Chic2Chic

Site revamp

2011-05-16T03:18:00.000-07:00

We have been giving some serious thought as to which direction we would prefer our business to go in.
We have had alot of customer comments about our bespoke service, where we take in pieces and bring them back to life, by either distressing them, or just painting them to better fit in with the surrounding decor of the home they live in.

initially, this was going to be the sideline of the business, but it seems that it is in much greater demand than we first thought. So after a little time I decided to revamp our site to further push for the bespoke service.

Have a look at it here: http://chic-2-chic-interiors.weebly.com/bespoke-service.html and let us know what you think.

Because I am so passionate about making things cost efffective, and reducing our own and others' carbon footprint, it really does make sense for us to be reducing the strain on the furniture making industry - which lets fact it, is not always the glamour-fest we think it is.

By learning to love our grannys moth eaten and fusty smelling wardrobe again, or clinging onto that retro 60's lime green kitchen, we can all do our bit.

Finished Dining Table

2011-05-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is. The finished painted dining table. And to be completely honest, we are thrilled with the outcome.

We were careful not to allow the red to become too garish and in your face. So with some careful mixing of Emperors Silk and Primer Red we managed to get a shade which is striking but not 'phone box' red, which might get old far quicker. The pictures also do not do the colouration of the top any real justice, since in the flesh it has a very delicate barely there pinkness to it which stops it from being too stark. In the right setting and with the right lighting, it will look amazing.

There are several layers of wax all over, which when buffed give the whole piece a nice gentle sheen and adds protection. Although we wouldn't suggest placing hot cups and plates directly onto the table surface (as with any dining table ideally).

We believe that it is OK to make a statement with your furniture. Traditional is fine, and believe me we have our fair share of that in our home too, but it's always nice to have possessions which say something about your personality or your ethos on life, or your family.
This table will give someone the opportunity to do that. To have something which says 'I'm a bit apart from the norm, but that's the way we like it'.

Do let us know what you think. These types of table are always coming up, and we would love to get ideas for future projects.

Dining table.

2011-05-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

We recently came across this two-a-penny dining table which can be found in just about every pine furniture store in existence. And paid a fiver for it!

It's one redeeming feature is it's pedestal!!! It's such a chunky substantial example that we felt we could give the whole thing a new lease of life.

We have faithfully stuck with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, deciding to use a mix of Emperors Silk and Primer red for the pedestal, and an old ochre mix for the top.

Now, we know that alot of people wont like the
colour mix we have chosen, but painted kitchens are becoming increasingly popular, and red appears to be one of the most favoured colours.

We think that if marketed right, it will be the ideal table to have in one of these types of kitchen.

corner unit

2011-04-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

When we found this corner unit, it reminded us of good old 80's dinner parties! All that was missing was a hostess trolley, a teak sideboard, prawn cocktail and olives on a stick!

The faux leaded glass doors were wobbly and bent, and the glass itself had a horrid plastic feel to them...so off they came. We didn't even give them a second thought.

These days we believe people like to be able to create space, and doors close things in. They also make the whole thing retain its dated look.

The paint of choice had to be Annie Sloan and we liked the idea of keeping things classic, so grey it was. However, we found that Paris Grey wasn't quite what we were hoping for, so we created a mix from Graphite and Old White. We are quietly impressed with the results.
The inside was originally a wishy washy magnolia, so we gave it a couple of coats of Old White, to keep things simple, and finished the whole thing off with several layers of wax to add subtle lustre and protection.

We like to think that it has gone from being a bit of an old fuddy duddy, to something young fresh and absolutely usable.
It will no doubt look equally amazing in a bedroom, or a bathroom, or a living room..in fact, any room.

Lets hope we find a good home for it.

Pretty chairs

2011-04-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

As I have previously mentioned, I am absolutely mad about chairs. I find them and their stories fascinating and I just cant leave them to fade away.

We found these two hidden away in the back of an old barn, and knew they would be better suited to a home environment rather than accommodating spiders and woodlice.
So, we rescued them, and gave them some much needed tlc. We used a vintage grey on them, and several layers of good quality wax.

