A Twin Bed and a New Trick

I have been working on this bed for-evah...and I think it's done, but I'm not sure I like it and I'm not sure the owner will like it.



This is how it started out...antique looking, but tired







My friend who owns the bed gave me a picture of what she wanted. I tried and tried, but failed miserably at making it look like the picture from the Horchow catalog. I even deleted the pictures of the first attempt...that's how bad it was.



So I chatted with my friend and we decided to dry brush white/cream...and I failed at that too. Not sure WHAT was going on..I've dry-brushed before, but this looked like my 5 year old painted it. So my friend told me a very high tech trick to help blend the brush strokes.



She told me to water down some white paint and take a plastic bag (like from the grocery store, Target, etc), dip it in the mixture and rub it on until things blend. I was scratching my head over this one...I'd never heard of this trick. But you know what?! It worked wonders. WONDERS! I'm not saying the bed is perfect...but it is soooo much better than my first...and second attempts. After it was blended more, I distressed and glazed with ebony stain.



So, before you fall asleep, here is the finished (I think) bed. The pictures are terrible, but, thank you to MN weather, the bed is inside on tarps.















So, let me have it...be brutally honest! Well, not too brutal, mmm-kay?



~Allison



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An Unlikely Pair

I picked up this pair of solid maple chairs at GW last month....$1.99 each. Seriously. I loved the lines and sweetness of the chairs. They sat and sat and sat in my garage. Until my husband said "there's too much stuff in here" (have you heard him say that before? I have!). Sadly, I agreed. As much as I loved the chairs, I had nowhere to put them. The two on the ends are a matching set.





I emailed my good friend Marnie, who is a local photographer and asked if she needed any chairs for props, etc. She had just been thinking about doing something like this...so a deal was made. A good deal for both of us...I get more garage space and she get's cheap (read: free) photo props to play around with. Oh, and I got to spray paint. Peeps...I have been waiting for this day a loooong time. Minnesota has been brutal...and it just got above 40*. Marnie wanted one chair in purple and one in distressed white. Easy-peasy!



So yesterday, I finished 2 chairs! I *heart* spray paint for it's ease!

















I love them both...they are so different. One, regal and fun. The other, shabby and understated. I hope both will photograph well!



~Allison



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Somewhat Simple

Grandpa's Desk

My parents are selling their vacation home in Bayfield, Wisconsin...and are slowly bringing pieces that either they want to keep or I want to revamp. This piece arrived a few weeks ago...I knew I was going to keep it for myself when I saw it. It was my grandfather's desk and I needed a desk for my space/our guest room. I wanted a two-tone look, but did not want to strip the top. I am over stripping. Messy and stinky. Enter my new love...the orbital sander. People...where.have.I.been? I have been HAND SANDING. I'm not only wasting time, but energy. Anyway, I took my sander to the top of the desk and had it stripped in no time. I used 80 grit to strip, then used 120 to smooth and 220 to finish. I was going to use Minwax Polyshades in Antique Walnut...but it was way too light. So I went back to my trusty Dark Walnut...and it didn't let me down. I did 3 coats and then 3 coats of wipe on poly (love that stuff!). Then I painted the base a creamy white, distressed, and glazed with Provencial stain. Here is the end result...and I am really happy with it. So happy I'm keeping it and that it's a part of my history. I still remember it sitting in my grandfather's office...with the pipe stand near by.

My husband always gets on my case about my "pile" on our kitchen island. It migrates around and always ends up in the same, cluttered space. Up until this desk, I haven't had a space for my pile...but I can't wait to clutter it up ;)

~Allison


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