If money were no object!!

Our old worn sectional couch had to go and I looked at thrift store and on Craigslist for something to replace it...  But everything now is so huge and overstuffed and totally inappropriate for our old house....  So I finally settled on a used sofa with a Victorian look for the end of the room... Now there was nothing for the dogs to sit on to look out the window and this would never do. 

Of course something like this old chaise would be perfect except for the price..

 

Then I ran across a "Victorian sitting bench"....arms on both ends and no back..... perfect except for the price.

So when I ran across this I knew I could make a Victorian sitting bench that would be perfect for the dogs and  off I went to the barn to find 2 old wooden folding chairs that had been destined to be returned to the thrift store from whence they came years ago....

Stay tuned..... to see these chairs transformed for Morris and Molly to watch the birds again.....

 

 

Unique Chair with Storage Chamber LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!

About 20 years ago I ran across this chair and had to buy it and it has been in the barn ever since.  It is solid oak and if you haven't guessed the porcelain "chamber" served a special purpose... I've tried to sell it at a couple barn sales to no avail.. So I am going to paint it when I'm doing the door. I know I will have ample paint so I was searching around for something to do at the same time and THIS chair is definitely it...

The finish needs sanding but the chair itself is absolutely solid and has lovely lines.

I envision a new life for this chair looking something like this..  If  I put casters on it and a soft cushion I could use it as a computer chair.  As old as this chair is, it is amazing the chamber pot is not only still with it, but not a single chip in it...

Of course this post falls under "If it's ugly, paint it"

A really inspirational site for embellished furniture is http://pinterest.com/dotfisk/embellished-furniture-one/

Also in the running for a repaint was my reproduction sewing basket.  Mine is like this but on legs.... I wanted to take a picture of mine but can't find my camera today...

It opens up similar to this..  I bought it because I could add CQ to the top instead the the tapestry already there.  I have worked myself into a frenzy looking for that camera.  I took pictures at class on Saturday and know I packed it with my stuff..  I've searched through everything several times, searched the car and even called the thread store.

But the day started out having to repair the vacuum and has gone downhill  from there.  The only way to salvage the day now is a nice nap and cuddle with Morris....

How I did my storage cabinet..

Someone asked how I did the storage cabinet I have by my work table in the living room... I had found this drawer unit reasonably priced but it looked like it belonged in a dental office. Since I had finished a small chest in antique Chinese red for my bedroom, I decided to try my hand doing something similar in black to the big white thing...

I started by painting it with a high-gloss black and hoped to end up with a facsimile to the Asian chest on the left.... A little paint, stenciling, and more painting........

I did ALL the painting BEFORE I assembled the cabinet (much easier). First I used rustoleum gloss paint and put it on the cabinet pieces with a fine-finish roller ... a 6" dense foam that lays down a very smooth coat and is available at any hardware store.

I did the gold line with an Elmer's paint pen and the corner deco with a stamp and gold stamp pad (Michaels craft store.)Then using some old stencils and ordinary craft acrylic paint I put on the flowers.I wasn't even especially careful with the stenciling as I was going for an aged look in the end. The long stencil was too wide so I just used bits and pieces at a time. I sprayed the drawers with high gloss black paint and then sponged them with gold Folk Art paint from Michaels. It required no "artistic" talent using the stencils....just time and patience. This would have been sooooooooooooooo much easier if I could have done it in the summer when I could have laid everything out on a tarp and sprayed it..... It still looks much nicer than the big white box in my living room....

I had started off with different cheap units from box stores that were just junk and when I had some birthday money I splurged on a cabinet from here http://www.chandlercreations.com/site/1406927/page/629006 They have a great sale every so often and they also have free shipping... Now you even can get some models in black...

Hardware added to garage techno!

I found a "ding and dent" rolling tool chest cheap and am moving in. I got it cheap because the door on the bottom bin is broken but I can fix it..Not a printers cabinet but is great...

I got some mismatched vintage hardware from the barn on it now.I did find some neat stencils at the craft store which will be the next step along with some gold detailing.

While searching for storage units I found this one on steroids at "garage toys for boys" It would take the most dedicated CQers to fill it..... The guy that would buy this must have one of those "monster" pickups!!!LOL

The other side of the door!!!

Remember a while back when I told you about our ugly odd-sized door with 30 coats of paint on it? Rather then have a door specially made or reframe for a standard door I chose to paint and antique it. When someone asked where the "facilities" are, we just tell them to look for a green door.

