Shabby Chic; Volume III

emma_kate

debtdawg wrote: »

I have my first project It's a little dark wood table with a lift up lid, inside is separated into two compartments. I have some ASCP in original so I am going to paint it in that and line it with some wallpaper from Next and let my DD (6) use it for all her pretties and bits and bobs.
The baby is napping so I am off outside to wash it down Excited

Don't forget to show us when it's done!

andycrichton

emma_kate wrote: »

Archer,
your best bet is to go here; http://traditionalpainter.com/
Andy Crichton is the guru of pine and knows his stuff better than any.
You can ask him questions.
I don't know whether dipping will remove wax. Actually I seem to remember him talking about Krudcutter and elbow grease but the answers will lie in this site!

Thanks for the kind words. To save you searching, try Kridkutter Original and an abrasive green kitchen scourer, which removes wax very nicely. Apply liberally, leave for 10 minutes or till it starts to go off, and then clean off wax. It doesnt even need neutralising, but worth wiping clean with wet rag and dry rag. When dry, probably give the timber a very quick light rub over to take off the raised grain. Paint as you see fit.

I recommend various versions of Krudkutter for jobs around the home, because they work and being citrus based are very user friendly. I used Liberon Wax remover and other nasties for too long, and to be honest KK does same job without the fumes.

With knots and chalk paint, I go into detail about how to kill "bleed through" particularly if applying light colours. In brief, if you only want to deal with isolated spots, it's all in the Styptic Knotting! BFPS and BIN are ideal basecoats for completely sealing unfinished pine prior to painting with eggshell etc, but are very dense white and spots MAY show through a skinny coat of light colour chalk paint. The styptic gets around that.

BananaMuffin

So, I just got my first project in a LONG while!! Picked up a pine double bed frame and mattress for £85 today in my local charity shop. Granted, a few of the slats are broken, but the manager has some spare slatting at her home and is fetching it for me some time this week so I can repair the bed. Plus, the mattress is a brand-new, airsprung, posh type. So just with the mattress it's a bargain! I'm planning to sand it all down because it looks pretty awful right now. The varnish is scratched, the wood has 'stains' on it, probably from paint thats been badly scrubbed off. And then I'm painting it in cream, and distressing it. I've wanted a wooden shabby chic style bed for a long time, and since my current bed is very much make do and mend (the supporting metal 'beam' down the middle has broken and taken 70% of the slats with it so its currently propped up on multiple stacks of books, dvds, boxes etc which need stacking up again every day. No easy feat with a superking size mattress to lift up on your own!)

But, I have a question!

I really, really, want a crocheted valance to put on it, but I can't find one anywhere! I've searched eBay every day for weeks already and now I've got the bed of my dreams (pun anyone?) I need the bedding of my dreams as well. The ones on eBay (theres only 2/3) are either horrendously expensive, or have only a tiny bit of weird lace stuff on the bottom and the top is an ugly ecru.

Anybody have any awesome ideas as to where I can look for one? Or even any ideas on how I could make one?

I'll put pictures up ASAP. My bedroom will be completely transformed!

debtdawg

I gave the little table two coats of chalk paint yesterday (only one on the inside), oooh it's weird stuff isn't it. The mattness of it sets me a little on edge lol. I will post pics when it's finished, I need to pick up the wallpaper today, not sure how to stick it in there though!

DH was very naughty and non MSE last night when he said to stick a bid on an old dressing table on Ebay. I've wanted one for ages, we won it for $44, it's about 100 years old and has a built in mirror and two cute little drawers on the top. I feel mean for painting over the lovely old mahogany but needs must! We are going to pick it up on Saturday.

I don't think the brush I have did the ASCP any justice so I am going to pick up a decent one before I start painting the dressing table.

emma_kate

Debtdawg, you can always leave the top wood if it eases the guilt! Quite often I refinish the tops by stripping them, dyeing them and re sealing with wax or varnish. It gives a more durable surface than chalk paint. Often under that dull treacley varnish the wood is beautiful.
Here's one that I'm working on. The top has been refinished and it's ready to paint. It also has a top section and little drawers and mirrors.

