What I've been doing....

Of course, when in the midst of a room makeover, the vision changes as you go along.  I made a detour on Craigslist last week (been trying to avoid reading over there because time and funds are short until my youngest graduates....in 10 years.)  Anyway, I happened upon some ladderback chairs that would do a great job in my dining room even though I had already decided to use some other chairs I already had.  I'm going for an ecclectic mix in there....a cottagey, shabby, rustic, but elegant feel. I thought the rusticness would look cool juxtaposed with the more elegant shabbiness of the boo-fay.  So I picked 'em up and went to work.

Removed the seats.....

so I could use some of this (Heirloom White, 'cause, well, you know)

Laid out the seats...

so I could add some of this...

My spraypaint was giving me fits...don't know if it was just too cold or what, but it kept coming out in bursts of foamy splatters.  I'm sorry to say it made me cuss.  A lot.  I sanded them down again, thinking I'd just use a brush, but I ended up really liking the look of them all shabby-fied after I finished with the sanding (used 220 grit...it took FOREVAH)

The seats were a challenge too....the gel stain was too gloppy and hard to get into the zillion crevices.  But it's what I had on hand, and I wasn't driving 20 minutes to get something different.  It took 3 coats and 3 days.  The first coat I obeyed the rules and wiped the extra off after a few minutes.  The second and third coats I said another bad word, threw caution to the wind and laid it on thick, letting it dry as is.  Much nicer effect....but took a full 24 hours to dry between the coats.

They're cozied up to my table in the dining room now....will prolly need to use some wipe-on poly for the chairs and some spray on for the seats, but I was impatient and wanted to see them in the room.  You, my dear readers will see them in the room VERRRY soon.

The next project I undertook for the room was a rolltop oak desk that I got for helping my friend sell off her mom's estate. (the brass badboys I did were also from her mom's)  Here's the before:

Here it is opened up....the surface slides out to make a desk.  Very cool.  Very dirty.
Very covered in years of nicotine.  But her lines are VERY similar to the boo-fay....yippee!

I basically wiped 'er down a couple times with liquid sander, then painted on 3 coats of Heirloom White (it comes in a quart near the spraypaint), doing a light sanding inbetween.  After the last coat I used 80 grit sandpaper to distress her edges.

Here's an after closeup:

Help me out here....I'm tempted to add some glaze to her, but she matches the boo-fay's treatment as is.  Should I just let her be?  I still need to paint her scrolly things on top too.  They're brass and just not very nice.  If I can figure out how to spraypaint them with ORB, that's my plan.

So....that's what's been cookin' round these parts.  I have one big-ish project left, but I may not wait to complete that before going ahead with the reveal.  I'm terribly happy with how it's coming along, and trying to ignore the perfectionist in me when it comes to accessorizing and such. Also, having it so near completion makes me HATE the ceilings (popcorn/cottage cheese/nastiness) and floor (berber blah carpet).  Ah well. 

Can't wait to show y'all...thanks for being (somewhat) patient!

Linkin' up to:

Mustard Seed Creations: Furniture Feature Friday

My Romantic Home: Show and Tell Friday

Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday

Poppies at Play: Creative Black Cats Friday