Happy Birthday, Levi!

A Metamorphosis

Mike and I are fortunate that we have a full house of nice furniture.  When we married, he had an antique bedroom grouping and I had a couple of them.  Nothing was a 'set' but we had things that meshed well together.  When we started off housekeeping, we used the antique bed and side tables that had been his grandparents' and an antique dresser and chest that I had bought when the children were little, to set up our master bedroom.  All the pieces were oak and seemed to fit together well.

Recently, we decided that we were ready for an upgrade with our bed.  We decided that a king-sized bed might overpower the room and a queen-sized bed would probably be large enough anyway.  Yet, the remaining furniture in the bedroom is antique and most is oak.  So, it needed to fit well with the furniture we already have.  

I first thought that I would like something with cane in the headboard and footboard.  

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However, Mike liked the size and bulk of the headboard and footboard of the bed we have been using.  He said my examples looked "too spindly."  So, I kept searching.

We also knew that we wanted something wood and strong and sturdy.  So, no metal or brass bed was part of the search.  I also was struggling with wood that would fit with the rest of the antique furniture.  Finally, I showed Mike some painted and antiqued beds and he seemed to think something of that nature would work.

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I searched Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace thinking I might find something second-hand that would be less expensive, since I didn't want to spend an inheritance on a simple bed.  So, I surfed and surfed but nothing really seemed to work that was reasonably priced as well.

Then, one day as I was driving down the road to the hardware store to pick up materials to work on a project that was thrust upon me, I noticed this bed at a nearby second-hand furniture place.  I slowed and gave it a look but kept going because I was mid-project, after all.

Then, as I drove by on my way home, I slowed and looked once again to see if I thought it had potential.  So, I turned around and went back to take a closer look.

I moved in a little closer to check out the sturdiness of it and the shop owner walked by and asked if he could help me.  I saw this.

Even though I thought the price was affordable for me to take on as a project.  Even though I hardly ever negotiate or try to talk a seller down.  I asked, "What is your bottom dollar on this bed?"  He dropped the price and asked if he could load it on my truck!

So, mid-closet-project, I came home with this beaut.  When Mike saw it in the back of my truck, he was somewhat less than thrilled.  I think he mainly felt that way because it was a hundred and eleventy degrees and he didn't want to have to help me unload that sucker.  Yet, when we got it up onto the porch, he was convinced that it was substantial enough to fill that "strong and sturdy" criterion and even said he thought it would be pretty painted up.  Plus, the price was much easier to handle than anything I had found in my constant surfing.

So, I wrangled it around onto an old sheet and slid it under the bed in our bedroom and went back to work on the closet.  It lay there nagging at me for a couple of weeks!  Plus, my back was aching and pining for new support each night since I was spending more time on the firm cushion of the couch than the crowded, soft, confines of the full-sized bed.

When I would sit down each evening after my shower, I would have my nose online reading about different paints and finishes and methods.  I finally settled on using chalk paint because I thought it would be the least amount of prep and work.  I mentioned this to a couple of people in the second-hand selling world and they suggested that I needed to do something to prevent the orangey finish from bleeding through the paint. So much for quick and easy.

I watched YouTube videos and I read blog posts and I looked for inspiration and guidance.  I landed on this look as inspiration.  

Sadly, I cannot find where I stole this photo from!

Then, I went off to the hardware store for supplies.  I picked my paint color from the Amy Howard One-Step Paint line only to find that there was only one quart and I was afraid that this project might take more.  So, I decided to take a couple that I liked and mix them together.  I also decided that I would stick with the same paint line and used Clean Slate to clean it with before painting as a precaution for preventing the old finish bleed through.  On my way to the check-out counter, I saw that there was a random orbit hand sander on clearance.  So, I got that, too.  At that point, I realized I had invested more in my paint and finishing supplies than I had in the bed!

About half the tutorials I watched suggested either sealing the finish with a coat of something or sanding the finish until it gets 'a little tooth.'  So, I immediately went to work with the sander to scuff up the finish.    

I got the headboard, the footboard, and two of the post finials done and the pad of my sander broke.  So close to being finished!

