How I saved $12,000 Or More!

 I have always wanted a buffet deux corps.  However, my budget had other plans.  I contented myself with merely looking at photos...

This is currently on 1st Dibs for $22,000!

Buffet Deux Corps, Christies.  Sold.  No price listed...but it's Christies!  Out of my league!

Another one from Christies

This one is from Cote de Texas

I love the painted finish on this reproduction biblioteque from Tara Shaw Maison.  For sale at Layla Grace for $12,163.

Why do I torture myself?

I found this armoire on Craigslist!  The plot thickens! This piece is heavy...very, very heavy!  

A little wood filler in the knots and we are on our way!  While I was at it I filled in the shells at the top and bottom of each door.  They screamed 1990's to me!

After two coats of Annie Sloan Old White

Two more coats of Annie Sloan French Linen

Followed by Clear Wax, then Dark Wax.  Buffing and sanding this was a workout!

I am on the lookout for a slab of wood that can be placed between the top and bottom pieces to act as a serving area...

My new best friend!  A little on a cloth helps remove concentrated areas of Dark Wax in seconds!  I discovered this quite by accident when I was cleaning the floor after I was done painting!

Detail of dentil and rope molding on bonnet..

Before and After

Next to Tara Shaw biblioteque...

The first photograph was taken with the camera flash on and the second in natural light. See the big difference?

There you have it!  My dining room should be complete by Thanksgiving!  No.  I haven't forgotten about the buffet! 

This project took 7 1/2 hours from start to finish.  I used a blow dryer to speed the drying process.  The blow dryer also comes in handy to melt the Dark Wax if you need more "working" time.

Only 18 more pieces of furniture to paint and I'm done!

xo

Andie

I am sharing this with...

Between Naps On the Porch, Metamorphosis Monday

Shades of Amber, Chalk Paint Link Party

Sherry, at No Minimalist Here, Open House Party

Fun Before and After!

This is what our family room looked like when we first saw it while house shopping.

Though far from complete, this is what it looks like now!

An overview...

Sometimes I feel like, no matter how hard I work, how busy I am, nothing seems to get done.  Thank goodness I found this photo so I can see that I am making progress!

Ars Gratia Artis... Art Is the Reward of Art

While perusing Craigslist a while back I came upon this carved wooden unicorn crest for $25.  It is a bit over 3ft x 3ft. I was going to keep it as-is to hang over the entrance to the Library but it was a bit depressing.  The wood had been stained and portions were painted but it looked dated.  The gentleman I bought it from said it came from the home of a gentleman who belonged to the Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church, Opus Dei, which translates to "the work of God".

 Click on the link to learn more.

After looking for inspiration online I came a cross this painted crest and fell in love!

Canadian Royal Coat of Arms

17th Century Coat of Arms from Christie's, in polychrome.  Look at that patina!

Another polychrome Coat of Arms from Christie's.

Another from Christie's

I contacted Mona, of Providence Ltd.Design blog and asked for her opinion.  She graciously responded promptly with advice to go ahead and paint the crest.  If you haven't met Mona, please click on the link.  She is beautiful inside and out! She is someone whose work I admire greatly.

This photo does not do the piece justice.  The body of the crest is painted with Annie Sloan French Linen, the details are Annie Sloan Old White and a burgundy craft paint I had left from another project.   I used Rub N' Buff Gold for the horns and Annie Sloan Clear and Dark Wax over the whole piece.  Before I applied the glaze I sanded the piece thoroughly.  The object was not to duplicate the inspiration pieces but to give it a similar quality.

What do you think?  I will be hanging this over the entrance to the library once the rooms are painted. The library is off the front entry, whose ceilings are 18ft. tall.  A lot of space to fill...or leave empty!  I prefer to fill it!

For fun here are the many incarnations of this piece.  I'm probably not done with it yet, either!

Before and After

I decided to inscribe the ribbon with the phrase, "ars gratia artis", which is Latin for "art is the reward of art".  Seems fitting, no?

