Re-make of an Old Favorite

Have you ever mistakenly created a work of art?  I did just that when I painted this old table...

 

 

The stain that I used over the CeCe Calwell's paint soaked in so quickly and completely changed the color of the paint and I LOVED it! 

 

However; since that was not the look that I was going for originally, and I created it just by happenstance, I have been wondering weather or not it was possible to create this look again.

 

Unfortunately, that beautiful table has had a rough life and no matter how hard we tried, it is still very crooked and wobbly so was I was unable to sell it.

 

My mom gave me this cute little table to makeover and I thought it would be the perfect test to see if I could recreate my precious table.

 

I am very happy to say it worked! 

 



 

I simply painted one coat of CeCe Calwell's Santa Fe Turquoise the key to get this look is to not be exact with your brush strokes, make strokes in all different directions and don't try to go for too much coverage.  After it dried I lightly sanded a couple areas that I wanted to be more effected by the stain, then I put my dark walnut stain on a cloth and wiped on and then wiped it again with a clean cloth. 

 

Usually, I am very careful about using stain because it is quite hard to correct a mistake.  That makes this project even more fun because you can put as much or as little stain on your rag and just go to town.  Don't over think it or let the perfectionist side of you come out...just go with it and see how amazing your finish project looks!

 

Here's a view of her top...

 

And now her legs...

 

Aren't they beautiful?! 

 

 

My goal for the finished look of this table was a messy, unique and striking piece of furniture. 

 

What do you think?  Does the imperfection make this piece noticeable or just make you nuts?

Paint Reviews (Latex, ASCP, CeCe Caldwell's)

I have been experimenting with different paint options for my furniture painting endeavors and have finally completed several paint trials, so I thought I would share my reviews...

Latex Paint~

First there is the regular ol' latex paint that I have used on tons of projects and have always been pleased with the results.

Dresser with Ribbon Pulls

To get the best results with standard paint you will definitely need to spend quality time with your piece of furniture.  It requires patience...sanding, priming, painting and then painting again.  I always recommend using a paint conditioner to mix in with the paint to prevent brush strokes.  Latex paint is your cheapest option, but will also require the most amount of effort.

DIY Chalk Paint~

I used Liz Marie's recipe to make my own chalk paint. 

DIY Chalk Paint

I was very happy with the results of these chairs, but I definitely did not enjoy the grittiness of this paint.  It required quite a bit of sanding to smooth it out.  It did distress beautifully and gave a very unique finish though.  This was a perfect solution for these chairs, but I will not be going this route on a dresser or table - I wouldn't have the patience to get rid of the grittiness.  However, the effort is worthwhile to save a bit of money to come out with a beautiful piece of furniture. 

ASCP~

Now for the real Annie Sloan Chalk Paint...I was actually surprised how difficult it was for me to get the hang of this paint.  Being that I was so used to regular latex paint, it was a real learning curve for me to get used to the thick feel of the chalk paint.  It is definitely great not having to sand and prime, but the actual painting itself took me a bit longer than it would have using regular paint.  I am sure the ASCP experts out there are much quicker at getting their pieces finished.  Overall, I definitely recommend ASCP for the beautiful finish it creates, but I certainly need some practice with it. 

Grandfather Desk

CeCe Caldwell's Paint~

The most recent paint that I have tried is CeCe Caldwell's Paint and I have to say that I am in love!!

Side Table Makeover

This paint compares in cost to ASCP and I thought would be very similar, as the finished product has a similar chalky and unique finish.  This paint requires no sanding or priming, but unlike chalk paint it goes on just like latex paint.  I love that it is thinner and easy to work.  Another great feature is that it has no VOC's and no odor.  I was really shocked at how quickly it dried and it comes out looking completely different than when it was wet. 

All in all, CeCe Caldwell's paint is my paint of choice for the moment.  It makes re-doing a piece of  furniture a cinch and I absolutely love the color choices.  It does cost a bit more than standard latex, but I find that a can seems to go quite a bit further and there is no need for the additional expenses such as primer and paint conditioner. 