To stick in the paper you can use PVA/ mod podge or spray adhesive.

emma_kate

Bananamuffin, valances are dead easy to make. I had to make one for my daughters bed as it's higher than normal and I needed one that split on the corners to accomodate the legs as its a brass bed. You need some strong fabric for the bit that goes under the mattress, ( I used mattress ticking from the market but a cotton sheet would do) measure the size and add your seam allowance, then work out the drop, the lengths and if it will be tailored or gathered. You can add deep crocheted lace to the edge. They are so simple. If you need to join widths together for the drop, they can be hidden in cental pleats on a tailored valance or just won't show on a gathered valance.
Heres one I made:
Oh, and have it a few cm off the floor so it won't get dirty!

BananaMuffin

emma_kate wrote: »

Bananamuffin, valances are dead easy to make. I had to make one for my daughters bed as it's higher than normal and I needed one that split on the corners to accomodate the legs as its a brass bed. You need some strong fabric for the bit that goes under the mattress, ( I used mattress ticking from the market but a cotton sheet would do) measure the size and add your seam allowance, then work out the drop, the lengths and if it will be tailored or gathered. You can add deep crocheted lace to the edge. They are so simple. If you need to join widths together for the drop, they can be hidden in cental pleats on a tailored valance or just won't show on a gathered valance.
Heres one I made:
Oh, and have it a few cm off the floor so it won't get dirty!

Youve put a picture of that table up before havent you! I recogise it I absolutely love what youve done with that room, its so upperclass French country!! The paint work is gorge on the table and that chair is just wow!

Thankyou for the guidance on the valance! If I get hold of a flat bed sheet and go from there, will I get the right sort of result? I have a plain valance to go on the bed already, but the crochet one is to go over the top of that and drop to about 2/3 of the plain one. I just think it would give a more shabby appeal!!

I'll have to seek out my good old Mum for some help with this one though I think. A sewing machine is one thing I just cant work. I can sew things by hand the old fashioned way, but the machines just boggle my mind and I go wrong very quickly! Having said that, I can paint up almost anything to look half decent whereas she would think white spirit is a drinkable alcohol!!

BananaMuffin

debtdawg wrote: »

I gave the little table two coats of chalk paint yesterday (only one on the inside), oooh it's weird stuff isn't it. The mattness of it sets me a little on edge lol. I will post pics when it's finished, I need to pick up the wallpaper today, not sure how to stick it in there though!

DH was very naughty and non MSE last night when he said to stick a bid on an old dressing table on Ebay. I've wanted one for ages, we won it for $44, it's about 100 years old and has a built in mirror and two cute little drawers on the top. I feel mean for painting over the lovely old mahogany but needs must! We are going to pick it up on Saturday.

I don't think the brush I have did the ASCP any justice so I am going to pick up a decent one before I start painting the dressing table.

Definately leave the top of your table unpainted! And the drawer handles if theyre wooden as well. You can refinish the wood and give it a good clean to bring out a beautiful shine on the table, and if you're into the whole shabby chic thing, the fact that the top and handles aren't painted ties in beautifully. Having said that, mahogany can be very dark for leaving handles unpainted, but you would get such a nice shine for the top surface, it makes me drool just thinking of it!

emma_kate

Hope these help! Look at my most recent blog post for the horrendous other view of the room! Ha ha!

BananaMuffin

emma_kate wrote: »

Hope these help! Look at my most recent blog post for the horrendous other view of the room! Ha ha!

Oh I can really see the pleats now, wonderful!! Where can I find your blog? I love before and afters! I flicked through that bit of whimsy blogs before and afters, especially love the piano. I have a lovely old piano in a dark wood, but I don't dare paint it just in case I ruin it or anything. It was handed down through my family so Im a bit dubious on touching it anyway!!