The latest project to hit Painted Cottage is a Cottage Chic Rustic Wall Cabinet Makeover. I purchased this small wall cabinet many years ago. Back in it’s day it was very stylish.  It actually still holds a lot of charm but needed some freshening up. The color was much darker than it appears in the before photos and the plaid fabric was worn and faded. 

As you can see the cabinet was great to begin with, I just happen to have a desire to paint everything light right now.  It does make an amazing transformation just by adding a coat of creamy white chalky paint.

When I opened the door I immediately thought that this would make a great tea cabinet.

Close Ups of the Cottage Chic Rustic Wall Cabinet Makeover

Adding the small chicken wire to the front also lightened up the appearance of the cabinet.  The shelves were the perfect size to store tiny demitasse cups, a dainty creamer and a wire basket to hold the assorted tea bags.

The open shelf holds 2 teacups and saucers perfectly.  There is a nice drawer on the bottom that could house tea strainers, etc.

You could also put small vases or mason jars in the bottom drawer and do a pretty floral arrangement of either fresh or dried flowers.  So many possibilities for this versatile little rustic wall cabinet.

Thank you for visiting.  Until next time keep those creative juices flowing.  Always look at things with a different eye.

Quite awhile ago, while perusing Craigslist I happened upon a very lovely Vintage China Cabinet.  This beautiful cabinet had lovely carvings and moldings and heck, she was dirt cheap.  I felt the need to stuff yet another piece of furniture into my kitchen aka small dining area…and so I bring you the Vintage China Cabinet Makeover.

I quickly went to meet the seller.  The poor cabinet had been living outside.  Hmmm, I’m seeing a pattern here.  Remember my French Cabinet Makeover? Yes she had been dwelling outside as well.  This cabinet definitely was showing the signs of the weather.  Her husband had decided to do a little “restoration” on the cabinet, which included gluing the top to the bottom, prying the front lock open and trashing it, cracking the bottom support when it was dragged outside and putting in new glass with a green tint to it, ugh!

Well, it didn’t scare me away.  This would make it easier for me to paint this little lovely.  Or so I thought.  She sat around for about 1 year.  Even though she was weather worn and had spiders living inside her, I loved how pretty this cabinet was and I left her in her natural wood state.  Then I got tired of how her dark and dreary appearance was making the corner of the kitchen she sat in equally dark and dreary.  Let the sun shine in!

Another Craigslist Furniture Makeover

I had to make repairs to the cabinet.  It had a crack in the trestle support along the bottom.  I decided on my “go-to” white color by Behr – Spun Cotton for the exterior and to make my own chalky paint mixture. If you opt to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint consider using Old White Mixed with Pure White. 

The door was removed and the cabinet was lightly sanded all over to remove whatever shine in the finish that was left.  Mother nature had already prepped the cabinet for me when it was left outside in the elements.  Be sure to wipe the cabinet down with a damp cloth to remove any particles, dust etc.

Here you can see the difference after just 1 coat of paint, I used 2 coats…3 where needed.

Here’s some more photos of the progress.  You will notice when I paint carvings white, I sort of drybrush over them to give it an antiqued effect.

Replacing The Glass With Chicken Wire

I hadn’t planned on replacing the glass with hexagonal wire.  When I painted the inside to the cabinet with the Duck Egg Blue color, it really looked quite awful because the glass had a very green tint which made the cabinet look dark and dreary and I was going for light and bright.  The glass was not original to the cabinet, if it had been I would have left it in place. Out came the glass and wire was added.  I ended up mixing my own custom color for the interior as the Duck Egg Blue did not yield the fresh look I was going for. Distressing the cabinet all over to brought out the details and also made it look more casual and less formal.

I am quite pleased with the outcome of this lovely Vintage China Cabinet Makeover.  Please check back again soon for another fun Craigslist Up-cycle project from Little Painted Cottage.  Thank you for visiting!

I recently hosted my book club at my home and I wanted it to have a garden party theme.  This of course would require fresh flowers.  There is something quite elegant and heartwarming about fresh flowers, especially fresh flower place cards.  You don’t have to be an heiress to a kingdom or sell off your possessions to create lovely fresh flower arrangements or place cards.  The trick is to keep them small and informal.

No fresh flowers or even a small budget for them?  Look around your yard and garden.  Succulents will also make a very nice place card and chances are you may have pots of them overflowing with the perfect tiny plants.

Don’t Limit Yourself To A Florist

I personally buy my flowers at Trader Joe’s, not a florist.  I don’t buy the more expensive, already mixed bouquets , but opt rather for the least expensive bunches they offer. If you have a budget for a florist then by all means, go for it, but I love the challenge of making something beautiful for little or no money. You can also find great prices on fresh flowers at home improvement centers as well.

