It's been nice not to have have to trudge through the eight feet of snow we've had in the past few weeks to find my last three furniture makeover projects; instead they've come to me. Two dressers were offered to me from clients I delivered finished pieces to and a local contractor removed these Asian-inspired built-in cabinets from his renovation as the new owner opted to move away from the 1960's shag-carpeted, disco, Asian decor. Whewww! That's a mouthful and quite of mix of styles don't ...
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Latest from the Blog
Coastal Blue Dresser With Eagle Brass
The latest post about this Coastal Blue Dresser with Eagle Brass was accidentally deleted, so I'm reposting.
A client was picking up the white antique buffet that I refinished this past Fall and asked if I would like this dresser that was in her garage. Would I like it? Of course I would!
Here's what the unfinished dresser looked like when I brought it home. That one drawer wouldn't completely close - an easy fix - but otherwise it was in great (old) condition.
Thank you to Suzanne over ...
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How to Clean Brass Without Harsh Chemicals
Earlier this week I revealed the Coastal Blue Dresser with brass hardware. When I received the dresser the drawer pulls were a very dark brown. A little elbow grease, however, brought out the beautiful gold of the brass underneath.
Here's how the drawer pulls looked before...
and here they are after...
I like to avoid harsh chemicals whenever possible. I used two methods to clean this brass. Both worked well individually. In combination, they worked even ...
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Tin Ceiling Tiles Reflect Light & Brighten a Room
If you're looking to brighten your home, consider adding a silver accent in an unexpected place. Tin tiles placed on the ceiling or along a backslash will add instant glamor and sparkle to a room and brighten up any dark area. The tin will reflect the light the way a mirror placed on the wall would.
I spotted this tin ceiling as I was walking into a local office building. I couldn't help but look up because the small amount of light coming in through the door was reflecting off the tiles in ...
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Realizing That I Am Strategic!
One of my very best friends from college recently decided to leave her corporate job and start up her own branding company. When she first told me, I knew it was the right decision for her. She's amazing at being able to listen to a person talk about their product or service, pull out the unsaid details, put into words exactly where that person would like to take their product, and then provide a plan for them to get there. That's strategy. That's branding a product. Branding a service. ...
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Coastal Blue Server
Well, we made it through two feet of snow here in New England. Four and a half hours of shoveling… piece of cake! Three snow days home with the kids constantly cooking and cleaning… no problem.
Being snowed in actually gave me some time to finish up this navy blue server I've been working on since early December.
This piece was once the base of a two-piece hutch, but unfortunately I could only fit the base in my truck. I'm now wishing I had gone back to retrieve the glass-door cabinet top. ...
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Changing Table Repurposed into a Wine Bar
We woke yesterday morning to a beautiful snowfall here in New England. The snow was as light as air, so I didn't mind shoveling. It also gave me an excuse to stay in the rest of the day and work on a few furniture pieces; including this large changing table dresser that I had plans to repurpose into a wine bar buffet.
At first look, the dresser looked to be in pretty good condition, but there were several scratches and a few chips in the original factory-finished brown paint. On the ...
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Grain Sack Inspired Side Chairs
Finding furniture pieces that are in almost-perfect condition actually makes me feel a little guilty. Guilty because I paint everything. It's just what I do. I love adding color and the way it feels when it's finished - like I just scrubbed it with soap - CLEAN & NEW.
The wood side chairs I found last week didn't have a knick, a crack, or a tear. They are solid and comfortable. Of course I felt a little guilty for painting them; but they did have one downfall… they were stained ...
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Blue & White Striped Bench
Blue and white are two of my favorite colors. You may recall the blue & white star pedestal dining table I refinished and painted this Fall. I couldn't wait to use the colors again on another project - and then I found this rustic bench. By rustic, I mean, well-used, paint-drop-covered, chipped, and banged up.
I think someone on a construction project threw this bench together with some scrap wood they had on hand. I forgot to take a before picture, but I was hopeful.
So I began ...
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General Tso’s Chicken, Rice & Broccoli
It's not very often that everyone in my family agrees on a meal. Some prefer salad, some meat and potatoes, and some would eat pizza every day of the week if I let them. When I announce that we're having General Tso's Chicken, Rice & Broccoli, there's a smile on everyone's faces - especially mine since it's simple to prepare.
INGREDIENTS:
3 boneless chicken breasts
2-cups of rice pilaf or brown rice
broccoli
1 bottle of Iron Chef's General Tso's Sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4 ...
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2014 Accomplishment #1: Sidelight Window Curtains & Packaging
Happy New Year everyone! This past year has been amazing. So many new doors have opened and I'm seeing that the opportunities are limitless. I'm actually, finally, doing what I love - CREATING! Today and tomorrow I'd like to show you two of my creations that represent how far I've come in the past year.
The first is my sidelight window panel design. These are curtain panels made to cover the tall, fixed windows beside an entryway door. Thus, the name Entri Window ...
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2014 Accomplishment #2: Painted Furniture
Yesterday I talked about one of my main accomplishments of 2014 - designing a new style sidelight window panel and its packaging. Today, I reveal a second… painted furniture.
I've been painting furniture for years; but they've either been upcycled pieces I planned to keep for myself or those I just quickly refinished and re-sold at a yard sale for a quick profit. This past year was the year when I decided to focus on refinishing and making the finished product a high quality, beautiful piece ...
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