Contented Painter

My love of furniture!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 21:13:00 +0000

It has been so long since I did a blog post I cannot even remember how it is done!! Ha! Let's just say life has been busy. My creative side however is frustrated! The cool furniture I used to find at thrift shops is now snatched up by ALL the other folks who paint furniture. It really has become a craze!

I used to find some great buys on furniture that was slightly distressed-meaning in need of some repair! Not distressed as in a distressed finish that is also popular!! So, I have been doing other things that are creative but I miss my furniture!

The attached pics are pictures of my father's shed in Florida. I think I got my love of furniture from him and I swear I was born wanting to "fix things up"! My dad used to refinish furniture. I think that is next on my list of things to learn. Not many folks do it anymore and there is some money to be made there I suppose!

As you can see he has collected some really cool pieces but they now sit idle as he is elderly and not doing any work on furniture anymore. If I lived closer, I would surely grab some of these pieces for my house!

If anyone has tips on where to find good stuff cheap (!) let me know! I am always game to be creative!

Happy New Year everyone!

Buffet pics finally found!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 May 2014 21:44:00 +0000

I painted the "Aubusson Blue" buffet in "Old Ochre" and added brass hardware. I am much happier with it.

I was not a fan of the "Aubusson Blue" in my dining room. It just did not jive with the other blues in the room. Now the buffet matches the mirror. It's all good!

I had been having a lot of trouble uploading pics from my camera and fixed it only recently. Thus, the completed buffet pics.

I hope you like it too!

Changing it up!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 13:48:00 +0000

I have a dining room buffet that I painted in Aubusson Blue Chalk Paint with clear wax and then I "antiqued" it with dark wax. I love how it came out but it just was not the right blue in my dining room! So, I am in the process of painting it again. It is going to be painted in Old White Chalk paint and I intend to clear and dark wax only parts of it.

So, despite the fact that I fancied this blue, it is changing to a lighter color and is in process!

I had a little blue spot that kept bleeding through the Old White but Nancy at Sea rose cottage, our local Chalk paint stockiest, helped me out with a fix. She had me clean the area with mineral spirits, then give the blue part two coats of shellac and then try re-painting. It worked!

This is a little peek at how it is shaping up!

Will post more pics as I progress. Word to the wise here. I am by no means an expert chalk painter, and I definitely learn from mistakes. I cleaned my wax brushes in a LOT of mineral spirits. You are really supposed to clean them with warm soapy water but I had not cleaned my brushes between every project, I had just wrapped them tightly in saran and then an airtight storage zip-lock bag.

I did then clean them in soap and water but there must be mineral spirits left in the brushes. How do I know? Because as I am applying the clear wax, I press firmly to get the wax into the surface and some of the blue is coming through....darn!

I did not want THAT to happen! Darn again! I am now soaking the brushes in warm soapy water to get rid of any mineral spirits. In the meantime I will continue applying wax with a tee shirt rag. Heres's hoping!

Another project I have just finished is a little two tray table. It is like a tea cart but I may use it as a little bar area in the dining room or a small server when entertaining.....

It looked like this when I bought it. I liked it but it did not go in the room and I decided on black. They say every room needs a little something black in it to rest the eye!

This is what it looks like now:

I like how it turned out!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 13:19:00 +0000

Happy holidays everyone!

I hope you feel blessed as I do surrounded by family and friends. Thank you for your support of my blog!

Enjoy your day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:05:00 +0000

I love a pretty Christmas mantel. I also really like how the color red looks with Mercury Glass. I have some ornaments in the shape of acorns I use as accents on the Mantel. They are really too big for a tree anyway. I went really simple with my tree

this year. The boys are grown and don't help with the tree! So, I bought a five and a half foot balsam fir and decorated it with wrap around burgundy velvet wide ribbon and some very pretty tiny little sparkly ornaments. It's all good!

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!

Chevron stripe table

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 12:22:00 +0000

I did a little Chevron stripe table with some advice from my friend Danielle over at Finding Silver Pennies.

I chose Antibes Green chalk paint with gold metallic stripes. It is for my nieces apartment and they needed some pops of color!

It was so easy with the chevron shaped frog tape I finally found at Lowe's. It was a little pricey for tape but I did not use much of it and will definitely use it again for another project.
So cute!

