Monday, March 25, 2019

What I’m working on this week

Hi everyone, hope you had a lovely weekend. Ours was fun but tiring. Jonty’s party and sleep over Friday night, lunch with Phil’s mum and sisters on Saturday, they arrived literally an hour after the boys left so I t was a quick tirnaround) . And then yesterday up the coast for my dad’s birthday. Plus the kids have a lot of assignments and I had the usual furniture pickups and deliveries and I painted a mirror and we always seem to be doing house work and folding laundry. It never ends :) I was glad to hop into bed last night.

vintage mirror Lilyfield Life

This week I am finishing the kitchen island bench for Cathy. She now wants the top painted so that’s a lot of extra work.
Here’s where I’m at the moment: bases painted, apron primed, top needs sanding right back as it’s damaged.


I also am painting this little bar unit below - already sold to a lovely customer Elle. She’s going to use it to store her router etc in. 


And I also sold the second bookcase I sourced so that needs painting. These are all from the same seller. All English oak but stained so dark.

I also want to start a sideboard that I bought from a beautiful old lady. Maybe that’s all too high hopes :)

I have two pairs of bedsides, a hall table and a glazed cabinet all arriving tomorrow also. I’ll share photos soon. 
I also am planning on swimming my laps everyday. I’m really enjoying it and getting fitter. 

Enjoy your day.
Fiona xx







Saturday, March 23, 2019

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life

This beautiful bedroom set came from the Consul General to Finland. It is just so beautifully made and despite being quite old was in pretty good condition. Initially I was thinking of selling it as is but the long low drawers had a few nicks along the trim above the drawers and the tall set had quite a bad mark on the top. The rest were just perfect so it was a shame. 


I ended up painting them the same in a pale grey chalk paint with clear wax. The drawer interiors are a pale sea foam green. I love that combination.

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life

A lovely couple who aren’t on Facebook bought this set. Their friend commented sold for them. When I went to deliver the piece I realized I knew the friend (who was there to help unload) so it was all a very nice transaction. 

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life

Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life
Bedroom furniture in pale grey chalk paint Lilyfield Life

I really buffed these for a nice shine. I’m just so thrilled the set stayed together. 

I’m so tired tonight, we had 6 boys here for a sleep over last night for Jonty’s birthday. Such nice kids and so funny. And wow big groups of boys eat so much. 

So we are off to bed early (10:30pm which is quite early for me anyway). 

Have a good weekend
Fiona xx











Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Vintage oak bookcase cabinet and I found another one

Last week I bought and painted a little old English oak cabinet. The lead light panels in it were all broken so I pulled them out and inserted wire into the doors. I painted it all a warm pale grey chalk paint with a white (satin enamel) interior. It sold on the weekend and was picked up straight away.

English oak vintage cabinet Lilyfield Life

English oak vintage cabinet Lilyfield Life

English oak vintage cabinet Lilyfield Life

English oak vintage cabinet Lilyfield Life

I could not believe it when yesterday I bought the same piece again but this time with perfect leadlight. The buyer who was Next in line on the last sale was thrilled to snap it up and have it custom painted. She’s deciding colours and will let me know. 


Here’s the one with the broken leadlughts. Same piece!


I also bought a matching little drinks cabinet that will paint up beautifully also.  All lovely old pieces made in England.


Hope you are having a good week 
Fiona xx








Monday, March 18, 2019

Before and after Fusion ash bedside tables

These bedsides sold before painting and my customer asked for them in Fusion Mineral Paint Ash, distressed finish and waxed. 

fusion ash bedside tables Lilyfield Life fusion ash bedside tables Lilyfield Life

The interiors I painted in a putty coloured satin enamel.  These were so clean and nice walnut stained timber so probably didn’t need painting but what the customers asks for, the customer gets.  My customer supplied new handles to complete the look. I’m pretty sure these are available at Bunnings. Really nice with the Ash. 

fusion ash bedside tables Lilyfield Life

Here are the before photos. Nice and solid but the tops were damaged and all just so orange. I sanded these down completely to bare timber. Always makes me happy when all the damage is sanded off.


Just a note you may be able to see in the before photo that the seller had used sticky tape to close the drawers. It’s really important to remove all sticky residue before painting. Gum or stickiness really will mess with your paint adhesion.