Hit the Dollar Store For Amazing Opportunities

OK, I admit, I love a good bargain.  When I walk into a dollar store I see everything for what it can become, not for what it currently is.  I went into the 99 Cents Store looking for a glass candle holder imagining it would make a terrific tiny vase for a fresh flower arrangement.  I had considered tea cups, mason jars, and any container they carried. Incredibly, I found some adorable small, Ball Mason Jelly jars for 99 cents each.  Perfect, or so I thought.  Then I saw them.  Ahhhmazing boxed sets of glass candle holders…WITH Pedestals….AND current trendy words on them such as DREAM, FAITH, LOVE.   This is where I start to tremble with excitement. Seriously! I am such a dork, but it’s true. Therefore, my vision of fresh flower place cards was definitely on the horizon now.

See Things As They Can Be, Not For What They Appear To Be

As mentioned before, you need to learn to see these fantastic bargains for what they can be transformed into. Here are some photos of the components I purchased at the 99 Cents Store.  The Candle Holder Sets were great to begin with , but just by adding 2 coats of chalk paint to the pedestal and distressing it, gave them a more elegant look.  You can’t tell they are cheap black plastic pedestals.  The magic created with the flimsy white plastic plant name stakes is quite amazing.  Just 2 coats of chalk paint, a little antiquing with a rust colored acrylic paint and a flat black paint to give the illusion of a tiny chalkboard.  A The names were written out with a white, thin-line chalk marker.

Thank you for visiting.

STOP! Don’t throw away your ugly chairs! No Skills to sew slipcovers or re-upholster?  No worries! Read on my friends and transform those drab, outdated chairs into something you can be proud of.  Otherwise I will be by your curbside to pick them up myself.

By now some of you may know that I have this insatiable obsession with chairs.  I can’t seem to satisfy this craving, I can never have enough chairs.  There is certainly no room in my little cottage for all of the chairs that I currently possess but that does not stop me from bringing more strays home. Todays obsession – A Petite Wing-chair Makeover

When I first moved into my new place I had no furniture.  I purchased a used pine, farmhouse, trestle table and 8 random chairs to go with it. While perusing online photos of shabby chic kitchens and dining rooms I kept seeing wing-chairs used as captains chairs at the ends of a dining table.  I thought, ooooh, I like this, I want!

Well, my little cottage certainly couldn’t support such a design but I was going to give it a try.  

I searched Craigslist up and down for petite wing-chairs.  I finally found some.  The problem was, they came with a massive dining table and 6 more dining chairs.  I talked the seller into selling me just the 2 wing-chairs.  The photo above shows the frame prepped and then painted with Behr Spun Cotton.

These petite wing-chairs were incredibly solid and heavy; however; their saffron, mango, Terra-cotta colored upholstery just didn’t fit it with my planned color scheme of whites, cremes and aqua. The plan was to sew slipcovers for them. As you can see I chose a difficult chair to try and slipcover for my first try.  I started 1 slipcover and loved the result but had trouble figuring out how to finish it.  So pretty. The thought of making another one was not appealing.  Now what?

When All Else Fails… Paint!

Reupholstering them  also did not appeal to me.  The fabric was in excellent condition, I just detested the color.  I wondered if it would be possible to paint the fabric with chalk paint.  Why not? Have you ever accidentally splashed a bit of paint onto some fabric?  It does not come off. I read a few articles about chalk painting fabric.  Super easy.  I mixed my own paint this time, using a mixture of 1/4 Behr Paint & Primer in Archwood to 3/4 of Spun Cotton plus some calcium carbonate added.  Here’s a quick run down of this petite wing-chair makeover, enjoy!

Materials:

• Chalk Paint – ASCP French Linen mixed with Old White or make your own Like I did.
• Spray Bottle filled with water
• Painters Tape
• Sandpaper (a medium grit is good)
• Brushes

I lightly sanded and painted the chair frames with Behrs Spun Cotton first.  Once it was completely dry I masked it off so I could paint the fabric.

The trick is to wet the fabric by misting (okay more like practically soaking) the fabric with a spray bottle. I wiped the excess into the fabric with a cloth.  2 good coats of paint did the trick.   With the first coat, you want to be sure to push the paint into the fabric to aid in sealing it properly.

IMPORTANT:  Let the paint dry at least 24 hrs between coats.  Sand the entire surface of the fabric with medium sandpaper until it feels smooth to the touch all over. Wipe off any dust and proceed with the second coat of paint.  As you are painting, you shouldn’t see any little air-holes in the fabric.

Here you can see the result of one coat of paint.  It is splotchy looking  but an improvement already.

How Did The Paint Work Out?

Here is a gallery of images showing details of the finished chairs.  Here are some questions I receive:  

• Will the paint rub off?  I am happy to report, no.  The fabric is completely sealed with 2 coats of paint.  You may require 3 if your paint does not have the primer in it.
• Will the fabric be hard and crunchy?  No, it should be smooth and a bit leather-like
• What does the fabric look like?  It depends on the original fabric you painted over.  A looser weave fabric will retain a lot of texture and require more coats of paint and sanding.  A smoother fabric like the one I used will have the appearance of canvas.  

