Timeless Interiors

By Lancine

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Make Over Monday- Little Blue Stool

Sometimes a little bit of paint can take an item from “so-so” to “ooh-la-la”. Take this little stool for example. I see these little guys quite often at flea markets. The natural wood stools don’t seem to be going home with very many shoppers. However, the old stools with paint seem to be sought after. This is leaving many stools around the nation with self esteem issues. 

This sad little stool had charm and age, but needed a little lift. Just a little nip and tuck here and there, nothing drastic.  I want it to look natural, like itself, only better. Like botox, minus the lip injections. 

I decided on navy blue because I knew his stool would end up outside by my front door, which is navy as well. Also because navy is a classic color that could have been seen on furniture 100 years ago.  

There you have it! A stool with a fresh face to greet my visitors. 

If you have been looking for a painted stool, passing up all the naked ones, consider this. After a little plastic surgery, it can be transformed into the stool of your dreams! 

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Make Over Monday- Antlers

One of the reasons I find garage sales so fun, is because you truly never know what little gem you’re going to come home with. I went to a garage sale late in the morning, expecting to find that all the good stuff had sold. I was right. All that was left were the usual junky items and a few pairs of old antlers. They were dated and ugly I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. As I was pondering the purchase, my husband whips out his wallet and pays for the set - didn’t even haggle! “Great,” I thought. “I am the proud new owner of a set of furry antlers wearing a diaper.”  

I texted this picture to my sister with the caption, “If antlers wore panties”. She thinks that sounds like a great name for a children’s book. While she is working on that, I decided to replace the undies with something a bit more creative and updated looking. 

I also googled how to remove velvet from antlers and didn’t find anything! Surprising! But I did find how to remove fur from the skull cap. All you do is put it in a fire ant hill for a couple weeks. The ants eat all the skin and fur and leave it clean as a whistle. Delicious. 

While my fire ants were feasting, I set to work on the other pair of antlers.

Here’s the “naked” shot, after I had removed its underwear. The previous owner had put a wood varnish on the antlers that made them a bit shiny and brought out a deeper brown color that I didn’t care for. I rectified that by simply whitewashing them. 

I also painted the board white and wrapped the skull in burlap. Then I added a few flowers to give it a vintage look. 

My antlers were done and looked amazing! Now I was pumped and ready to give the furry set a makeover too! 

While I waited for nature to take its course, I proudly told my husband that the furry antlers were out back in an ant hill. He about had a heart attack! Apparently antler velvet is a good thing - who knew? It makes this particular set of antlers rare and the reason why he was so excited to buy them in the first place.  Whoops!

I ran out in the pitch black night with a flashlight and gloves, and rescued the antlers before any harm had been done. I had some angry fire ants, but my velvety hide was safe!

On second thought, I see why Chris was so excited about the velvet. It really is beautiful.  I wanted to keep the base simple since the antlers are what you want to focus on. I added basic burlap and twine, and painted the board with white chalk paint. 

The third and final set of antlers got white-washed as well. It has a clean, wintery look to it that I love. I wrapped the skull in twine then mounted it to the painted board. In gold metallic I wrote Psalm 42:7, which is...

As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.

I felt like these antlers needed a little gold metallic somewhere, someway. So I pulled out the trusty washi tape. 

Washi WHAT? You don’t know what washi tape is? It’s this crazy cool tape that is completely addictive. You truly can’t stop using it! You put it on one thing and all of a sudden you feel transformed into Martha Stewart. Now you’re a crafting genius wandering around the house washi taping anything that doesn’t run away from you! 

What were we talking about again? Oh yes, antlers... 

And now the threesome is complete. Aren’t they sweet?

To visit these beautiful antlers in person, along with other unique finds, check out Timeless Interiors at the Grapevine Antique Market. It’s always a good idea!

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Trendy Tuesday- Simple Fall Porch Decor

Friends, I have been feeling a bit cooped up lately. I’m like a racehorse at the starting gate, chomping at the bit and ready to run!  What’s got me so eager? It’s a Fall Frenzy! Wednesday is the last day of summer, and it can’t end soon enough! I don’t care that the temperature is still well into the 90s, I want to wear scarves and boots and drink cider, dagnabit!

Over the weekend, I visited a friend who was in the midst of decorating her home for the Fall season. She had pulled at least twenty-five huge boxes out of her attic and was completely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of stuff she had accumulated and the thought of where to put it all. Friends, look at me. Decorating isn’t suppose to hurt. If it’s 5:30 on a Sunday evening and you haven’t had a chance to brush your teeth yet because you have dedicated every waking moment of the entire weekend to decorating your home for Fall, you’re doing it wrong! 

Come, sit, relax, suck on a Tic-Tac, and let me share with you how you can simplify your life, one ceramic pumpkin at a time. 

One of the reasons why I love Fall decor is because you usually either throw it away when the season is over, or reuse it for your christmas decorations. There is no need to store multiple boxes in your attic for eleven months out of the year! 