I also had this little chair in the house that I was not using so I painted it in the same color and gave it to them. Looks great in there apartment which has oatmeal colored carpets throughout! It is an old Victorian home in Providence!

a little re-do required!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 04:09:00 +0000

This is the green bureau done over. It is in versaille green. I got rid of the dark wax and the twine pulls. just was not feelin it! the wax made the piece look messy and the handles were creative but were just too small and not "strong" enough for the piece. I did the hardware and the trim in "old ochre"

This is the original hardware which was brass. it has a clean and simple look now. I have never used the "old ochre" before but it is a pretty color.

This is the way it did look. I like the clean version so much better!

small bookshelf for bathroom?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 18:19:00 +0000

This is a very sweet little bookshelf, again from a yard sale!

I painted it for my niece. maybe her bathroom as they don't have storage. Graphite on the outside, duck egg blue inside. I like the way it turned out. I hope my niece does too!~

I just re-painted the bureau in my last post. was not happy with the way that turned out. will post new pic soon. busy these days!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 21:00:00 +0000

My sister picked out this bureau for her daughter's bedroom and asked me to paint it. They wanted red. I had planned to re-stain the top a darker color as well as all the space between the drawers. HOWEVER, the stain and I did not get along!

I did buy a palm sander but I do not think I got off all the existing stain so when I stained over it it left some very dark areas and did not look good at all. I planned to paint sides and drawers in "Emperor's silk" chalk paint and then clear and dark wax it.

Well, I will tell you I had a whole can of "Versaille" paint color in my basement and it needed to be used. I had to give some thought to how to make the bureau more interesting as it really just is very plain.

I usually try to pick out older pieces with some decoration and more interest. SO, if you don't have interest you have to create some!

I thought she spent to much on it so I did not want to buy paint but rather to use what I had on the shelves. Well, I had plenty of "Versaille" green chalk paint and some old white. so here it goes:

Sorry for the lack of good staging! it is in the garage and after a few attempts I quit!! it is versaille green, clear and dark waxed and has doubled up jute twine pulls. drawers are lined with craft paper. this is not for a "girlie girl" so I think it will work!

ideas anyone!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 22:20:00 +0000

Ok, so don't we all have at least one room in our home we just can't make quite "right"!
For me it is my dining room. The furniture needs some updating! It has been in my husband's family and we are not planning on a new set.

I painted the buffet in "Aubusson Blue" chalk paint and I clear and dark waxed it. I think the window treatments are staying, at least for now!

So, how do I pull the look together? Do I paint the chairs the same color as the buffet? Eventually I would like to recover the seats...something French looking, maybe grain sack?

Any ideas from my friend's who are good at designing/decorating? This room has always stumped me a bit!

end of summer flowers....bittersweet!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:18:00 +0000

I was out in my yard today, mowing and pruning and admiring those end of summer flowers in full bloom. I love the sunlight here in the northeast at this time of year. it casts pretty shadows in the afternoon and is a softer light than in mid-summer.

Can someone tell me how to dry these beautiful hydrangea? I have not had much luck doing so in the past.

Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 23:22:00 +0000

Just finished this little bed-side table for my niece's room in "Antibes green" chalk paint. Great color.

I gave the top two coats of clear wax to protect it and the rest of it one coat of clear, then I dark waxed the whole piece. It really tones down the green and gives it more dimension.

I love the coral knobs from Anthropologie. They really have the greatest looking knobs, and not terribly expensive. These were $10 each.

This is the before pic!

And now after!

mirror, mirror on the wall!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Ok, I won't ask who is the fairest of them all.....might not like the answer!!!

I have decided I have a thing for vintage/antique mirrors. I am not sure why except I think the detail on them is so much more interesting than some of the newer mirrors. And like anything old, they have a history! I wonder where they have been and who owned them!

I found this mirror this weekend at a little shop in Uxbridge, Mass. Not to far from me. It is stuck right beside j & j automative. The shop is chock full with some good finds. You need to hunt and peck!

I loved the little medallions on this mirror. It had three holes in the frame that needed wood filler so I am working on those. I think I am going to repaint it in gold rather than another color. not sure yet but I do like the gold, it suits the frame and looks original.

I am also working on a little bedside table for my niece. She chose "Antibes Green" chalk paint and picked out two gorgeous little coral knobs from Anthroplogie pictured here! The girl's got good taste, what can I say!

