Painting a Lattice Pattern

I left off my last post teasing you guys with a cliff hanger.....

I showed you this chest.....

When Kris and I stumbled upon this at the auction house, it looked like this.

It had a mirror attached to the top.

I felt that the mirror made it look like a 1940's piece of furniture, which is probably what it is.

I wanted the mirror off, so I could hang a different one over the chest.

I prefer vertical rectangular mirrors over horizontal ones.

The ceiling in Kris's bedroom is high, so I wanted something that would relate to the room better.

We didn't know how the mirror was attached to the dresser, so Kris had a delivery company move it to my house.

It couldn't fit in either of our cars with the mirror on.

I figured it was screwed from inside the piece, and that we would have to take all the drawers out to get to the screws.

We're old, and don't want to work that hard.

Soooooo.....

When the delivery guys showed up with the mirror separated from the body.....

I asked them how they removed it.....

and they said.....

It was removed before they even got to the place to pick it up!!!!!

It was only...

ATTACHED WITH DOWELS!!!!!

I felt very very stoopid.

I still feel that way.....

We are still learning stuff.

It's painful.

So,

now the top has holes in it.

But I don't want to bother filling them in.

So.

I told Kris that we would just have so much @#$ on the top of the dresser, that the holes won't be noticeable!!!!!

The top was a mess, all scratched up and stained.

Once I got it in my basement,

I filled in the gouges on the top with wood filler.

Lately it seems, every time I get an old piece of furniture, something is missing from it that I didn't notice at the auction house.

In the case of this chest, it was a piece on the side of the lowest drawer....

We (Kris) only paid 100 bucks for this baby, so it was still worth it.....

Side view....

First I painted the whole thing in Chalk Paint Old White.

Then I painted the top and the inset side panels in Chalk Paint Country Grey.

 Now, I had to stop, and think about how I wanted to proceed.....

Earlier this summer, I had painted a piece for my niece.

At that time I was twisting my brain into a pretzel trying to figure out what I wanted to do with her linen press.

I saw a piece of painted furniture on TV, froze the picture with my DVR, got my camera, and took a shot of the TV.

I really liked the lattice pattern, and saved this for a future project.

Well, the future has become the present!!!!!

I decided to paint a lattice pattern on the top of Kris's chest.

I didn't ask her.....

it was going to be a surprise.....

oy, what if she didn't like it?????

Well, that would just be too bad for her!!!!!

It's hard to criticize free labor.....

So, next thing I did was get out my striping tape.

I use tape from Finesse Pinstriping.

I used Frog Tape to tape off the edges, and then I started from the center, and used my right angle triangle to create the diagonal lines.

My long straight edge helped lay out the rest, I used  its width for the spacing of the lines. 

I did one way, and then I started on the other direction.

This was taking forever.....

Then I ran out of tape.....

OY, OY, OY!!!!!

So, I called Finesse Pinstriping and ordered some more 1/4" tape ASAP!!!!!

Paid for extra fast shipping!!!!!

Hurry up already!!!!!

Now I was really bummed, because I wanted to see if what I was doing would work.

I was also worried about leaving the tape on for a couple of days, concerned that it might pull the paint off.

Sooooo.....

I'm sitting in my family room,

ruminating.....

in the room.....

doing very complex math in my head.....

thinking really really really hard......

When I realized.....

1/8 + 1/8= 1/4!!!!!!!!!

I HAD 1/8" TAPE!!!!!

Soooooo....

I trundle back down to my basement  workroom,

and whip out the 1/8" striping tape!

Then I had to do 

twice as much work!!!!!

So, now it took twice as long as a very long time.

But I done did it.

You have to look at two pictures, because it took me so long, and I took a lot of pictures of the taped top!

Then I dry brushed Old White over the top.

Here's a close up.

And then I pulled the tape off!!!!!

That part was FUN!

Then I taped off the frame on the sides, and gave it another coat of Old White.

Next up was the distressing.

I used 220 grit sandpaper, and gently worked it down through the layers for a more realistic worn look.

I am starting to finally get the hang of distressing.

I think this looks like a really really old piece!!!!!

Next, it was time to do the front.

I painted the frames of the drawers in Old White, and the panels in Country Grey.

Now it was time to repair the drawer.

 Kris went trolling on the internet, and found some wood that we cut to fit.

I measured the piece we needed, and then we took it over to my buddies at Drape It,

 because they have a saw

 and a man to use the saw,

 because we be afeared of electrical cutting thingies.

We were too lazy to bring the drawer with us, to make sure the piece fit.

When we got back to my basement woodworking shop, we realized that the piece was a leetle  too big.

So.....

I got out my sander.