You don’t need to go overboard with Fall decor. A small cluster by your front door can have a big impact. 

Even if you’re not crafty, you can make a good ole fashioned pumpkin topiary! They are always a crowd pleaser! 

These rusty old buckets look smashing with bright orange mums in them. A bold pop of color is sometimes all you need to let your neighbors know you’re in the Fall spirit!

If orange isn’t a color that makes you smile, that’s okay! Shades of purple with white pumpkins can also do the trick!

If keeping our decor limited to just your porch is difficult for you, check out this idea! A shepherd’s hook, a small pumpkin, and some ribbon can make your house the envy of the neighborhood! 

These simple Fall porch ideas can all be done with one trip to your local nursery. No need to spend an entire weekend unpacking boxes and stressing over where you’re going to put your huge inflatable pumpkin. Keeping your decor simple, elegant and natural is what’s trendy!

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TBT- Munster Mansion

If this house looks familiar to you, congratulations, you survived the 60s! It was the home used in The Munsters, a popular TV show that spooked young kids from 1964-1966. Despite its short stint on the air, Herman and Lily’s quirky family had some pretty dedicated fans!   

This is the Munster’s home, 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights, California. Before you ask Siri to take you there, you should know, this house was built on the Universal Studios lot. It was constructed in the Second Empire Victorian style in 1946 for the movie So Goes My Love. Twenty years later, when Universal decided to use it to film their new show, The Munsters, they spent $1,000,000 “dressing” the exterior. Call me crazy, but that seems like a high price for a bunch of dead trees and a bent weathervane. 

Even if you enjoy cheerful paint colors and leaves on your shrubbery, you have to admit, the house is charming, in its own eternal winter kind of way.

If you dream of sleeping in a coffin at night, or like painting a faux widow’s peak on your forehead, then this couple might be your new best friends. Let me introduce you to Charles and Sandra McKee from Waxahachie, Texas. These two hardcore fans made it their life’s work to build their house as an exact replica of the Munster Mansion! I know what you’re thinking, he looks like he should be holding a pitchfork in this photo. I hear ya, but I think I know why he’s so glum. There were never any blueprints of the Munster house for them to copy. That meant that this happy couple had to watch all 70 episodes of The Munsters over and over and OVER until they came up with the perfect house plans. See! The look on his face makes sense now, doesn’t it?

This dining room would be the perfect place to gather friends and family for a pre-trick-or-treat feast. I have a harder time envisioning Christmas morning pancakes, but maybe that’s just me. 

If we’re going to be honest here, I do see one pro to living like a Munster. Okay, hear me out! You never have to dust, like EVER! You just sit back and relax in your comfy electric chair and let the house spiders spin a muck!  When people question your housekeeping abilities, you take a sip of your bloody Mary, roll your eyes, and tell them it’s all part of the decor.  

This is actually really impressive! Sandra literally cooks in this kitchen, on this stove! There is probably a brew in that cauldron at this very moment! All you, “I can’t live without a double oven”  people, think about this picture the next time you complain about a lack of counter space! 

This is the closest picture I could find to a normal living room. It all seems relatively doable except for one major item. The phone! Munsters didn’t have cell phones, or even cordless phones, or even those 20 foot long spiral cords you could get after market! No, they had to sit, practically cheek to the wall, while they gossip, or serenade the person on the other end with a harp solo, or whatever.

Jurassic Park fans will enjoy this special surprise.  I am not sure why a t-rex is living under their stairs, but I do know one thing for sure; you better have a heart defibrillator close by! “Hey Granny, go up the stairs! Just trust me, it’ll be funny!” 

Of course the Munster Mansion wouldn’t be complete without the trap door leading to the basement dwelling Grandpa. The McKee’s did such a good job recreating this house that word spread all the way to Hollywood where Grandpa Munster caught wind of it. He visited a few years back and when he toured the home, he had tears in his eyes. He said the house brought back warm memories for him. I am sure any Munster fan would feel the same way. 

Whether you grew up watching The Munsters, or still get them confused with the Adams Family, I still think you should wax your hachie and head on down to Waxahachie, Texas! 

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Trendy Tuesday- Must Have Houseplants

I’ve heard it a hundred times, “Lancine, no! I kill every plant that comes within 10 feet of me! I can only have fake plants. Trust me, I’ve tried!”

Well, I don’t trust you. You just haven’t met the right plant yet! 

The last layer I always add into the rooms I decorate are houseplants. Nothing is going to breathe life into a home more than a few beautiful plants. They not only add a vibrant green color, and soft looking leaves, but also clean the air we breathe. I have them in every room of my house, and I have learned which plants I can easily keep alive and which ones take an extra amount of TLC. Many clients get a little anxious about adding this important step in design because they admit to having a brown thumb.  Let me share with you the plants that have put up with me over the years and keep tickin’. If I still haven’t convinced you, I’ll tell you which fake plants get my stamp of approval. Spoiler alert, it is NOT fake ivy or ferns. So go put those in the trash right now, then come back. I’ll wait. 