We decided against distressing them. They are late victorian in age, and at least 100 years old, so I think they are probably distressed enough :p

The quality of them is so good, we didn't have to do any repairs except on a few ancient worm holes on the top rails.

Personally, I think they would look great in a farmhouse kitchen, or perhaps in a couple of guest bedrooms.

Lets hope we can find good homes for them.

wardrobes and chairs

2011-04-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

We have had some lovely weather, so have been making the most of being able to work outside.

We came by this beautiful wardrobe which was destined for the dump! Sometimes, we simply can't believe what people will happily throw away.

Here at Chic2Chic, we are very passionate about being as environmentally friendly as we possibly can be, so being able to save this piece and move it on to a good home is very important for us.

It was so pretty, we sold it simply as it you see it here. Needless to say, once we had advertised it people were close to breaking our arms for it.
We are happy that it has gone to a good home, where it will be used and loved for many years to come.

Also, we have acquired 4 of these tired but sound wheel back chairs. There are several options available; we can strip them and refinish as they are now. Or give them the Annie Sloan treatment with paint and a shabby finish, perhaps using two colours.

I personally have a real passion for chairs. I love to think about what they have seen in their lifetime. How many bums have sat on them, how many children have been sent to sit on one of them whilst in disgrace, and of course how many more have been given praise on one of them. How many letters have been written whilst sat on one them, and how many dinner parties have gone on into the early hours whilst sat on one of them.

I believe that chairs have stories to tell, and revitalising them and sending them back out into the world to start a life a-fresh is a wonderful thing to be able to do.

Sadly, chairs seem to come second place to whatever they sit around or under. And yet without them, that table or desk would be almost unusable. So try to give a little thought to that poor, neglected chair the next time you scrape its feet across the floor or dump yourself into it without a second thought.

And if you have some hanging around which look tired, or unloved, why not send us a picture and see what ideas we could come up with to match or compliment them to your new interior decor.

Shabby sideboard

2011-04-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today we wanted to be able to do something simple with this sideboard unit we were given for....FREE! Yes, it's amazing what people will throw away.

Needless to say, our eyes absolutely twinkled when we took it home. The only problem we had, was choosing between us what finish to give it.

We decided on an understated Annie Sloan chalk paint finish, in Old White, and to gently knock back some of the edges to give it a slightly distressed look, then to give it a good few coats of wax for protection and a nice patina.

We are very happy with the finished piece, and hope it will find itself a nice new home, where it will be used for many years to come.

Looking at it now, and comparing it to how it looked this morning, it is heartening to know that it can now blend into either a modern or traditional setting.

For instance; with some lovely textiles around it and perhaps a nice mirror it will look stunning in a chic/cottage styled bedroom. Or with a choice lamp, retro or otherwise, and some cleverly placed ornaments it could look equally at home in a study.

Plans to expand - and introducing Brian!

2011-04-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

We have been having such fun sourcing furniture and coming up with new ideas for what to do with them, that we have somewhat neglected to make our site and company as a whole, accessible and personal to all our potential customers.

So with that in mind, I would like to extend a welcome to any new readers who may happen across this page, and to invite you to come along each day to see what this small family business is getting up to.

We are a husband and wife team, we have 4 children - all boys - and have an absolute passion for reviving old furniture.

With so much reproduction stuff on the market out there, and with a rich history of cabinet making in the family, we thought it would be wonderful to not only try and re-ignite peoples interest in quality furniture, but also to pass down some of the skills we have to our children whom we Home Educate.

We have made some wonderful contacts recently with people such as Annie Sloan, and the kind folks at Stones Furniture Cream, that we simply have to give them a kind mention whenever we can. Without many of them and their brilliant products, what we do just wouldn't be possible.

We have always beileved in high standards when it comes to customer service, and would like to see a resurgence of old fashioned customer care, teamed with expert knowledge of what we offer and outstanding value wherever possible.

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce Brian.

He is our newest employee, and has the very important job of authenticating our before and after pictures.
We have come across many people who claim to have restored items, only to find that what has been pictured is completely different from what they began with.