It wasn't workin' so goodly.....

So.....

I started digging around on my shelves.....

and found a belt sander I forgot we had!!!!!

Kris remembers me buying it.

I don't.

It worked like a charm.

So...

Then I glued and clamped.

That's Kris, waxing the drawers.

That's all I allowed her to do.

This was my project, damn it.....

I showed her how the dresser would work with the patterns form her room.

I put the hardware back on.

We're missing one handle.

I hope to find a replacement on the internet.

If anyone has an idea where to get a drop handle like these, please let me know!!!!!

After the top was waxed it had a slight sheen.

I know I keep showing you the details of the top, but I am really proud of the distressing!!!!

I sanded a little below the handles, as if the paint got worn form use.

But I'm not thrilled with the effect.

I need to figure this part out.

Here she is in the room.

This is the style mirror I would like to find to go over the dresser.

In the mean time, we've rested a couple of botanical prints against the wall to cut into all the pattern.

One more shot of the top!!!!!

Here's a before and after!!!

I didn't put the ormolu garland detail back on the front; we thought it was better without.

BECAUSE OF ALL THE WONDERFUL DETAIL ON THE TOP!!!!

So,

now you know what I do with my time.

On that note.....

Latah, Gatah

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Old Furniture in a New Bedroom

Before I get to today's post.....

I just want to complain about how long it takes to sew rings on draperies!!!!

Lot's of folks just use the drapery hooks, 

but not me....

Oh, No!

I am sewing my niece Miriam's living room draperies, and I want only the best for her.

I just think they look better when the rings are sewn on.

I'm probably wrong.

Well, enough moaning and kvetshing.... 

On to today's gem!!!!!

We have been looking at my buddy, Kris's bedroom.

Next up is her night table.

Up to now, the furniture she's been using for her bedroom has been an old, heavy Scottish beauty.

But, she wanted to go with a lighter feel.

So this behemoth was moved out to the hall.

Now she's complaining about it in the hall.

Next thing I know, it will end up going to auction.

ANYWAY.....

She wanted a less massive feel in her newly designed bedroom.

At the last auction we previewed, I noticed a really nice little table.

The auction was on a day that I had to take my folks to the doctor, so Kris had to go by herself.

We kept in close contact through email on our ipads.

I was able to watch the auction on line.

The auctioneer was going at a snail's pace, and poor Kris was stuck there all alone, bored out of her mind.

BUT, I kept on writing to her, that she better not leave the auction 

without that damn table!!!!!

I just love its shape.

All it needs is a good waxing, and it will be a little star.

Kris wants a chair in her bedroom.

She claims she'll use it to read.....

We all know what chairs are used for in bedroom....

and it ain't reading!!!!!

Actually, that's not fair, 

she does admit that it could be used for clothes throwing.

Maybe.

Sorta.

DEFINITELY!

First we found this chair.....

I love it!!!

It's really girly!!!

It has a bow!!!!

When I re-invent it, it will not be tufted.

And it will be painted....

etc.etc.etc.etc.

BUT!

When we were antiquing a few weeks ago.....

We were in a store that had a nice large bathroom.

In the bathroom was a wonderful 1930's chair.

SOOOOO.....

I am screaming from the bathroom.....

Kris!!!Kris!!!Kris!!!

Come look at this chair!!!!!

I didn't have any place in mind for it.

But I love chairs like this.

We got it for 20 bucks.

Kris liked it better than the other chair, 'cuz it's not so "frou frou".

(Those are her words, not mine.)

So, this chair is going in her bedroom, and the other one is going in the guest room.

I keep heaping upholstery projects on my weary old bones.

I hope my body holds out till my projects are done.

We also found a chest of drawers at auction....

I'll show you what I did to it in my next post!!!

Don't you love cliff hangers?????

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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How to Add Light to a Bedroom

Today is my birthday, and I'm 39!!!!!

O.K.....I'm 47!!!!!

Well.....how about 53?????

All right, all right, I'm never going to see 60 again....

(jeesh....)

 So, for my big day.....

I'm going over to my buddy, Kris's house, and.....

 hang pictures in her powder room!!!!!

Par-tay!!

I know how to live on the edge!!!

And then for even more fun, we'll head on over to the marble and stone store,

and choose a small piece to replace the top of the new antique table we got at auction for her guest room!!!!!

(Can a person have a new antique table?????)

(It's an antique table that she just got, so it's new for her.....)

The top is cracked, so I removed the metal galley rail in the picture above,

 that's why it's sitting on a slant,

 I had just shown Kris how smarht I am by showing how to take it off, 

so we could replace the broken onyx.