Well obviously the other side was just as ugly so I painted it also with a different scene... Not only to disguise the ugly door but to give someone something to look at in the tiny bathroom... We have a couple friends well over 6' and I wonder "Do they have to put their feet in the tub when sitting on the toilet?" Anyway a long time ago I promised to put up a picture of the other side of the door so here it is.

My chair!!!

I've had several e-mails about my unique chair... I did have it appraised years ago and it's value was est. in the $500-$1000 range and dates back to the turn of the 19th century.....Of course having the orignal chamber pot intact and in good condition is a important factor in it's value... Even without the pot it's a outstanding piece of antique furniture.

Another winter project!!!

This old commode chair has been sitting in the barn for about 30 years ever since I picked it up at an estate auction...It is very old, extremely heavy, well-made chair with the original china commode and lid... Originally I had wanted to refinish the wood but never got around to it...Last week when I was putting bales in the barn I had to pass it with every trip and decided that I really MUST do something with this chair...

It has always reminded me of a throne and then I burst out laughing when I thought of one of the meanings of the word "throne". What a wonderful play on words....so a throne it will be... but a very whimsical one...and I can even cover the padded lid with CQ... You know how I love to paint furniture and it has a lot of marvelous surfaces to paint..... Looks like I will have some fun projects once winter comes...

Stash Storage

I purchased a third tall storage cabinet in April but hadn't really gotten it sorted until last night... The first tall storage cabinet I had was from Target and the word "junk" sums it up nicely...long gone. The second (above) is the one I painted... much better but all plastic...but I still love it. .. It had all 2" drawers and is perfect for stuff used on a regular basis. I have it right next to my "hospital bedside" work table. I can easily reach all the drawers while sitting

This new one is MUCH sturdier and much taller, wider and deeper. It has both 2" AND 3 1/2" drawers. It was not cheap ($269) but considering how heavy it is and the shipping was FREE it was a bargain.So last evening I drug out tons of stuff in bins, sorted it, and labeled the drawers and it is now all tidy and accessible... I won't paint this one as it was available in a maple finish. I can keep it in a tiny extra room that we use for entertaining and as a guestroom.. I can just roll it out when necessary.

If I had one more with just larger drawers I could accomodate almost all the stash I try to keep in the house... I just had a birthday and have a few dollars and hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! Their website is http://www.chandlercreations.com/site/1406927/product/CRFTkitN

and "free shipping" is one of my favorite word pairs..... I figure if we ever do move into a retirement unit, these cabinets will be perfect...

Sunflower Bench

When is a bench not a bench? When it is 3 chairs. This "bench" is actually 3 chairs held together with pipe clamps. Again the chairs were thrift store finds and classic "70s" complete with ugly plastic upholstered seats and back inserts which were trashed and replaced with boards I painted.... I do not leave this outside. It is in a workroom in the barn and on occasions such as a garden party it is pulled out. If I had a house with a large entry it would be perfect.... Right now it is piled high with fabric. (This photo was taken by friend and garden photographer, Charles Mann and was in BH&G 3/2003)

Madison's bench (Repeat Post)

This is a repeat post but appropriate for spring... I used to haunt farm auction for cheap used lumber to build benches so this post falls under recycle, paint it if it's ugly, and painted furniture.. Enjoy

Years ago I had an on-site rose nursery. After one season I discovered people bought plants, walked around the garden and left. But if I had benches they bought plants, walked around the garden, rested on a bench and ..."bought more plants" So I started building benches during the winter months...all from recycled lumber and odd bits.

I made this bench for my princess

granddaughter, Madison, for a summer visit from Alaska... The "jewels" were odd bits of stained glass.This bench was by far the most popular with customers as a photo opt. It easily sat two people and there must be hundreds of photos floating around my area of gardeners seated on this bench holding a hoe or rake as a royal staff. I devised a plan using NO nails and just a recipitcating saw, lag screws, and a socket wrench that would allow anyone at any skill level to build a bench.

If It's Ugly.......green door

Since I'll be out sitting with sheep most of the day I'm doing a quickie post. One of my guiding principles of life is "if it's ugly, paint it." My house is 107 years old, poorly built and entirely ugly...The door to the bathroom had about 30 layers of paint on it and was just a plain door... and really ugly. Sanding it down was out of the question and it was an odd size and would have had a door made to fit it or the opening redone to fit a pre-hung door unit. Soooooooo

I used a crackle medium and painted it green and antiqued it to make it "ugly with character" Then I put moulding around a rectangle in the center and painted a scene. It's now a landmark in the house as I can send anyone needing the bathroom to search for the green door...

Then I had to paint a different scene on the other side....

Match made in heaven.

I've had this antique typing table for almost 50 years. When my kids were small it was in the family room and was a rolling game, craft, and homework table. I bought it from the original owner who had purchased around 1930 for a small town doctor's office.

