Turquoise Trunk With a Flourish

There is a funny story that goes along with this makeover.  Before I did the red trunk, I pulled this one out to work on.  Don't be fooled by the paint can, I didn't use Annie Sloan paint on this one, I was planning to, but I used it on the Compass Rose trunk. Anyway, back to my story.  I was about to scrape the labels off this trunk when I noticed that it used to belong to a friend of mine. I guess I bought it from her yard sale years ago.  She had been looking at this CN trunk to give to her daughter, so I thought I would see if she wanted this trunk made over instead.  She said she didn't, but would like to see it.  I sent her a picture and she called me back in a few minutes and said her daughter wanted the trunk made over, 

and she wanted the label saved. 

As you can see it is a metal trunk from the 1970's.

I scrubbed it down and painted it with Zinser 123, and then 2 coats of Smoked Turquoise Semi-gloss Cabinet and Trim paint by Dutch Boy.  I also added feet to the bottom of it (more feet that I made in Mesa).

Here it is, all made over.

I thought I would have to paint the brassy hardware, but I found that when I antiqued the whole thing with ebony stain, it changed the colour of the hardware just perfectly!  I then coated it with satin finish varathane to protect the antiquing.

I cut out the flourish on my silhouette cameo machine, man I love that thing!

 

The paper inside was intact, but quite stained so I painted it with Zinser 123 and then a coat of semi-gloss paint.  So fresh now.

Liquor Cabinet Made Out of an Old Dresser

I can't believe I didn't take a before picture of this one!  Well if I did, I can't find it.  Anyway, a friend gave me this one (thanks Clifford you are the best!), he described it as "a cheap Walmart dresser", so you can all picture it now right?

Well this is what it looks like now.

I painted the inside gray, and made two shelves and finished them with tongue and groove pine that I "weathered" myself.  So loving this new technique, I'm going to have to use it again soon. 

I made a rack in the middle for wine storage.

I added these plumbing pieces that I picked up in Mesa (from my favourite Mesa artist, Lance Lockhart) for the two drawers that I left in place.

I primed it and then painted it with black, I sanded it to expose some of the original finish and then gave it two coats of varathane.

I hope you like it!

Turquoise Hall Tree

Hall Trees seem to be popular items, so I thought I would make another one.  

I started with this dismantled sewing stool.  I kind of propped it together for the picture, but it was in pieces. I could have glued it back together, but I didn't think it would be a very popular item anyway. 

I knocked it apart and attached the legs to a plywood box that I made.  For decoration I decided to nail the front of the original stool to the front of the box.  I also had to fix up some missing veneer.

I attached the box to the door, and when I put the shelf on it I realized there was something terribly wrong. Everything was crooked.  I had measured down from the top of the door to where the shelf should be, but it just wasn't right.  After replacing the shelf, I realized that the door had been cut crooked in order to fit a crooked doorway. 

 Oh my, now I know to square up the door before I do anything else. I had to lay the door down and square up the top and the bottom of the door with a circular saw.

I found the perfect mirror, and added coat hooks and old knobs from knob and tube wiring that we 

pulled out of the stone house. 

I also added an old doorknob that I was saving just for this purpose.

  You may have noticed that I added some wood accents to the front. Of course I antiqued the whole thing, and sanded some of the edges.

The cushion is hinged to allow for storage inside.

Linking up to Knick of Time

Reclaimed Wood Dresser

So what do you get when you combine this...

and this?

Why, you get this!

"How's that?" you ask.  Well I salvaged rough lumber from the kitchen sub-floor of our stone house.  The guys were throwing them in the dumpster, and I was throwing them back out.  Below is a picture of the dresser that a friend gave me.  Johnny pulled it home on the sleigh from across the lake.  Now do you understand?

I used the salvaged wood to make a new top for the dresser, and to replace the big chunky pieces that were on the front of the dresser.  I wanted to keep the rough look of it.

I bought the new hardware at Hobby Lobby on sale.

