10 year career in public accounting), is recreating this amazing desk for my daughter's room.

I was thrilled to find this desk listed on craigslist. I love the lines and the details and it is in really fantastic shape. It just needs a little love here and there and that is exactly what I intend to give it!

A couple years ago, I purchased this amazing painting from Karen Fields for my daughter's room.
                            
This painting continues to be the inspiration piece for the design (and now re-design) of the perfect little girl's room. Check out Karen's work at www.etsy.com/shop/karenfieldsgallery or http://karenfieldsgallery.blogspot.com.  Perhaps after seeing this gorgeously whimsy painting, you can empathize with my color selection dilemma. There are just so many fantastic colors in this painting!!!

For those of you that don't know me, I prefer to think out loud. Absent a team of accountants that are used to humoring me, I think this blog might be just the place to do my thinking..... I'm thinking this beauty needs a coat or two of a beautiful chartreuse. What do you think?

Shel

The Launch

Okay, so this is it! For those that are my nearest and dearest, you know that this blog entry is many many months in the making. I am so excited! With my last day at Ernst & Young just days away, I'm preparing for the next phase of my journey. My summer plans include loving on my sweet babes (my husband and our 2 gifts from God) and refurbishing, refinishing, and repurposing furniture. I've been able to collect a bit of inventory (thanks Katelyn!) and thought you all might like to see some of what will keep me busy this summer.

Wish me luck!