China Hutch and Dining Room Reveal

As long as I can remember I have wanted a china cabinet. Growing up my grandma had two of them and I always knew I wanted one someday. I have been looking on craigslist off and on for quite a while. I kept seeing them in Seattle for a reasonable price but not locally. I happened upon one a couple weeks ago nearby. The lady was asking $150. I emailed her and asked if she didn't sell it would she take less. She emailed me a week later and said she would take $100.

My husband and I went and picked it up. It is solid wood and very heavy. It's the perfect size, not to big. So last week was spent refinishing it. It was a huge job. I had to sand the top of the buffet because it had some minor water damage. Then after a thorough cleaning I gave it 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of paint, 1 coat of antiquing glaze, and 1 coat of polycrylic. All the effort was worth it. I love the way it fits in with the rest of the dining room furniture.

After one coat of primer.

I also cut pieces of bead board to fit the back of the upper portion. I used liquid nails to secure it to the dark wood paneling. Then put these heavy cans on top of it overnight. I had to caulk around each of the panels to fill in the small gaps.

I used Ralph Lauren antiquing glaze (in Tobacco) to give it a bit of an aged look and it really made the details pop. I just brushed it on and wiped it off.

And these were taken this morning in the natural light. Isn't she gorgeous!

 I love all the detail especially the dental moulding. 

It fits in nicely with the dining room furniture.

Another look at the BEFORE

And the AFTER

I'm linking up with Transformation Thursday and Frugal Friday, and Show and Share Day, and Miss Mustard's Seeds Copy Me Challenge and Wassup Wednesday.

A "New" Vanity and Chandelier

I picked up this cute desk /vanity several months ago for free. It needed some tlc. The scrolly architectural piece under the left drawer was missing so I got out the jigsaw and cut a new one. We've had the saw for over a year and never used it. It was fairly easy to use and was perfect for cutting a detailed piece of wood like this.

Both sides were rough as if the piece had once had a laminate or other finish that had been pulled off. I sanded them down as best I could with my electric sander but they still didn't look good. So I took some scrap beadboard and cut out rectangles and glued and nailed on each side. It fit perfectly since the legs stick out 1/8 inch from the side. The beadboard is flush with the legs.

Then I sanded, primed and painted the entire piece.

And here is the after! I bought new glass antique looking knobs but haven't changed them out yet. She resides in the family room and is very useful. I bought the candlesticks at a yard sale this summer for $2 for both. They were originally oak colored solid wood and still had the tags on the bottom  from World Market and were $18 and $15. 

I also got this iron light fixture for free at the same place I got the vanity. I replaced it myself when the hubby was at work. I love how it looks over the dining room table.

We've got many projects on our to-do list for this year. The biggest is doing something with those ugly orange kitchen cabinets. On a budget of course. Stay tuned......

I'm linking up with Transformation Thursdays, and Furniture Feature Friday.

Living Room Redo - Board and Batten

Here are some Before shots of the living room.

With the addition on our home, the dresser moved into our new master bedroom and the sofa moved into the new family room.

I replaced two of these coffee tables ......

 .....with two of these. You can read about their transformation here.

This tv armoire was exactly the same height as the fireplace mantle so I replaced it with a larger one. This one is now in my craft room and holds fabric and such.

After two years sitting in my garage this $15 garage sale armoire needed a new life. I painted it a robins egg blue, distressed the edges, and rubbed it down with an antiquing glaze. I also gave it new pulls.  It now resides in the living room.

Here are the Afters.  During the summer I added a board and batten treatment to the walls.  It took me about a month from start to finish but I did the entire thing myself.  I used sheets of MDF.  The guy at Home Depot cut them for me.  It took him over an hour and they didn't charge me a thing to cut.  I primed, painted, nailed, caulked, and painted again.  I thought it would NEVER end.  But I love the results - so worth it!!!!

My collection of vintage suitcases is growing. I found my third one this summer for $5 at a yard sale.

