How to Create a Vintage Industrial Look on Furniture…using Chalk Paint & Black Wax

August 9, 2016 54 Comments

I love it when the launch of a new product provides the perfect excuse to tackle a well over-due project. Such was the case with the release of Black Wax by Annie Sloan. Teamed with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in “Antibes Green” it seemed like the perfect way to jazz-up some blah file drawers I bought...…READ MORE

“New” Blue Cane Chairs…plus how to use a paint sprayer

July 18, 2016 66 Comments

Ever since painting my Chippendale desk chair….by hand…with a brush…over the course of several hours…a paint sprayer has been high on my ‘to buy’ list. Some of you may recall I have sprayed furniture in the past using our air compressor, though that big, noisy, heavy piece of equipment isn’t something I like to reach for too...…READ MORE

Re-Love Project…before & after

June 30, 2016 164 Comments

I’m so excited to finally share this! If you’re not new here, you’re probably aware of my involvement in the Re-Love Project and what it’s all about. For those of you who don’t know, in short it’s a Feast Watson campaign in collaboration with Salvos Stores which sees seven design personalities “re-love” a neglected item of furniture...…READ MORE

How to Stain Timber | A Video Tutorial

June 2, 2016 39 Comments

If you’re a regular visitor here, you may have read snippets about this “secret” project. Well, a few months back I was lucky to be invited to take part in and style a professional video tutorial for Feast Watson! It was like nothing I’ve ever done…and I loved it! I can’t thank Feast enough for...…READ MORE

An Impromptu Coastal Bedroom Makeover | Before & After

April 11, 2016 38 Comments

Yes, I’m aware there’s a partially complete room re-do I should probably be focusing my attention on, though I thought it might be fun to throw this surprise one in the mix (don’t question my logic :) As a massive bonus, this one is actually finished (and only took me one and a half days...…READ MORE

An Old Stool Meets a New Bread Board

March 14, 2016 35 Comments

Do you remember this charming antique piano stool? I picked it up a month or so back to use as a cute little side table in my parent’s living room. And, for obvious reasons, it was pretty affordable. I bought it for around $30 from eBay. A major flaw, like this annihilated seat, can seem...…READ MORE

Linen Dresser Makeover

February 15, 2016 41 Comments

It feels like ages since I’ve put paintbrush to furniture. In fact, I’d even forgotten just how therapeutic it can be! If you’ve been following along with the makeover of my parent’s living-dining room then you’ll probably know the back-story to this dresser. BEFORE Sorry, not the greatest pic (taken from the eBay listing). For...…READ MORE

A Restored Farmhouse Table

January 12, 2016 8 Comments

I’m not ashamed to admit I’m A LOT in love with this table. With its cute castor wheels…. With its gorgeous turned legs…. With its charming original hand crank… With its dents and dings and dimples which tell the story of its life…. And, maybe most so, with its wide kauri pine panels whose mild...…READ MORE

Easy DIY “Marble” Hearth…and a fireplace makeover

September 22, 2015 46 Comments

If you follow me socially, you may recall seeing a little snippet of this “marble” project already… Could you guess what I was making? Well, in all fairness, my use as a fireplace hearth is rather obscure and it could have been almost anything. From a tabletop, to a decorative bread board, to a wall...…READ MORE

Chalk Paint Tutorial (Distressed Vintage Style)

August 19, 2015 34 Comments

Some of you may not know that when I started this blog, I was up-cycling and on-selling A LOT of furniture. It was a hobby. My second job of sorts. And I LOVED it. Though with the growth of my blog, and, more pertinently, the emergence of my little family, came the gradual demise of...…READ MORE