A few days of relaxing

Good morning my lovelies, with the school holidays drawing to a close I’ve enjoyed a few days off work. It’s been really nice to unwind and spend time with my family and friends and not have a paint brush in my hands. 

Although don’t get me wrong I absolutely love painting but I’m finding that my shoulders and biceps are aching a lot lately. Last year it was my hips from sitting weirdly when I painted so I changed that and now my biceps are aching so I must be doing something differently that’s causing that pain. I need to stretch more I think ... and probably paint less. And walk more and lose weight...don’t get me started.

But today when I had some quite time instead of painting I sat and read a magazine and gazed at my wall of greenery in the garden. How beautiful has the rain made everything look. 

In the late afternoon Phil and I were kid free and we walked up to Rozelle and we found a wine bar serving last drinks so we had a glass of rosé and sat and talked. Very nice to relax and enjoy each other’s company. 

I did have a few customers come to pick up pieces including these lovely large bedsides. Lisa has been a customer for years and so it was nice to see her again and know that she is still loving my furniture.

I’ll be back into work today . Lots of new pieces to pick up including some lovely French pieces. Exciting to start the new week off with some great pieces

Enjoy your day.

Fiona xx

Black and beautiful

I had the pleasure in painting gorgeous timber American drawers recently. My customer had brought these from the US, they were the first piece of furniture she ever bought but the dark timber wasn’t doing it for her anymore. We decided on Coal Black by Fusion Mineral Paint. How gorgeous are they now. 

For the hardware I have polished with Bar Keepers Friend and an old toothbrush. They originally were quite black with age. So shiny now. 

Doesn’t paint make a huge difference! 

Get in contact if you have a piece that needs paint. 

Happy to provide a quote

Fiona xx

Today at Floriade

Good evening! The kids and I have snuck away to Canberra for a few days. To escape the rain and take in some sights. It works out perfectly as Floriade is on and some great exhibitions at the art gallery. 

American Masters

Floriade was spectacular also. Even though we have come right at the end of the month there are still so

Many

Tulips in bloom

 

You know how much I like white

Some colour also :)

Loads more photos as it was all so beautiful 

We also spent the afternoon at Questacon- so much fun. Im including these next photos for my dad

Days of

Colour in all

Forms

Back home tomorrow

Sleep well my friends xx

How to paint furniture - 10 Tips for getting starting

PIN ME FOR LATER

I thought I'd do a little brain dump on some tips for improving your furniture painting or to give you some confidence to pick up the paintbrush for the very first time. I often speak to people who don't know where to start - jump in and practice, practice, practice. Remember to have some fun. It's very rewarding.

1. Get familiar with the basics: before you start painting make sure you read this blog post I wrote years ago about how to paint vintage furniture. Chalk paint has changed some of the need for all the steps but this guide is a good start and you won't go wrong with it. 

2. Decide what look you are wanting. What is your piece suited to? Is it plain or more ornate? Do you want modern and smooth or is the piece old and ornate and can it do with a more rustic or French look? Different paints will work better for different looks: high gloss paints for a more modern look, chalk paint or matte paint for more old-world, vintage or a shabby chic look. Have a read of this blog post where I discuss different paints I use.

3. Start on smaller pieces and realise that practice makes perfect. You will improve with every piece you paint. If you are really nervous grab some photo frames or sample boards. Old kitchen cabinet boards are also fantastic to practice on.

4. Prep your furniture: I know it's all the rage to do no prep but you will get a way better finish with a little prep. Clean your furniture and gently sand. You only need to sand enough to take the glossy sheen off the furniture. You do not need to sand back to raw timber. If it has previous paint (or varnish) that is peeling, sand until smooth and bare.

5. Use a primer in these circumstances: over oak, mahogany, old pine or Balinese furniture. I also use a good primer with painting with white paint as it will assist with coverage and cut down on the coats of more expensive paint you have to use. If you haven't used a primer and you have bleeding (where tannins seep through and turn your paint red, pink or brown) you can always spot prime and then continue painting. I use Zinsser BIN SHellac in the red tin.

6. Don't overload your brush and don't over work your paint. Lay the paint down and don't go back and forth. You aren't buttering bread.

7. Sand between coats - not always necessary but wow it makes a difference to the smoothness of your work. It takes no time at all, just a very light sand with 220g or higher sandpaper.

8. Don't panic after the first coat - pieces will often look way worse before they get better. Let your paint dry and then paint another coat. 

9. Realise you may need more than two coats of paint particularly with whites, yellow, red or black. 

10. Having problems? Consult my handy guide to "Solving paint problems"

Enjoy your weekend

Good evening, hope you are enjoying the weekend. I just wanted to pop in tonight to say thank you for all your support. I absolutely love furniture painting and sharing my techniques and interacting with you all. 

I have quite a bit for sale at the moment - been very productive lately:) I’ll update the For Sale Page later tonight.

I’m going to be sharing lots of techniques and inspiration on my blog again not just my makeovers. I know it’s been a bit furniture focused lately. 

Thanks for being here 

Fiona xx

Vintage meat safe before and after

I hope you are enjoying the before and afters I’ve been sharing. It really gives hope to old ugly furniture out there doesn’t it.  Tonight I’m sharing a meat safe that I painted last week. 

This rustic meat safe is very old. I bought it from a sweet 79 year old lady who was moving out of her apartment on a 4th floor with no elevator to something more convenient although she assured me the stairs weren’t a problem for her and “did I want help carrying the furniture downstairs?”  God love her. 

Anyway she’s had this meat safe forever but can’t take it to the nursing home. It needed a bit of work to say the least but it’s looking gorgeous now with a sanded and waxed top, exterior in Graphite chalk paint, distressed and waxed and the interior painted a lovely pale grey.  The mesh on the sides is the original but I’ve added new mesh to the doors.  

A lovely little piece of history 🖤

I thought you might like to see it as it progressed through the various stages. Those panels in the doors weren’t original to the piece and were so ugly. Made such a difference removing them and bringing it back to its original look. The second photo is when I’ve started sanding it, third photo painted, 4th photo all finished. How good is paint!