Shabby Chic Thread?

icandream

vintagepleasure wrote: »

I've been back and had a look at the photo.The way the doors and panels are arranged I would treat the 3 doors to the same treatment.It's always better to do things in odd number they are far more pleasing on the eye.So you might feel that only 1 door would be enough.If you did then I would chose the biggest door.
Personally I would paint the 3 doors in blackboard paint.Fronts and door edges so that you get a clean line around them when they are open or shut. If you still like the idea of stencil letters then they would look great in a gold or pewter colour over the blackboard paint just like in old signs.A little pot of enamel like you get in model shops would be perfect.You could stencil them and then sand the edges a little when dry.
Just a tip for the blackboard.Buy blackboard pens and keep the normal chalk for one offs.It's a little more expensive but makes much less dust to clean up.Get a little pot that you can fix to the wall at the side to keep the chalk and board duster in.We have a little board duster that came with a cheap kids chalkboard.I think ELC sell them too.
The rest of the woodwork I would paint in Dimity or whatever eggshell you chose.They are perfect for framing the kids artwork as they are
If you still like the idea of the patchwork wallpaper how about doing that inside the cupboards and on the back of the doors? Just think how that would make you smile when you put the kids shoes away for the umpteenth time!! I always find that if something looks nice then it is looked after much better.We all know how easy it is to throw stuff under the stairs and shut the door.Or is that just in my house?!If it was pretty inside people might actually hang their stuff up.Get some baskets for shoes aswell.We all have are own in our house and it works so well for everyday shoes.Everybody gets into the habit of putting them away and knowing where they are when they need them.
If you have room then a biggish basket at the bottom of the stairs, where the last panel is, would be great for holding seasonal accesories.You know woollies and brollies in winter and sunhats and suncream etc in summer.It saves so much time honestly!
As for the walls I really wouldn't recommend F+B emulsion for such a high traffic area.I know they do a modern emulsion now but it has a slight sheen to it and to be honest I think that the other brands do some fantastic matt emulsions which are more economical and very hardwearing.I love the Dulux realrooms range and they have some lovely colours they really are scrubbable.We have 'Timeless' in the kitchen which might be a bit a little white for you but there are lots of shades.All my house woodwork is painted in dimity and it seems to go with everything.
I would think about maybe wallpapering one of your walls if you are handy like that? Just a little splash of colour can really lift a room.It's hard to say which one as I don't know the shape of your hall.
I hope that this helps and any more questions just ask.
I love helping people work out schemes etc!

You are fantastic. I'm going to do this - and I'll post pics when it's done (but it will take longer than NEgirl:rotfl:!
The baskets for shoes is inspired: inside the cupboards, with 5 of us, is a nightmare, and finding shoes in the morning can be chaotic. I never thought of baskets. What a simple but effective idea. It's always been a horrendous problem.
I love the idea of patchworking the back of the doors and making it all very pretty. I'll enjoy that. I'm going to try and get some samples today.
This gives me so much to think on. I think I will blackpaint all three doors and see what it looks like. Is there a special blackboard paint, and do I have to prime, or just rub them down?
Painting the edges makes perfect sense.
DH and I are fairly old now :rotfl:and had never heard of blackboard pens! The chalk was worrying him a bit, as kids would love all this, but wouldn't be so good at clearing up the dust. Again, thank you.
It is a very high traffic area - 3 kids means we often have 6 kids in the house, all under 11 :rotfl:so although I've set my heart on F&B, maybe I can settle for the dimity and use something else for the walls. There's a lot of wall in a hall/landing!
Thanks. Huge, huge thanks. Off to the diy shop...

maypole

sandieb wrote: »

You could always use Dimity Emulsion on the walls to blend in with the cupboard - this way the cupboard wouldn't appear to "stick out" visually so much.

But you may want to use the "modern emulsion" which I understand is easier to keep clean, rather than estate emulsion.

icandream

Yes - it's a great suggestion, thanks SandieB, but VP has made me think on this a bit, especially as the cost of the F&B would be so high.
Thanks, guys.

