Rocking Chair -- Before and After

This grungy, smelly rocker needed refinishing and reupholstering, a client I did work for about 10 years ago, called me and asked me to work my magic. I love it when former client's hang onto my number and were so pleased with work done before that they want to use me again. It's the nicest compliment.

Because my real studio in the basement is a total catastrophe, the rocker was put on the table...literally...the kitchen table. When I was finished sanding the wood down and applying the stain, it moved to my coffee table for multiple coats of poly and steel wool burnishing. Yup, that's how things work around here. My whole house is the studio.

I ordered some fabric from England off of eBay. I love the internet. It's perfect for those of us who don't like traipsing around in search of something, and that also do not like the over-stimulation of things and people -- which seems to feel even more harassing when in search for something. Add store music to the overload and I need a nap when all is said and done.

So, fortunately, for me, Donna liked one of the internet fabric choices. I just crossed my fingers that it was a good fabric once in hand. There was no sending it back, the shipping cost as much as the fabric did.

When the chair was ready, off it went to the upholsterer's. That is something I leave to the real professionals. Upon it's return, the upholsterer (Mary) commented on how nice the fabric was. Whew! Mary has been doing this work for 25+ years, so she's a pretty good judge of such things.

I delivered the chair, crossing fingers that I did not bang it, get dirt on it, etc. Crossing more fingers that Donna would be happy with the results. She loved it. Yayyy. Another satisfied customer.

Horizontal Stripes in Metallic Paints

I wish I had a before my before shot of my client's kitchen. The wall was red and the cabinets were white. 

After they had the cabinets painted black and the wall primed white, they called me in to do some line work.

Metallic stripes in medium grey, pearl white and charcoal grey. 

Then a piece of color punch, a photograph by the Mr. of the house.

I love it when a client is the type that steps out of the box.

Toilet Seat/Cover Re-Vamp

When's the last time you decided that you couldn't take your white toilet seat anymore and had to paint it?

Me? over a year ago. BUT, I started it and never continued my mission. It had a smokey grey background which I intended on putting a design of maybe skulls or something fun. It never happened, therefore, it never got sealed, therefore...the paint started to wear off.

You know how you have something in your house that needs to be done? that looks terrible? but you become blind to it? well, that's what happened here. OK, I wasn't completely blind to it...actually, every time I looked at it I thought "I really have to do something about that." Then I became blind again. BUT I would remember again when someone came over (more often a person adopting a dog than a friend) and they'd ask to use the bathroom. My heart would sink. "um, sure, it's right over there." I can only imagine what they thought. It was clean, always clean, but it didn't look that way because it was so grunge looking.

So, finally the other day, I took it off to repaint.

Poor R. -- "hey babe? where's the toilet seat?" wellllllllllllllll....it'll be back in a day or two.

Each day he'd come home, "hmmm, there's still no toilet seat" "yeah, I know, I had a little issue, it'll be done in a day or two."

This went on for about a week. See....I started to repaint but the under layer of existing paint lifted...I had to scrape it all off. I guess Metal Primer REALLY isn't for prepainted pressed wood. So I started from the very beginning. Due to the humidity, it took forever for each coat to dry. I was using spray paint for the white and the clear coat and I put on about 4 clear coats because I fear it will wear off. The black is acrylic so that dried pretty quickly.

Finally, I get the seat on, R. comes home, I don't tell him what I've done, he goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and I hear, "you did this?" "yeah, why, no big deal, kind of cheating really because I needed to get it done." "YOU did this" he says. "Well, yeah, but you know I, it's no big deal, anyone can do it, it's been done before, it's not a new idea." "YOU did this?" He lifts the seat and sees that the underneath is painted, too.... "and the bottom, too?" "Mannnnnn" .....Ahhhh, one thing I love about him, easily impressed with something I do that I think is so unoriginal.

So I explained to him the simple process. Remove toilet seat. Spray with primer. (Although I used spray paint, it's what I had around. I would have used a brush and can of paint but I thought the finish would be better with spray, I wish I'd used the former - I typically don't like using spray because of the environmental issues) with that said....I then sprayed a white flat. I put spray glue on the back of a piece of lace, laid it on, cut it around and manipulated it to not distort, stenciled with a brush and black paint, then sprayed with a gloss clear coat.

He didn't think it was so simple, but it really is.

At first, I felt bad about copping out and not being more creative...plus, I'm not really a lace person, but then when it was done, I kept looking at it and was pretty happy with the look. It just felt right.

Now to do something with the rest of the bathroom! and who knows, next year it might be a different design on it. But for now, I like it.

I was thinking of going into the area of custom designed toilet seats and covers. I'm sure someone does it but that would be a lot of fun! Send me a seat that fits your toilet, or I'll pick one up that is the size you need, we'll chat about ideas, colors, styles existing in the bathroom....hee hee, what do you think???

HEY! no stealing my idea!!! LOL LOL

I blinked and the week was gone...

or I should say 12 days. Seriously, I feel like I was sleeping and just woke up. I've had tunnel vision painting a dresser, going through all the stuff I'm getting rid of, posting and packaging ebay items... I hadn't sold on ebay in quite some time and I forgot how long everything took. Plus, I have accumulated much more than I thought. It will be a busy rest of winter. Now I'm looking around at things I want to keep and I'm asking myself, "do I really need to have that?" I might even be successful at getting down to the bare minimum. Well, what would be considered the bare minimum for me, which means, it's not really a bare minimum. Hey, I can't help it that I'm a visual person.

I repainted a vintage dresser to serve as a buffet in my kitchen. It was in the LR area being used as a stereo holder...key holder, book holder, 'this goes in the basement' holder...you get the picture, a messy catch-all. A couple years ago I put this color on as a base coat with thoughts of more decorative things to come. I was going to do a faux zebra wood wood grain but lost site of it, I got caught up in so much more. So, for the new incarnation, I kept this base...

Then I put a wash of an orangey salmon color on it:

The blonde blob in the picture is just my Weezie girl thinking she found a nugget of something tasty.

A wash of rosey pinkish reddish (like how I describe color? ;-) ) was applied on top of that:

  

Now I'm in search of knobs that will fit the style and be somewhat feminine at the same time. I found something at Ocean State Job Lot that's very simple, has a modern feel and is shiny. I'd prefer to find something used or vintage but at $6 total and the piece is finished...I might have to go for it. 

Later today I hope to get a moment to give an update on Lucy...she's making progress, little by little.

Before and After

Remember the dresser from the summer with the plan of repainting?

It's been done, I'm just finally getting to the 'post it on your blog' part.

Please forgive the flash point...the room doesn't get much light and I don't have extra photo lighting to implement....working on that.

I painted this to coordinate with an existing oak dresser in the room. I didn't want it stained or doing a faux oak woodgrain since it's not one of my favorite woods, but I was asked to not  paint the taller oak dresser...I don't know how long I'll be able to hold out on that... This dresser is serving as my bedside table. I'm on the search for something a little bigger. The room is small and the added clothes storage is needed. Until then, this serves its purpose well.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family.