French Hutch

French Provincial furniture is the in thing. Every time I paint a piece of it I sell it quick, This was no exception. I don't know about all of you but it seems it gets harder and harder to find those great pieces. I think everyone is painting furniture these days!

If you have been around my blog long you know I don't like doing the same thing. It gets harder coming up with something different though. I knew I wanted to paint it black but that is sooooo boring. It sat painted black for a while.

Then my sister gave me an idea to paint the back in french script.

I chose "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning because well...it is my favorite!!

 I painted the inside white so the writing stood out great.Almost too great. It needed toning down so I dry brushed over it.

 

It stayed in the store for literally 2 days when someone answered my craigslist ad and bought it!

  

The customer sent me a picture.

She change it up a bit and I love it. She tea stained it and painted the shelves black.

Thanks Mellisa!!!

I love when customers send me a picture!

What do you think?

Red Painted Hutch with Birds

It all started on the 84 mile yard sale. My last stop was in Leiper's Fork. I had remembered stopping at Serenite Mason before and seeing such wonderful papers! I knew I had to go buy some as I passed through.

It was the sweetest bird/postage stamp/french paper I had ever seen! I loved it! This became my inspiration for my new hutch.

Well new isn't the correct word! It looked like this when I got it.

 

 

It needed some work but lucky for me that's what I like to do! See those doors? Remember them!

I painted this hutch red. I know I have done a painted red hutch before but that one is mine. Although it will be hard to part with this one, it is going to The Three French Hens for our Christmas Open House on Nov 5th! So if you like it come on down and see what else we got or better yet you can purchase this one!

I did something different with this one. I put it in the bathroom. WHAT?

Yes I love it in there because of all the storage.

You can put all your lotions and potions on the shelves.

 

All your handmade soaps and bath crystals

 

The fun for me came with those doors. Always striving to do something different then what I have seen, I began to mod podge the beautiful paper I bought to the front of the doors!

 

I am in LOVE!!!

Then I antiqued the paper so it wouldn't look so new by staining it around the outside and some in the middle.

 

Isn't this paper to die for? I am so glad I remembered it! It totally transformed this piece.

And then.......I added some hand painted knobs to the the drawers and doors.

LOVE AGAIN!!!

 

Great Knobs+beautiful paper+vintage hutch=LOVE

 

 This one is my favorite to date. What do you think?

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

I also want to thank The Homeless Finch for featuring my Pier I Knock Off Pumpkin yesterday!

And I almost forgot....I won a giveaway at Sissie's Shabby Cottage! So excited! Thank you both!!!

It is such a busy week getting ready for the open house. I need more coffee!!! 

Bye for now!

<

French Piano Bench

I am so excited about this project! It took me awhile to come up with the idea that I wanted for it. Of course everyone said paste music to it but you know me.....looking for something different.

I started with this vintage piano bench.

 

The greatest thing about this is it has storage!

I knew that the color had to change after all that what my blog is all about!

I decided to paint the top in a cream color and the bottom black.

I knew I wanted to do something french so I found a print from  

The Graphic Fairy!

It is an old french postcard.

I distressed the top with distressing glaze.

  

I had wooden knobs leftover from my dresser redo project. They were old and worn.

 

I wanted to use them on the front of the bench. I also wanted to incorporate the french theme of the handwritten postcard.

I had some scrapbook paper left from my blue cabinet makeover so I cut circles and Mod Podged them to the front of the knob.

Then I went to my stamp collection. I rummaged through and picked out the french stamps I wanted and copied them on a printer. I did not want to use the originals. I cut them and Mod Podged them to the scripted paper.

These will be applied to the front and back of bench.

I hand painted a projected image on the top.

Very french oo la la!

Then with a heavy hand I began to sand the heck out of it.

I then attached three knobs to the front and three to the back. I even painted and signed the inside of the lid. I applied fabric toile to the inside.

 

 

 This is the back

 

I love the knobs!

The inside

 

 

My signature! 

BEFORE!

AFTER!

 

This has to be one of my favorite projects to date! 

What do you think?