around home and a few new bits of furniture

Hi gorgeous people, How are you going in your Christmas readiness? I am usually very last minute but because we have friends flying in tomorrow morning from America, I have been extra ready for Christmas. I have two small presents still to buy and then I'm starting to wrap everything and get it under the tree tonight. I don't think I've ever been so ready :)

I had the last of my furniture pickups for 2015. Finally sold the gorgeous blanket box and also a round table.

We have two guests coming to stay for a few weeks; my friend Linda and her almost adult son Joel. We met Linda and Joel when we were in Yosemite about 5 years ago. It was snowing and we kept bumping into them at various fireplaces/lodges and chatted and chatted and finally decided we needed to be friends so we used to meet them at night for a drink after going our separate ways in the days hiking etc. I've been to LA a few times in the last few years to see them but it's the first time they have been to Australia. We are all so excited to have them here.

Joel will be sleeping in our guest room and so Sasha and I set up my furniture studio as a lovely guest room for Linda. I put some unfinished furniture in storage at a friend's shop and then used what I had to make a B&B room for Linda. It''s a bit hodge podge but I think she'll be comfortable.

All the furniture will be for sale after New Year (and once I've finished the unfinished pieces). It's pretty handy having extra furniture laying around :)

This morning the kids and I have had a quite time at home. They are still not even out of their pjs yet. We've done some of my technical lego that I got when I was 9 and made the dough for the chocolate sugar cookies we have every Christmas.  I have also sanded and primed this gorgeous dressing table below. I was just going to use it as is for Joel to put his clothes in the guest room but the varnish was in a bad way so i thought I'd get it painted before they arrive tomorrow. 

It's the sweetest teeniest little dressing table you have ever seen with the prettiest handles. The top of the mirror only comes to my shoulders. I will be painting it a soft white and lightly distressed. It will be for sale in the New Year so if you have a little girl keep an eye out for this one. It's ADORABLE!! 

I'm hoping the rain clears up soon as my friends aren't going to be happy with a wet old Christmas. 

have a great day
Fiona xx

Taupe coffee table

Two days into school holidays and I feel like a new woman already. I'm sitting here still in my swimmers from an afternoon at the beach, the salt all dried on my skin and hair and feeling very happy and relaxed. I've been hanging out with the kids and their friends, doing a small bit of painting in between and it is just lovely. This morning I finished painting a lovely taupe coffee table. It's a very beautiful shape and so well made. I love old quality pieces like this.

The taupe is a mix of Annie Sloan paints using French Linen, Paris Grey, White, Coco and Old Ochre. It's so soft and pretty. I think it suits any palette.

I have lightly distressed this piece but nothing too obvious and over the top. Just to mimic some years of gentle wear and tear. The tree timber dovetailed drawers are on one side only and very handy for the tv remote etc. The other side is just plain with a nice apron.

122w x 51d x 45h cm 

$395 

pickup Lilyfield

The afternoon light in this lounge room is so lovely and I appreciate how this mirror brings the greenery into the house.

I am hoping to get this chair below finished over the weekend but it doesn't look likely. I went a bit bold for the fabric but so glad I did as the fabric really looks good.

Fiona xx

French Style Console Table

Yesterday afternoon in between shopping online for Christmas presents (how good is shopping online!) I finished painting a lovely console table. I had recently painted one of these in white but I decided to paint this one in a Paris grey mix with ASCP Graphite top. The base is finished in wax but for the top I used a hand rubbed poly so you can easily pop a vase of flowers on it and not worry and clean it easily. I love a waxed finish but sometimes the durability and ease of a poly wins out.

Gorgeous details on this piece
95w x 45d x 77 h cm. 
$365 
pickup only from Lilyfield

I also will be listing a lovely small round dining table later today.  Then I might finish up for the year.. but I do have a beautiful french chair and sofa to transform and perhaps these might get finished also. It will all depend how motivated I am, and how organised I am for Christmas and our friends arriving :)

Fiona xx

A Great Before and After: The Magic of White Paint

A picture speaks a thousand words.

How good is white paint!

and before...

These drawers are massive at 1.7m long and over 1m high. Lots of white paint was involved.

 We had our street party last night and I thought I'd be needing a sleep in but I was up early and have already painted a little side console, made breakfast and lunch (we are headed to a Christmas party and I'm taking a roast potato salad) and started making meatballs for our dinner as I know I won't feel like cooking after this afternoon.

I have got my energy and good humour back after a week of feeling less than ordinary. Thank god for that!

Have a wonderful day.

Fiona xx

Vintage Oak Drawers with Bird Design

I decided to make these drawers a little special and hand painted some branches and a little bird on the front in a soft grey. I think they would be lovely in a baby's nursery. I've used this design before (initially inspired by Miss Mustard Seed) and I think its the perfect thing for lovely old oak drawers painted white.