I hope you enjoyed this wing-chair makeover, if you are interested in learning how to make your own chalky style paint, I’ll have an article about it posted soon. In the meantime, try using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ASCP to paint your furniture and fabrics.  The paint is a dream to work with. 

You won’t believe this incredible French Display Cabinet Makeover.  I picked up this little beauty as an afterthought.  I had been keeping my eye on her on Craigslist. She started out a bit pricey and the seller was touting her as an antique.  I could clearly see that while she had beautiful, classic french lines she was certainly vintage not antique.  Her price came down a bit.  I kept watching.  After all, did I really need yet another castoff from someones home to sit in my garage hoping to be reborn?  You betcha!  Some people collect art, I seem to have an insatiable appetite for furniture.

Lucky for me the cabinet was re-posted at a much reduced price. I didn’t need another piece of furniture laying around but I made an appointment to see the display case after work. This petite treasure had been spending the latter of her life outside in a gazebo.  She was in much worse shape than I had anticipated. Her veneer was popping off all over the place, especially from her curved top.  She had spider webs signs of moisture damage, and was definitely not an antique.  “Walk away Gina…..walk away…..oh but she’s so cute…you can do wonders with her”….yep….I did not walk away. 

History of This Little Treasure

The Bombay Company made this cabinet many years ago. While they are known for lovely looking reproduction pieces their craftsmanship is lacking. The paper  thin veneer was popping off in many places.  My plan is to paint the cabinet with lots of distressing so I decided to pry off any loose veneer and sand the edges down and give the cabinet a good sanding all over. I removed the ultra thin back and bottom shelf of the cabinet.  They were covered in a hideous red velvet and were so thin the fabric was holding them together.  I saved them to use as templates. 

The Glass Has Got To Go

I must confess that I already had a vision for this French display cabinet makeover.   My sister-in-law had vintage china cabinet that had been painted and converted into an incredible bookcase that really caught my eye .  Most endearing was the rustic chicken wire panels that replaced the glass.  This little display case was  just screaming out for chicken wire.  Only 4 – 6 tiny nails held each glass panel in place. Scary! After removing the nails, the 2 side panels came right out but the front panel refused to budge. I put tape over the front of the glass for safety and took the door outside where I was able to push the glass out.  Excitement overwhelmed me, I could hardly wait to get the chicken wire.

Let’s talk about chicken wire

Who knew it came in so many sizes and gauges? I wanted the smallest wire I could find, but not necessarily the thinnest.  I looked online and found that the smaller 1/2″ hexagon wire mesh is actually called Aviary Wire.  You want to get a 22 – 20 gauge wire and can always paint it to add thickness.  I was lucky to find mine at my favorite local mom and pop hardware store Coopers Hardware Store which I love to visit.  While I normally paint most of my furniture a shade of white, she was going to be a pale aqua with white interior to show off the chicken wire inserts.

Is your wire shiny? If its from a new roll it probably is.  Personally, I love it old and weathered.  Just leave it outside for a few days or weeks if you can, it loses the shine fairly quickly. You can also rub it down with a vinegar wash to take the shine out.

The supplies needed are very minimal.  The color of the cabinet was a mixture of Annie Sloan’s Duck Egg, Provence, and White.  I have made my own chalky paints using Behr Paint with Primer added and Calcium Carbonate.  All of the paints work really well. 

As you can see even if the cabinet itself was a total loss the door could be re-purposed into a charming accent piece. Always keep your eye out for discarded pieces and try to see them in a different light.

To Distress or Not to Distress 

There are a lot of choices to make when up-cycling a piece and bringing into the present decor.  It really is a matter of taste.  Everyone has their own sense of style.  I happen to like distressing my pieces.  Each takes on it’s own personality. This particular cabinet needed the distressing. It originally had low quality inlays on the front, by distressing those areas it adds interest to the curved front panel.

Handling the Hardware

Another choice to make is the carved details.  Do you accent them, paint them a different color or leave them original?  This French display cabinet had brass appliques lightly nailed on to the top, front and sides of legs.  They had a wonderful old dark patina on them.  It was a tough choice but in the end I used a watered down wash of the same color to antique the appliques.  It may not look it, but in person, the contrast was a bit overwhelming for this petite piece.  The antiquing allows the dark patina to peek thru but softens the look and makes the piece more cohesive and feminine.  If you click on the images below, you can see close up details of the cabinet. Enjoy!

A Gallery of The French Display Cabinet Makeover in different stages of work.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out this cool little French Display Cabinet Makeover.  So many pieces to keep working on.  Come back and visit often to see what’s in the works.

If you like what you see please share with your friends.