It is pine and I have already taken the original knobs off and cleaned it with mineral oil and denatured alcohol. It does the trick. I then ragged on two coats of clear shellac so that the knots in the wood won't bleed through the chalk paint. you know what they say, or at least what my mom used to say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"!!!

So, will update when these projects are done. likely soon!

Thanks for checking in! Good-day all! xo

Long time, no talk!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 19:01:00 +0000

Hi friends! What with life going on and all I have not been doing lots of furniture hunts nor have I done much painting. I am a bit frustrated with the marketing side of things and am taking a break! I did just finish a vintage mirror. It was very plain gold and really nothing special as you can see!

So, I took out my favorite Chalk paint color-"Old White" and gave it a quick once over twice! It was so simple and I like how it shows the original gold through the "Old White". There are things I have painted old white and then I have accented with rub n buff to do the gold highlights. This time the "highlights" were already there. Putting on Craigslist!

What fun and easy projects have you done this summer?

Photographing for blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:59:00 +0000

I would really like to have a good manual camera for taking blog pics and someday buy the Shoot Fly Shoot instructional videos.

I like taking pics and I have a decent camera. It is a CanonSX40 with a manual setting. But I dare say I don't know how yet to take pics with the manual setting. I just tried and they all came out black!!!

So here are a few pics of my last project that I took with different settings.

Do you like any better than the other? Any suggestions?

I find when i try to get a close up shot I lose out on the corners of the piece of furniture! I will keep working at it though.

bureau ready for delivery!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:22:00 +0000

Finished the bureau I have been working on. I like the way it came out. It is Paris Grey with Old White accents in Annie Sloan chalk paint.

I cleaned the bureau really well with mineral spirits and then de-natured alchohol. It was very dirty! I cleaned inside the drawers too as it was a little musty smelling. Probably had not been used in a while.

I then sanded it lightly as it had some minor gouges and scratches on the top. I then gave it two coats of Paris Grey and highlighted the raised areas on the front of the bureau in old white.

I also gave it two coats of clear wax to protect the wood. I gave the top a good buffing a couple of days later as I tend to like some shine on the top.

A lot of people like to use the paintbrush in random patterns but I do tend to paint in straight lines....my type A personality maybe!!

It has great detail and is ready for delivery! Had a nice note in the mail today from my son's girlfriend thanking me for the prettying up!

Spring has Sprung!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:57:00 +0000

What a beautiful day it has been here today in New England! I live in Massachusetts and I dare say it has been a long, cold winter! Today is so beautiful and I have been outside most of the day!

I have almost finished the bureau I posted last. Just needs a coat or two of ASCP clear wax!

It is for my son's girlfriend in her new apartment she is moving to, but not til later in May so the pressure is not on!

I have been trying to work on my own around the house projects, not trying to sell a whole lot!

Here she is! First coat of "Paris Grey". I have done some accents in "Old White" and I am liking the way she looks. Will update you soon! Thanks for stopping by!

custom piece

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:25:00 +0000

Did a little shopping this weekend and found this cool bureau for my son's girlfriend. She is moving into a new apartment and needs a new bureau. The "bones" of this one are awesome but the wood is pretty marked up and again a little veneer missing.

Got my wood glue out and bought a wood clamp at the hardware store to clamp the glued veneer piece to the bureau. worked like a charm! Then used the wood filler to fill some small gouges.

We cleaned it thoroughly inside and out with mineral spirits and a rag and then with some de-natured alchohol.

We gave it two coats of shellac in case the dark wood decided it wanted to bleed through the paint.

Christie chose the "Paris Grey" Annie Sloan chalk paint. We talked about perhaps highlighting the piece with some "old white" or now i am thinking perhaps some "napoleonic blue".

The "Paris Grey" looks quite light to me right now so I am thinking the blue might be best.

I am undecided as of yet, she said she will trust my taste!
Will update you later when i have some more work done on the piece.

small things

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:31:00 +0000

I dare say small things make me happy! I have been busy working on my own projects and one custom table. My son has a small white mirror that did not look good on his walls. i painted it a solid ASCP "Napoleonic Blue" today and it is quite the sharp color! will look great on his "ice blue" walls.

I have also been doing some spring cleaning out and have a small pile of things to take to local consignment.