Brian will be visible at each stage of any restoration we document and put onto our website, so you can be certain that the finished item is indeed the same as what we started out with.

It's only a little idea, but we hope you find it as cute as we do.

Vintage elm table and chairs

2011-04-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

This table and chairs is absolutely gorgeous! Solid elm, beautifully ornate and carved pedestal, and a wonderful depth of colour only age can create.

It is, however, a good 2 inches shorter than modern tables, making it quite the experience to sit at, but you do get used to it.

The chairs aren't an exact match, but their pretty seats compliment it perfectly.

This is the sort of item that you DON'T paint under any circumstances.

It has knocks and scrapes here and there, but they just add to the tables 'story'.

At an estimated 120 - 140 years old, it does make you wonder what it's seen in it's life.

The little things

2011-04-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Long have we known that it's the little things which make something interesting.
We know that alot of vintage specialist companies spend a great deal of time investing in those little trinkets and bits and bobs which become the staples of their business.

With this in mind we have spent quite some time trying to source interesting things which we think will be successful.

Take these cute little buckets. They are ideal for use either in the garden as they are galvanised or in the home. They come unfinished, so can be left or painted to spec - making them perfect for matching in with any existing decor.

I absolutely love them, and when teamed with something like this metal
watering can they make quite an interesting feature!

Making sure that we source items which will attract custom isn't always easy, as these days the same old things can be found pretty much everywhere - usually because the same suppliers are being used.

We are different, because we specialise in finding large quantities of original pieces. Not always an easy task..but like these buckets and the watering can, which are not new items - I think the older something is, the more character is has.

Some people may be put off buying from us, because we don't over-stock with new items. But we do hope to be able to eventually cater for everyone's tastes, whilst still upholding our own passion for revitalising older items.

Simplicity is key

2011-03-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

We believe that keeping things simple is best when it comes to doing up furniture.

Chairs should be beautiful yet still functional, which is why we are quite careful about what finishes we apply to chairs.

We were lucky enough a while back to come across some discontinued cans of Farrow and Ball oil eggshell paints (for an absolute steal I might add) and we believe the finish they give is perfect for furniture which will be used, but also displayed.

And it is such a lovely paint to work with too.

The finished chest of drawers

2011-03-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

As promised...and in just one afternoon, the beautiful mahogany 2 over 2 chest of drawers is ready to begin its' new life elsewhere.

It certainly shows that no piece of furniture is ever that far gone to be dumped.

Mahogany Chest of Drawers

2011-03-29T04:27:00.000-07:00

Creating something new and usable, from something neglected and tired is a real passion of ours.

Take this old, but solidly made mahogany chest of drawers.

It was - lets be honest about it - filthy! It could have been made of ebony for all the black and ingrained dirt it had accumulated over the years.

but with some real elbow grease, and alot of tlc, it is definitely going to come up a treat.

As always, look out for the after shots!

New Look website!!!

2011-03-24T04:35:00.001-07:00

I've had a bit of a re-vamp as far as the website goes. Better pictures and more text etc, which I hope improves the general feel of it.

Do take a look and let me know what you think.

A couple of other things....

2011-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would pop these on here so that people who maybe don't look at the website, but do look here can also see what we are selling.

Can't really say much else other than...WOW...for this piece.
Made in solid Rosewood, genuine Victorian furniture doesn't get much better than this.

It didn't need much doing to it to make it ready for sale, except a bit of work on one of the feet which had come loose. Otherwise, it went straight on the website!

Imagine our delight when we also had the opportunity to take on this matching Edwardian chair, which again needed virtually nothing doing to it.
Happy, would be an understatement.

They are both such beautiful pieces, it is almost a shame to sell them, as I personally would love for them to be centre pieces in the shop we are planning to get next year.

Lets hope equally beautiful pieces come up in time for that.

New section on the website

2011-03-21T02:28:00.000-07:00

Do take a look at my ever evolving website. It now has an items for sale section, and a weekly featured item for sale.

The items for sale section changes almost daily, so it's worth checking back regularly to see what new things are on offer.

