Around my home

Good morning. I have a studio jammed packed full of furniture  - currently all brown and unpainted but hopefully I have a full day of painting and make good progress. I can barely move in there:)

So much brown that I can't bring myself to share a photo of it. Instead I took some photos of my white dining room with this gorgeous crate of flowers. 

Way more pleasing to the eye.

On the home renovation front, we have very nearly finished our long to do list. Nothing like having friends coming to stay for Christmas to get us motivated to do the remaining tasks. Our lawn that Phil laid recently is doing so well after all the rain - it's a sea of lush green...and one small patch of clover but I think Phil is onto it. It won't be there for long under his green thumb. Pavers will be laid in the next few weeks for the basketball area. We are just using the tumbled travertine the same as our terrace so it's not all a mish-mash of surfaces in our small backyard.

I'm getting on with finishing the remaining painting of the cabinetry and a few other details. It's been 99% finished for ages but having the energy and time to do that last 1% has proven difficult. Especially when it's my business to paint, painting in my spare time for us is not all that attractive sometimes.  This mirror below will also get a new coat of paint while I'm at it.

Well I'm off to take the kids to school then pick up a lovely big mirror and some gorgeous bedsides to add to my furniture list to paint. As if I needed more projects but who can resist pretty things. 

Have a great day

Fiona xx

Good morning and a french hutch

hi, just a quick note for me as Phil is having some surgery this morning and needs to be at the hospital by 6:30am (way on the other side of Sydney). Just day surgery and I'm sure he'll be fine. Touch wood.

I bought these flowers cheaply at the supermarket. I usually get flowers on Saturdays at our markets but at $6 a huge bunch I could resist these.  Love them in my vintage beer crate. I took them outside for the afternoon yesterday and sat at our BBQ table for a while in the shade to cool down. Moving furniture, sanding and painting is tough on days like these.

My lovely customer who bought the footstool I posted about yesterday sent me this photo. I must have been channeling her when I painted it as it fits in perfectly.  I also painted her bedside tables. Nice seeing it all together in her pretty bedroom.

This is the top of a big hutch I bought this week. The bottom is still in the car but it is so gorgeous. I can't wait to start painting this one.  Big job but I think  will enjoy every last minute of it. Famous last words, ha ha. Things never go to plan.

Anyway I had better get on with things. keep Phil in your thoughts today

thanks for all your lovely emails, comments and support, it really means a lot to me.

Fiona xx

Upholstered Bench Seat and my daughter's cushion

A few years ago I bought some beautiful taupe hemp fabric that I just loved but didn't have a particular project in mind for. Yesterday I was finally able to put the fabric to use. It was the perfect size for an upholstered bench seat I was restoring.

Lovely fluted details on the legs

Perfect for the end of your bed

(SOLD)

On the weekend I spent some time teaching my daughter to sew. I've given her lessons in the past but it's a gradual process. She made her own bunting and also a cushion. I'll share the bunting soon but here's the cushion. Didn't she do a great job with scrap fabric we had stashed away?

I'm a proud mumma. She's learning on my mum's old machine that I inherited. My mum would love that.

I'm getting stuck into the painting again today. I have almost finished a china cabinet for a lovely lady who wants it heavily antiqued. I'll hopefully finish it today and share it tomorrow.

Fiona xx

Latest pieces - some beauties here

Good morning on such a beautiful day in Sydney. I'm off to swim squad this morning and know I will enjoy it - a good workout but also a mental reprieve for my overactive brain.  I have a few lovely pieces to share today. First up is a gorgeous ornate white hall table. I have painted this one in a beautiful soft white and love the simplicity of this.

Much bigger than it looks in this photo. Check the dimensions. 100w x 50d x 78h cm. $450

I actually have two of these ornate consoles and the other is still unpainted so I can do a matching pair if you are interested. Or I can paint the other one a different way. Just call me on 0405766445 to discuss.

I also finished this rustic low cupboard and have decided to sell it much cheaper than I usually would as I need the space and am hoping for a quick sale. It is painted in a beautiful pale grey and waxed and sanded to a very smooth finished. I have heavily distressed this one to bring out the character. The doors are not perfectly aligned when closed but open and close easily. Solid timber and old. Gorgeous. 

Perfect by your front door for shoes and school bags or even as a TV cabinet.

