Gentry's Nightstands

My next project for Ashleigh was for her sweet little girl Gentry. She had these nightstands and they were pretty cute already but needed a pop of color to pull her room all together. Ashleigh had seen what I did with Jade's nightstands and loved the stripe. Since one of Gentry's tables looked very similar she thought it would be a great look and I agreed. So when I got started this is what I had...and yes I forgot to take true before pictures. I'm actually getting pretty bad about that, you would think I would get better!

Table 1

Table 2

Yes yes, when I remembered to photograph them I had already started priming table 2. Anyway, table 1 she wanted to be heavily distressed while still showing off the pop of color. So I painted it a soft cream first and then I painted a coat of the green. The green is called liquid jade and I love the color!!! As you can see the color looks wonderful in my living room

Then I had to distress it. This is where I will warn all of you NOT to do your arms workout the day before or even two days before you distress a piece of furniture! Not my smartest move ever. But, the distressing went well and the table looks fabulous!

Now for table 2. This I had to prime with 2 coats of primer thanks to the old stain that kept seeping through and turning the primer pink. Then I put on two coats of the same soft cream I used on table 1. Had to let that dry and we had a couple of cold days so it took a while. Then I taped it off and striped it

Don't you think the pull-back cars add just the right touch to the background of the picture? Anyway, this is what I ended up with:

Table 1

Table 2

Ashleigh was pleased once more and I fell in love with the distressing process a little bit, so you'll probably be seeing it more. Not to mention  I found a new favorite paint color. All around another fun and successful job!

Ashleigh's Dining Chairs

Okay folks, this is gonna be a long one. It's appropriate because these particular chairs taught me a lot. They taught me not to pre-quote or under quote on hand painted detail pieces. They taught me that the hardest work isn't the work that makes you sweat, but the work that is tedious. My mind doesn't handle tedium well. However, having said all that, these chairs also taught me what I am truly capable of with furniture painting and upholstery and I loved learning that. Ashleigh found these chairs at a cute little shop here in town and wanted me to come and look at them right away. Based on the size of her dining table I was taken aback. These chairs seemed small. But, when we started talking about ideas everything seemed to make sense. These are the chairs before, sad upholstery and a little beat up

And without the fabric as I started stripping them down

As far as color goes, you may think we're crazy at first to mix navy with a black and white striped table, but bear with me. I promise it works. Though I will say the paint terrified me when I first started spraying. Wet it looked royal blue instead of navy!

Wet

Dry

Next comes the part that showed me what I was made of. I would paint until I started shaking and had to quit, then I'd start again the next day. It takes TIME to do this people. Lots of time!

Next comes the upholstery. Would I have chosen this fabric if the chairs were mine personally? No, I honestly wouldn't have. But, this fabric is SO Ashleigh and her family. It totally works for them and lends a quirky and eclectic feel to the dining room, which is what she was going for in the first place.

Here is the fabric on the chair before piping:

Now comes the next tricky part. Before the summer of 2011 I had never used a sewing machine. I could sew on a button, but I didn't have a lot of experience at all and no real desire either. My mother is an amazing seamstress and so I always let her do it all. I suddenly realized I was going to need that skill if I was going to do any upholstery or make things for my daughter. Anyhow, sorry for the aside, I learned just enough this summer to make me think I could do more. Make my own double welt piping? SURE! Why not? So, that's what I did...under my mothers supervision.

It WORKED!!! Woot! Now to finish these babies!!!

The finished chair

At the table, while still showing you as little as possible. I'm going to take great pics when we are completely finished with the entire space.

Front side by side

And the finished back

I am so pleased with what I accomplished with these chairs. I'm not gonna lie, it was a TON of work. But, Ashleigh loves the chairs and the space is really coming together now.  It has been a blast working for Ashleigh and really she has given me the opportunity to learn so much about what I love to do! I can't wait to show you all the finished space, so stay tuned ;)

Jade's Furniture

This past summer I went to an estate sale with my friend Monica and just happened upon a furniture set that I just knew went in my daughter's room! Old pieces yes, but the lines were oh so pretty and I just couldn't resist. So I called up the hubby and asked him if I could buy them. After some negotiations I was given the green light and just went for it! It was a chest of drawers and an old vanity. As soon as my husband and his best friend brought the furniture home I tore into the vanity...almost forgetting to take a picture first, but I remembered at the last minute! I knew I wanted to take the vanity apart and make them into nightstands. Jade didn't have a need for a vanity nor did she have the space. We have a tiny little house and her room is pretty tiny too. This is what I had when I got started:

This was my happy little helper who decided helping was nailing about 200 nails into my stool.

Primed and painted with 2 coats of china moon white

After adding the stripe that I mixed the color for myself

Jade Reese when she saw it for the first time :) I love that little girl! She makes me smile.

Now onto the chest of drawers. Here is what it looked like before. I had to enlist my father because some of the drawer bottoms were slightly warped and we had to rebuild one altogether.

Painted and in place now, don't you just love the rustic hardware? 

Painters tape had to suffice...the knobs I wanted were on back order. I got them in teeny tiny numbers so it took a while before I could get a true finish picture.

At the same sale I also found a cute little stool. Her bed is iron and a bit tall so I thought it would make a super cute little foot stool for her to climb into her bed with. This is the little stool before:

And this is after

I think the duchess is pleased. Much more to come and one of these days I will show off the entire finished room!