Have a good weekend 
Fiona xx




Friday, March 15, 2019

What I’m working on this week

Good morning! I thought I might show you a few pieces I’m working on this week.  A few small pieces and a few big ones.

lilyfield life chiffonier kitchen island

How amazing is this antique chiffonier that I am helping transform into a kitchen island for my wonderful clients  Cathy and Steve. We took the amazing and enormous mirror off and I’ll also be painting it.  It is going to be hung over Cathy’s lounge at the other end of this large open room. The chiffonier is getting painted a taupe with white trim and a marble top.  Very Lilyfield Life . I have the bases here at my studio to paint and then next week I will paint the top section and the mirrors onsite.

lilyfieldlife cabinet

While I’m working on that I’m fitting in a few small pieces. This quirky little bench cupboard that has an embroidered cushion top and cupboard below. Such a cute old piece. It sold straight away. 


I turned this mirror from champagne colour to gold with black showing through for Alana. Didn’t even get a chance to take good photos :)  super messy cramped studio - keeping it real .


Those bedsides in the reflection above are now almost finished painting and are already sold. I’ll share them soon.


I have almost finished this oak cabinet also. The lead light was all broken so I ripped it out and will put in wire for the doors. It’s looking really good already. Here’s the before (but after I removed the glass)


I have also been sewing some cushions and have them available for sale if you want. They fit a 50x50cm cushion and are $50 each cover only (or $65 with cushion insert). Available for postage. 

This ink grey stripe...




And navy ticking ones


ticking cushions lilyfield life

I also have these stunning vintage double bow front drawers available as is. If it doesn’t sell I’ll be painting it and listing it next week.


I sold a few small pieces also this week.
These divine vintage lamps I gilded. They were so tarnished that I decided they were beyond polishing.


And I also sold this sweet console table
Just love it. 




Somemlovely pieces to be working on.
Hope you have also had a good week
Fiona xx
 
















Thursday, March 14, 2019

Looking for a vintage mirror?

Umm...I may have gone overboard on the vintage mirrors!

vintage mirror lilyfield life

So many stunning ones:

vintage mirror lilyfield life

From super fancy ones to a French antique below- carved timber and so beautiful 


Pristine condition also

vintage mirror lilyfield life

Painted ones

vintage mirror lilyfield life

vintage mirror lilyfield life

And heavy plaster ones full of details

vintage mirror lilyfield life

And I have a few more I still need to list for sale.
If anyone is interested in ajny of them please ask for details
Fiona xx

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

A few chalk painted vintage dressing tables

Good morning! Look at me go with my blogging, three days in a row ha ha! I have done quite a few dressing tables lately. While I’m actually painting them, I’m always thinking “Not my favourite pieces to paint” to be honest but I absolutely love them when I’m finished.

Here are some I have painted over the last few months and below a couple of tips for you if you find yourself with one to paint.

This one below was bought by a lovely customer in Lake Cathie. She also bought some little mismatched bedsides I painted in the same white. Such a pretty set.

Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table

Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage bedside tables

A friend of ours saw the one above and asked me to find her one similar. It took me a while but I ended up finding her this one below.

Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table

She wanted a stool for it and I managed to find an amazing vintage Italian one.


My friend was going to give this to her daughter but now says she’s keeping it herself and her daughter can just inherit it in years to come. high praise indeed. 


I have painted this vintage piece in a beautiful ivory custom mix and clear waxed it and a touch of dark wax in the details and the drawers’ interiors are painted FMP Putty. 


Then just before Christmas I sourced this vintage serpentine dressing table and a few weeks ago I finally got around to painting it. 


Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table


Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table


Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table

Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table

This piece has now sold to one of my regular customers Alanna (who now swears she can’t buy any more of my furniture as her house is FULL!! Ha I have heard that before. 
But another customer Lauren wrote to me and said “I have almost the exact same dressing table and can you paint it the same and find me a seat”. Here’s the one I did for Lauren.


Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table


Lilyfield Life Hand painted vintage dressing table

How cute is the stool. I made this stone coloured ticking slip cover : so proud of my piping efforts ha ha. I’ve been scared of making piping for years and honestly it’s easy! Sometimes you just have to watch a couple of You Tube videos and get cracking :)

So my tips for painting dressing tables:
Take them all apart: mirror off, mirror holder off, drawers out etc.
Clean / sand / prime
A lot of these dressing tables are very shiny cedar and I believe need sanding and pruning: up to you though :)
Turn the base upside down and paint underneath and the legs. Much easier if it’s inside down.
Turn right way around and paint. I also like to paint and deal the interior of the drawers for a professional look. 
I almost always will do three coats of a water based sealer for the top so it’s spray and wipeable and can handle makeup spills.

Which dressing table is your favourite? Are you a fan of them? 


Fiona xx