Although I would choose CeCe's over ASCP, I definitely would not rule out the use of standard latex.  There is something about pouring blood, sweat and tears into a piece that make the results seem that much sweeter :-)

Hope this was helpful to some of you wondering whether or not to invest your money in one of these other paint choices on the market today.

In the end, it is a completely personal choice and will depend a lot on the look that you are trying to achieve.

Feel free to add your thoughts and comments on your paint of choice. The more input the better :-)

Linking up here.

Desk Makeover Complete!

My desk makeover is finally complete! 

I have this desk that was my grandfather's and I have always loved it.  It is sturdy and has a very large working and storage space and of course for sentimental reasons it is something I love having around. However, it was in desperate need of a makeover...

This desk is the first step of our office makeover.  I wanted it to make a statement in the room and I was thrilled because it was my first shot at Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. 

Painting with the chalk paint was a definite learning curve for me. I painted the entire desk Olive and was completely underwhelmed :-(  It looked dull and boring and I just couldn't get the look I was going for.  I had already painted two coats and after waxing and distressing I was so discouraged. 

I decided to deviate from the original plan and go to my trusted can of Olympic in Creamy White that I have used for several projects, including my hutch made wall decor and my dresser with ribbon pulls.  This was exactly what it needed!

Then I painted the drawers with one more coat of Olive and that did the trick :-)  I think this desk was just especially stubborn.

I am very pleased with how it turned out and LOVE the chalk paint!  I also had some knobs from Anthropology that I got on clearance that I was itching to use.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the 2 tone look or not?

This post will be featured at Mom's Fun Money this week.

I will be linking up to the following parties...

http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/; http://thriftydecorchick.com ; http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/ ; http://goodbyecityhellosuburbs.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.lilluna.com/ ; http://polkadotsonparade.blogspot.com/ ; http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/ ; http://733blog.blogspot.com/ ; http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/; http://www.somewhatsimple.com/ ; http://thriftydecorating-nikkiw.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.houseofhepworths.com/ ; http://rhinestonebeagle.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/ ; http://alliemakes.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.thrifty101.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/

; http://whipperberry.com/ ; http://www.missmustardseed.com/ ; http://www.mysimplehomelife.com/ ; http://www.atthepicketfence.com/ ; http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/ ; http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/ ; http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/; http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/ ; http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/ ; http://morrowsunshine.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.bystephanielynn.com/ ; http://www.iheartnaptime.net/ ; http://www.flamingotoes.com/ ; http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/

; http://sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.laughloveandcraft.com/ ; http://www.thestuffofsuccess.com/ ; http://www.remodelaholic.com/ ; http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/; http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/ ; http://linesacrossmyface.blogspot.com; http://vanessascraftynest.blogspot.com ; http://kissedbyafrog.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.happyhourprojects.com/ ; http://www.homemakerinheels.com/ ; http://rocaandcompany.blogspot.com/; http://littlebighouseontheprairie1.blogspot.com/; http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/; http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com; http://todayscreativeblog.net/;http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/; http://www.thegunnysack.com; http://caribbeanmissionarywife.blogspot.com; http://athomewithk.blogspot.com/; http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com; http://space46.blogspot.com; http://www.itsoverflowing.com/; http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/ ; http://everything-underthemoon.blogspot.com ; http://www.herecomesthesun-kelly.blogspot.com; http://www.tipjunkie.com; http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/; http://junkintheirtrunk.blogspot.com; http://findingmywayintexas.blogspot.com/; http://www.tipjunkie.com; http://howtonestforless.com; http://www.mom4realky.blogspot.com; http://ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/

Impossible is No Longer Impossible!

I did it!  I finally finished my project for the challenge, just in time!  I have to be honest with you...when I first took the challenge of re-doing my kitchen table I really didn't think it would be all that impossible...I just needed a kick in the pants to get it done.  Boy was I wrong!  It wasn't impossible, but there were moments right up until  the very end that I thought it was going to be an ultimate FAIL!!

I knew I wanted something unique for this table that would be the center piece for the dining room, but I wasn't quite sure which direction I wanted to go in.  That was until I spied me some bold Tangerine!

I have to admit as excited as I was, I was also frightened that I might be making a HUGE mistake!  I started with the chairs in a more subtle, but very distressed look...