117w x 50d x 64hcm 

$265

Also available for sale are the following:

Pine Console: this was sold but the lady's son bought her another piece so she decided to not buy this. Perfect as a sofa table or a narrow hallway.

 120w x 40d x 80h cm. $260

Vintage blanket box

This piece is even more beautiful in real life than in photos.  Also good as a toy box. Gorgeous little castors on the legs also. ASCP French Linen wash with Louis Blue interior.
97w x 50d x 72h
$350

For other pieces still available please check my for sale page.

Later today I'm picking up a few small pieces and a massive french hutch/bookcase. I'm very much looking forward to painting this. I can't wait to show you.

In the meantime check out our gorgeous white roses from the garden. So pretty and abundant this year.

Fiona xx

A beautiful French Armoire

Good morning lovelies. We are gearing up for a hot week here in Sydney. Around 40 degrees for Friday so I'm trying to get a lot of painting done today and tomorrow when the weather is still reasonable. 

Beautiful roses given to me by a customer. 
They smell divine.

Paul who came for a furniture class a few weeks ago, has finally finished painting his french armoire. It has come up absolutely beautifully.

Paul followed the process I recommended and even came back for an additional tuition on waxing for aged patina.  He first did two coats of primer to cover the dark mahogany and make sure the tannins didn't bleed into his paint, then two coats of ASCP Old Ochre. Once the Old Ochre was dry the painted the details on with ASCP Old White. The piece has then been waxed with clear wax and dark wax has been used on the crevices and details to add interest and authenticity.

and before:

I am so happy to be able to share my knowledge and help people gain skills and confidence. It is so good to see someone who has never painted furniture before tackle a huge project such as this and do it so well.

if you want to learn to paint your furniture then why not book into one of my workshops.

have a great day - take time to stop and smell the roses :)
Fiona xx

  

Restoring timber with Oxalic Acid

My beautiful sideboard that I painted years ago got wrecked a few months ago when I used a vase that wasn't really a vase (despite the lady who sold it to me saying it was) and the water leaked through and left a massive black mark on the beautiful walnut top. For months I didn't get around to fixing it and just covered it up with a jug or ornament.  Finally I bought some oxalic acid and bleached out the black mark however the whole top was then dried out and patchy.  ASCP Dark Wax to the rescue. First I sanded down the whole sideboard using finer and finer grades of sand paper. Once I was happy with how smooth it was I wiped on dark wax and scrubbed it straight into the timber then buffed it off. The sideboard now looks back to brand new and is silky smooth.  the whole process took around 30 minutes and I'm thrilled.

It looks patchy but in real life it isn't. There's a skylight above the sideboard so it throws light around and makes it hard to capture the sideboard correctly. 

This is one of those projects that I was wondering why on earth it took me so long to do.

I've got a few of them...best I get stuck into them and tick them off the list as I swear I spend more time thinking about them than it would actually take to just do them. Lots of mental space being taken up by my to do list.

Fiona xx

Painted Pine Sideboard before and after

It's a drizzly Saturday morning here in Sydney but my thoughts are in Paris with the terrible situation there. Desperate times it seems.

I'm sharing today a sideboard that Sharon asked me to paint ASCP Paris Grey. The photos aren't the best as I couldn't get the light even over the sideboard but you get the idea.

Below you can see the difference that the wax makes. It deepens the colour and adds sheen to the otherwise matte paint.

I sprayed the handles with an etch primer and then painted ASCP Graphite and waxed them.

Here's the before photo.

Fiona xx

Patina from clear and dark wax on furniture

Hello lovelies, I'm just popping in quickly this morning to show you the difference that clear and dark wax makes to your furniture. Waxing, for me, is the part where the magic happens. Because all chalk paint, including Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, are so matte they can look very flat without waxing.

Adding dark wax to your piece can really add depth and interest. Look at the armoire below with the door on the right already waxed.

Paul who is painting his armoire in ASCP Old Ochre called me a little stressed saying that he felt it didn't look like my work and what he expected. I told him not to judge anything until he had waxed it. I then suggested he bring a door to me and I guide him and show him how to make it look amazing.  

I suggested we paint the recessed piece in a lighter colour to highlight it. We used ASCP Old White.  I then applied clear wax and dark wax, pushing the dark wax into all the crevices and wiping off the excess.

looks beautiful doesn't it. I can't wait to see the finished armoire.

