Checking in and checking out....

Hi there!  Just want to check in and wish you all a fabulous weekend.  We will be laying tile in the Master Bathroom this weekend but will also be taking some time to enjoy some good food and family time.  Here's hoping your weekend is just the way you want it. Cheers!

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Milk Paint Furniture..... China Hutch Sneak Peek

So, last weekend I tried milk paint for the first time on a china hutch that I bought for my bathroom. As for the results, I'm really happy with the way it all turned out. I used the driftwood on the back and pitch black on the rest of the cabinet. The only issue I ran into was the paint kept clumping. You have to stir it frequently and well. When I first mixed the paint ( I used warm water per the instructions), the directions say to stir for 2-3 minutes and then let it sit for 10-15 min. Easy enough. After that, I stirred it again really well and then started to apply with a sponge brush. After a short time, it seemed to clump back up so you really have to stir every so often. The finish is very matte and the adhesion is good. I bought the polymer adder for adhesion and added to the paint mix before applying. I did a very rough sand on the cabinet, just enough to dull the shine. After two coats, I lightly distressed it and them applied two coats of Minwax clear satin wipe on poly ( I love that stuff). Keep in mind if you try this, the color will darken up quite a bit with the poly top coat. I knew this and expected it so I was really happy with the results. I put the original hardware on the door but will use different hardware on the drawers.  Not sure if I want to use the pulls from Anthro yet because there's something that's "eh" about it.  Maybe when it gets moved into place in the bathroom it will be clear.  For now, I'll show you the finished piece as is, then I'll show you a pic all done up and pretty.  Here's the before:

 

And here's the after

 

 

 

A couple things to note:  First, we took the top piece of moulding off and replaced it with a smaller piece lower on the cabinet to make the piece lower.  In the bathroom, this doesn't cover the new window but I wanted as much clearance under the new window as possible.  This is as best as we can get and actually I like it better this way.  Also, there is a little piece of moulding missing on the bottom right door panel that I have ready to go back on.  So when I show you the pic of it all pretty, this will be all fixed.  Well, what do you think?  Painting the back a lighter color really makes the shelves pop and it keeps this piece from being really heavy feeling.  I've got another piece of furniture that I'm going to do in Driftwood so I'll share that with you too when I start that project.  Ciao for now!



Milk Paint.....

Have you used milk paint before?  I'm about to use it for the first time this weekend on a big piece of furniture.  I bought three colors: Snow White, Pitch Black and Driftwood.   I'm thinking of starting with the black and diluting it just a little with the snow white so it's not pitch black but more of a faded black.  So, what is this furniture piece you ask?  Well, after debating back and forth about built-ins for our Master Bathroom, I decided that I wanted to keep going with the furniture concept so I bought a china cabinet.  I love that this cabinet has the glass door with wood shelves on the top and drawers and extra storage on the bottom. I have some vintage bath accessories and old bottles that I'll display and I want this piece to have an old apothecary feel.   I found some old looking pulls at Anthropologie last weekend that I am going to use instead of the more traditional pulls that are on it now.  The drawers are slightly bow front and offer plenty of storage for the stuff you need but don't want to see and the sides are perfect for housing the trash bin and taller items. So, I'll be experimenting this weekend trying to give this piece of furniture a new look.  Here's what I'll be working with:

 

 

 

 

These are the pulls that I got at Anthropologie to replace the ones that you see on the drawers in the pictures.  These were on clearance and are not available on the website anymore so I'm not linking to it. If you like them and live near an Anthro, go there now.

 

  

Here's what the milk paint looks like.  I'm excited to see how this comes out. 

 

Quick update on bathroom progress.  Flooring will be done over Labor Day weekend.  Our schedule has been packed and we've been doing some floor leveling so that's taken some extra time and $.  But, it was necessary to do and it will be worth it in the long run. We're almost there.  I will not show any more pictures until it's done (maybe just one sneakie peek) so you can see the whole thing completed. 

 

Have a great weekend!

 



 

An update and other business....

Happy Friday!  Hope your week has been great.  Let me give you a quick update on the status of the bathroom first.  The plumbers have finished the rough in work and we have the green light for tile.  The Sheetrock is still being worked on and should be completed by Tuesday at the latest (fingers crossed for no delays).  I'm still deciding on paint colors but I'm really leaning to the light/white shades for this room to make it as bright as possible without feeling sterile.  Oh, and Eleanor got a little "work" done and looks fabulous. Besides that, I've been thinking of how I want to decorate the bathroom and I've been looking for a few special pieces.  I have an idea of what I want to do but I'll share that later when it becomes more solid. 

In other news, I've been shopping for a client that I am working with through e-design and I've picked up some neat things along the way that I thought I would share.  I bought some great books from a dealer who knows I love old books. Every once in a while, I sit down and read through some of the books I have and realize that reading was the only form of entertainment for many people back when these were published. Although that is not the case today, these books hold a value of unique craftsmanship and literary history. I hope to one day, read every book I own. But for now, I will admire the artistry in the covers and appreciate the journeys they have been on so far.

 

 

 

That's all for now.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!