This was also my first attempt at making my own chalk paint {to learn more about this process click here}. 

I decided that I wanted to do the table with tangerine legs and a white top.  Well, this is where I almost gave up :(  I finished the table after so much hard work and brought it inside.  WOW was it blinding!  It just did not look right!!  My sweet husband walked in and very politely said, "Ummm so do you like it?" while secretly praying I would say "No" ha ha!  Lucky for him I did :)

Sorry I have no photos ~ I was way too eager to get that thing out of the house! 

I was back at the drawing board and really didn't want to start this project all over again.  In my head I knew that the table would work if I painting the white part of the chairs the same blue as my hutch, but I just did not have the energy to re-paint all of those chairs!  So I decided to re-paint the top of the table blue and guess what?  It was the perfect solution!! Get ready for picture overload...

I only wanted to very lightly distress the table so it had a much cleaner feel - for this reason I chose not use the Chalk Paint Recipe I just used regular old primer and paint for the table and I am very happy with that decision.

So what do you think?

How about you all?  Are you taking the challenge?  If so let me know so I can take a peak at your projects :)

I will be linking up to the following parties...

http://www.thriftydecorchick.com; http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/ ; http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/ ; http://goodbyecityhellosuburbs.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.lilluna.com/ ; http://polkadotsonparade.blogspot.com/ ; http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/ ; http://733blog.blogspot.com/ ; http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/; http://www.somewhatsimple.com/ ; http://thriftydecorating-nikkiw.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.houseofhepworths.com/ ; http://rhinestonebeagle.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/ ; http://alliemakes.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.thrifty101.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/
; http://whipperberry.com/ ; http://www.missmustardseed.com/ ; http://www.mysimplehomelife.com/ ; http://www.atthepicketfence.com/ ; http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/ ; http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/ ; http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/; http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/ ; http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/ ; http://morrowsunshine.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.bystephanielynn.com/ ; http://www.iheartnaptime.net/ ; http://www.flamingotoes.com/ ; http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/
; http://sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.laughloveandcraft.com/ ; http://www.thestuffofsuccess.com/ ; http://www.remodelaholic.com/ ; http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/; http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/ ; http://linesacrossmyface.blogspot.com; http://vanessascraftynest.blogspot.com ; http://kissedbyafrog.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.happyhourprojects.com/ ; http://www.homemakerinheels.com/ ; http://rocaandcompany.blogspot.com/; http://littlebighouseontheprairie1.blogspot.com/; http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/; http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com; http://todayscreativeblog.net/;http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/; http://www.thegunnysack.com; http://caribbeanmissionarywife.blogspot.com; http://athomewithk.blogspot.com/; http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com; http://space46.blogspot.com; http://www.itsoverflowing.com/; http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/ ; http://everything-underthemoon.blogspot.com ; http://www.herecomesthesun-kelly.blogspot.com; http://www.tipjunkie.com; http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/; http://junkintheirtrunk.blogspot.com; http://findingmywayintexas.blogspot.com/; http://www.tipjunkie.com; http://howtonestforless.com

I Think I Can...I Think I Can...

So you always know that when I have been MIA for a few days that I am working on a big project.  Well, it is no exception this week!  I am exhausted and completely understand why this is called the Impossibilities Challenge!

I knew my horrible black table would take some work, but I am really starting to wonder what I have gotten myself into...

I have one chair complete and 5 in progress, taking up our entire garage. I love the results so far, but I am really praying it all turns out how I have envisioned because I really don't want to have to start this project over again!  I can handle painting, but I am not a fan of stripping - I'm talking about paint people, however I would probably go pole dance instead of stripping paint at this point ok not really...
P.S. If you want a funny stripping story you have to read this story at 551 East Furniture Design it is down right funny!

I am really stressing because my dear husband is not a fan of the chairs :-(
Then when I mentioned my plans for the table our conversation went something like this...

Me: "Really, you don't like the chairs!?  Just wait until you see the table, I think you will love it!" 

Brian: "What color are you painting the table?"

Me: "mentions secret color ;-)"

Brian:  "REALLY?????  HMMMM...."

Me: "I promise it will look great once the kitchen cabinets are painted!"

