Beatiful Patina Bedroom Set

I finished painting a huge bedroom set!!

Whew, it felt like it took forever. I had some family come to town in the middle of the painting project.  It slowed me down a bit. Not that I don't love my family, I'd take them in at the drop of a hat.

Once I start a project I can't lose any momentum. Are any of you that way? I find if I take a break on my own projects, they will become those half finished projects.

Here it is: two dressers, one nightstand, lingerie chest, and headboard (not in this picture).

This was a custom painted piece. I used an equal mixture of Paris Grey and Louis Blue to get this beautiful color. I used Annie Sloan dark wax to achieve the look of patina and depth. I encountered some difficulties while painting, the chalk paint kept peeling and chipping off when I painted the lingerie chest. I've had this happen only once before. On the other piece I just went with it, I enjoy the chippy look so it wasn't a big deal. For the lingerie chest that wasn't going to cut it. I found that sanding it off and giving it a roughed up surface to grip on to did the trick.

It was so ironic. I had a friend just last week text me about this same problem. She was painting a dresser Old White and it was peeling. She had even sanded and shellacked it in some areas.

Chalk paint tip: Shellac is a great sealer and seals any areas that the old stain might bleed through the paint. Older mahogany pieces tend to have this bleed through.

This was my advice to her: sand it down again and clean with a tsp cleaner- this helps remove grease, dirt, and build up. I hope it worked for her. Have any of you has this happen? Did you find another way to get around this problem?

Well, I guess Chalk Paint can't always be perfect. In the 200 hundred or so pieces I have painted, only 2 have had any issues. Not bad.

The headboard in this set was going to be used in a young girl's room so it got a different look. It was painted using Henrietta, a fun lilac color amd girly but not too girly. It was given some light dark waxing to add some depth to the color.

My client is going to send me some pictures of the whole room set up. I can hardly wait. Until then my imagination will be painting me beautiful pictures of the finished look.



Jenine

Linking back to...
www.kammyskorner.com
www.savvysouthernstyle.net
missmustardseed.com

Florence Painted Hutch

Whew! I have just spent the last few day painting over coloring on some of my doors. Usually a magic eraser can conquer most of my 3 yr old's artistic work. She managed to find my Sharpie paint marker that I use to "paint" french typography onto furniture. I guess it just goes to show how durable it is, right? I am hoping she is old enough now that her coloring-on-things phase is over.I am always amazed at the difference a fresh coat of paint can make.

My younger brother and his girlfriend are visiting this weekend for the holiday. I guess they are sick of all the snow and ready for some warmer Vegas weather. I'm so excited! It can get lonely not having any family nearby. I just want everything in the house to be perfect. What about you guys, do you go crazy cleaning and trying to finish every last project before company arrives? I even have to have the house all clean before the babysitter comes.

I haven't just been working on my own to do list. I have a hutch to show you. I debating showing the pictures of it or not. I know I always say that each piece was the heaviest so far but for reals this time. To date, this was the heaviest hutch a have encountered. My husband and I struggled to get it out of the truck and move it two feet into the garage. Luckily my dad was in town to help load it back into the truck for delivery. It was so heavy there was no way we could lift the top part on the lower half just to take a picture. I was too worried we'd drop it. I have an after picture that the client was kind enough to take for me in her home. What a sweet lady.

I was so excited when she told me she wanted to go with Florence Chalk Paint, I love this color, especially with dark wax over it. I had a small sample pot I used for an end table, but never had anyone brave enough to request it.

I love how the dark wax could took a color like Florence that can look so modern and give it some warmth and rustic twist.

I picked up this bedroom set to refinish over the weekend. Pretty cool stuff. Check back in a week or so for the finished look.

Rustic Country Kitchen Guest Post

 I am really excited to share with you all a guest post from JHE Log Furniture. Log furniture has a special place in my heart. My younger brother works for a company making log furniture and it makes me so proud of him :). I think when most people hear "log furniture", manly cabins and western themes come to mind. Today, I am going to show you how using beautiful hand made, top quality wood furniture can warm up a space. I think my favorite is JHE reclaimed barn wood pieces. Can you say gorgeous? Someday I will have that table.

Without further ado, Michelle's  tips on creating a kitchen with Rustic charm. I will be interjecting a few times with some of my own commentary and images from the internet.

Create a Cozy Kitchen with Rustic Country Charm

Nothing says, “home, family and tradition” better than a rustic country kitchen. The heart of the home, a kitchen should be comfortable and inviting. Here are some ways to turn a modern kitchen into a farmhouse-chic version where family and friends will love to gather, eat and visit.

Floors and Walls

A rustic kitchen’s charm starts with its floors and walls. Hardwood floors are the epitome of country design, but stone or tile work too. If you can’t change your flooring, cover modern-looking floors with country-inspired rugs. Walls can be panelled in knotty pine or papered with a country motif. Paint is another option. Avoid modern, trendy colours; think warm and natural instead. Adding faux wooden beams to ceilings or walls is another way to make the room more rustic.

