Fresh. Simple. Classic. Dresser.

The official start of summer is upon us so it seemed it was perfect timing to break out the white, old white chalk paint that is!
 

 

I've had some really great luck finding gorgeous dressers lately...making it relatively easy to transform a piece like this into a show stopper because it has so much class already.

Painted in Annie Sloan Old White and finished it with clear wax, this girl is stunning. Not much distressing here, just enough to make it look gently used and comfortable. The drawer pulls are original and aged to perfection.

Here are some more pictures and closeups of the finished product.

before

Thanks to all those who have served our beautiful country.

Happy Memorial Day!

-Crystal

Reclaimed Industrial Console Table

Our latest project is a stylish, industrial console table.

Handcrafted from steel and reclaimed barn roof boards, this industrial lady is a real gem. I came up with the design and my {fabricator} husband brought the project to life.

As a last minute addition, we added the cross member on the back of the unit. This gives the piece a little added style while not compromising the function.

The saw blade marks on the planks coupled with the nail holes add to the overall character.

The wood and metal frame have been sealed for protection.

Although it will be tough to see this girl off, her bags are packed and she's ready to find her new home.

Antique Industrial Chest of Drawers + Dresser Set

 This is a project that I've been wanting to try for quite sometime but I just needed to find the right specimen. Well low and behold, my hubby found this set for me and hauled it home a couple weeks ago-GAME ON!

This set was in awful shape, but it was exactly what I needed for this project so into the shop for a TON of prep work. We had to repair years of damage, literally rebuild a few drawers and replace all the drawer bottoms. Here are a few pics of the progress...

  

 

I had picked up an outrageously cool printers cabinet several months ago and have been obsessing with the finish...this would serve as my inspiration piece...

I love the patina on this cabinet from the years of use...now for me to apply that same feel to my dresser set.

 To get this look, I washed both dressers with Graphite, wiping back the wash as needed to get the desired finish. Using dark wax I was able to achieve the depth I needed and highlight the oak wood grain as well. To complete the look I picked up some 'new' industrial inspired pewter knobs and drawer pulls.

 

 

Antique Industrial---that's what I'm calling this style. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

 Have a great day!

Spring Boutique Round Up

Last night we participated in the Wilds Boutique in Prior Lake. This was our first time at this venue and what an energetic and lively group of shoppers we had. I can say for certain that we will be returning this fall for the holiday boutique!

For those of you that couldn't make it to the show, here are some of the products that we had for sale last night and a glimpse at our setup.

 

 

Boxwood looks great year round in my opinion. This shabby frame and wreath was the first to sell at the sale!

Blue, yellow and white totes made from reclaimed barnwood and old banister spindles are great little gifts for mom, teachers or neighbors for May Day.

I came across a ton of stamped tin awhile back so I used some to make these wall pockets. I had seen some pockets similar to these on pinterest and they were so cute that I decided to make a small iteration and some bigger ones. The small ones are fun in a grouping and the larger ones are a great alternative to a wreath on a front door.

I also used some of that chippy stamped tin to make some great magnet boards out of vintage frames. These came with a set of three handmade button magnets.

Succulents were a big hit this show. And they require little to NO maintenance, gotta love that!

Arrows seem to be all the rage lately and I had to jump on that wagon and make a few out of some reclaimed barnwood and trim boards.

 

I just love the face that was reveled when we cut this reclaimed beam in half! Creepy or cool? I think it's super cool!

A gigantic thanks to everyone that came out last night and supported local businesses. Your continued support is critical in helping our little business grow!

Have a fantastic day!

~Crystal

Earth Day Furniture Makeovers

Happy Earth Day!

Today seems like a great day to try and explain a little bit about why I do what I do. I don't know when it actually started, but I think it was long before I even knew what was happening. {funny how we pickup on the habits of our parents and you don't even know it until years later} When I was growing up, my mom was always finding ways to reuse, repurpose, and refinish things. And if you can believe it, my dad was all for said projects too. It was actually hard to throw something away at our house...you would have to sneak it into the garbage when dad wasn't looking so that he wouldn't question why you were throwing it out! We weren't hoarders, but we weren't wasteful either. So by all means we were to save stuff that still had potential until we could find it a new purpose for it.

 Then years later, I found myself trying to furnish my first apartment. With our minimal budget, my roommate and I went to a ton of garage sales and found a bunch of stuff that was in good shape but didn't have the flair that girls in their 20s would want...so we got out the paint and customized our finds to better represent our youthful personalities! {an eclectic mix of turquoise, purple and pink painted garage sale furniture--it was PERFECT}

Fast forward to several years after that...I finally came to the realization that my mom was right! {aren't moms always right!} Decorating your house with a mix of old and new makes for a home that is more representative of your personality. It makes our homes more YOUnique.  Not to mention it's fun, challenging and quite rewarding to breathe new life into an tired and worn pieces and ultimately save them from the landfills.

In the name of Earth Day, I challenge us all to think about how we can repurpose or upcycle the goods we have before we make the decision to throw them out!

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Let's get on with projects fresh out of the shop this past weekend...from a stocky buffet cabinet to a Thomasville buffet and finally an antique round side table...all three have a new lease on life.

Here is the round table first. Finished in a custom mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that resulted in a nice warm blue color.  The detailing on the leg and the little cream knobs are fantastic.

The next piece is this sturdy buffet cabinet. this is another custom color, not sure these pictures do it justice. It's a nice soft green paired with the natural stained top, perfect representation of spring!

 

Finally is this Thomasville Buffet. This piece is actually finished in the same color as the antique round table, the only difference is that I used more dark wax on this piece so it's less blue and more grey.