A Pop of Color for Summer

This pine hutch was a popular craft show and country craftsman furniture item from the 90's...let me remind you-the really, really dark stained pine pieces :)
Bobby built similar things then, but he found this one at a local thrift store in all it's glory-missing a door. The piece is quite the storage cabinet (standing at over 5 feet tall and about 4 feet wide)-with all the drawers and shelves...and, how cute would a basket be in the open bin.
A great distressed sunflower yellow with a brown glaze added lots of cheer and personality to this dark hutch. Bobby re-used the original knobs and handles, although they could be easily updated as well.
Perfect in a kitchen or breakfast room...or brighten your daily routine by placing this piece in the mudroom for extra storage and an organization area as a drop off for mail, pet treats and leashes, schoolbooks...and all your everyday "stuff".

Collaborating...

Troy Antiques has added a new area in "the vault"...anything and everything baby and child...nursery, playroom, and kid's room furniture, bedding (by order at the moment), pillows, toys...and all other sorts of accessories-both vintage and re-purposed. Stop by when you can and check out the latest!
Gail (aka Miss Hettie's) found this great small platform style rocker. She painted it white and distressed it a little-and brought it to me for the fabrics. And what exactly do you do? Boy, girl, pastels, brights???? How do you know what someone will like? So, we opted for white-a cotton duck gathered skirt that ties onto the base under the seat cushion. The seat and back cushions are covered on one side in white duck and the other-an old white cotton bedspread which gives a super vintage appeal and adds great texture to the all white piece.
But I just had to add a little color, so I decided on a little 14" ruffled pillow in a sweet pink cotton rose stripe print. The pillow, I decided, could be easily changed for a different look.
This sweet chair would make a charming accent not only in a nursery, but in almost any cottage-y setting.
Special orders for nursery items welcome!

Crib Bedding in Linen

Oh so sweet crib bedding in linen-a great natural fabric that gets softer the more it is washed and used. Linen can be such a formal fabric but takes on a more casual look when washed and dried. Natural, white, soft pink or other pastels...even a combination of colors would make the sweetest of nurseries.
I will be happy to create your nursery bedding using your fabrics or fabrics from some of my favorite sources. Contact me for details...or visit my Etsy shop.

Ottomans and Etsy

Take your existing ottoman and give it a new look!!!! Use a slipcover-and this summer-make it using burlap and a little natural cotton ruffled edge-very sweet and casual.
A lot of the older ottomans, you know the ones-with the fitted upholstery and cording-skirted with the stiff crinoline inside, are great pieces to start. First, take the skirt away. Let the legs show-and really, most of these have the square stained post legs-the really older ones. The legs are usually not fancy, they may be even a little rustic-even better. And, the legs are probably stained a dark walnut or similar color-PERFECT!
After removing the skirt...and revealing the cute little legs, add your updated slipcover for a simple new look.
My latest Etsy interests have been these great little slipcovers. The burlap gives great texture and mixing the natural cotton ruffle sweetens and softens it a bit.
Add a couple of matching pillows to complete your new look.
Not such a big deal...but a super summer, casual look.

Let me know if I can help update your ottoman with a burlap slipcover :)

When Life Gives You A Busted Door, Make a Potting Bench!

At a rental property-between renters-kind of scary...but sad, nonetheless. Someone broke into an old house by kicking in the window of this door-well for whatever the reason, I couldn't handle throwing the door out...I'm just not good at throwing anything away that could be a potential art project-and I sort of see these inanimate objects with a sort of Walt Disney like realness :)
So-to Bobby's workshop we go to check on the door that has been in waiting for about a year or two or three, maybe...waiting for the day it would be chosen. Well, it's day came-the day for the Shabby Potting Bench! Bobby pulled together some odds and ends to create this fun work table.
The door came with original crackled white paint and a single row of windows at the top (left intact and amazingly unbroken). The destroyed area of the door was "patched" with chicken wire-which would be a great trellis for a little ivy, by the way. A work area of whitewashed pine boards was added as was a bottom shelf (for storing potting soil, ...)
Bobby then added a few hangers and hooks he made from old silverware, a vintage doorknob, and a large rusty cuphook.
A small barnboard shelf rests on a pair of old whitewashed spindle pieces. And my favorite addition to this piece is the old iron bar that Bobby added to the side of the work top-a great place to hang a towel for clean up.
Whether you use this piece as a place to pot your plants or an organizer of sorts in the mudroom or sunporch...it is truly a "green" piece of furniture-all leftovers, reused and repurposed...and a cute, shabby one, too! And just so happy to be here :)

This art piece is available at Old South Antique Mall in Dothan, Alabama.

A Vintage Ottoman Remake and a Slipcover

Somehow you just know...the age of a piece of upholstered furniture. And usually the outdated fabric is the giveaway. Remember the big plaid with the rubber backing....yes, that is it...as a matter of fact-big green plaid with a rubber backing. This ottoman was covered in it-head to toe. So, for a little update-I first persuaded Bobby to remove the box pleated floor length skirt that was attached with lots and lots of long staples....obviously, the manufacturer did not want this skirt to fall off:)
Next, to remove the hints of that plaid fabric, I made a fitted cover of a basic drapery lining fabric.
That was enough to show the piece of furniture nicely and make a decision of how to make the slipcover.
I decided to use burlap as the main fabric with a 2 inch ruffled skirt detail of a lightweight cotton fabric in cream-allowing 5 inches of the cute wood legs to show. This project created a great accessory simple enough to fit any casual decor...and the burlap gives a great texture to mix with most other fabrics.
The ottoman measure 20 x 26 x 17 inches tall.