Also, don't forget to mention us to friends and family.

Thanks.

The Finished coffee table.

2011-03-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the pictures of the finished coffee table, shabbied, and ready for a new beginning.

It has been painted in Farrow and Ball, and finished in Stones natural beeswax furniture cream, which gives a subtle sheen, and a depth which continues to improve with each application. It's our wax of choice.

The idea behind this piece is 'shabby beach style'.
Painting, sanding and knocking back creates a weathered and worn appearance, but finishing the piece in a high quality wax which adds a subtle sheen and a protective coat, ensures it is anything but.

It's quite a large table, measuring 120x76x46, and would certainly create a real talking point in any room.

It's stylish, but practical. An absolute must!

The piece is this weeks featured sale item on the website.

Our new website!!

2011-03-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

Please take a look at our new website: http://chic-2-chic-interiors.weebly.com/

It is still in its infancy, but we'll add things as and when they need to be.

Ahh...we love doing things on the hoof! lol

Coffee table.

2011-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

We got hold of this unwanted coffee table. It is covered with scratches and marks, but is soundly made.

Not sure if we will keep the base shelf as it is at the moment, as it is more desirable for it to be made from individual slats.

The plan is to clean it up, paint, then distress, then wax.

New magazine rack

2011-03-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

As promised here are the pictures of our old milk crate, before and after.

Fortunately, the finish didn't require much work, just a good sand off and clean to get rid of many years worth of grime, then a good few coats of an off white paint.

The finished result is really good I think. It is verging slightly on the industrial in its looks, but I think because of that, it would go equally well in a modern house - especially if painted to match in with a particular colour scheme - or a traditional cottage setting.

Some examples.

2011-03-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

This dresser top started life as a worn out, dark stained, and heavily varnished piece. With some tlc and some Farrow and Ball paint, we were able to give it a new start in life.

This unit was originally a reddish brown in colour, and had hideous rings on the front. It is made from an indian wood, and is very well made.

We used Farrow and Ball, then knocked it back in places to give it a worn and used look.

This is an old small shelf which my husband made years ago. It has yet to receive the treatment. Watch this space for it's transformation.

This old metal milk crate has been with my husband since he was knee high to a grasshopper. We have decided to turn it into a chic magazine holder. it has had it's first coats of paint. Keep watching to see how it looks when finished.

Ideas don't come easier than this. It's a tin can, with some decorative paper wrapped round it. A quick coat of varnish..and suddenly it becomes a cute container.

When it comes to displaying flowers, I don't like spending a fortune on shop bought ones. Instead, and especially this time of year, I take cuttings of small branches which have loads of buds appearing on them, and put them into my trusted 70's cut glass vase. With a little water, they last for weeks!!

They also look great at Easter time, with small seasonally shaped cookies hanging from the branches.

This chest was once one of those ordinary looking pine efforts. It took some doing - taking off the metal work, painting and finishing then re-attaching everything. But it was worth it.

Welcome

2011-03-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog.

This one is a place for me to not only show off some of the interior designs which my husband and I create, but also a place to gain more ideas and feedback from other people, so that we can continue to develop our designs, and hopefully, create things which people like.

We specialise in restoring old pieces of furniture, and giving them the shabby chic treatment.
Painted furniture has always had a bit of a problem in the past with being too easily dated, but thanks to a revival of French period furniture, shabby chic looks to be here to stay.

We buy and sell old furniture which we obtain from places such as Ebay, Freecycle, auctions, boot sales and even private advertisers. We spend a little time on them, repairing what needs to be repaired, treating the wood if need be, and then painting and varnishing/waxing (if required), and occasionally giving the piece a bit of a battering to complete the weathered and distressed look.

The designs are appealing, because they are simple, and usually neutral both in design and colour, making them ideal for both period homes and more modern ones.

Pieces can be dressed up or down according to the owners taste.

We believe that well made furniture should - where possible - be given a new lease of life, reinvented and used again, which is both cost effective for the customer, and creates a personal feel to their home.

Please feel free to comment with ideas/thoughts.

Loz x