Brian: "Ok" and there wasn't even an eye roll here! 

I gotta love him!  He listens to me whine and complain about how much I have to do, while knowing I create my own chaos. 

So now my goal is to prove to that this table is going to look fabulous!  I am really going out of my comfort zone on this one and I am not sure if it is going to pay off.

My goal today is to completely finish the chairs and hopefully get started on the darn table.  I will show you the reveal soon! If you don't see a reveal on this post in the next week, you can just assume that it went horribly wrong and my husband was right.  We will just pretend it never happened and my family may be sitting on the floor to eat for the next 6 months.

DIY Chalk Paint Review

I finally did it!  I made my own Chalk Paint!  I have been dying to get my hands on some ASCP, but haven't wanted to cough up the money.  I have seen so many recipes for making your own chalk paint, but just haven't done it yet. 

Yesterday I was debating on what I want to do with painting my kitchen table and really wanted to use chalk paint instead of regular.  That is when I remembered this recipe from the The Liz Marie Blog...I happened to have everything on hand to try it and decided to give it a whirl.  What do you think?

 This was the ultimate test for this DIY recipe because this is what the I was working with...

I stripped the black paint from the seat of the chair in order to stain it and I left the rest black.  I know that with Chalk Paint that you are not supposed to have to use a primer, so this was the ultimate test going from black to white, with no primer.  {I also like the mixture of the brown and black underneath with the distressing}.

I am happy to say that I got this look from only two coats of paint!  My favorite part was that there was no dripping! I absolutely hate painting things like these chairs with designs and curves, where I tend to get a lot of dripping.  It also dries very quickly, which is fabulous for n impatient person like me!

The main thing about this recipe of Chalk Paint is that it is a little gritty from the tile grout, so it does require sanding when you are complete.  It didn't bother me with this piece, since I was planning on heavily distressing it anyway. 

I am not sure if the paint would hold up to being stored, so I only mixed a cup at a time in a separate container.  I didn't use even close to a full cup of paint for this chair.

P.S.  I used grey grout because that is what I had on hand and there was no change in color to my paint.  I also used an Eggshell paint because I didn't have Flat on hand and it worked out just fine.

How about you guys, have you tried this recipe or any other ones?  How did you feel abou it?

Linking up to these fabulous parties...

http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/ ; http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/ ; http://goodbyecityhellosuburbs.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.lilluna.com/ ; http://polkadotsonparade.blogspot.com/ ; http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/ ; http://733blog.blogspot.com/ ; http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/; http://www.somewhatsimple.com/ ; http://thriftydecorating-nikkiw.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.houseofhepworths.com/ ; http://rhinestonebeagle.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/ ; http://alliemakes.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.thrifty101.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/
; http://whipperberry.com/ ; http://www.missmustardseed.com/ ; http://www.mysimplehomelife.com/ ; http://www.atthepicketfence.com/ ; http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/ ; http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/ ; http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/; http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/ ; http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/ ; http://morrowsunshine.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.bystephanielynn.com/ ; http://www.iheartnaptime.net/ ; http://www.flamingotoes.com/ ; http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/
; http://sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.laughloveandcraft.com/ ; http://www.thestuffofsuccess.com/ ; http://www.remodelaholic.com/ ; http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/; http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/ ; http://linesacrossmyface.blogspot.com; http://vanessascraftynest.blogspot.com ; http://kissedbyafrog.blogspot.com/ ; http://www.happyhourprojects.com/ ; http://www.homemakerinheels.com/ ; http://rocaandcompany.blogspot.com/; http://littlebighouseontheprairie1.blogspot.com/; http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/; http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com; http://todayscreativeblog.net/;http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/; http://www.thegunnysack.com; http://caribbeanmissionarywife.blogspot.com; http://athomewithk.blogspot.com/; http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com; http://space46.blogspot.com; http://www.itsoverflowing.com/; http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/ ; http://everything-underthemoon.blogspot.com ; http://www.herecomesthesun-kelly.blogspot.com; http://www.tipjunkie.com; http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/; http://junkintheirtrunk.blogspot.com; http://findingmywayintexas.blogspot.com/