Shabby Chic Thread?

fallen_angel_shelley

thanks, vintagepleasure. if all goes well and i have a go at doing a few more bits, my DD has a great pine wardrobe that i'm going to paint when we do her room up later on this year

rachelleblondel_2

icandream wrote: »

This is a good point: the hall is north-east facing, so not full of light except in the mornings. Maybe I'll have to get a few sample pots (gulp, but guess the expense would be worth it in the longterm). quote]

must admit I have been through quite alot of the F&B whites as our house is so dark and old that it's been hard to get the perfect colour. Even with tester pots its difficult to get an idea of how the whole room will look. When I first tried Cornforth I thought OMG thats going to be so dark but I loved it so jumped straight in....The rooms look completely different now its all painted.
The other I have tried are James white which in a large room was too yellowy, great white which has a very slight pink tone, Joa white...undecided but didn't like the dark, Clunch a nice warm white but a bit to sensible for me.

The other thing I like to do is paint some lining paper with the colour and then move it around the room at different times of day and you can also transfer it to different rooms for the price of one sample pot, roll it up & save it for another time.....

Blimey I must stop going on about paint...can't help it its the artist in me! :rotfl: I'm F&B obsessed and am even thinking of using it on some artwork I am doing for my next exhibition!

Plus I love you hallway cupboards and they are perfectly sectioned off so that you could use all VintagePleasures suggestions, blackboard, corkboard, patchwork & a line of child friendly hooks.....It would look awesome:D Laura Ashley are very generous with the wallpaper samples, I got some big pieces the other day & at £25 a roll that's not bad for a freebie...

HoneyPie_2

Thank you Maypole, Sandieb and Muppet81 for your specific advice on my 'kitchen problem'.

Sandieb and Muppet81 thank you for posting Pics.. Both yout kitchens are lovely, really lovely, and I would never have imagined they were the result of a 'paint job'... they look like showroom quality.. Well Done!!. Sandieb - I also love the dresser - its fab!.
Muppet81 - what colour was your kitchen before you F&B'd it?
Did you both use the F&B Undercoat first? sand them too?

They really do look great - Thank you for your posts, and help. I will buy the recommended tester pots tommorrow.

Muppet81

The units were dark oak. I sanded them but not right down to the wood, just to give a key. I then gave them a good wash with sugar soap.
They then had two coats of normal primer on each side and then two coats of F&B. I think I worked out that I painted about 140 doors in total considering all the coats.
I used a small lambswool type roller from Wickes adn bought 3 boxes of 10. Every time i finished using, I just threw them away as they were pretty cheap. I lined the tray with clingfilm so again, everytime I finished I could roll it up and bin it.

I took all the doors off to do them and I also removed the old wooden handles and replaced them with the metal ones which made a difference.

I have 16 doors and the whole job took me nearly 3 weeks due to the drying time and the fact that I had space to only work on 3 or 4 doors at atime.

It really is true that preparation is everything.

Good luck and keep us posted.

HoneyPie_2

Wow Muppet81 you really have worked hard... it has certainly paid off which is the great thing.

Mine are currently medium oak (i would say). I also have a kind of 'pelmet' accross the top of the cupboards, and also shelving at the end of each set of units iykwim, so its quite a big job too. Some of them seem to have a laminated finish so I worry about that.

I have wanted a new kitchen for ages - but obviously the expense involved prevents me from doing so, and this thread has inspired me to realise you don't always have to replace, and if it looked half as good as yours I would be a happy bunny :j .

I would want new handles too.

Thanks for your advice :T

HoneyPie x

icandream

vintagepleasure wrote: »

My heart hasn't sunk at all.You could make that all look great.I love the handles!
I think it would work well with any of my suggestions but personally I would probably go for a mix of chalkboard and 'kids art gallery' like NE Girl said.It would work well with the panelled look too.
To be honest you would be suprised what a good sand and paint would do to lift the whole area.I would definitely recommend Dimity oil based eggshell, that's what I have on all my woodwork including my stair panelling.It a lovely soft colour which you need on such a large expanse of woodwork.
Your hall looks like it has a lot of action going on so you could even deliberately rub back the edges to give it a really aged shabby chic look.That way any further wear and tear will just add to the look and won't drive you mad.
I was thinking you could even make it a bit like a old fashioned shop fitting and stencil the name of the contents on the each door in a soft grey.You know like 'SHOES' 'COATS' 'MISC' or something like that?
I would love to get my hands on them really you could do so much.
I'll still have another think and look through a few of my books.
Here's a link to the patchwork wall I was talking about http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage_pleasure/419115442/ that would so well in your panels. There's a photo from a friend of mine here http://www.flickr.com/photos/47702473@N00/263230442/ it's a similar idea but on a cupbaord door.It might give you some ideas and whilst you are there have a look around her photos she is so talented!

Edited ;I've just decided that I'm going to do this to the back of the panelling under my stairs.I'm going to paint the bottom row of panels as chalkboard and then patchwork paper the rest.So excited I just have to find the time!

Vintagepleasure: I don't know how to thank you. You've really made me see this in a new light and I am so excited. And huge thanks NEgirl, Cooltrikerchick, rachelleblondel and Maypole for your supportive suggestions and comments too. I had seen your patchwork wall way earlier in the thread, VP, but had begun thinking of making it work in dd2's bedroom. I didn't for a minute think it could work in a hallway, but I think it would be stunning. I also love the blackboard idea, and the signs.
I'm going to sit and look thru your flickr pics tonight, plus those of your friend - had a quick look and there's loads of inspiration there. But thank you so much.You won't know how low those cupboards have made me feel over the past few years.
Muppet: you've also inspired me by the amount of work you did on your cupboard doors. Thank you!
And big thanks rachelleblondel for the heads up on Laura Ashley. Hadn't occured to me they may do samples! What a brill suggestion.

Muppet81

Don't worry too much about the laminated parts. My cornice and light rail were melamine and I just used a melamine primer on these, perhaps this would do on the laminate bits. Providing the laminate is sound, I can't see a problem.

The end panels and things were a doddle as they could be done in situ and were pretty quick using the mini roller.

I painted anything which did not move out of the way fast enough. e.g. my Le Crueset recipe book holder which was enameled. Used melamine primer on that and then oil eggshell as used on the units. Came up a treat. My knife block and the bit of wood at the base of my roller blind. It all got dimitied.

I also painted the bottom half of my pine welsh dresser and an old pine cabinet situated under the brakfast bar bit.
PS Thanks for all the kind comments everyone. I just love spending time in my kitchen now. Considering the units are 30 years old, I am pretty happy with it and it feels so much lighter and brighter.

mollymunchkin

I was hoping to be posting photos of my lovely F&B'd dresser but the newly opened Homebase didn't have the colour I wanted in stock. I bought this last week at auction (you've all got to go to your local auctions, they are great - really get the adrenaline going ). I've now ordered my paint and it will take about a week to arrive so I'm just going to have to sit and sulk until it does!

BTW what do you reckon - replace the glass in the left hand door or replace both with pleated fabric?
(Sorry for the odd angled photo, it was taken at the top of the stairs).

madge7

Oh my god I love this thread soooooooo much and I cant even begin to try and read through all of it! I am totally addiced to LA and CK fabrics, buying them on ebay and making things.
People who live in London or who can get up there - there is a fab shop (2 of them in fact) called the Cloth House in Soho, the one further up Berwick St towards Oxford St does lovely floral fabrics - you can get samples too!! xx

Clutterfree

Ooo can't wait to see it finished Molly.
Fabric or glass? Depends what you plan to use the shelves for I think.