For the last 30 years I have used it as a night stand by my bed. Now that I have my little red chest it is home to my old featherweight which I use more than any other machine I have. I am totally addicted to anything on wheels, especially my old hospital bedside tables and now this typing table is embarking on a new career. I'm still deciding whether to refinish or paint it....

Little Red Cabinet - before and after

Well it's done and assembled... Click to see larger image....What do you think???
Painted furniture appeals to my CQ encrusted brain.....

I did make an extra "tray" top that I can lift on and off and it extends the top by 3" in both directions as the whole purpose of this project was to have more space.... I will add fancy handles to fancy top!!!! To see some FANTASTIC painted furniture..... http://www.reincarnations.com/

Done..ready to assemble

Finished this morning and wanted to post one last shot before assembling this evening. I LOVED the butterfly stencils...especially the tiny 1" ones I used for the border and I tried them on a button.....I experimented with the larger butterflies. On one panel I started to fill them in like the pansies but didn't like it. On the other side panel and door I just outlined the stencil which I really liked.. On the top I did nothing to the big butterflies except fill in the bodies and I like those also. This turned into a much bigger project but I am happy that I did it. Using stencils really helped to speed things up.

Progress on Little Red Cabinet

Well all the pansy work is done. Today I am starting on the butterfly borders and accent butterflies and if all goes well I can do the rest of the black and gold on Sunday.... So the end is in sight as the most tedious work is done. I am so anxious to put it together but it is sooooooooo much easier to work on in pieces...

Cabinet Progress

The cabinet came unassembled which is great as it was easy to paint all the parts red and start on the cabinet door. First I stenciled it with an old thrift store stencil. If you look closely at the stencil you will see that it is far wider than the little panel and only has 4 pansies. So I just stenciled the 3 center pansies in white and then shifted the stencil a few times to make a tight bunch of 6 pansies and then I just shifted it a bit to stencil the greenery...

After it was stenciled white I proceeded to fill it in with craft paints. It saves drawing time and is like using a coloring book almost and the easiest way to replicate an image. Unfortunately the flash sucked the color out of the pansies but will get a better color shot later. Will stencil sides today.

Bedside cabinet

The plain black image on the right is my new project...pretty bland huh? The Asian chests on the left are my inspiration... (They sell for hundreds of dollars) For years I have used an antique typing stand for a bedside table but I need a drawer and space to keep all the things I now seem to need during the night as I get older. The walls of the bedroom are a rough cedar and the quilt on my old cast iron bed is barn red. So I decided to paint this $36 chest from an unfinished furniture outlet with an Asian decorative style. It was this idea that inspired my CQ cabinet transformation.

I wanted to paint it black at first but opted now for red to match the quilt.... I want to have an all-over decorative effect like the black asian one.... Since I'm really not into dragons, etc.. I'll to go for pansies and butterflies. I chose pansies because I already have a thrift store stencil I can use and last night I cut 4 little stencils of butterflies that I can twist and turn to create the effect of more...

If you look closely you will notice the tray effect that extends the top of the black Asian chest. I would like to use this idea on my little chest also .... I love this all-over effect so we will see what happens...... It's a small piece and shouldn't take as long as the large cabinet with ALL the drawers.....

What I used on cabinet

I was asked what I used on the CQ Cabinet. I did ALL the painting BEFORE I assembed the cabinet (much easier). First I used rustoleum gloss paint and put it on the cabinet pieces with a fine-finish roller ... a 6" dense foam that lays down a very smooth coat and is available at any hardware store. I did the gold line with an Elmer's paint pen and the corner deco with a stamp and gold stamp pad (Michaels craft store.)

Then using some old stencils and ordinary craft acrllyic paint I put on the flowers.I was not even especially careful with the stenciling as I was going for an aged look in the end. The long stencil was too wide so I just used bits and pieces at a time. I sprayed the drawers with high gloss black paint and then sponged them with gold Folk Art paint from Michaels.

Since it is winter and the humidity is so high, I am using the cabinet now but in the spring I will roll it out on a warm day and give it a coat of antique glaze and spray it several times with a high gloss clear glaze for a lacquered effect. It required no "artistic" talent using the stencils....just time and patience.

My new CQ cabinet!!

Well it's about done. I have a little touch up to do with black and gold and a piece of gold molding to over the middle seam... This would have been sooooooooooooooo much easier if I could have done it in the summer when I could have laid everything out on a tarp and sprayed it..... All would have been easier if I had read ALL of the directions first but it will look much nicer than the big white box in my living room....