Last week I posted this dreamy outfit. I soon realized after posting that I knew why I gravitated so much to the fashion ensemble. It reminds me so much of my vanity vignette. All the same elements are there, slightly modern, a little vintage, and subtle girly. Yes that is me alright.
Vanity project posted here.
I am finally getting to post this project. I made a roman shade using Jenny’s tutorial. I would recommend this method if you are working under a tight budget or decorating a rental. It’s an inexpensive but temporary solution to window treatments.
I love the new plaid shade. A lot more youthful and fun don’t you think?
Gotta run now.
See you next week!
xo
This is a long overdue before and after. I started way back here. But I ran into major problems with gold leafing. The guy at the Art Supply store warned me that it would be difficult. And I didn’t listen, nor did I read the instructions or even googled for a tutorial. I just winged it. My first attempt came out pretty smooth and nice on the exterior with the exception of a few spots that wouldn’t fully take the gold leaf. I figured I could just add another layer. But then I tried leafing the inside of the open shelves and I couldn’t get the gold leaf to stick. So I kept adding.
Layer. after. layer. after. layer.
And somewhere between those layers, I began to get frustrated and impatient. You could see the caked up leaf in some spots by this point. Stubbornly, I proceeded, confident that I could mask with yet another layer.
The husband, stopped in front of my work area one day and casually said,
“It looks like chunks of gold nuggets.”
He was right.
So, perfectionist that I am, I started to sand. and. sand. and. sand. And sand.
But the thing with gold leaf is that you have to apply a very sticky adhesive, so that the gold will stick. And when you sand, the adhesive starts to come through like a big gooey mess. So at this point I was considering trashing the whole dresser, but I couldn’t bring myself to not finish. After 3(!) coats of stripper and 2(!) coats of Goo Begone, it was ready to be gold-leafed again.
And long story short,
TA-DA!
Here is the finished dresser.
Phew! I am exhausted just thinking about it.
I guess persistence does pay off. But lesson learned, NEVER wing it, ALWAYS google.
*****
Just a few more days till you see it in it’s proper setting.
Can’t wait to finish!
Remember my mini-shopping spree?
I bought.
I painted.
I conquered.
And I love, love..
L-O-V-E!
And because I love you, today you get two mini-before & afters.
Here you go!
I am totally smitten by these chairs! They make the formal dining area in La Petite Maison look incredibly fab! Not to give too much away, but I am working on some Chinoiserie wallpaper for the little fancy dining space. And speaking of, don’t you love the word, chinoiserie? Maybe I am weird, but I love the way it rolls off my tongue.
CHI-NOI-SE-RIE
*****
More mini projects coming this week.
Stay tuned!
So I admit that I have been a bit of a tease lately. I know I have promised reveals and not delivered. But today is a new day!
Remember this?
Last weekend, I went a little fuchsia-happy and am so pleased with the results!
What do you think? Is it not granny-chic!?
It is so saccharine sweet and my little girl is over the moon about it. OVER-THE-MOON!
I plan on making a tone-on-tone striped rug out of the fabric that you see peeking out from underneath.
But that is a story for another day.
Stay tuned!
I’m really getting going on La Petite Maison. I have extra time right now and completely taking advantage.
I purchased these materials a few weeks ago and am finally getting around to using them.
Come back for a mini reveal tomorrow!
Sometimes I think my brain houses a vintage slide viewer. You know, the red plastic toys that were very popular back in the 80’s. I loved to click, click, click and take in the images during my childhood .
Today, my viewer clicked to one particular image that was all over the blogosphere last year. The creator of these lovelies is artist Ginette Lapalme. My guess, is that the reason why these painted sticks were so popular is that they look like the tangible imagination of a child.
{source}
Well yesterday on my way home, I was forced to take a detour. Being that I am a creature of habit, I think it was fate, because to my delight, I discovered a real life version of the lovely sticks! See for yourself.
I imagine that a little boy climbs these colorful limbs each afternoon after coming home from school. A very happy little boy, I might add.
When I first purchased this vanity at an estate sale, I fully intended to rehab. I liked the feminine lines but I didn’t really care for the paint job. Perhaps it was a clean white once. I pictured the previous owner, an old lady, filling up her bedroom with thick smoke. Maybe this is how it turned a yucky yellowish hue. But like I said I planned on a refinishing. After all, I did not want shabby-chic. I wanted just chic.
So I hurried home, eager to transform it. I stripped the layers of shabby. Layer by layer, I did. And then sanded…oh how I sanded. Sanding & painting, sanding & painting. That is what it takes. Do I not sound like a Dr. Seuss poem at this length!?
Finally, I achieved my end result. A crisp clean white little vanity. I also added some amber crystal knobs from Restoration Hardware.
Later, I would go on to find this cute vintage chair at another estate sale. It was originally a 1950′s sorta kitschy garden chair. Someone down the line had made a tufted seat and back. But it was a very outdated and kinda gross mustard yellow velvet fabric. Nonetheless, it was a bargain at $6! I brought it home, deciding that it would be my next project.
First, I spray-painted the metal frame white. I then chose a toned-down cheetah print fabric. The tufting was difficult, especially since it was my first upholstery project. But I managed, learned, and finished. Here it is:
And here is the finished vignette, from shabby to chic!
The modern Pablo Tube lamp adds a touch of modern to the slightly traditional lines of the vanity. While the reupholstered chair adds a bit of whimsy and girlyness. The pink-milk glass, jewelry container adds another layer of subtle femininity. This sweet box is an art-deco piece that I found while thrifting. I may add that this is probably my absolute favorite inanimate possession. And if I had to run out of a burning house and could take one thing, this would be it.
One day soon, I’ll get around to posting my whole bedroom. Currently, it is still a work in progress. Stay tuned!
While strolling through an antique shop this past weekend, I found something that was destined for La Petite Maison. The dollhouse currently does not have a kitchen. A kitchen is one space where you can really make a design statement & the statement I want to make is charming. After all, I want tie everything back to the colonial style of the house. So I was delighted to find this miniature sink. The colors and the country curtain did not work but I saw potential. I took it home, sanded, painted a soft blue, & made a tailored linen curtain. And Voila! I give you, a mini before and after loaded with charm. So the little kitchen is progressing & I can’t wait to show more!
They say one man’s trash is another’s treasure. I found this sad looking headboard for free on craigslist. Score! The poor condition and the very outdated 50′s fabric was reason enough for the prior owner to give away. Fully intending on reupholstering, I took it as-is. I liked the modern lines with a slight feminine curve. But it would sit in my bedroom unused for a year because I would not settle until I found the perfect fabric.
A few months ago I ordered some yards of grey houndstooth for my son’s nursery but I made a rookie mistake. Not ordering a swatch before placing my order, I ended up with a warm grey instead of a cold, manly grey. Making lemonade out of lemons, I used the fabric for the headboard. Though bold was not the look that I was going for in my bedroom, I am very pleased with the results. Quite a lovely accident, don’t you think?