This project took three hours from beginning to end.  I know I sound like an Annie Sloan sycophant but this paint really is all they claim it to be!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have you found any good bargains lately? I'd love to hear about them!

xoxo
Andie

Who, What, When, Where, Why, How...

This is what my fireplace resembled when we moved in...first thing I did when I got the keys is change the molding, tear off the glass doors and paint it!

This is not my fireplace.  It merely resembles my fireplace.   I did not take a before photo when I moved into this home.  I was in too much of a hurry to get the brick painted. Here is the single photo of this room, taken by the real estate agent before we moved in, with the fireplace in it.

This is what I really wanted...

This is where my money went instead...500 one gallon boxwoods do add up! LOL!

This is what I saw on Atelier de Campagne's blog...and saved because I loved it so!

This is what I made in 30 minutes using a FREE cabinet door, a wood swag applique from Lowe's and Annie Sloan Paris Grey with Dark Wax.  The door was formerly part of a built in  from a Chicago condo my brother lived in. Initially it was  painted cream and used as a tabletop in my sunroom. I had no idea where I was going to use it after I painted it grey... I just wandered around the house with it until I spied a screw hole in the fireplace where I had hung something, hated it and forgot to fill in the hole!

This is the finished fireplace.  Since Annie Sloan paint is so simple and quick to use, I also had time to add linen toile to the back of the reproduction children's fauteuils!

I found this image of the family room from the real estate brochure. What a difference a little bit of paint makes!

Before and After.  Sorry for the distorted image of the original mantel.  I had to enlarge it quite a bit!

Close-up of toile.  I purchased this on ebay five years ago with no idea what I was going to do with it!  I just loved it.  A yard cost more than my first car!

These were the pulls for the fireplace screen curtain.  Um, no. Just no.

I replaced the pulls with this ormolu from a table I refinished.  It took an hour to get them just so...

This small change made all the difference, I think!

Added Craigslist urns, flanking either side of fireplace...The windows offer lovely views of the neighbor's swingset.  Any ideas on how to cover that?  I love the swingset.  The kids have so much fun on it, but does it have to be so, so...blinding?

New favorite design book,  The New Eighteenth Century Home by Michele Lalande. Each page is truly an inspiration!

I am really pleased with the way this room is shaping up!  Atticus, here, agrees!  Then again, he is a gentleman and a most agreeable cat!

Have a wonderful week friends!

I am linking to Susan, at Metamorphosis Monday,

Amber and Brad at Shades of Amber, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Party

Domestically Speaking, Power of Paint Party

Sherry, at No Minimalist Here, Open House Party

Miss Mustard seed, Furniture Feature Friday

My Romantic Home, Show and Tell Friday

Courtney, at French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Honey, at 2805 Potpourri Party Friday

Kathryn, at The Dedicated House, Before and After Wednesdays!

More Ormolu For Louis

Here is the Louis XVI table I recently painted with Annie Sloan Graphite.  After looking at it for a while I decided it needed something more.  I found four pieces of French bronze ormolu in my collection.  I simply drilled holes in each one and nailed them on to the table.  What do you think? The corona on top is actually an antiqued gold and the table is not shiny.  Also the table is more grey than portrayed in this image. Once again, I think the flash is at fault.  It couldn't possibly be my fault.  Could it?

This room never felt quite right to me.  I was constantly moving furniture in and out and around and around until I realized the gimungous coffee table I had in here was just too something.  Not quite right. When I removed it I felt like I could breathe again.  Ya' know what I mean?  The ceilings are 18 feet high in this room, it is difficult to photograph the height.

This chaise was white.  It looked like a cadaver.  Though the photo doesn't do it justice, I painted it in Annie Sloan's Paris Grey with her Dark Wax.  It looks lighter than it actually is.  I had a really difficult time getting the Dark Wax to spread evenly on the cane.  Recently, however, Alison from the Polohouse blog mentioned that she used a sheep wool carwash mit to paint.  Brilliant!  I am going to attempt to paint the cane again, using her method!  Can you see McGillicuddy and Frannie?  My babies!

