One of my favorite DIY projects is creating something pretty out of old, worn out, & otherwise homely vintage things. It can be as simple as repurposing vintage linens, adding a fresh coat of paint to old wood, or even more complex, refurbishing old furniture pieces. Adding a dose of freshness to old pieces brings out a special character - which is something you can't just buy at any Pottery Barn. Pottery Barn has lovely stuff, but it's new, & it's missing all the dings & worn paint. It's not true "shabby chic".
My latest shabby chic project came from an old shed on our property. From the moment I saw it, I knew I had to brush off the cobwebs & give it new life. So, this weekend I got knee deep in dust & pulled it out into the sunlight. A fresh coat of hand tinted aqua paint & some sandpaper later, I had the newest storage piece for my studio space:
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| A functional old wooden display ladder! |
In all the excitement I forgot to do the "before" pictures. So imagine a sunbleached wood ladder with a smattering of old paint here & there, loads of dust & cobwebs to boot. It was homely, but nothing a little bit of paint couldn't brighten up. I left all the brackets & hardware in the original metal, with bits of rust here & there. The wood was well worn, so when I sanded the aqua paint, it looked like it was original to the ladder. Lots of nicely worn patches on the spots you would expect, like the stairs & the edges.
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That's a real bird's nest I found in the yard - with a cute glittered robin's egg!
(This bird loved bling - notice the bit of tinsel?) |
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| Topped off with the newest addition to my vintage Pyrex Butterprint collection! |
I just love this old ladder! It looks great in my space, but will be equally great to use for display at all my shows. Just fold it up & it stores flat. If I ding it while moving it, then great - more character. Plus the vintagey aqua color is swoon worthy.
I have a few other shabby chic projects that I will try to post this week. One of them involves milk glass - so stay tuned!
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Love it!
ReplyDeleteI really like the color!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great stroke of genius on the ladder - it is dreamy. Must go hunting for one! :-) And I am about to confiscate the birds nest at my house, that has been abandoned for weeks now with an unhatched egg. So, maybe I can conjure up something similar to yours, LOL. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Hugs, Cathy K
ReplyDeleteLove it! Any chance you'd post your paint colors? (if they're store mixed to replicate...esp. the wall color in your sewing room!)
ReplyDeleteAnd YAY...my comments are back in order and I DOES help to keep "stay signed in" un-checked. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteKiley - I would love to share the colors but the aqua paint was handmixed from some old paint I had on hand. The one color was almost a sky blue & the white was a plain warm white. As for the studio color - this is original to the home & I haven't repainted yet. I think if you were to look into Martha Stewart paint colors you would find a close match. It's a light blue green, almost the color of jadite. I appreciate the compliment :)
ReplyDeletealmost pastel colors. so relaxing:)
ReplyDeleteparenting articles