My favourite piece this week

Hi everyone, how glad is everyone (in Sydney anyway) for the cool change that came through last night. The world’s weather is mad :)

I wanted to share a lovely antique cedar blanket box I painted and sold this week. My favourite piece of the week. It was made by the Ed Roos Furniture  company of Illinois USA in the 1920s and if it was in good condition these have been valued over $1000 US. However when I bought this piece, someone had already removed much of the peeling veneer. I sanded it all smooth and then gave it a good coat of Zinseer BIN primer. I painted this in a lovely putty chalk paint and then I stenciled a damask pattern on it to replicate old faded wall paper. I sanded it all over and sealed with clear wax. 

I have wanted to do a piece like this since 2017. When we were in Italy a couple of years ago we stopped for lunch at the tiny hill top town of Orvieto, famous for the black and white striped church.

While we wandered through the cobbled streets trying to find some shade from the searing heat,  I saw a blanket box in a (unfortunately closed for summer) furniture shop that I loved and used it as my inspiration. I managed to snap this photo through the window. 

I also finished a few other pieces this week. A vintage oak filing cabinet that had seen better days, now deep navy with antique gold hardware. 

And a vintage bow front chest of drawers now cloaked with peacock chalk paint - I’m delivering this to my customer Simon this morning and hope he loves it.

I also sold this very old and very beautiful chiffonier as is which is always great when it happens. I was thrilled not to paint this piece as the patina on it is charming. A lovely narrow piece that would be great storage in a hallway. 

I have a few more pieces I am hoping to share today. Thank goodness it’s a bit cooler to work.

Have a lovely day

Fiona XX 

Small pieces and Australia Day weekend

What a beautiful weekend in this beautiful city. Jonty went to one of his friend’s party at Luna Park on Sunday and took this photo from the Ferris wheel. So lovely. What a view.

We had a lovely weekend, relaxed afternoons, swims, dinner with friends, drinks with school mums at a local

pub, a morning at Curl Curl beach, some baking, sorted out

my pantry and all my Tupperware :) oh and I steam cleaned the carpets. 

I finished a few small pieces at the end of last week. 

This lovely vintage bedside table in the peacock blue with gold handles. A lot of people are requesting this gorgeous colour so you’ll be seeing a lot of it.

This nest of tables painted an off white chalk paint and sealed with a matte sealer for Wendy. She was just so thrilled with them. It made me really happy. 

I also have this French provincial lamp table for sale. It’s so lovely and perfect for an entrance hall or corner for a lamp. 

70dia x 70h cm

$250

I also have this French style console table available.  

If it doesn’t sell as is I will end up painting it but it’s a shame as the timber and bronze/gold is lovely. 

114w x 45 x 77h cm 

$425

Pickup Lilyfield or please ask for a delivery quote

Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend also.

If there is anything I have for sale that catches your eye let me know

Fiona 

Rustic Charcoal Console table

Martina and Paul have loads of my furniture bought over the last 8 years. Absolutely lovely customers. Martina recently snapped up a large rustic console I had available for custom painting. 

She asked for it to be painted in charcoal and distressed. It looks so good and is going in their lounge roomthat has concrete bench tops for the tv cabinet so I think I t’s going to be so good there.

 This was sanded smooth, some cracks filled, sanded again, cleaned with TSP and painted in 3 coats of Fusion ASH, then distressed and sealed with Artisan Hemp Oil. Once the oil had settled, I buffed it dry.

And before; to be honest the photo makes it look much better than it was. 

I love the planked lower shelf on this piece. A nice storage shelf for baskets of cushions.

It’s so intensely hot right across Australia at the moment - I really hope everyone is safe and bush fire free. Tomorrow is meant to be a dangerous day so fingers crossed for a break in the heat. 

Stay safe 

Fiona xx

 

A few in Peacock blue chalk paint: so lovely

Good morning: it’s so hot and humid here that I’m (for once) not looking forward to a day of painting and sanding. It’s grueling working with no air con. Yesterday morning I was up super early to work in the cool of the day and I finished these drawers in beautiful peacock blue chalk paint . 