I decided to persevere onward.  I wiped the dust off of every surface with a wet paper towel and left it setting on the porch for a while to completely dry.  Then, I wiped everything down with Clean Slate and let that dry.  At that point, I got a phone call which meant I would be spending a couple of days helping out at my son's house.  So, the entire project got put on hold for a couple of days.  

When I got back home, I jumped right in at getting the bed painted.  I mixed 1:1 Chelsea Square and Bauhaus Buff.  At Amazon, I had ordered some of the round brushes shown to be used by most of the tutorials I had scoured.  However, I kept seeing bristles and having control problems with them.  So, I returned to my trusty old Purdy angled brush and felt far more proficient with the painting.  I got the back side of the footboard painted by dragging it out to the back porch and laying it up on a sheet on the table.  Then, the skies clouded up and I had to move inside.  After a few sprinkles, I took the finials outside and gave them a coat of paint and decided that the rain had passed.  So, I drug the footboard back outside and gave the back side a second coat.  Then, the bottom fell out!  I had to quickly drag the footboard back inside.  I was not going to be outdone, though.  I spread out sheets and set up chairs and went after the front side of the footboard right there in my bedroom.

I continued on with the headboard after finishing the footboard.  When I had a break waiting for coats of paint to dry, I surfed online looking for a quilt to use on this larger bed.  I like not having a bed skirt.  So, I decided I would use a king-sized quilt.  I narrowed down my choices between the Amberly Spa Blue, the Blue Reversible Floral, and the Rowland Blue quilt set.  Then, I watched to see if any of them would be discounted on Prime Day.  Voila!  One of them was!

Then, I was ready for the side rails and the finials that had not gotten sanded.  I simply wiped them down good with Clean Slate and let it dry.  Then, I painted them up and, thankfully, there was no bleed through!

With everything covered in three coats of paint, I decided that I was going to start with the antiquing process.  I used the antique glazing mix that Cindy at Edith and Evelyn uses.  I found that I wasn't getting an even coverage.  So, I got a wet cloth and wiped everything I had glazed down.  I could control how much glaze I left on and how much I took off far better that way.  So, my method was to paint on the glaze.  Wipe it off with a dry cloth.  Let set a bit.  Wipe down with a wet cloth.  I was satisfied with the overall look of it and decided to leave it alone at that point.  Here is a comparison of the finished product along with the inspiration piece.

When I had achieved this look, I trekked off to a local mattress sales firm and ordered a new mattress and box springs.  Then, I stopped off and picked up a couple sets of sheets.  The mattress was due to be delivered in three days.  So, I thought I was ready.  Then, the day before delivery, I realized I had no bed slats to support the mattress and box springs!  So, I went off to Home Depot to get those.

Bryan and Jessica came by on Saturday to get the 'free' full-sized mattress and box springs we gave them.  As you know, there is no such thing as free in this world, though.  They helped us to set up the new bed and be ready for the delivery of the mattress and box springs the next day.  When the delivery was made on Sunday, I was almost like a kid on Christmas morning.  In retrospect, I wish I had gotten the low profile box springs so that the headboard would show more above the pillows.  However, I am so pleased with the look, the size, and the feel of my new bed.  I've decided to go with fewer pillows and a simpler look to dressing the bed and we will live with things the way they are.  I've got a bit of stitching to do to finish up the dressing for the bed.  I am making shams to coordinate instead of using the matching ones that came with the quilt.  I don't like matchy-matchy and they were king sized instead of standard size.  So, I will use them to make throw pillows for the window seat or something like that.  I will do a full post on what I come up with when I have landed on satisfaction.  Until then, here is the before and after comparison of the metamorphosis of our new bed.

Quite a difference, huh?

Evidently my confidence level was not very high with this project.  All my photos were made with my phone and the quality of the photos really shows.  However, the how-to aspect and the metamorphosis still show through even with phone shots.  I was paid nothing to use the products mentioned but I am pleased with the materials that I chose and the finish that I got with them.

Happy Birthday, Lillie!

Haircuts!

Somebody got fresh haircuts last week and had to come down the hill and show them off!