I love the vintage sheet music wreaths that Miss Mustard Seed makes so I got busy a couple nights ago and made one.  It turned out better than I thought it would.  It was very time consuming cutting, rolling, taping and glueing.  I love the yellowed papers.  I found the vintage moulding frame and the bullseye architectural piece at a yardsale for 50 cents each.

Since moving the couch into the new family room, we just have a bunch of mismatched chairs for the time being. I have been looking for new curtains. The red stripes don't go in here anymore.

Someday I would like to redo the mantle.  Something more chunky.

This trunk is very sentimental.  It belonged to my husbands grandfather.  It is full of pictures and mementos from WWII.  It was passed down to my father-in law.  My FIL passed away 10 years ago of cancer at the age of 52.  My husband then aquired the chest.

The rocking chair was my husband's great aunts. It had dark green fabric on it when we inherited it. It was falling apart so I recovered it years ago. Recently I made a faux grainsack pillow for it.

A view from the fireplace - looking out of the living room.

 

  

The moulding around the doorway adds so much.

I'm linking up with the following parties:  Show and Share Day , Furniture Feature Friday, Frugal Friday, Feathered nest Friday, Transformation Thursday, and Wassup Wednesday

A Chandelier Redo

I have been wanting to replace the light fixture in my girl's room for a looong time. 

So I headed to my local thrift store and picked up this beauty of a chandelier for $4. No I'm not crazy. I just worked my magic on her. 

First job was to get rid of those ugly orange light covers.  I found five of these mini lampshades at GW for 50 cents each.  I had my daughter paint them white before I covered them in fabric because the brown showed through the fabric.

Next step.  I painted the entire fixture heirloom white.  I didn't like it.  I also decided the plain straight wood piece in the middle just wasn't pretty.  The entire thing looked too plain.  So I went through the $1 box of furniture legs I picked up last summer and decided to replace the middle part of the chandelier with a "fancier" one.  It was the perfect height.  Of course the leg had to be drilled all the way through for the wires to go through.  Then I sprayed the entire thing "Ballet Slipper Pink."

I sewed a pink satin cord cover and added crystal pieces I got at Target after Christmas for 50 cents each.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!

I'm missing a light bulb on the far left (only had four).  So the shade is sitting lower than the rest.

And here is a picture of my girl's room last fall.  I hadn't quite gotten all of the polka dots done around the top.  I picked up the two antique twin beds at a yard sale several years ago for $25 for both.

Now the bedroom is complete with the exception of replacing the door and closet doors.!!!!!

I am linking up with Show and Share Day, Transformation Thursday, The Inspired Room,  Frugal Friday, Met Monday,  Thrifty Treasures and Thrifty Decor Chick's SHow and Share Day.

Old Spools and Thrifty Finds

Last year I bought this set of three vintage looking spools at a yardsale for $2.  The colors weren't quite my style so I changed them up a bit yesterday.

Ahhh.  Much better.  I removed the colored yarn and wrapped different sizes of jute around them. They are thanking me.

I picked up these decorative balls at a yard sale last week for $2.  The metal basket was given to me.

At the same yard sale last week I got four of these large baskets for $10.  They fit perfectly on the shelves of my $3 yardsale table.

This shelf sits above the above little table.

I just found this cute topiary at our local thrift store for 50 cents!

I also picked up this vintage mirror and the large suitcase.  I got these at a yardsale free.  The mirror was marked $2 and the suitcase $1.  I bought two large items for $10 each.  My total was $23.  All I had was a $20 so I asked the man if he would take a check or if I should go to the ATM.  He said I could have the mirror and suitcase for free!!!! I guess I can say I now have a collection of vintage suitcases since I have two. Ha.

This little table was $5 at a yardsale.  The finish was in really bad condition so I sanded and painted it and rubbed it down with walnut stain to tone down the white.

One more show and tell.  I made this pillow from a drop cloth and black paint. I'm really liking monograms.

Have a great weekend!!!

I'm linking up with Frugal Friday , Thrifty Treasures , I made it without my hubby, TDC's Before and After Party, and Met Monday