Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Distressed

Not me...my furniture.  I got some new (to me) tables and a new desk from my mom who got some new (to her, they're antiques) tables and didn't need her old ones anymore.  I wasn't quite sure that I wanted them at first.  Why, you might ask?  Let me explain...they were ugly.  Yes, Mom, they were ugly.  I know they were cool in the 70's when you got them, but that coolness ran out many, many, many years ago.  So, you see, I wasn't quite sure I wanted them.  Luckily, I'm a girl with a vision.  And a girl who can paint.  I love paint.  It covers many flaws.  And turns ugliness to beauty.  See exhibit A....

This is obviously the before picture.  See?  UGLY.  But with potential...good bones.  This is good, quality furniture.  My parents never bought crap, they always bought the quality stuff that would last.  Of course, that meant my mom was stuck with this for 30 plus years. 
AFTER.  I'm going for a sort of beachy, cottagy look in this room.  I decided to paint it white and distress it...which basically means you make it look already beat up.  Perfect, since that's exactly what my kids are going to do to it anyway.
I made a keyboard tray by banging the front of the drawer off with a hammer and then adding a piano hinge to open and close it.  It works pretty well.
My new desk chair from Ikea.  Only cost me $22 and it's surprisingly comfortable and I like how it accents the blue in the room.  Don't worry, that red chair in the background is getting a slipcover soon.
Here's the coffee table I got out of the deal.  
See those curtains in the background?  Those were the inspiration for the change in this room.  While we were in Florida I fell in love with these same curtains in our condo, so I asked the owner where she got them and she told me and I went and bought them.  I knew they'd look perfect and they do!  And I never, ever, would have bought them if I just saw them at the store, they look so much better in person.  They match my green walls perfectly...and now I don't have to paint.  I had no idea what I was going to do with this hodge podge of a room before that. 
Here's a closeup of the distressing I did.  It was so easy!  All I did was paint the furniture white and then took a piece of sandpaper to all the edges.  
Okay, the walls are not really this dark of a green, but it's kinda dark in that corner and I don't feel like retaking this picture.  I just wanted to show you the end table I got.  The kids like to hide inside it.  I wanted them to store toys in it, but oh well...it's a great hiding spot.

My mom has another end table that coordinates with this one only it's square.  She's still got it though.  I'm waiting for her to get another new antique table so I can have it.  Maybe we need to plan a day to go antiquing!

2 comments:

  1. I so love the new room!!! If I find a piece of good furniture that's ugly... will you help me with the vision thing????

    Jen

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  2. You are so good at this! I had almost forgotten what a talent you have for this interior designing business. The furniture looks amazing, the colors are awesome, you must be proud of yourself that you did it all on your own! I see a potential side business to the photography in your future.....

    -Meredith

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