ABCs of Decorating | I
You know, over the years there have come times when I've been asked to describe my style.... and I can't.
I generally say "French Country," but that's not entirely accurate. I also have some elements of "Farmhouse" style and a touch of "Shabby Chic." But there are some really amazing "Boho" accents as well as just a pinch of "Industrial." So, here's the thing: My style is just that: MINE. And I love it. And my family loves it. It feels good and it makes us happy. And that is all that matters.
To see the rest of the posts in this series, click here.
To see the rest of the posts in this series, click here.
Facelift Friday | Sheet Music Cabinet
Last summer I found this beautiful piece at a local antique shop.
Regretfully, I didn't get a picture of the tapestry covered cushion. When I removed the fabric, there was a LOT of dust. I knew this piece was very old.
You may notice one of the legs is a bit shorter than the other. I actually like that because it shows the authenticity of the piece as well as the fact it was likely handmade.
This piece immediately struck me as English, though I don't know why. {I'm guessing it was the tapestry covered cushion.}
The bottom portion of this bench is a door that opens to reveal several compartments. After a bit of research, I discovered this is a sheet music cabinet. These types of pieces were used in the early 1900s to store sheet music. This was during a time when nearly everyone had a piano or organ in their home.
After the introduction of file cabinets in the 1950s, these pieces of art became much less common.
According to serious musicians, a sheet music cabinet is actually a very disorganized way to store music in contrast to a file cabinet. I can understand that completely!
To makeover this lovely piece, I covered it in two coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in Ironstone. Because of the thick varnish on top of this piece, I definitely needed the bonding agent.
On top of the Ironstone, I added a coat of Schloss; a lovely gray with almost a purple hue. Schloss is one of the six colors in Miss Mustard Seed's new European collection.
After everything dried, I sanded the piece quite heavily. My hopes were to reveal some of the original stain, as well as the Ironstone paint underneath.
As for the cushion, I added new foam and reupholstered it in a drop cloth. Yes, a drop cloth! I love the faux linen look and texture of these for a fraction of the cost of real linen. It's such a perfect neutral that is goes with most anything. {Make sure to wash and dry before use to soften it up!}
I love the way this piece turned out. It's beautiful, subtle and striking all at the same time. I initially planned on selling it, but my hubby and I both fell in love with it. It fits flawlessly with the rest of our decor, so it has now become a permanent piece in our home. {For now.}
Facelift Friday | Handmade Stool
I picked up this stool at a local mission for a super great deal. From the looks of the construction and pieces used, I am guessing it was handmade.
The legs of this stool are very unique. I've never seen anything quite like them.
The first step in reviving this gem was giving it a light coat of Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in typewriter.
Next, I hand painted some simple text on top mimicking a vintage typewriter font I'd found online. I used acrylic paint in gold for this.
I found the lettering looking too perfect, so I roughed it up quite a bit using a medium grade sandpaper. I also sanded the complete piece using my electric sander and fine grit paper.
I used Miss Mustard Seed's hemp oil on the entire piece to bring out the natural wood and soften the overall look. I love how that wood grain stands out.
Finally, I completed the piece with one coat of antique wax as well as a single coat of furniture wax. I am pleasantly surprised with how much I ended up liking this piece. I set it up right outside of our laundry room/garage entry and I am thinking it's an excellent place for children to sit and put their shoes on. I also think it would be a great nightstand for an industrial chic bedroom.
Facelift Friday | A chest of drawers gets a seaside feel.
This was one of my first custom pieces and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received an email from a client who had been referred by another local business. She had this gorgeous chest of drawers that she wanted painted white and distressed.
I used Annie Sloan Pure White and Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax. I actually prefer Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint, but my client had a bed she wanted to match and it was a PURE white. Miss Mustard Seed's lightest white is still a bit of a cream color and I wanted the dresser to match perfectly.
This chest of drawers is quality construction and solid wood. I really grew to appreciate the amazing details as I painted. I think the white paint with the distressing really highlights the fine detailing that is otherwise sort of lost.
The apron was my absolute favorite part!
My client lives on the beach and this dresser was destined for her guest room. She let me know she had coral drawer pulls she wanted to use, so I removed the original pulls.
She was kind enough to send me these pictures after it was all set up with the custom hardware and decorative accents. I just love how it all turned out! And I must say, she has an excellent sense of style!!
I hope you all have the best weekend!
Excited to share at www.missmustardseed.com
Settled in, but not settling.
As you probably all know by now, our family relocated to Florida last summer.
It was a rocky start. There were many delays and mishaps and problems.
But when it was all said and done, we had gained a beautiful home that is just perfect for us.
Our entire family has enjoyed crafting and creating personal spaces that are just right.
Slowly, I've been making our home feel as if we've lived here forever.
But, there are still so many things I want to do.
I hope you'll join me as I begin to share more about our new place.
Patch Place Spotlight | Master Bedroom
Recently I've been sharing photos of our past homes. I still have a few more places to show you, but thought it would be fun to highlight some of our current home. This week, I am focusing on our master bedroom. While it's certainly not perfect, I am happy with what we have achieved while living in an Army stairwell apartment.
You aren't imagining things... there are no photos in that frame. I can't decide what to put in there. I am leaning towards scenic photos of our vacation in Provence last year.
You'll notice here the chair still has it's old, red cabana stripe cover. Also, the second window panel on the left has some stripes missing. I am working on a horizontal striping DIY post for curtains that you won't want to miss.
We found this shutter at the Stuttgart Flohmarkt one Saturday morning last spring. We haven't been quite sure what to do with it yet, so it sits in my corner. I quite like it there actually.
Hope you enjoyed the tour. Happy Tuesday!
Happily sharing at Not Just a Housewife.
Naptime Project | Recovering the old chair.
Recently, we moved a desk out of our bedroom to the family/dining area. We didn't move the chair because we just pull one from the table as we need it. And as you will shortly see, it was quite an eyesore.
Here is our lovely chair before the makeover. This chair was picked up curbside after a morning of garage sale-ing with my dearest friend in Grand Forks. I covered in a sunbrella red cabana stripe fabric. We intended to use it in the school/playroom in Newport, so I thought something water resistant would be smart. It was a good fit at the time.
We've moved twice since Newport and the red striped chair has found it's way into the master bedroom. While it was tucked under the cream colored desk, I didn't mind the red stripes. But with with the displacement of the desk, this is how it appeared daily in our cream/flax/brown bedroom. No, thanks.
Enter the woolworth faux suede blanket. I had a hard time cutting this, but I resolved that we have too many throws and we are moving to the deep south.
I basically mimicked the shape of the seat.
And then I got to hot gluing with a lovely helper.
My little napper woke up and I'd say he approved of the new choice in fabric.
My not so little one also approved.
Here it is completed in it's new home. I love how it fits right in with the rest of our decor.
One last look.
Have a wonderful Monday!