Updating the old bedroom set...

Although we're completely revamping the bedroom, I couldn't bring myself to part with anything but the old king size pencil post bed.

I actually love all the pieces that went along with the bed, so we're keeping them. We purchased the entire set at an unfinished furniture store back in 1989 and then "we" (aka hubby) stained it dark brown (Jacobean Minwax). 

It has served us well over the years and the drawers are as strong and sturdy as they were when we first bought it.

Of course Baby had to check everything out before we started painting.

I got all of the pieces painted within 2 days because we had a tight deadline. The painting had to be done before the floor people arrived.

Mission accomplished! The floors went down and the newly painted furniture went back into the bedroom.

Painting everything white really gave the set a whole new look. By putting an applique above the mirror....

... and replacing the old wooden knobs with glass ones, the set took on more of a cottage/farmhouse look rather than the previous country/primitive look.

One thing that didn't change was the boudoir chair that I've had for close to ten years. I always said that when I eventually updated the bedroom, this chair would be the inspiration for my color scheme.

And is this not the cutest little vintage wicker hamper? $4 at Savers. I couldn't pass it by!

More of the bedroom to come. There's still a LOT to be done, but little by little!

Have a great week, everyone!

Donna

If I had a million dollars...

If you didn't know it before, you will now... I'm addicted to cottage blue (of course, "cottage blue" to me is any blue that strikes my fancy!)... These are all items from Maine Cottage (http://www.mainecottage.com/), and the blue I am drawn to is Porch Blue... So, for my "someday" cottage by the sea, if I had a million dollars I would buy....

The Living Room:




My Office:







The Dining Room:




And most definitely these sheets for the bedroom...



Heading off to bed now to dream of my cottage by the sea...


Donna

Small cottage recycling center...

In honor of Earth Day... my recycling center...

I wish I had remembered to take a photo of this piece before painting it, but I didn't... So in order to show a 'before' photo, I had to crop it out of pictures where it appeared in the background, which makes for a very small photo that shows no detail. But that's okay because there really isn't a lot of detail in this little piece anyhow...

It's a small recycling center that I picked up at a craft show a few years ago. The front panel pulls down and there's a trash barrel inside. Even though the piece itself is small, the transition was quite dramatic. It was a very prim hunter green when I bought it, which looked great when the house was full of darker, primitive styled pieces.

Needless to say, when I decided to make our home 'lighter and brighter,' this piece got a makeover... It went from prim to cottage in no time thanks to a flower basket applique, creamy white paint, and a little glass knob...

A little FYI... I have no idea why I decided to look this up, but according to "Google Translate," the French translation for "small cottage recycling center" is Petit chalet centre de recyclage... in Spanish it's Pequeña cabaña centro de reciclaje... and in Dutch it's Kleine cottage recycling Center, which easily makes Dutch my top choice should I decide to learn a new language as I already know three out of the four words!!

Happy recycling!

(which ...can you believe this?... happy recycling is also the same in Dutch as it is in English according to Google Translate! At this rate, I'll be speaking Dutch fluently by mid-week!)

Donna

The Little Jelly Cupboard Makeover

I know... I know... I can hear you all now... "Oh, no! Not another one!"

If it seems as though I have a never ending supply of old styled furniture that has gone from its original "unfinished furniture store" look to the "country/primitive dark brown stained" phase to its current "creamy white painted cottage look," it's because I do! All of these pieces, although inexpensive to start with, have served me well for the past 20 or so years, so we're kind of like old friends...

This little cupboard has always sat in the corner of our dining area, housing some platters, dishes, and tablecloths rather than jars of jelly. The little mirror cabinet sitting on top was purchased at Home Goods several years ago. I sometimes switch things around on top of the cabinet, but the birdcage and the white pedestal bird on the aqua Franciscan platter are pretty much always there. (The poor bird... my black cat knocked it over several years ago so now the bird's chest is cracked with a gaping hole in it, and it lost its beak which I tried to 'mold' it a new one ... He's seen better days, but like the furniture, he's also an old friend, so I'm keeping him around!)

If I had it to do over again, I would have spent a little extra money and gotten bigger appliques for the three panels on the door. Those little cherub heads just look way too tiny, but once those appliques are adhered to the furniture, they are permanent!!!

P.S. Don't you love the rainbow on the wall over the mirrored cabinet in the top photo? I have little cut glass ornaments hanging in all of my windows and when the sun is shining at just the right angle, the house is full of rainbows!

Wishing you all a wonderful Friday!

Donna