(A Bit O' Whimsy: Here are some inspirational pics, I am in L-O-V-E with wooden beams, I must have them in my next home.)

image via houzz.com

 (image via furnitureminimalist.com)

Cabinets and Counters

Wooden cabinets make any kitchen more rustic. Instead of replacing current cabinets, try distressing or painting them. Replace a cabinet or two with wooden dish racks, which conveniently display country-style dishes. Wooden or stone countertops are a must, and a fabulously deep farmhouse sink completes the look. 

  (Questions on kitchen cabinet painting visit my kitchen cabinet reveal or head on over to Annie sloans cabinet tips)

Furniture

Rustic furniture is essential to any country kitchen. A big, wooden farmhouse table, for example, is incredibly inviting. Scour flea markets and second-hand shops for antique furniture that fits this look and adds a sense of history to the room, or create your own rustic furniture by painting and distressing modern pieces.

(A Bit O' Whimsy: I adore these rustic reclaimed barnwood tables from JHE)

(A Bit O' Whimsy: Here is how I envision them in my future kitchen)

 

 image via  myparadissi.com

 image via www.houzz.com

(A Bit O' Whimsy: Look at these perfect benches great for kitchen table seating or for that cottage chic entryway or mud room)

 

  (A Bit O' Whimsy:  Here are some great ways to decorate with these benches)

 (image via planete-deco.fr)

(A Bit O' Whimsy: I saw these cute stools and knew just what I would do with them.)

(image via nonowandthen.comwandthen.com)

 

Appliances

Stainless steel appliances can be integrated into country kitchens by surrounding them with older accessories like wrought-iron cookbook stands or ceramic jugs. Modern appliances with a retro appearance are another option, as are refrigerators with wood-veneer doors that blend into wooden cabinetry.

Lighting

A fluorescent light fixture just won’t do in a rustic kitchen. Look for metal pendant fixtures, wall sconces or chandeliers instead. Be sure to let plenty of natural light into the space as well. A large, minimally dressed window or a skylight is ideal.

Accessories

Pot racks, galvanized tubs, washboards—finish off your kitchen with rustic country accessories, whether they’re valuable antiques or modern replicas. Bringing nature indoors works well, too. Arrange dried flowers in a clay vase or an old milk jug for a stunning centrepiece.

A rustic country kitchen inspires home-cooked meals, lends a relaxed vibe to any occasion, and is a great place for families to gather. With a few changes, any kitchen can take on this timeless rustic charm.

 (image via planete-deco.fr)

About the company:

JHE’s Log Furniture Place, is a leading manufacturer and retailer of rustic log furniture. This company has a huge online store offering indoor and outdoor log furniture, as well as rustic décor and accessories. Its furniture is proudly made in the USA and the company has excellent customer service.

Giveaway! My Memories Scrapbook Software

I have something very exciting to share with my dear and faithful followers. Do any of you scrapbook? Or wish that you did? Do you have kids' pictures piling up and no time to scrapbook them? Has it been years since your wedding and you have yet to touch the pictures? If you answered yes to any of these, then I am speaking to you :)

I am fortunate enough to offer a giveaway from My Memories Suite, a digital scrapbook software. Liz at www.mymemories.com let me try out the software. I can't express how easy it is to use, I am computer-illiterate and found it very user friendly. Let me tell you my favorite part: I don't have to try to rummage through my scary craft closet to try and find supplies like scissors, embellishments, glue sticks, and coordinating papers. There are many beautiful templates to use if you want quick, easy, and coordinating pages. If you are feeling creative you can create you own pages and choose from the many different papers and embellishments. My second favorite feature was the ability to edit your picture with this software. Just this Christmas I was making a digital picture book for grandparents and the I had to load all my pictures into Photoshop and edit them before moving them into the software to use for pages. This is not the case with My Memories, I can easily crop my photos or take out red eye in the program itself. No worries if you don't have Photoshop.

This digital scrapbooking software saves you money in very expensive scrapbooking supplies and photo editing programs. You can also choose to print off the pages or book at a place of your choice.

It was so fast, easy, and cute. Many templates for every season, age, or occasion!
Here are some of the pictures I put together of my daughter, this literally took just minutes.

Want to know how you could win a FREE copy? To enter the giveaway, you MUST go to http://www.mymemories.com/ and take a look at the available templates/kits, then come back to this post and comment with the name of your favorite one. To be eligible to win, you must also be either a follower of my blog, or a "liker" of A Bit O' Whimsy on Facebook. Once you have submitted your comment, submit your official entry below on the Rafflecopter widget. The giveaway will end at 9pm Pacific Time on Sunday February 10th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


If you would like to purchase your own copy of the software, you can get $10 off by using promo code STMMMS92307 at http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software