FUN UPDATES!

In case you are not connect with me through Facebook (and you really should be:)), I wanted to share some super cute pictures of a bedroom update I just finished up for a friends daughters bedroom.

Isn't that finish yummy!

Chair didn't originally come with the desk but I happened to have it and it happened to go beautifully with the set.  I upholstered the seat with an extra sham my customer had that matched her daughters bedroom set.  It was corduroy and looked darling.

Before photo of dresser.  Unfortunately I couldn't find the photo of the desk.  Probably because I didn't take it:(  I am very forgetful these days.

We were going to try to keep the original finish on the dresser hardware glad my customer was on board with updating it all to white since I was changing out the hardware on the desk from some extremely outdated pieces to some french provincial pieces I had left over from an old piece.

GRRRR! FIXING DRIPS!

The dreaded drips!  I would be lying if I said it never happened to me.  Over the years I have learned that it's never worth going heavy to try and speed things up, it will just create a mess that will end up taking time to fix.

Step 1…slap yourself in the face for even letting it happen!

Step 2…if it is already dry or close to it, take a FRESH blade and 'slice' off the heavy drip best you can.

Step 3…at a 90 degree angle, 'sand it down'.  If it is still wet or semi wet, do this gently!

Step 4…sand with a lower grit paper

Step 5…sand with a higher grit paper

Step 6…Hopefully your done and can continue with your life. If not, slap yourself in the face again and read below.

Sometimes you may even need to end up filling it in with filler to even it out.  Because I am VERY picky and want a perfect seamless look, I end up doing this much of the time.  When this happens you have just added another hour or 2 to your work because now you must wait till the filler dries, hit it with primer, let that dry, sand, THEN you can paint.

Bottom line…DON'T LET IT HAPPEN!  But in the event that you think your extra awesome that day it won't happen to you, these tips will hopefully help:)

MAKING RANDOM PIECES A "SET"!

It isn't always easy to find a matching bedroom set that comes together so many times a client and I have to find pieces that will work together and make them a set.  This really isn't so difficult to do if the styles are similar.  I think it keeps things a little interesting as well.  After we do the pieces in the same color and either do matching hardware or keep the hardware finish the same, it works!

Here is a perfect example….

The long dresser and nightstands are both french provincial so they naturally went together well but the tall dresser was a little harder to see as part of the 'set'.

This color is by SW called Mediterranean and I LOVE it!  Pretty, pretty shade of blue:)

FROM DINGY TO DARLING!

I love this color!  It's a BM color called Tropica Cabana. It screams "put me in a cottage"!  It would actually look awesome anywhere but because it happens to be going to a clients cottage, I just seems extra "cottagy" to me right now.

Didn't start off all that "cottagy" at first.  It has the beige/pink factory finish on it.
But even with the ugly current finish, you could definitely see the potential it had to be darling!

 New finish, glass hardware and some distressing gives this set a beautiful update!

ADDING FENCE POST CAPS AS FEET TO ADD HEIGHT AND CHARACTER

I love when a customer wants to use a dresser or buffet as a vanity in a bathroom.  It provides so much character and storage, not to mention that you can have it finished in any color.

Although my job is complete, it will be heading to Texas to be used as a bathroom vanity and will be getting a new solid surface top.  I hope to get those after pictures for you too!

This particular piece was almost perfect.  It was the perfect width and depth, it just needed a few more inches to make it the height the designer needed to make this a comfortable bathroom vanity.

It already had feet on it so that means we needed to change the feet completely.  Sometimes I can do this, but usually I can not.  Glad this was a situation were it would work.

Now would be a good opportunity to mention the design that I am working with on this, and a few other vanity projects.  Her name is Mindi Freng with Mindi Freng Designs.  I enjoy working with her because not only is she an excellent designer and incredibly good at working with adding color to a space, but she is always thinking outside of the box with her designs and keeping it fun by using materials that can be budget friendly and sometimes out of the ordinary, to help make the design unique. 

I happened to have these fence posts that I picked up a few months back.  I always thought they would make pretty cool feet for a dresser and after showing Mindi, she did too.  They are solid wood, very structurally sound and a little different.  Just the bit of 'funkiness' that she was looking to add to this otherwise very simple, plain dresser.

I cut the feet down about 1" to not only make them more appropriate for the height we needed, but to add a wider base to each foot for stability. 

 I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into when I started removing the feet.

 Come to find out they were attached with large dowel type anchors.  

This would be the area the new 'feet' would be atached so I needed to replace the missing wood.

After measuring the holes I ran to Lowes for a long dowel that I cut it down to size.  I added wood glue before pounding into place for a nice, snug fit.

Here it is with 2 coats of primer.

 After I had the piece all sprayed out, it was time to attach the feet.  I noticed that the screws were a bit longer than necessary and if I had started screwing them in, they would have come all the way through the bottom and the drawer would have hit it…not good.

 I took a wrench and screwed it down just enough.

You will want to pre-drill a hole for the posts screw.  NOT too big, but just big enough to guide it in.

And because I'm addicted wood glue (using it, not sniffing it:))…added some to the screw and the base before screwing in.  This baby isn't EVER coming loose!

So again, here is the finished product.  I sprayed the original hardware out in Oil Rubbed Bronze, which looks beautiful with the dusty purple lacquer.

DESK MAKEOVER!

Amazing what adding a fun color and making a few changes can do to a piece.  This desk was completely transformed from a outdated, masculine piece into an updated, darling desk that's a perfect fit for a little girl!

This guy needed a lot of sanding.

 The original backing…it needed to go and I had the perfect solution.  Lowes has 4 x 8 sheets cute 3" wide beadboard that I had them cut to replace.

SO much bettter!  The customer wanted the backing white, just like the hardware.  I though this was a great idea:)

ADDING CASTERS FOR HEIGHT TO AN ANTIQUE COFFEE TABLE

I found this pretty coffee table at a second hand store for a customer who I had done a few pieces for in the past.  She loved the size and shape but wanted some color in the room and was wondering if there was anything I could do to give it a little bit more height.

When a piece already has feet or legs, there isn't a ton you can do beside maybe add a 'skirt' to the base and then reattach the feet like we did on this dresser, or add casters.

We did that a few weeks back to add height to this buffet that was being used as an island and I thought it would be a good option for this coffee table.

Feet before drilling for casters.

I measured how long the casters were, put a piece of tape around the drill bit so I could drill down and stop at the correct depth.

I did start with a smaller bit and worked my way up to a larger bit to make things easier.
Holes all done!

I ordered a nice piece of glass to fit on top of the table to help protect the glazed finish because this table will have a lot of feet resting on it and drinks.