This room is being painted soon so the drapes are down as well as the canvas tapestries I had made from a photography company online.  They printed the image of original antique tapestries right on the canvas!  You really cannot tell the difference and the total for three tapestries was less than $300!  The original tapestries were over $50,000 all together!  I am also reupholstering the children's French fauteuils with the most beautiful antique French toile.  I bought the toile years ago but it was not large enough for a big piece of furniture.  It will cover these chairs perfectly, though! Frannie, whose keister you see in the lower right hand corner, loves to sit on these when she's not spending time in Narnia, the armoire shown on the left!

The openings to the right will soon be drywalled over. I never liked them at all.  Two side window thingies and a doorway in the center.  Bubbye!

I love this table here!  Originally, I was going to paint a chessboard on top and put it between two French chairs but I have changed my mind...for now.  We still have all the Oriental rugs in the garage.  Can you believe we have not placed them yet?  They are soooo heavy, though.  It takes two or three grown men to move them.  After we paint we will lay the rugs!  I am really excited about that!  I have whined mentioned that these orange floors distract me to no end. Right?

Thanks Debra, from Acquired Objects blog, for advice on how to photograph the table to show it's true color!  Here it is! I removed the corona because it was too high.

Another photograph without the flash.  A true representation of Annie Sloan Graphite!

That's it!  What do you think?  Should the table stay? Is the ormolu too much?

I didn't forget about the buffet I am supposed to be painting.  I promise I will post it as soon as I am finished!

...and the awesome tutorial I promised...

xoxo

Andie

p.s. Can you say More Ormolu For Louis ten times real fast?

Annie Sloan Quick Before and After. Well, Except For That...

Another Craigslist find.  Beautiful but missing quite a bit of the inlay veneer.  For $30 I brought it home.

It took over four hours to remove the existing veneer on the legs with a hammer and a screwdriver!  Just like the cavemen used to do it!  I was so tired I was beginning to hallucinate!  Atticus made sure I stayed awake.  Here he is making his rounds.  I discovered afterward that since the piece was so old, the veneer would have come off easily with a cloth and warm water! I tested a small spot.  They were right!  Why I didn't research first is a mystery!  I sanded the glue and smoothed the legs as well as the inlay on the top. I painted right over the inlay with no problems whatsoever!

Here it is after!  I used Annie Sloan Graphite. I merely painted on two coats, sanded a bit and let it dry.  I then waxed the entire table with Annie's Clear Wax. It looks blue here, for some reason.  It is a very dark, moody grey, however. Once the painting started, it took about 45 minutes to finish!

When the wax cured I reapplied the ormolu.

The photos do not do this color justice!  It looks, well, like the graphite of a pencil.  Dark and not shiny at all, (the shine is due to the camera flash).  It almost looks black at times, very dark grey at others.  I really love this! I was originally going to use this as a game table by the fireplace but I like it between the matching recamiers.  What do you think?

I added more ormolu that I found in my collection.  It was looking just this side of naked.  What do you think?

This room (family room) is being painted.  I cannot wait to show you the finished product!

I am linking with:

 Courtney, at French Country Cottage's Feathered Nest Friday

Cindy, at My Romantic Home, Show and tell Friday

Wendy, at The Shabby Nest, Frugal Friday

Gail, at My Repurposed Life, Catch As Catch Can

Honey, at 2805 Potpourri Party

Marian, at Miss Mustard Seed Friday Furniture Feature

Trick Or Treat!

                                                                           BOO!

Annie Sloan Has a New Blog!

 

Click on the link to meet the humble creator of the wildly popular Annie Sloan Paints!  She will be giving you plenty of ideas, tried-and-tested tutorials, and projects for you to try at home!