I mixed my own chalk paint front leftover paint from my son's room at least ten years ago.

 I seriously need a nice corner in the workshop to take my pictures, the background just doesn't do the pieces justice, and neither does the lighting.

How do you like it?

Linking up to Knick of Time

All Things Apothecary; 23 Apothecary Style Decor Ideas; Hometalk

I was asked by Hometalk to curate a board on Apothecary Decor.  The first thing I think of when I think about Apothecary Decor is Apothecary cabinets, but in fact there is more to it than that.  Take a look at the projects I've found on Hometalk.  Click on the image to head over to Hometalk and have a good look.  If you see something you like take the extra step and leave the creator a nice comment, it feeds to soul of a crafts person to be told they've done a good job. :)

Oh and don't miss my own creation, the red faux apothecary cabinet, I'd like to do another one, I will have to get some more hardware.

Reclaimed Wood (and practically everything else) Bench

I have a few drawers hanging around, and decided it was time to do something with them.  This is project #1.

This project is almost completely made out of salvaged materials.  I get great joy out of that, I know, I'm easy to please.  It all started with the drawer, given to me by my friend Laura.  The 2X4's are reclaimed.  The fabric is scraps that I patched together rather than throw them out.  The foam is from a mattress also from Laura (yes, she's good to me).  I even used a piece of the old mattress cover as the batting to wrap the foam.  The glue, polyurethane, drawer pulls and screws are new, that's it.  My Mom always says you should make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, this is my silk purse. 

It is quite comfy, I need to consider adding a foam back to future benches.  It is adult size although it looks short in stature.

The drawer is not functioning, but instead the seat is hinged so it lifts up to allow for storage underneath.

Now I have all kinds of ideas going through my head!  Next thing you know I will be out looking for more drawers, ha ha.

Hooked on Red, Red Hall Tree Made From a Slab Door

Sometimes, you just need to use what you have.  I was ready for a new project, but honestly, most of my stuff is behind loads of snow, and I really don't feel like doing all that shoveling, when it's going to melt soon anyway.  So I have had to be creative and use what is accessible.  I wanted to make a hall tree and found this slab door in the basement.  Not very exciting, but I think I can make it work.

 I trimmed the edges off thin tongue and groove paneling and glued and nailed it onto the door.

 Somehow I measured wrong and my spacing wasn't quite right, but that was a lucky mistake because it left the perfect amount of room to add a mirror.  Mistake, what mistake, I did that on purpose, ha, this isn't my first build you know, I got this.

I had this mirror in my stash of mirrors, yes I have a stash of mirrors, I have a plan.  In the meantime I will give this one up because it's perfect for this project.  The gold however, is not perfect, but I can take care of that.

After painting, and sanding, and antiquing, and varnishing, and adding a shelf, and a bench and ... poof! Finished project!  Gotta love the magic of a blog, it all comes together so quickly.

70's End Table Makeover

This is one of those pieces that I painted, didn't like the way it was going, and set it aside for...a couple of years.  Originally I spray painted it a light turquoise colour and planned to antique it.  Obviously I wasn't convinced that it was going to come out the way I wanted it, or I wouldn't have let it sit for 2 years.

I decided this would be a perfect project for the new legs that I made this winter.  I believe this is the perfect height for beside a bed, a nice tall bed. Too bad I already have something I like beside my own bed.  

I painted everything red, then rubbed off some of the red paint.  I varnished and antiqued, and varnished again.

I love those legs!!! Too bad I can't show the old guys in the woodshop, I sure kept them guessing about what I was making.  I'd love to show them the finished project.

I bought these glass handles for another project, but I love that they match the turquoise paint showing through the red paint. 

 I eventually painted the screw heads that are showing where I attached the legs, but am too lazy to go take another picture, so you will just have to use your imagination.

Sometimes it takes me a long time to get inspired about a project again, I'm always happy when I finish up a project, especially one I have had around for a while.

Linking up to Knick of Time