FAT FRENCHY SIDEBOARD

 
 
Yippee ... Friday has arrived and for most a relaxing weekend is ahead of you.
I also have this perfect shabby white french sideboard ready for someone to pick up
this weekend and add to their home. It is not easy to find good frenchy sideboards around here
that are also quality solid wood. This one is a MALCOLM piece.
 
 
 I finished it in a creamy white with plenty of rustic distressing.
I want that serious look of time worn use in a country home.
 

 
We had a bit of a date night last night and really enjoyed the time together and the relaxing.
So we will not be venturing too far from home this weekend and we will do a little more of that
relaxing time in between customer visits and tours.
 
 
If you want to stop by give us an email or a call.
driftwoodesign@shaw.ca or 604 790 3865
 
 
 
 
Have a great Weekend!
 
 
 

 

 
 


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HOW TO GET THROUGH DIFFICULT PROJECTS

 
For those of you who paint ...
Hands up who puts off waxing this kind of project ????
 
 
If you look around the audience (play along) most hands are raised high, including mine.
 
 
Painting intricate wood work, turnings, and spindles is bad enough but then we have to wax them,
OY VEY!
When we look at a project as a whole it becomes daunting and undoable, so instead of getting up and starting we flip the channel to watch another DIY show and say quietly to ourselves we could do that if we wanted to.
 
 
I break the job down in my head to manageable sections.
Start with the top and when you're finish with the top walk away and do something else.
The important part is to plan that from the beginning so your mind thinks you are finish.
Maybe a few hours later or a day or two you do it again with another section of the project.
We all excel when our goals are achieved, the smaller your goals the more often you can achieve them.
Does this sound strange or silly?
This is what I have done for years to get through complicated tasks.

 
I have gotten to the point where I don't need to walk away for long,
just a quick water or email break, but in my mind as each section is completed
I feel the fulfilment of being done and it's on to the next job.
 
And before I know it I have created another piece of beautiful furniture.

 

 

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SHABBY CHIC PAINT LAYERING - distressing white over green







I took an old record storage table and did a 2 color paint layering to get a fun shabby chic finish.


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BATH TIME WITH ANNIE SLOAN!

 
I have been waiting since last August to show you that I painted my bathtub with
ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT and a recent photo shoot has aloud me to share it with you now.
I didn't want to tell you back when I first did it because it was new and fresh and clean and who
 knows if it would hold up over time.
Well almost a year later and it has held up perfectly, fyi we are in and out of the shower every day.
 
doesn't it look amazing now?             and here it is 5 years ago
 
 
Plz understand I just painted the outside, not the inside of the tub where the water is.
I brushed the first coat on and left it for a day or so because it is very fragile when drying on
such as smooth porcelain finish. I then waxed it and added a second coat.
Yes you can paint ASCP right over the wax!!!
 
I smile from ear to ear everytime I walk past that room and don't see that harvest gold anymore!
 


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ROMANTIC & WHITE FLEA MARKET STYLE - press back chair





A crystal lamp with deconstructed shade, a stack of vintage sheet music, an orchard fruit basket, and a vintage white distressed press back chair, all these things represent romantic flea market style.

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BENCH BUILT FROM A BED - emperors silk red





I adore building fun and useful furniture from salvaged items and many times the pieces are donated.



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TEXAS WEATHERED and RUSTIC FINISH TIPS

 
 
Today I want to do a big shout out to Tina Pinkert of Livingston Texas,
and yes if you are one of my followers get over to her facebook and say HI or Howdy
 
No blog for Tina.
 
 Not everyone is crazy and writes a blog while maintaining a facebook page,
and successfully rebuilding furniture. Plz note the words *crazy* and *maintaining*
 
https://www.facebook.com/TinasTakeOver
 
Tina is one of many ladies who have reached out to me for help, advice,
or some simple supportive reassurance. Half a year later she is forging her way
through many furniture projects for resale and making a real go of it.
 

https://www.facebook.com/TinasTakeOver

It's time for that big decision of get bigger or go home and I want you all to convince her to
go bigger, after all she is in Texas.

https://www.facebook.com/TinasTakeOver

Over on Tina's Available Items Album I read she likes to keep a dining set or two in stock,
good grief I can barely get one set done and stored safely when the weather is good.
 
And speaking of good weather and Texas sized projects ...
 
I have a big coffee table for you and I hope it's just what one of you have been looking for
because the only place I can fit it to store it safely is in my truck.
So all the pretty pictures you get for now are in the yard. George mowed ... that should count!
 
Please don't drive over this one George.
 
 
I did a rustic weathered finish that looks really cool.
 
 
I painted the base in ASCP French Linen which is a mocha brown grey color
and white washed over that with ASCP Pure White that was watered down.
 
 
NOTE:
 
this step is for experienced painters or those willing to practise patience.
 