It’s so hard to capture the colour correctly - especially when I’m just snapping it on my iPhone. 

I painted the interior of these with a pale putty satin waterborne enamel. The handles were given a fresh coat of antique gold Rub n Buff. This piece is quite unusual, it was originally a dressing table and I love the slim felt lined jewellery drawer at the top. So unusual.

And before....

I sourced and painted this piece for a lady Margo who had missed out on a previous piece I did with the same peacock blue and gold. The previous drawers were in a terrible state when I got them and needed a lot of sanding but gosh they turned out well.

You can see how I struggle to capture the colour: it’s so vibrant and lush. Sasha and I were laughing yesterday as it’s the same colour as my coffee keep cup :) 

You’ll be seeing more of this colour for sure. 

Have a great day

Fiona xx

Beautiful “Navy” Fusion Mineral Paint Midnight Blue Drawers

I have been using Fusion Mineral Paint as well as chalk paints lately. I love the Midnight Blue for a classic navy. I thought I’d show you a few pieces I have done recently in it. Including a chest of drawers that are still for sale if you are interested :)

Ben who is in his early 20s contacted me last week looking for some furniture. He originally was looking at IKEA but his mum said “go to Lilyfield Life instead”. He looked through my portfolio and fell in love with all the bow front drawers I did last year. I had one remaining unpainted chest so he asked for them in my deep navy blue with gold handles. Didn’t they turn out beautifully? 

Ben says they look amazing and “wow what a piece, something I will be able to hand down to family in the future”. Old furniture is the best and it’s so good to see young people buying “proper” furniture that’s built to last many lifetimes.

I also have these tall queen anne drawers for sale. All gorgeous now in FMP Midnight Blue with a pale putty grey interior, sealed with a lovely matte sealer and new gold cup handles. 5 dovetailed drawers offering fantastic storage and looking very stately now.

92w x 45d x 115h cm

$585

Pickup Lilyfield or please ask for a delivery quote

Thought you might to see the before photos. Solid and well built but the varnish was so degraded. I’d say perished but I might get a scathing email from snarky Kate again ;)

Here are some other navy pieces from last year. I just love it.

Hope you do also

Fiona xxx

Hello again

I’m back for 2019. The year is already well and truly underway for me. I was going to take a longer break but ended up working and things took off with loads of custom jobs and sales. I thought I’d pop in and share a few recent pieces. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Years.

I finished this beautiful vintage sideboard last week and it was delivered to my customer on Friday. Painted in a warm pale grey with a white top. 

I also have this Art Deco sideboard for sale. Painted in the same pale grey but with a sea foam green interior. 

152w x 53d x 112h cm including backing board and currently on sale for $600.

I also have a gorgeous vintage glass topped console table that I have given a Restoration Hardware look with ASCP French Linen and White wax. Such a lovely finish that works with many decors particularly French or coastal. The glass on top had a deep bevel edge and is in good condition. 

Perfect for a hallway, or as a sofa table. A lovely solid piece. 

135w x 46d x 75h cm

$425 now $295. *** now sold ***

Pickup Lilyfield

If there is anything you like the look of please let me know. Enjoy your weekend

Fiona xx

Christmas Wreath

Good morning; the end of year is looming fast. We are typically not yet organized for Christmas: no tree, no presents but we do have a wreath on the door.

Sasha and I went to a wreath making workshop at her school the other night. A nice mother daughter event to do with her.

The base is twigs and we just shoved in flowers and leaves and occasionally used florist wire to secure some pieces. We went with the the theme of less is more and we are really happyof how it turned out.

We will put up the tree next weekend, we were going to do it last weekend but in the end we were too busy, tired and nonchalant about it :)

I have loads of furniture to share with you. I’ll post some pieces tomorrow and update the For Sale page .

Fiona xx