Before and After: Ugliest Light Fixture Ever

While surfing the blogosphere a few weeks ago, I saw an old bathroom light fixture that had been repurposed into a votive candle holder. I cannot remember who did it...but it was featured on a few other blogs. If this was you, speak up so I can give you credit! ;)

So when I ran into this, I thought I could do something similar without too much work.
You may want to shield your eyes....can you imagine this on your bathroom ceiling? *shudder*


First, I took the lightbulbs out and the light covers off and was left with just the brass cover/plate. I had a few ideas that I tried and didn't work, so the finish I came up with was accidental. First, I sprayed it silver. It was ok. Then I waxed it to give it an aged feel. No good. Then I put a coat of brushed white on...and it looked even worse. So I decided to sand off the white. Because I'd waxed it, the white kind of peeled off leaving an uneven finish that I liked.

Here is the light fixture today!




Here's what I love about this...in the center is a hole that needs covering. This means I can change up what's in the center depending on the season or holiday! Brilliant! Christmas? Mistletoe or Pinecones. Easter? A small basket of eggs. Summer? A tall vase of sand and shells. The options are endless!

So next time you see a horiffic light fixture at the thrift store, look at it a different way. It might still work!

~Allison

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Cock-A-Doodle Don't

When Lauren of West Furniture Revival shared this clock; I was blown away. I'd never even considered painting a clock...much less having it turn out well. So when I ran into this clock at my local thrift shop, I loved the shape, but the rooster was not my style. Now, I'm not hatin' on you rooster lovers because that have their place. Just not on a clock like this:

The wood was perfectly dried out and perfect to use my new Fiddes wax in Jacobean. If you have not tried soft furniture wax, you are missing out. I know...it's pricey, but the can will last you forever! I want to wax anything that isn't nailed down right now...that's how much I love this product.

Back to the clock. I painted a sloppy coat of DecoArt white on the outside. I then waxed the whole thing with Jacobean wax. Swoon!! Next, I took that rooster out and found some scrap fabric that would work. Lastly, I took the face of the clock out. The photo matting had been a maroon, so I just covered that up with DecoArt Dove Gray and the inner circle got one coat of DecoArt Neutral Gray. I reassembled the clock, and here ya go!







Excuse my lame mantel decor!

~Allison

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Antique Secretary and Hutch for a Fundraiser

Hellooooo??
Friends, it has been too long! I have been completing projects...refinishing old doors to become desks, making old closet doors into room dividers...but nothing really blog worthy. But this one is and I am excited to be back!

Back in April, I donated my time to refinish 2 pieces for our preschool fundraiser. I'd never done this before and didn't know exactly how it'd work out...I was questioning whether or not someone would even want to bid at all. There were 2 certificates...one for a large piece of the bidders choosing (dining table, dresser, etc) and one for a small piece (end table, chair, etc).

The winner of the large piece brought me this beautiful secretary and hutch in early September:



This piece will be put in the owner's Cape Cod home and she already had a plan...complete with colors picked out! Linen White and Appalachian Trail (both by BM). It is lightly distressed and we decided glass pulls would be best for this little beauty. Here she is...ready for her east coast debeut!







I still have a few tweaks to do before she's totally finished, but I hadn't written in sooo long, I had to share it tonight. Thanks for hanging in with me!

If you haven't heard, Julia at 551 East Furniture Design is hosting an AMAZING link party this month. It's called Habitat Heroes and the idea is to get peeps like us to restore a piece for charity. I know what you're thinking...it takes time and $$ to restore a piece. But it's one piece and think what a $4.00 can of spray paint can do for a little side table that you got for $5.00 at a garage sale? You donate that to Goodwill and they sell it for $20? That's a profit for them and only $9.00 for you. Aren't I good at math? ;)

Seriously though, think about doing a piece and linking up...you'll feel good about it!



~Allison

Linking up!

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