Land of the Silver Birch: Entranceway Set

I had a Queen Anne style table hanging around in the garage since last October when I was collecting chairs (and tables, apparently) for the YMCA Chairs for Charity event.  I didn't have any chairs to match (they were used for the charity event!) so I held on to this table for a while...

A week ago it hit me - I can separate the table top and use each half for a different project!  Duh!

Separating the tables was super-easy, just a few screws to loosen and remove et voila!  The table skirt came off with a couple of whacks from my mallet, and we were in business. 

I primed the table half (and I really should have primed it in white, not grey....but I wasn't thinking), and then painted two coats of off-white latex paint over top.  After these dried, I set about painting over the base coat with the blue-grey paint, and creating the birch-tree effect. 

Painting a string of birch trees is easy - I free handed the trees in, painted the 'background' behind the trees with the blue-grey colour and left the tree trunks white.  To create the bark effect, use your blue-grey paint and paint in lines of various lengths in random locations along both sides of the trunk.  Easy!

I sealed the paint after I was finished and then I used an awl and hammer to tap in the nickel-plated upholstery nails one-by-one.  Once I got the hang of it, it actually didn't take as long as I expected.  The final touch was adding the coat hooks and the chalkboard banner at the bottom.  Too cute! 

For the bench, I gave it a couple coats of off-white chalk paint and bought some 1-inch thick foam to pad the top.  Once upon a time this bench was a coffee table.  *gasp!*  (OK, it's not rocket science but it's the first time I've done it).  I stapled down a double-thick layer of batting over the foam to give everything a nice smooth feel.  I stapled down the fabric, pulling it as taut as I could as I went. 

Then I repeated the same technique I used on the coat rack to paint the birch trees on the fabric of the bench.  I used latex paint and after it had dried overnight, I used medium grit sandpaper to soften and distress the fabric.  The fabric doesn't feel like cotton anymore, but more like outdoor-furniture fabric.  Perfect for a busy mudroom or entranceway.  It wipes clean and resists water!

The coat rack is meant to hang on the wall above the bench if it were in a mudroom or entranceway.  You could put this in the bedroom, too and have the bench at the foot of the bed and the coat rack could be used to hold hand-bags, belts, scarves and even jewellery! 

This set is for sale ***$150*** and it's yours! 

 

I'm also sharing this upcycled project over at Fingerprints on the Fridge. 

Check it, and lots of other cool projects, out here:

Antique Kitchen Island - Part 3 - The Big Reveal!

Here it is in all it's glory!  I'm really happy with how this piece turned out in the end, although it had its struggles.  

I especially like the sanded and oiled top.  It's perfect for the kitchen!  I had to strip the old lacquer and finish which is always extra stubborn the older the piece.  After stripping, I sanded, sanded, sanded with my handheld power sander.  I stared with 60 grit and worked my way up to 280, I wiped it down and then wiped two coats of mineral oil on the top.  Mineral oil is great for the kitchen as it's food-safe (how do I know?  You can take it orally to...move things along... and it's available in the drug store isle of your local supermarket or other large box store!)  It's also...cheap!  Ha!

A close-up of the front detailing.  After sanding and staining the decorative veneer, I painted the back.  After that I wasn't too sure of my choice as I wasn't convinced that the 'art deco' style veneer actually coordinated with the other delicate and more 'antique' embellishments.  I think the finish on the other drawers were what was going to make or break the continuity of this piece.

I was also happy with how the veneer 'patches' turned out and they blend fairly well.  Not bad for a first attempt.  Definitely good enough for our kitchen, I say!

I had a hard time deciding on what to do for the finish on the other drawers.  Originally, I had thought I would do some sort of brown decoupage print: flowers, scrolls, newsprint...I wasn't sure.  But because I'd used an ebony or black stain for the veneer, I needed something darker than I originally thought.  Out went the brown paper and in came more of the ebony stain.  I think it was the right choice.  I decided to keep it simple.  I did need to cover up the drawer fronts as the veneer wasn't in great shape, so I used an easy 'leather look' technique.

To achieve the look, simply use brown craft paper (or an old brown paper bag - you know those ones you get when you purchase 'adult beverages??') cut an inch or so bigger on all side than the drawer.  Crumple up the paper - really crumple and rub it until it starts to soften and has a nice worn look to it.  Then I painted on some plain white glue (you could also use ModPodge or Decoupage Medium...but I'm cheap.  So I use white glue), and simply pressed down the paper on top.  I made sure to flatten it out well, keeping the majority of wrinkles, but evening out major bunch-ups.

Then I applied the ebony stain to a baby wipe (you can use a sponge, brush or paper towel) and rubbed it gently over the top of the paper until I had the depth of colour I wanted.  I sealed over the stain with a coat of white glue.  I set the drawers out in the sun, and once they had dried, trimmed off the excess paper from the edges using a utility knive (Exacto knife).  When the drawers were totally dry, I sealed them with a coat of clear spray sealant - you could also use polyurethane.

Surprise!  Red inside!

The last special detail I added were these hand-antiqued knobs.  I was totally frustrated when I went to my pulls and knobs stash and discovered I only had 6 of almost all the knobs I own!  I tried to find coordinating knobs, but they were the wrong colours.  After boiling all the knobs in a pot of water and dish soap to remove their 'coatings,' I scrubbed them and dried them.  Then I used some of the ebony stain and some enamel spray paint to give them a similar aged look, sprayed them with a couple of coats of clear sealant and they were good to go!

The two knobs on the middle drawer are a bit smaller than the others, but they coordinate and don't detract overall.  Good enough!

And there you have it!  A $60 vanity transformed into a kitchen island and an extra prep space for our smaller kitchen.

I'm linking up and sharing this makeover at Funky Junk Interiors - click below to check out the other creative projects.  Lots of inspiration ahead!