Facepainter: I think your kitchen would look great with the open shelves. I'd go for painting the dresser, after what I've seen on here!

facepainter

I've never heard of blackboard pens either and must get some. DH freaks everytime the kids want to chalk on the boards as he hates them breathing in the dust (overprotective I say , good for digestion surely?!). Where did you find them VP?

maypole

icandream wrote: »

You are fantastic. I'm going to do this - and I'll post pics when it's done (but it will take longer than NEgirl:rotfl:!
The baskets for shoes is inspired: inside the cupboards, with 5 of us, is a nightmare, and finding shoes in the morning can be chaotic. I never thought of baskets. What a simple but effective idea. It's always been a horrendous problem.
I love the idea of patchworking the back of the doors and making it all very pretty. I'll enjoy that. I'm going to try and get some samples today.
This gives me so much to think on. I think I will blackpaint all three doors and see what it looks like. Is there a special blackboard paint, and do I have to prime, or just rub them down?
Painting the edges makes perfect sense.
DH and I are fairly old now :rotfl:and had never heard of blackboard pens! The chalk was worrying him a bit, as kids would love all this, but wouldn't be so good at clearing up the dust. Again, thank you.
It is a very high traffic area - 3 kids means we often have 6 kids in the house, all under 11 :rotfl:so although I've set my heart on F&B, maybe I can settle for the dimity and use something else for the walls. There's a lot of wall in a hall/landing!
Thanks. Huge, huge thanks. Off to the diy shop...

If Vintage Pleasure lived near me, I would be hiring her as my interior designer;) she has fantastic flair and a grasp of just what needs to be done and where:D

elaine373

facepainter wrote: »

Gosh I've got so much catching up to do on this thread!! Better make another cuppa.....I've popped in for some advice (cheeky!)..... this is my kitchen in it's unfinished state.... I need a blind, lampshades, tiles etc (thinking of Architecture tiles from Fired Earth when the money stretches that far).... apart from that.... do you think shelves would be ok either side of the cooker?I got this book from the library and totally love this look with the old shelves and glass jars..... too cluttered for my kitchen or would look ok?I really think I need to find some reclaim shelves though as B&Q specials just wouldn't do it really...... Also look at the following pic (and here's the big question that could cause my divorce).... TO PAINT or NOT TO PAINT???
Sorry the text and pics are all over the place in this post I can't get it to go where I want.... grrrrr....

What a gorgeous kitchen..........I am jealous:D
Whether to paint or not is a difficult one. It looks lovely anyway.

HariboJunkie

Facepainter, as Elaine says, the kitchen is lovely as it is but I would definitely go for the open shelves and painting the dresser.

This is what I managed to pick up from freecycle on Thursday.:j I've been looking for one for ages for extra storage in the laundry room.

HariboJunkie

And this is it on Saturday Morning. The mincer on the top left is my lovely present from the lovely Pink-winged. And the jar on the top left is Aussielass's famous green tomato chutney. :drool:

1sue23

I would not paint the dresser ,I love the shabby chic look and love everything vintage ,my house is a wonderful mix of vintage items have been collecting for years. I am of the age of remembering my parents lovingly stripping wooden furniture back to it original state and removing layers of paint and complaining of the fashion of the sixties for painting over perfectly good wood,if the wood was cheap and nasty then yes, but the dresser looks good as it is so I would leave well alone.

vintagepleasure

facepainter wrote: »

Gosh I've got so much catching up to do on this thread!! Better make another cuppa.....I've popped in for some advice (cheeky!)..... this is my kitchen in it's unfinished state.... I need a blind, lampshades, tiles etc (thinking of Architecture tiles from Fired Earth when the money stretches that far).... apart from that.... do you think shelves would be ok either side of the cooker?I got this book from the library and totally love this look with the old shelves and glass jars..... too cluttered for my kitchen or would look ok?I really think I need to find some reclaim shelves though as B&Q specials just wouldn't do it really...... Also look at the following pic (and here's the big question that could cause my divorce).... TO PAINT or NOT TO PAINT???
Sorry the text and pics are all over the place in this post I can't get it to go where I want.... grrrrr....

Paint definitely!!
I think simple shelves the same colour as your walls would look lovely eitherside of the cooker with a row of identical jars.That way it would look neat but interesting.