Sneak Peak

This is SO FAR from being done but, just to get your interest peaked!  Hopefully I finish it this weekend.  Wish me luck!  Also remember about the great Kidlark giveaway, here.  Don't miss out on this awesome prize!   

A Muse for Shelves

A muse for someone that refinishes furniture can come from all sorts of places.  I love looking at antiques and trying to bring old furniture back to its original glory, but sometimes the pocket book doesn't allow for it!  Working with what you have can make the best refinishing projects, and the best muses.

My client Kim that got the Antique Refinish to her dinning room table, has this beautiful Andover Cabinet from Pottery Barn.It has that old rustic look with all the modern conveniences.  For example...those drawers, not drawers at all (except for the top row), it's a cabinet.  Those tricky Pottery Barn people!  This was a great piece of furniture she had in her living room, and it made for a fabulous muse.

Above the table on the wall were these two long shelves. 

 

Everything else in her living room was a beautiful dark mahogany wood, so the orange on the shelves was standing out, and not in a good way.  In stepped the muse and away I went.

I first painted them a Navajo White color.  When that was dry, but still a little tacky I took my sander and with a 220 sand paper lightly took some of the paint off to give it the rustic look.  The reason I choose to not wait for it to be completely dry was because I wanted a Venetian plaster effect.   I waxed it, gave it some scrapes and bruises with my putty knife and finished it off with a brown glaze and polyurethane.  They turned out great, and look fantastic on her wall.

What things in life become your MUSE? 

Surviving Refinishing

Today's Agenda...



Kidlark Custom Card Giveaway

I am excited to announce the third giveaway The Rustic Alley has given in three weeks!  And we aren't even half over with all the giveaways!

Did you know that Christmas is only 3 months away?  CRAZY!  Where does the time go?  One thing that I love most about the holiday season is all the greeting cards we get.  Isn't it so much fun to see all your childhood friends and their adorable families?  However; one thing that I don't like is seeing the same greeting cards over and over.  (I am so guilty of this!  I am a slacker and wait to long to do anything cute and unique, so, Costco it is.)  But not this year!  Not with the help from Ashly at Kidlark. 

Kidlark is giving away a custom designed invitation or greeting card digital file.  You can either pick from one of her already created templates (some are available on her blog), or work with Ashly to design your own.  Your card will be the best looking one! 

(a few examples)

(Must be a follower of this blog to enter)

To enter the giveaway leave a comment for each...

1.  Leave a comment telling me why you need Kidlark to step in and help you?

2.  Become a follower of Kidlark blog

3.  Like The Rustic Alley facebook page

4.  Blog, Tweet, and/or Facebook about this giveaway linking back to The Rustic Alley

 

Giveaway will end on Sunday, October 2nd.  Winner will be announced Monday, October 1st. 

Good Luck!



The Pinterest Piano

I love Pinterest!  It is an addictive past time of mine.  Why can't I be one of these smart people that come up with these novel ideas like Facebook, Twitter and now Pinterest?!? 

Recently I have noticed a lot of "re-pinning" of the piano I refinished.  What I love about Pinterest is that you can see the ripple affect pinning something has.  All these "repins" are from people I have no idea who they are!  The thought that my work is now out there in the Pinterest world for all to see is extremely exciting for me.  That means this adventure is for real, and people like my work! 

This piano has been in my family for over 30 years.  It is the piano I grew up playing, albeit short lived!  I wanted to keep it for sentimental reasons, but was never in love with the style of it, at all! 

(I never took a before shot when I started refinishing it, probably because I was so excited to just change it!  So this is one I cropped from a different picture so you could see.)

I opted not stripping the piano because I wanted to have some of the dark wood show through when I gave it my "Rustic" touch.  Rather, I used an 80 grit sand paper and took the high gloss varnish off as much as I could without scratching the wood.  I painted it with a cottage white latex paint.

  

Then I took my sander and had fun. 

The bench got a new look as well.  I love mis-match furniture, so making the bench a different color was the plan.  I first painted it with an aqua latex then when that dried I painted over it with the grey.

I lightly distressed it enough so that you could see the two-tone paint effect, as well as the original dark mahogany wood coming through.

Every piece of furniture has a story to tell.  Don't be scared to take risks and don't be scared of change...you could end up with something beautiful!

Happy Pinning!

Who won the $50 Gift Card?

Thank you everyone who entered the $50 Visa gift card giveaway.  It was fun reading your comments on what you would refinish with the money.  I wish I had more to give since it seems like there is a lot of projects that need to get done!  However; one comment stood out above the rest.  The story was very heartfelt.  It read,

"I would refinish our kitchen table - this table is so special to us because it's been with my husband since childhood! It survived a house fire, UCSB and a houseful of guys, post college shenanigans, our first apartment and now our first home, and is standing strong to all of the antics of our three year old and one year old! It just needs a new look to be as beautiful as all of our memories!"

Any piece of wood furniture that survived a complete house fire, where the home was destroyed is a fighter and deserves to get a makeover! 

Congratulations Erika! 

I can't wait to see you make your table "as beautiful as all of your memories".

Weekend Project

I am excited for the weekend to be here, how about you?  However; I am not excited to live in Arizona this weekend where the temperatures are suppose to be around 105-107 degrees!  Seriously!  Doesn't Mother Nature know it is the first day of Fall?  That means I am not suppose to be sweating while sitting completely still!  I bet you live some place beautiful with seasons, don't you?!?  Maybe one day I will join you.  What is better blistering heat or frigged snow? 

Regardless of my complaining I have work to do!  This beautiful table of a client of mine is getting a new look.  It has been in her family for 3 generations.  I LOVE furniture that has a story to tell! 

The top will get a new coat of stain  

The knobs will be replaced with something that makes more of a statement, and the beautiful band detailing will be given new life.

The bottom will be painted a soft linen white, and of course when we are done it will say, "Thank you for making me beautiful again".

I love my job!