Lovely ice box.

In the days before electricity had us all running out to buy the latest kitchen gadgets we had to eat "fresh" everything. That and we canned a lot of stuff. 

Then came the "icebox" 

 This one came to be so complete it's scary. Well complete other than top. The top was sooooooo termite damaged it literally crumbled as I was taking it off.

 Did you know that these used to be insulated with straw and seaweed? Dried of course but really? Seaweed?

 And the more money you had the bigger your icebox was.

 I added that piece of wood because there is a hole there to allow for cool air to circulate.

 All the shelves are there. How sweet is that?

 The owner of this lovely piece picked this up at auction for only $10. I'm sooooooo jealous.

And now it will grace her office and hold supplies. I love it when clients think outside the icebox.....hahaha...maybe I'm the only one that got that joke. 

Hubby fell in love with this too. I wonder if  it could be insulated again and converted to a wine cooler? How cool would that be? I may have to hunt one down myself. :) 

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I love history.

I'm a real sucker for history. 

All sorts of history. 

So when a piece of furniture comes my way, and there is a story behind it I fall in love even more. 

As some of you know I've been playing a bit with upholstery. Yes I've done a few pieces but it still intimates me. I would love to redo a set of wing back chairs, but am slightly terrified of ruining them. 

So what better way than to jump in and do a couch and chair. 

That should be easier right? 

gulp. 

So the search began. I wanted something like this...this basic shape.

Yummy right? 

It didn't take all that long. I found this. 

 Aren't they pretty?

A bit intimidating..but whats life without stretching yourself a bit. 

I bought the chair first. I told the owner I just couldn't do the couch. It would be to much. It's so big! I was terrified. 

Then she told me. 

This set belonged to her parents. It sat in the "good living room" You know..the room no one was allowed to sit in. (I personally never understood that concept) 

He mother passed away and they were in the process of getting rid of things. She loved this set. She didn't want to see it go, but it didn't fit in her house. Her siblings didn't want it, and she was very sad to sell it. 

I shared with her my vision. My daughter was with me when I went to pick it up. Just the chair...I asked if she would split the set up, and she agreed. 

So the chair came home. 

And it was lonely

And I couldn't stop thinking about the couch. 

Finally my hubby told me to just go get it. 

Lucky for me, she still had the couch. 

Thankfully the material scared other would be buyers away. 

So it came home...again with the help of our daughter. She is in love with this set. 

Then yesterday, I went to the office for the day and I told daughter to rip it apart, never for a moment thinking she would....

She did.......guess I better get this one done. 

Ohhh and the woman who sold me the set.....well she is just about as excited to see the finished product as I am. 

She was so happy to see me get it over some college kid that would destroy it and leave it on the curb come spring. 

Lets hope everyone's trust and faith in me is justified.

Let the fun begin!

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Miss Mustard Seed
  

Harlequin table anyone?

Dreamy...just dreamy. 

Isn't it pretty? 

I started out with two of these. I have this "place" I like to go to pick up furniture. Close to the cottage there is a retired guy who goes to all kinds of auctions and sales and picks up "stuff" he thinks he can sell for really good prices. 

So two weeks ago I picked up these. 

Aren't they pretty? 

I knew one of them would be mine. I'm now using it as my bedside table at the cottage. 

I needed to make it match the one I did for my husband. So now it looks like this. 

 Once our summer is over and we head to much cooler weather I will be working on our bedroom and taking lots of pictures. But for now, know that it does look wonderful beside my bed. :)

I can't believe that all these details were not destroyed at any point in it's history. 

Now for the Harlequin table. 

I wanted to keep the integrity of the table but update it. So it too was stripped down, sanded and the taping off began. 

This is such a simple but fun pattern to do. You can do so many things and I plan on switching it up for another project later this week. 

Finally got it all put together and done. 

 Glazing and distressing....and it's perfect!

 Yummy details!

I couldn't be happier. 

It's ready to be sold....now to find the perfect home. :) 

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Bed to Fantasitc!

I see so many beds out there that have been relegated to basements and attics and garages. Beautiful amazing beds. 

Their only sin......... they are 3/4. 

If you don't know what a 3/4 bed is let me give a brief explanation.

They are small and big at the same time. 

They are bigger than a twin/single but not as big as a double. They are odd. They don't fit into the mold of todays life. 

Maybe this is why there are so many divorces now. Husbands and wives now have to much room to roam. If we all lived a bit closer to our spouses, just maybe we could get along better. 