Hurry up Paul!!

Fiona xx

Layered ASCP Provence on a Rustic Pine Console

I don't normally buy pine furniture preferring instead vintage pieces but these pine consoles are so handy in your home that I couldn't not buy it. I don't have a before photo but it was orange pine and very rustic. I decided to do a layered look and used ASCP Provence as my base colour.

I first primed the piece with Zinsser and then gave it two solid coats of ASCP Provence. I actually removed the top (unscrewed) so it made it easier without having to cut in on the underside. Once the paint was dry, I got a large plate and on one half put ASCP French Linen and the other side ASCP Old White. With a large brush I dry brushed and also washed layers of both these colours over the Provence. For this you can be totally random. I think the main thing to realise is that you need to stand back from your work and look at it from a normal viewing distance and not worry about what it looks like very close up.

Once I was happy with the layering I let it all dry, waxed it with ASCP Clear Wax then distressed it. I used a much heavier grip sandpaper than I normally use for a rougher look.

For the top I painted it in a lovely Porters Chalk Emulsion that I often use as it's such a  great colour - soft, not too stark but not yellow like ASCP old White.

I actually love this table here at the base of my stairs but it's already sold. It's good to try different techniques and mix things up a bit.  Nice to do a few more rustic pieces also.

Cheers Fiona 

Latest Pieces of Painted Furniture

Hi paint lovers. Sorry that's it's been a while but I just didn't have the time or head space last week to update here.  Sometimes something has to give :) I also had my 30 year school reunion this weekend. A big event on Saturday night and then a follow up brunch just for the boarders the next morning. It's funny how close we are as boarders. Like sisters really, as we lived together so closely for so many years. A couple of people brought along their old photo albums and we laughed and laughed. I may not have blogged but I have been painting and building furniture.  I'll share a few pieces today and then the rest of the week I'll highlight some pieces with details of how I've painted them.

I picked up this simple pine console last week mainly because these are such handy pieces of furniture to have in your house. great in a hallway or behind a sofa. I painted the base in layers of ASCP Provence and other colours. I'll share a detailed tutorial on how to get this rustic layered look in the next few days.  This piece has sold already.

Instead of going to any Melbourne Cup functions I went vintage furniture hunting and I was well rewarded. I picked up this sweet little storage table for only $2.  I painted the base in Vintro Chalk Paint (colour French Navy) and sanded back the top and waxed it with a mixture of ASCP Clear Wax and some furniture oil. Jonty fell in love with this one so it's in his bedroom storing his beloved books.

I also fell in love with the vintage oak linen press. When I got it it was painted white (quite roughly) so I sanded it smooth (not stripped it) and painted three coats of a mixture based on ASACP French Linen to get this lovely mid range taupe colour. Waxed with one of the Porter's waxes. 

Vintage Linen Press

$495 180h x 107w x 40d cm

I love this little heavily carved hall or side table. Fluted legs. Solid Timber. Single drawer. A beautiful French country coloured chalk paint and waxed. Distressed finish. sold

I am a bit in love with this colour at the moment so used it on the demi lune pie crust edge table below also. Teamed with an ASCP Graphite top I think it's very elegant. The table below has sold.

Another piece that is still available is this sweet little side table. I have a piece of glass that fits the top also if you like that look. The outside is ASCP Paris Grey with several washes of white over the top and then a beautiful sea foam colour inside. Perfect for popping next to your favourite chair. Magazines and books inside and a glass of wine on the top :) 

 $220 

60w x 40d x 53h

I've had lots of people comment on this beautiful blanket box but it's still available. This is one piece that I really thought would have been bought quickly but sometimes you just can't tell.

Beautiful large vintage blanket box available - also good as a toy box. Gorgeous little castors on the legs also. ASCP French Linen wash with Louis Blue interior. 
97w x 50d x 72h 
$350

The last piece I'm sharing today (although there are more to share) are these amazing bedside tables. They are about 70cm square so make such a statement. I really love these and can also see them being used as lamp tables either side of a beautiful linen sofa.  These have already sold and are now out west at Warren.

I'll write up some detailed tutorials on a few of these, also how I built my own BBQ table and share some sideboard makeovers. I will also have a few more pieces for sale this week so follow me on IG or facebook if you are keen to get the heads up on them.

have a good day
Fiona xx