Hard at it...

My apologies go out to my followers as my life has become quite hectic with work, work, and more work.
I have decided that beginning January 2012 my design schemes shall commence with furry!
Since the start of my design blog I have had friends willing to help me gain experience and build my portfolio by undertaking various projects. I have been asked to preserve a Widdicomb furniture set manufactured in the late 1800s. It has required several months of careful and thorough research. I've joined forums to gain knowledge from professionals and I've had many visits to my favorite wood shop downtown Raleigh for some great expertise. Since I'm very green at the whole preservation process and the many steps that are involved in sustaining the value, I find it utterly important that I know exactly what Im doing before I tackle such an undertaking. I am quite privileged to have such an incredible task!
The chandelier in my previous post has a wonderful home to be displayed in and I'm thrilled beyond words for it to be showcased in this beautiful dining room!
So needless to say...regardless of my lack to put my latest blueprints into words, I've been hard at it and so has my remarkable husband! For my birthday he so lovingly labored in making me a large workbench to make it easier for me to produce fabulousness, but in that course of action our garage got turned upside down. I bet you all can guess what's next on OUR project
list? We hope to get the garage prepped for all my harebrained ideas! So til then.. I wish you all a most beautiful holiday season. Merry Christmas!

lacking in luster

This is my latest bid-winning piece from the decorator auction I attended a few weeks back. I really dislike not completing a project before I begin a new one, but I just can't help myself....this chandelier just has too much potential for elegance. I have some ideas in mind of how I would like to transform it, but I would love to have some spurring ideas from you; my brilliant followers.

What initially came to mind was a coat of gloss black with adorning gold accents.. pictures that inspired my vision follow..

This chandelier has potential for a lot of unique makeovers, anything from a darling shabby chic candelabrum to a classic pendant of sophistication. There are several settings where it could be placed dependent on its finished motif. It could find its home in a nursery for a sweet baby, a room for a little miss, in a place for fine dining, or where it greets your guests with an "Oooooh and an Ahhh" as they enter your home. The possibilities are limitless and thats why I love design!

 Nursery

 

Entry/Dining

 Teen

So now here is where my loyal fans take part in my process of transformation! What would you like to see happen with my auction treasure? Classic Black with gold accents? Shabby Chic Matte White?  Lively Modern? What are your spurring ideas?? Thoughts, please!! 

                                                                               

ashen

My next attempt at ingenuity is to take this bleached ashen colored bedside table, and turn it into a sweet little table for a nursery or girls room. This was another furniture piece that we took home from the estate auction.
My first step is to strip off the thick coat of white paint and start the process from scratch.

ashen nighstand

pint-size nightstand

$12.50

Jasco Paint Remover
Lowes
$6.58

golden illume

"before"

"after"

Here is my ugly lamp refinished...It went through several shades until I found the one that was just right. Now onto bigger and better things!

simply ugly

my estate auction lamp

valspar metallic classic bronze
$5.98

Stay tuned!!

a simple start

So I must say that the whole creation of this blog, and the creations themselves, are due to aspiring to find my niche; my little cranny of creativity if you will, and to satisfy my hunger to take something timeworn and make it fresh and sensational. I must confess that HGTV has also been my inspiration to design. My husband and I love to attend auctions and have found ample success in bidding and being the proud owners of a beautiful bedroom set. Our latest auction happened to be an estate sale. We ended up returning home with a few beautiful pieces of aged furniture that I have big plans for, but just starting out in my endeavors... I thought I'd begin with this antique lamp. Stay tuned to see the finished innovation.