It sits between the two twin beds in the guest room, 

and I'm not going to show the room to you yet, 'cause we still be goin' over the master bedroom,

 so stop pushing me, already.....

We got this table at auction for 60 smackers.

I don't know why no one bid against us.....

Don't they like broken @#$????

Well WE DO!!!!

Let's get back to the master bedroom now that I've teased you with this peak.

When people get older.....

they need a lot of light to see stuff.....

So I gave Kris a lot of light around her bed, 'cuz she be almost as old as I am.

We put a couple of recessed lights over the pillows, so that Kris, and her husband Keith could each have their own source of illumination.

The two are switched separately, on either side of the window,

so if someone is snoozing, 

the light only needs to be on over the spouse that is reading!

To figure out where the fixtures should go, I had Kris sit up in bed, 

and then I measured to her outside shoulder. 

That's where you want the light, so it's not right over your head,

 but a little to the side. 

In the center of the ceiling we chose a 1920's fixture I found on ebay.

It's nice and vintage, and gives a good all over glow to the room.

On either side of the bed, we're using a pair of lamps from our inventory.

They are unusual alabaster, as they have a red tone to the stone, that works really well with the colors in the space.

One of the great things about having something not sell.....

Is then we get to use it!!!!!

To answer the questions I got on my last post, about the draperies.

The wooden pole is cut in a miter, and then attached to the short sides with screws.

Then the sharp ends are cut down, so the curtain pocket can make it around the turn. 

Making a big U shape.

That's the way that my workroom makes the poles that return to the wall.

The way they are mounted on the wall, is with angle irons, or brackets, or whatever the hell they're called.

Install one just under the L return to the wall.

Then, if the draperies are wide, like the ones above, mount a second one a little way in towards the middle, but behind the draperies.

It will be hidden.

And that's the secret about how you do that!

At least if you're a big shot professional workroom.

An easier way to do this,

 which is how I was going to do it for my niece, 

is.....

 just cut the pole to the length you want, then mount the angle brackets to the very end of the pole.

The bottom of the pole would be resting on the top of the bracket.

The fabric can gather onto the angle bracket, 

and return to the wall that way.

The gathered fabric, hides the bracket.

The bracket will look like a continuation of the pole.

Well!!!!!

This has been a very informative post, if I do say so myself!!!!

I just realized I didn't answer the questions about how to make a double bed into a queen size.

I will get to that next time.

I want to thank everyone for the comments I've been receiving.

I lurv them!!!!

They make me a happy camper!!!!!

I have to figure out how I can respond on the comment page.

I don't know how to do that, so if someone out there knows, please inform me.

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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Draperies Make the Room!!!

Let's return to my buddy and bidness partner, Kris's bedroom.

We are in the process of redoing it, and I started showing it to you this past Sunday.

To see that post, click here.....

So, on Sunday, we got up to this point in the room's redo.....

Last week, I had the draperies installed.

I chose a simple warm toned ticking stripe from Jasper Fabrics, that are produced by Michael Smith,

Studio 534, the showroom I work with in the Boston Design Center,

 carries it.

I like the way it pulls out the colors of the wallpaper, but isn't visually busy.

The windows don't reach up to the ceiling, so to make them look taller, I plan on installing wooden Venetian blinds just up to where the drapery pole is installed, making the window look like it goes up that high.

It's what I did in the hallway....

The top slats of the blinds stay closed, hiding the fact that there is just wallpaper behind it.

Makes it look like the window goes up that high!!!!!

I am a woman.

I am good at faking things......

Sooooo.....

In Kris's bedroom, we are still waiting for the blinds, but I've had the draperies installed.

I took this picture as the first window was getting it's clothes....

I couldn't wait for the installer to finish.....

We had waited a year for these babies to go up.

If Kris didn't insist on sending her kids to college, we could have done this a lot faster.....

Looking good behind the bed!!!!!

Here they are on both windows....

We can't wait to change the bedding, so please ignore the black and white toile.....

I had the draperies made to gather on a pole.

The pole was mitered to return to the wall, and the gathered fabric covered the return.

This makes for a full luxurious look, without a lot of fuss.

If you gather a drapery on a pole with a finial, you can't get the gathering to return to the wall, so the fabric ends up looking too wide and full.

If it returns to the wall, some of the width is cut down by the turn, and you get the fullness of the fabric without it being so wide.

This is a blurry picture, because once again, I forgot to take a detail shot, and blew up an image that wasn't happy about it.....

I really need to take a shot of how it returns to the wall, so you can understand what I'm ranting about.

So....

So far we've gone from this....

To this

To this

To this

Next up.....

We'll go over the lighting!!!!!

Latah, Gatah

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