Something New Under The Sun

I hope everyone is enjoying this fine summer weather.  Summer is my favorite season, and I for one, hope it never ends!  It has been so nice to be outside working in the garden or just relaxing on the porch.  Of course the best part of summer is spending the day at the beach, which I will be doing this week.  I can hardly wait to soak up the sun and hear the waves crash!!!  

In the meantime,  I thought I would share a few paint projects I finally finished up this weekend.  All three of these pieces were purchased at one of my favorite stores close to me called "Good Deals."  If you live close by,  you should check them out.  They get new items weekly and the items that remain, get lowered in price each week.  I also like that they post pictures of  new items the day before they open.  It's a great place to find antiques or that piece of furniture to add to your collection.  I'm sure by now you are wondering... does this girl ever paint anything a color besides white?  Well the answer is ...sometimes I do,  depending on where the piece will be used and how much color I will be adding with other things in the room.  But  for  this post... all will be white!   These are the before pictures.     ​

The chair has beautiful  curves and is so comfortable.  It was just what I was looking for to add to my bedroom.  The filing cabinet, which looks like a big brown box in the picture was a much needed addition to my office.  Last but not least was this beautiful curio cabinet with arched doors that I could not resist. 
Let me start by saying,  it is always a good idea to really think through a piece before you buy it. 
" How long will it take to redo?  Do I have a specific use for what I am buying, or do I want it  just because its cute?"
  I knew the chair and the filing cabinet were definitely  needed, but the cabinet was just so cute!  Honestly I did need some more storage and well you know the rest.  Ha!Ha!
The cabinet took the longest to refinish.  It was quite a job taking out all the glass panels for transport (not to mention all the glass cuts I received on my fingers during the cleaning process).  It was making me wonder,  "was this piece really worth all this?"  In the end, all the pieces were worth it and I'm so happy with how they turned out!  I used ASCP in pure white for all three pieces with some distressing and clear wax.  I added new hardware for the filing cabinet and some grain sack material with new trim on the chair.  Let me mention that I am new to furniture recovering and upholstery techniques and this was by no means probably done the correct way.  It is something on my "learn new things list" and I just went with it!  The person I most admire for her expertise in this area is Miss Mustard Seed!  You should check out her blog to see her exquisite upholstery redos as well as everything else she does!  You won't be disappointed!   What I'm learning on my journey is to not be afraid to try new things.  If I fail, there is always a next time,  and some things will take a next time, but that's alright.  Its about having fun during the process and enjoying the ride!  I hope you are encouraged today to find something new to try!  There are endless possibilities and you never know... you just might find you're having a blast on your journey.
​Heidi