Teal is everywhere these days. From fashion to furniture, it’s the must have color this season. So I decided to take the plunge and try CeCe Caldwell’s Thomasville Teal and see what the rage is all about. My test subject for this project is this “roadside rescue” my husband found. It’s a plain Jane dresser with good bones. For me, “good bones” means its solid construction, it’s functional and has lots of potential!
Say hello to “Plain Jane”
Dresser Before
CeCe Caldwell has a great blue/green paint called Thomasville Teal.
Thomas meet Jane!
After a few coats of Thomasville Teal, “Jane” is still looking plain. It’s like she has on a pretty dress but no accessories to complement her dress.
So, I added some accessories. The numbers add character (like a scarf ) but the black is to subdued. She needs some bling!
You can always count on gold for some bling. And, it really pops against the teal.
After a little bit of distressing and some gold knobs (earrings), Jane goes from plain to Pretty In Teal!
I could see this in a nursery with sweet little baby clothes, or for a toddler just learning to count, or as a lingerie chest in the master bedroom. The possibilities are endless!
Once we finished our kitchen renovation (see it here ), the adjoining dining room “beach” decor clashed with the new urban French farmhouse kitchen. We had money in the budget to paint and a rug, but I only had $150 for a table, chairs, lighting, and artwork! Time to get creative!
I wanted the two spaces to flow together and the best way to unify the spaces was to paint the walls the same color..so goodbye yellow and blue,
Hello Front Porch (by Sherwin Williams). I love, love this color. Depending on the light, the color changes from gray to taupe, to gray/blue to gray/green. Four colors in one!
I rescued this table from my neighbors (Thanks JJ) trash several year ago and have been using it on our screened in porch.
I love the chunky legs but wanted an aged look for the top. To achieve that look, I left on some of the flaky vanish, then dry brushed the top with CeCe Caldwell’s Destin Gulf Green.
Farmhouse table. Cost: Free
Nothing says “farmhouse” like mismatched seating.
Thrift shop Buffalo check settee. Cost: $75Farmhouse chairs. Cost: Existing chairs, no cost.A pair of french chairs from the thrift shop. Cost: $12/pairCurb side Corduroy. Cost: Free (Click here to see how I painted the fabric and wood on this chair!)
Final touches include thrift shop artwork,
Bold colors and texture from abstract artwork. Cost: $14
Yard sale lighting,
Spray paint and swag add bling to a Chandelier. Cost: $12
And a thrift shop faux fur throw.
Pillows and a faux fur throw add more texture. Cost: Existing pillows, $10 throw.
Farmhouse Dining Room ! Cost: $123.oo
Thanks for checking out my post and Happy Decorating!
Sometimes you get a piece of furniture and you can see the natural beauty of the piece just below the surface. That was the case with this pine dresser that my friend Meghan’s father handmade.
The top stain had worn off so the top looked really dull.
By sanding and staining the top, you can now see the beauty of the wood. It is gorgeous!
For the body of the dresser, I layered on several colors to create a worn weathered look. The first color I used was CeCe Caldwell’s Omaha Orche,
Followed by a Pittsburgh Gray color wash. To create the wash, I mixed 1/2 cup of water to 2 tablespoons of paint. I love that you can still see some of the graining and it looks like the paint has worn off over time!
I am really happy with the final look. My goal was to maintain the history and integrity of the piece while making it fresh and current for a 21st century home. It’s now available at Maggie Jane’s, located at 913 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria, VA (703.706.0411). This versatile piece would fit in any room in the house. Nice small scale for a foyer; an awesome wine bar; side table or bedside dresser.
Here is a collage of before, during and after. Enjoy!
A few weeks ago I went to my sweet friend Meghan’s house to see some furniture. One piece in particular caught my eye.
This beautiful vintage corner cabinet. OK, it’s not beautiful yet, but just like Cinderella, with the help of her fairy godmother (me) she will be!
Vintage corner cabinets are hard to find and although this one had a few “character” spots it was well made. Meghan found this piece on the curb and it was destine for the landfill. So sad!
My first step was to decide on a color. I felt blue would be the perfect color for the ball so I mixed CeCe Caldwell’s Paints and created a color I call “Royal Blue”.