Ok, that's probably a pipe dream, but I'm sticking to my theory...lol 

Anyway, I see these beds all the time.

Isn't it pretty? 

But no one wants one of these. Sometimes I just can't pass them by. I have to save them! And then I cry when no one wants to have a custom mattress made. 

So I work with it. 

And I chop them up. 

And I create something that saves the beautiful and makes them useful again. 

This time....I did this. 

 I went searching for throw pillows for this girl. Something that would make the pics really stand out.

 And I found NONE.

 Oh I have throw pillows, but they would have simply been a distraction on this pretty piece.

So I left it empty. I hope you understand, I wanted this girl to shine....to really shine. 

I hope it worked. 

No longer a bed, but something even better. 

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For the love of Chairs

I'm on a Chair love thing. 

If you read my last post, I've been on the search for caned back barrel chairs. Check them out Here . 

Along the way I've found a couple of other interesting chairs that I instantly fell in love with. 

One looked like this when I brought it home. 

I fell in love. Seriously, Wouldn't you fall in love? I mean just look at her! 

Ok...ignore the little shelf thingy...concentrate on that chair.........sigh. 

Of course I had a bit of work to do, but what's a bit of work when you are in LUVVV??? 

And she was so worth it in the end. 

 I took the pics at night. I do have to take better pics when I have the edging on...but you get the idea here.

 Doesn't she look a whole lot better now?

She's just as beautiful as she was in my dreams.....

And I have to tell you. I'm so happy I bit the bullet so to say and bought an official upholstery stapler. I should have done that years ago. Isn't that always the way it works?

Next time I need a new tool, I'm getting the "good" one right away. 

What have you done lately?

Now I'm on the hunt for something like this.

Not this one exactly.....but this shape. 

I'm flexible...honest. 

And Hubby has been pre warned ;) 

Ohhh this should be fun...lol 

Done! 

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My newest love!

When you are in a business like mine, your furniture and your style is constantly changing. 

Things that you loved 2 years ago may not be what you love today. 

Or you still love but want to change all over again. 

A couple of years ago I found a set of wing backed chairs. Don't worry, I will post pictures of those another time. 

They were in GREAT shape..but not the material I wanted and to be honest I was scared of ripping them apart to experiment on them...so I used them as was. 

But lately I've been falling in love with these. 

Not these exactly...but this idea. Caned back barrel chairs. 

I seriously wanted to try my hand at making one over. 

And my search began. 

I started online. Kijiji. 

Oh my...there were Two in Ontario, and they were so far away I just couldn't justify driving that far. 

So I scoured every second hand store I could think of. 

Every yard sale...it was always on the top of my list. 

Nothing....absolutely nothing. 

And those far away ones online.....well they were also out of my price range. 

I was losing hope. 

Then we went away to a really big flea market in Midland, Michigan. 

After scouring the market for most of the day we started circling back to spots we had seen already. 

And there she was.....

My poor husband. I had not shared my desired to redo one of these and he thought I was losing my mind as I quickly rushed over and sat in the chair. (my way of claiming it for myself) I was dumbfounded that no one had snatched this beauty up already. After all it was getting later in the day. 

What kind of person would just pass it by? 

Oh well, their loss, my gain. 

I talked to the owner and made a deal that we were both very thrilled with. So, hubby (bless his heart) picked it up and hauled it to the truck...as I almost floated beside him regaling him with my visions of what it would look like when I was done.

 He now agrees with me :)

 Ok..so I freely admit my pictures suck. But the chair doesn't.

 Hubby was so thrilled with how it turned out that he wanted to get rid of the wing backed chairs and put this in our bedroom (ignore his gym bag...again, I'm not a photographer..lol)

Black distressing and great material...and viola.....we have beauty! 

And as often happens...after searching for months and not finding..the flood gates opened and I found two more! 

So another one was done to match the one destined for our bedroom

 This one was given the same treatment as the other...and now proudly sits on my side of the bedroom :)

Soooooooo sweet. 

And then a 3rd came to me. But I decided to do something a bit different. 

 I'm not certain which I like more. This one was more of a learning experience for me...and I love that.

 I love the colour and the material and don't actually want to see it leave my house...but I'm sure that once I finish it, it will sell quickly. I need to get some edging or whatever you sewers and upholsterers call it..you know that finishing touch thing :)

 Around the legs and on the back.

 All three are different but equally beautiful :) 

Yes the last pic is the worst...but in my defense I took it with my phone just before I loaded them to bring them home. 

Ahhh another addiction satisfied. 

Now for those wing back chairs :) 

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