The fun / dirty part comes when you apply too much wax over undried watered down white paint.
Think about that for a second ... you get smears, and goops, and missing paint, and as
long as you work with the grain of your wood and you trust the process
you can achieve an amazing rustic finish that looks silvered and weathered.
You can drag a coarse sand (80grit) paper through the mess to achieve more of the wood grain look.
 

FYI:
When you are done you should have a completely silky soft and smooth finish, that's the part that
 takes the time and patience. Fine sand paper, steel wool, and plenty of rags will get you there.

 

Sharing with:
 

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PHOTO FUN - shabby chic frames

 
 
 
My collection of second hand ornate frames has been getting bigger lately
so this past weekend I started painted, photographing, and uploaded them on my

 
When I'm photographing smaller things, NOT FURNITURE, I can have a lot more fun playing around with props and set ups.

 
These are some of the fun photos I took that didn't make the advertising page.
And all the props you see are things I have around me everyday in my own home.
Great examples of second hand finds.

 
I have no formal education in photography but my best tip for getting good pictures
is NATURAL LIGHT. Do not mistake that with direct sunlight.
 

 
The SHABBY CHIC ACCESSORIES page is getting a bit of a new look while I'm
uploading the new frame photos ... stop in for a look see and let me know what you think
 


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MAKING AN OPEN AIR DISPLAY CABINET - farmhouse grey china cabinet

 
I'll take it ...
 
 
I was excited when I found this cabinet because of the size. Most of the time I must turn away
from overly large beautiful pieces because I'm not physically capable to work on them alone or they won't fit in my home to be worked on. This was one of those larger pieces I could consider because it wasn't too large and it was 2 pieces.
 
I'll get straight to the before pictures so you can understand my vision with this project.
 
 
Mid 70's china cabinet with glass panels everywhere in the upper portion.
The glass just had to go ...

 
Below you can see the upper cabinet completely stripped down, no glass, no backing.
I prefer to work on cabinets from the open back, especially to get a good paint job inside.
 
 
The original backer was a piece of cardboard with a picture of wood on it.
I redid the back with thin tongue and groove bead board. Every now and then I find
a package or 2 while yard saling, just enough to complete some of my projects.
 
 
I seriously wanted this cabinet to look like it was from an old farm house. I painted it with an ASCP
light grey mix, distressed it, sealed the Chalk Paint with Minwax Natural, then got the final look with
 Annie Sloan's Dark Wax. The dark wax does such a great job of simulating age.


 
The hardest part on this project by far was installing *CHICKEN WIRE* in the upper cabinet
but it looks absolutely perfect on this piece and there is no doubt it's from a farmhouse now.
Chicken wire is also known as hex wire, keep that in mind if you are in
the hardware store about to ask for it.  When working with it you MUST have patience,
you SHOULD wear gloves, and the right stapler and cutters might help calm the process a little.
Once again my roll was found at a yard sale.


 
Inside the lower cabinet is open storage with a cutlery drawer front and center.
I added the perfect rustic old handle to the door.
 
 
 


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HOW TO DEMOLISH A DRESSER WITH A VEHICLE - poor george

 
 
Most of my current project are all still in some unfinished state but I do want to share with you
what happened earlier today.
 
Cue the photographic evidence ...
 
that's what you get MDF
 
While backing out of the driveway some one's tire caught the edge of this
dresser and demolished it in a split second. I had just got out of the shower and was in a bathrobe when I heard the commotion. As I'm flying out the door to find out what has happened I hear a familiar voice calling my name.
 
 
In George's defence we had so many other furniture pieces to move yesterday
and quite a few other things to deal with I forgot to get the dresser moved off the driveway. 
 
Most ppl who have met George know how wonderfully friendly and kind he is.
Here are a few more facts about George ...
 
- He's college educated with a bachelor's degree
and originally from New Brunswick (east coast) where he worked for NB Power for 23 years
- He's coached hockey most of his adult life and took teams on tour to Europe
- Early in his teens the NHL were scouting him but he liked playing in a band more.
- He lost his father in a plane crash over 30 years ago.
- He's been a director on 2 non profit boards here in Vancouver
- He donates to charity every chance he gets and especially at Christmas
- He was a business man wearing a suit most days before I met him.
- He had never been to a yard sale before me and now he brings home roadside treasures.
 
 
3 of the furniture pieces he was helping me move yesterday were these large dressers
I was painting for a local extreme makeover.
 
 
I also had a couple of photon shoots to get through including this vintage country display cabinet,
 
 
and this outdoor bedroom scene.
 
 
The weather has been amazing and hot so I'm spreading out and have projects all over
which is taking away from my time to write about each of them for you.
The photos are all being taken and I'll be able to
show you the ins and outs of most of them when the weather turns.
 
As for the the dresser ...
 
 
I have less demolishion to do and most importantly George is forgiven.
 

 
 


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