So here is the cabinet after painting, distressing and waxing. The new color is fresh and happy! The inside is painted CeCe Caldwell’s Vintage White.
Although the inside color looks nice, the white is sterile. Another custom mix (Grey Goose), and the interior finally compliments the exterior. Here’s Meghan, all dressed and ready for the ball! She is the “Belle of the Ball!
This piece would be perfect in a dining room filled with china, in a family room filled with books and accessories or in a nursery filled with sweet baby books, toys and clothes! Available at Maggie Jane’s Brownstone, located at 913 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria, VA.
Some designs never go out of style. These cane barrel chairs from the 60’s are just as fashionable today as they were over 50 years ago. Yes, these chairs are over 50 years old! The quality and craftsmanship of the chairs are undeniable. The caning is still intact and the velvet seat cushions are in decent condition.
But, I believe they can look ever better.
So, here is one chair after a coat of CeCe Caldwell’s Vintage White paint and some distressing. I love the paisley ikat fabric but not with this chair. Maybe I should try a different fabric?
Maybe a jacobean pattern?
But, in the end………
I repainted the chairs and and chose a completely different fabric for the cushions. Two coats of CeCe Caldwell’s Vintage White for a fresh look and a classic blue/green toile pattern fabric.
I am really happy with the final outcome. These chairs are ready for a new home!
One of the many things I love about my job is the ability to create “one of a kind” pieces.
For this project, I decided to combine design styles from different decades. This process can be tricky because the styles may not “play well together”. Example: imagine combining the skinny jean concept to a leisure suit. Scary, right! Lucky for me, my two styles play well together because they are united with a common thread……paint!
This buffet is a classic piece from the 60’s. It’s solid construction, in great condition with ample storage. The bowed front and curved details are beautiful but the dark stain makes it look old and worn.
I chose a color from the Paint Couture line called “Calm”. The color is a white/gray/blue combination. I painted/distressed the bottom, then sanded and stained the top (jacobean).
The Hollywood glam gold mirror is the perfect compliment to the buffet but the gold is too shiny. ( That’s my dog Gomer in the mirror….it’s he cute!)
Two coats of “calm” tones down the gold and a light distressing allows hints of gold to shine through.
And here is the buffet and mirror in the store.
2 design styles + 1 paint color = Modern Glam
Happy Decorating! Love, Nicole
Available at Maggie Jane’s Brownstone (913 King Street) in Old Town Alexandria, VA.
I have had this dresser for many years. I love the….
Bowed front
Beautiful Claw Feet
and Large Drawers!
So, what’s not to love? Well, maybe the color. Right.
I decided the dresser needed a color that would highlight the beautiful features and add a feminine vibe. So, I mixed various CeCe Caldwell’s paint colors and created a color I call “Tiffany Blue”.
I layered on the “Tiffany Blue”, added touches of Martha Stewart Metallic gold for highlights. And, here she is….meet “Tiffany”.
And since there is always a surprise inside a tiffany box……
I lined the drawers with this gorgeous wrapping paper (from Innisbrook giftwrap). I love it!
I found this piece at a cute store called Haywoods Variety (https://www.facebook.com/HaywoodsVariety), in a small town on the Northern Neck called Urbanna, VA. I grew up in Urbanna so it fun finding this piece in my home town. To give you an idea how small this town is, there are no stop lights!
Anyhow, when I saw this dresser I immediately thought it would make a great dresser/changing table for a nursery.
With two small and two large drawers, I knew there was plenty of storage space for diapers, onsies, lotions, etc.
And, the top is large enough for a changing pad for the baby.
OK, I realize it’s hard to imagine a baby on this dresser, but trust me its going to look great!
So the first thing I did was get out the sander and sanded the top. It’s looking better? Right?
I then painted the drawers a color I call “Baby Blue” It’s my custom mix of CeCe Caldwell’s Blue Montana Sky and Simply White. The trim and sides where painted in CeCe Caldwell’s Simply White.
I stained the top “Jacobean”, waxed the entire piece with CeCe Caldwell’s clear wax and the transformation is complete!
This piece was available at maggie jane’s brownstone but a sweet couple expecting their first child purchased it for their nursery! How cool is that? SOLD
