Shabby Chic; Volume III

bensonsmum

I went to a bootie on sunday and picked up a few bits, still practicing before i attempt a biggie.

I paid £1.50 for this, and have spent most of yesterday doing "it up", the worst bit was all the handles and fixings, couldn't believe how tiny the screws were!!



i also bought some candlesticks and a couple of free standing mirrors so am going to be doing them over the next few days - really loving doing all this, it just feels so great to transform things that i wouldn't have looked at twice before - well and truely hooked

maman

Still on my search for wallpaper for my guest room. I went to B&Q today and was pleasantly surprised at their range, loads of damask designs and others. It's not cheap, actually more expensive than LA at the moment as theirs is all half price. I particularly liked one which reminded me of LA Summer Palace (which I've got as a feature wall in my bedroom). Unfortunately I can't find a pic on the website. It's basically Summer Palace with birds and trees and flowers, a bit Chinese looking but like a line drawingas if in a in a silvery black pen on an off white background.

alec_eiffel

Have you tried wallpaperdirect for paper? They have a great choice and will send A4 samples.

annie-c

Maysie wrote: »

When you do chest of drawers when you paint the front of the drawers where do you stop? do you paint the sides? I did these a while back but i got bored and never really finished the drawers to a good standard.

I tend to paint all over because I feel things look unfinished otherwise. You just need to be aware that paint adds thickness to the overall drawer/runners etc which may cause the drawer to stick when you try to replace it. I try to counter this by sanding a good layer off the drawer and only giving one thin basecoat and topcoat on all 'inside' parts. I usually line the drawer bottom with Laura Ashley wallpaper (from the 50p sale bin)

danemi1

hi peeps - can I borrow your ears for few mins - I want a shabby chic look kitchen certainly country style anyway - and I would love love love painted (in farrow and ball) units but cant find anywhere that does them reasonable enough - hoping to ahve an extension and in the existing part of our home take down three walls to make big kitchen family room...anyway - my dream of painted units seems unreal as there are so many costs involved in the building work so we have spent the day today at Ikea - I dont want lots of mouldings on the doors - just something simple and we have come away with a design and its based on the glossy white door which is just a straight slab door - no mouldings at all. The part of the room that I want the kitchen to be in is to have a bank of 6 floor to ceiling tall units (cooker will be in one of these and microwave in another) then about a metre away but in line a big island - 6 units across full dept units on side and then washer and dryer the other side with 4 shallow units creating knee space for breakfast stools. The worktop I want to have is oak (gonna source it elsewhere as I have been advised IKEA worktops are dear and you can get better cheaper elsewhere) I DO HOPE YOU ARE STILL READING AND HAVENT FALLEN ASLEEP _ LOL!!!! - It would be a very big island but thats it there wouldnt be any other worktop anywhere else and I would have a double belfast sink and a hob in there too. Now I guess what I am saying is - white gloss units - oak worktop - double belfast sink and the handles I fancy are how can I describe them - like you used to get in haberdashery stores on lots of little drawers - you put your fingers under and pull - bit like half a cup - oh golly I am not good at explaing - will see if I can find a piccie and come back - do you think it would all work or do you think because the units are white gloss would it be too modern to be shabby chic - please please help - thanks xxxx

shirlgirl2004

I am hoping to get a very similar look for our kitchen but although I considered Ikea I don't think the slab units will ever be shabby chic whatever the handles. I can definitely see the appeal of the slab units as they are so much easier to keep clean. we are going to use www.pineland.co.uk the bggest downside is you have to paint or get someone to paint the units yourself.

danemi1

I dont mind painting them myself - off to have a peek at pineland - do you know anyone that has used them???

shirlgirl2004

No but Doozergirl on here recommended them as they had been used by a friend. They have given me a hand drawn plan which isn't particularly easy to read. It comes to almost £12k but that includes worktops, butler sink and tap. It includes an island and floor to ceiling cupboards. However it is for a large kitchen with a run of roughly 8 feet of floor to ceiling cupboards as well as maybe 15 feet of base units along another wall. There are various other cupboards too and a unit surrounding a range cooker.

The island unit is 60" by 44" and the cost is £1,715 and the oak worktop for it is £416. Just to give you an idea.

danemi1

thanks hun - on their site - they said the average kitchen was - what was it 5K - but ood to read your prices there - thank you - let us know how you get on - the rest of the building work is costing an arm and a leg - having an extension, then three wals taken down to make big family room and we have nicking a 1/4 of the garage to add an en suite so as you can see - the kitchen has to be very very very affordable - ohhh I could do with a win on the lottery - actually had two wins recently - 2.60 and 2.90 - that may buy me a pack of napkins - lol!!!

irishgirl62

Danemi... what about the ikea adel yellow kitchen?