The drawers are dovetailed, solid timber and all slide well. Crisp white chalk paint, distressed and waxed.  106w x 48d x 77h 

Pickup Lilyfield 

$325 

I tell you what I am so tired at the moment. I seem to be working so hard and not getting a lot done but maybe it's just that my work is all so scattered in so many directions at the moment. We did get the pavers laid for the kids play area in the yard. Personally I would have just preferred grass but it's where they play basketball (constantly) and hand ball so they needed a hard surface. Phil will plant a small garden to the left of the shed and grow mandevilla along the side fence which will soft it all and make it look less like a runway. 

I am painting some special bedsides and a small table and hopefully finishing the cabinetry in our lounge room... longest project ever...

then pick the kids up from an excursion at Parsley Bay, dentist appointments and then cook dinner for my sister in law's birthday. Happy birthday Lorraine! Looking forward to spoiling you tonight.

Have a lovely day everyone

Fiona xx

Christmas Wreath Showcase

The lovely duo Kylie and Sam from DIY Decorator have pulled together a Christmas Wreath Showcase from Australian bloggers. I was delighted to be included. We still have the same wreath on our front door that we've had for several years.

You can visit the other blogs here.

DIY Decorator 

GallerieB 

Glamour Coastal Living

Kirsten & Co 

Life Love & Hiccups 

Mum Little Loves 

Nooks & Cranny 

Style and Shenanigans 

The Builder’s Wife 

The Style Curator 

The Stylist Splash  

Our wreath is nothing that special but it's festive. My dream wreath would be a preserved buxus one but I've had a lot of trouble finding one in Sydney.  And to be honest I've been too busy painting furniture to do much around the house.

I did keep one of the beautiful wicker wreaths i was selling. It's nestled in the cabinet I painted for our lounge room.

We do have a new spot for the Christmas tree now we have finished our renovations. It fits perfectly at the space below the stair well.  The chandelier above it looks beautiful also. I will share more of the house once I have a few more painted pieces finished and shipped off to clients.

Thanks for stopping by. If you are new here why not check out my portfolio and for sale page if you like hand painted furniture.  I also have loads of DIY tutorials here.

Bring on Christmas - I can't wait to have time off at the beach. 

Fiona xx

French style buffet painted in taupe

Gosh we are zooming towards Christmas already. I have that phrase in my head "stop the world I want to get off" as I try to get all my painted pieces ready and custom furniture finished before I stop for the break.  

 This may be one of my favourite projects ever: such a beautiful shape and the colour I mixed for it turned out nicely. It's a really beautiful taupe.

To paint it I removed all the glass and mirrors so had to reinsert it all at the end. I have to say that my heart was in my mouth the whole time that I was reinstalling those big mirrors at the back.

Someone on facebook asked if I had sprayed this piece due to the lack of brush marks. All my pieces are hand painted by brush. I just avoid obvious brush marks unless I'm trying to create texture.

I love the details and hardware.

It has already sold.

Have a great day
Fiona 

sharing here

Latest pieces: Lilyfield Life

Happy Friday!! Can't believe I've had to edit it as I've just realised it's only Thursday :)

We are waiting on the cool change to come = thank goodness for Sydney's southerly buster. It's been a hot day to paint furniture.

Sage green grey sideboard for a lovely customer

And before:

A chalkboard made from a vintage fire screen for my friend Belinda. 

The view from Cafe Sydney last night: a fantastic Christmas party. 

These white drawers are still for sale.

Hope the week has treated you well

Fiona xx

Vintage White Oak Drawers and Mirrors

These are gorgeous old oak drawers that I've just finished painting in a crisp bright white. I am so happy with how these turned out as when I got them the top had completely split into three boards so it too a bit of work and fiddling around to re-join the top so no splits showed. I had to remove the top completely which has a little tricky as it had been nailed in but I love how it all turned out.

So many uses for this piece: bedroom, hallway, sideboard, lounge room or baby's nursery

The drawers are all solid timber and slide well.

106w x 48d x 77h cm

Pickup Lilyfield $325

Call me on 0405766445 if you are interested in purchasing the drawers.

I also have been painting a few mirrors.

This one for my friend Belinda.

And then these all for sale (although they have all sold already)

Elegant rose gold

French washed blue

and this one also in a washed French blue that Sasha desperately wanted for her room. It goes well with all her pops of turquoise. can you see her bunting and her cushion she made on the bed?

So we sold the white vintage one that she used to have on her drawers. I am a bit sad to see that one go as I bought it when I was visiting my mum in Canberra hospital after a hip replacement. There were great markets right outside my hotel. 

Here are the other treasures I bought. I'm not the best seller actually looking at that as we kept quite a bit of that stash.  We still have the birdcage (now white) in the garden, the old tin with the boat on it and the timber teddy are in Jonty's room and the lantern is in the lounge room. The mirror sold already and Lisa is picking it up today. Maybe I should go to Canberra again as that was a good haul :)

Fiona xx