I painted the table in "antibes green", love that color. as spring approaches my color choices i find are much bolder. I found the green rush seat chair at a thrift store, i love it but the spot i bought it for is not working so out it goes!! I really don't hang on to things. The frame to the right of the chair is an awesome solid wood frame-will show it again below.

Someone could put a pic in it or hang on wall as is.

My next project at home are a bedside table in my son's room and a mirror for the guest room. will post soon!

little red table painted red...!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:43:00 +0000

I found this awesome console table on craigslist.

You may remember it from an earlier post, it was "Duck Egg Blue" but needed a little updating. I am doing over my son's room into a guest room and thought it would work in there.

I did two coats of "Emperor's Silk" color, and then clear waxed it with two coats. It was a little bright so I put a coat of dark wax on and i think it came out great.

It was very pretty in blue too but when I took the white bed out of the room, it just did not work! Always changing something up!

Happy Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:05:00 +0000

It is really starting to feel like Spring here in the Boston area, very exciting stuff given our tough winter.

Happy Easter to you all!

Source: liebesbotschaft.blogspot.com via Nilla on Pinterest

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Source: creeklinehouse.blogspot.ca via Bethany on Pinterest

You've gotta see this!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:23:00 +0000

I went to my favorite thrift shop yesterday and found a beautiful old chair. The problem is the springs are bent and when you sit in it it kind of gives way in the middle. I was hoping to fix it up myself but not sure...

Isn't it the coolest??! Someone said it may have been an old telephone chair, not sure but I will try to find out!

It was so well put together. It had so many upholstery nails placed very close together to adhere the fabric to the chair. Then under that it had staples and then under the fabric it had nails holding the padding on the the frame. a little sweat getting it off but no tears!

Upholstery nails were flying around the room!

The padding was horsehair and burlap and hay believe it or not!! Very well done. I guess they did not make foam padding back in the day....just head out to the barn and give your horse a tail cut!!!!

I have it stripped all the way down to the springs and it looks like with some work the springs could be re-worked and re-anchored to support the chair.

Will keep you posted on it's progress, even if I don't do all the work myself.

Going to look for a cool fabric soon.

a couple of good finds!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:43:00 +0000

I don't always find exciting things on Craiglsit. I feel like it used to be better but it is fun to browse. So, it was to my delight when I recently found this item:

It is rather large for a bedside table but it is great. I like to do the unexpected and never do matchy-matchy pairs of things. Or very rarely anyway!

Look at those legs! Ain't she a beauty. I cannot wait to give her a make-over. I like the color now a lot but it does not fit into my son's room which is getting a make-over. He has grown up and as they say, flown the coop! To make myself feel better about that I need to spice things up in there.

Not 100 % sure yet what I am going to do in there but I know I will have fun doing it.

I also just found an antique settee on Craigslist. I hope I am the first to inquire about it. It needs re-upholstery but I can handle that I think and it is a steal!

So, will update you when I know better what direction I am heading in!

what's old is new again!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:09:00 +0000

I bought this mirror at a thrift shop. I loved it but it was old and tired looking. With a little paint and a little more effort than i originally thought, it looks good!

It is a big mirror and rather heavy. I think it is about 36 tall by 42 wide. Mirrors are hard to photograph well!

I put on one coat of Annie Sloan "Napoleon Blue". It is a pretty blue and then I did a colorwash of paris grey over it. I mixed the paris grey with water, probably two parts paint to one part water. you can just play with the mixture a little bit.

It looked a little too milky for me so i took some clear wax and put it all over the wood and rubbed a lot of the paris grey off. I really like how the blue shows through more now but it is muted by the paris grey. I also gave it a light distressing to make it look more vintage/antique. I used a 220 fine grain sandpaper.

I think it has found a new home-someone coming by today to take a look!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:17:00 +0000

Who amongst us thinks I should stop buying furniture??! I for one think it is a good idea! I have many items going to a new consignment store and some things on craigslist but my living room is starting to look like a furniture store.

so far no complaints from family members though! I think my new rule should be that i don't buy anything til i sell something!

Hope you all have a good upcoming weekend....i will be painting one last thing....for now!

Will post my new console table next week. it is so pretty and has great lines....i guess i am addicted to furniture. Could be worse!

good thing we don't use that room too much!