Of course we all were excited about a new summer haircut.  Why wouldn't we be?!

Especially after it was pointed out to us...

"It's spiky!"

Sofa Before and After...and After

Today, I'm sharing a little about a before and after and then another after which made the first after even better!  Below you get a glimpse of the after.  Next you will see the before.  And at the end you can see the after, after.  Are you ready for the story?  Oh good!  I was afraid I might lose you in all the before and after and after again.

I've been searching for a new sofa for quite a while.  Mike has complained about the one I brought with me into our house almost since the day it entered the door.  I loved it because it was big and snuggly and comfortable.  He hated it because it was big and hard-to-get-up-off-of and French/distressed.  You can see it below in all its glory.  

Recognizing that it has seen better days and the upholstery had become dingy and the cushion threadbare, I began the search for a new one.  There were certain things that fell into my criterion.  It needed to have a tight back - no cushions on the back.  I wanted one bench cushion to sit upon.  I wanted it to be a little less deep than the old French/distressed model.  I wanted it to be light in color so that it didn't overwhelm the room.  I wanted it to be a wee bit smaller than the old one.

My criterion certainly narrowed the candidates.  My criterion certainly upped the price range.  My criterion almost made me give up and settle.  Settle for more cushions or settle for darker fabric or just settle for something different than what I wanted.

I would find one I liked and search for it, only to find that the model had been discontinued.  Or I would find one mentioned or featured in a blog post only to find that it was way beyond what I had hoped to spend.  During the last few days when my team and I were working, I mentioned my dilemma during lunch one day and pulled up examples to describe my ideas to my friends.  Luckily, my friend, Stacy, was listening and kept her eye out for me.  

I had been working on my closet project - more about that later - and had fallen asleep on the old snuggly couch.  So, when I awoke and saw her text message with photos of one that was beautiful and fit in with almost every single criterion, I immediately sent her a text message even though it was in the wee hours of the morning!  See the photos she sent me below.

When the sun arose, she responded with more information about the beautiful option she had run across and I contacted the seller.  I learned that it retailed for $3900 before it was discontinued and it was being offered for less than a fourth of that price.  After several messages back and forth, I made a thirty minute trip to sit on it and inspect it and the couch became ours!  The young couple delivered it and even helped my bonus son, Stephen, to lift it into the house and put it in place in our den.

I immediately set about settling her in and poofing it to suit.  When I had time to research, I found that it is the Maxwell Sofa by Universal Furniture and is upholstered in Belgian linen.  The frame is milled kiln-dried solid hardwoods and the cushion is a down blend and has nailhead trim. 

There was one slight problem.  Rosie, my robotic vacuum cleaner could not clean beneath it.  I had sort of dreaded all the cleaning that would be needed after I had committed to buying the sofa as I was mid-project in another area of the house.  Yet, when Mike and I moved the old couch out so that I could donate it locally, I was so pleased that very little cleaning would be required.  There was only one little cobweb and a wee bit of crud in one little spot but the rest of the area was clean as a whistle! 

After being so pleased with the job Rosie does, I realized that this was a problem that could easily be remedied.  Recently, Karianne, over at Thistlewood Farms posted about updating an outdated chair.  So, I knew this would be a simple problem to solve.  The short round bun feet attached could easily be screwed out and new feet screwed on.

However, I didn't realize just how many choices in new legs there actually are.  There are all sorts of shapes and heights and colors available.  Finally, I decided to stay with something similar to what was already attached and simply add a little height to the new sofa.  So, I landed on these. 

Rosie needed about an inch and a quarter to slide easily underneath the new sofa and keep the floor clean like she had with the previous one. 

The new feet added about an inch and a half in height.  So, Rosie slides easily beneath and keeps things clean and beautiful!  Yet the sofa is not too tall to sit on and is easy to rise from.

Mike and I have both tried it out for napping and I even slept on it for most of the night one night when my back was giving me problems.  The seat cushion is firm and seems to provide that extra support. 

We couldn't be more pleased and the before, after, and after changing out the legs on it makes it even more perfect!

Happy Anniversary!

May the fireworks always be celebrating your happiness on this date!