These healthy three live in my master bathroom. They love the natural light the large windows provide, and also the steam from our daily showers. I particularly love the mini palm because it is very slow growing. The little pink Fittonia is a fun burst of color that can be used in any room! 

There is no hardier plant than the Pothos! I will forget to water this guy for over two weeks, and it still looks happy as can be! The color variation in the leaves drew me in, as well as the sweet, heart shape. I’m pretty sure he loves me, even when I ignore him. 

I love the idea of exotic ferns, but they ALWAYS die very quickly in my house! This good ole’ fashioned fern seems to be hanging on nicely, and isn’t prone to spider-mites, like his fancy cousins. 

Aglaonemas have the best color! The shades of blue and green on their leaves is heavenly! They are also slow growers, and don’t require a green thumb. Sometimes, okay a lot, I walk by and he looks a little droopy. I quickly give him a little drinky-poo and he perks back up like nothing happened. I love the plants that give you a warning!

A couple of years ago, I went to a birthday party where we made these amazing terrariums. My succulents died within two weeks, no matter how much I begged for them to not leave me. After the appropriate mourning period, I marched down to Hobby Lobby and got identical looking plants, only God didn’t make these guys. Because they are mixed with real moss, and behind glass, even the birthday girl didn’t know these weren’t the original plants! 

Still not convinced you can keep these low care plants alive? Then I have a great alternative. Ikea sells these very realistic plants for $5.99 each. They are so real looking, in fact, that when I was out of town, my mother was watering them for me! Now that’s a good fake plant!

Do you have a faithful houseplant that you love? I’d love to hear about it!

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Make Over Monday- Perfectly Broken Armoire

I stumbled upon this sad little armoire while doing my nightly search on Craigslist. Since the mirror was broken, the asking price was a mere $75. 

When I went to pick it up the next morning, the owner said she had purchased it years ago because she liked its lines, but just didn’t know what to do to make it functional again. She said she really wanted to know what my plans were for it. I made sure the armoire was safely tied down in the back of my trailer and Chris had the getaway car started before I gave her my simple idea. 

“I’m adding shelves! Chris, step on it!”

Adding shelves to this armoire seemed like a no-brainer to me. This particular piece was a perfect candidate! It has one door, and is small in size. I contemplated taking the door off completely, but couldn’t bear to part with the lovely curve on the top and bottom. 

The wood wasn’t pretty enough to keep natural looking, and I felt like this armoire was begging to be dressed in a light grey blue. I was happy to oblige!

After painting with Annie Sloan chalk paint, I used a white wax to age the paint and give it the old, weathered look I was aiming for. I then sanded the parts that would naturally wear with age and use.

To shine up the old brass hardware, I used a very fine steal wool and lightly rubbed until it sparkled once again. 

Adding shelves repurposed this broken armoire into a beautiful and functional cabinet. I can see it in a master bathroom with rolled towels and lovely baskets, or in an office adorned with leather-bound books and black and white family photos. 

This piece is now charming, functional and perfectly broken!

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That Hideous Chair

When I saw this chair at a local estate sale a couple of weeks ago, I knew somehow, someway, it was coming home with me. If we couldn’t fit it in our small car with all of us… looks like three kids would be walking thirty miles home!

This chair had to be mine!

It was late afternoon, so the contents of the house were pretty picked over. We peeked in the garage at the items that were deemed not nice enough to stay in the house when I spotted it - lurking in the back of the garage was a masterpiece in a lime-green velvet disguise. I couldn’t believe no one had snatched it up, especially for the $20 asking price. 

When Chris went to pay for it, the owner couldn’t believe we actually wanted to pay good money for such an ugly chair. 

“Pam, can you believe it? They want to buy dad’s old chair!”

“What? That hideous chair? Why?”

“I don’t know! The guy said his wife is going to reupholster it!”

Oh Pam, sweet, ignorant Pam. You and your people make my life so much more enjoyable.

Having to curl-up on the car floor for the long ride home was worth every minute. So I might not be able to stand upright for a few days. So what? This chair was my destiny. 

After taking all the fabric off, we got to painting. Now that chalk paint comes in a nifty little spray can, what used to take hours now takes mere minutes!

After doing a bit of research, I discovered this chair is worth between $1,800- $2,900. I figured I should probably have a professional upholster this one.  

He charged me $300 and had it done in one week! 

When I die, sit me in this chair, put plastic wrap over the front and bury us together. I love it that much.

How do you like me now, PAM!

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Make Over Monday- From Drab To Fab

When this client called me for the first time, she said she was sick of all the brown in her living room and wanted my help picking out a couch. I told her I’d be happy to help, but before we get to couch picking, something needs to be done about that fireplace!

Not only was it too short for her tall ceilings, but the design of it left her no choice but to put her TV on the wall next to it. This lead to her focal points fighting for attention. Do we put the couch facing the TV, or facing the fireplace? The answer is neither!

 It were as if she had been living in a cereal box, void of all personality and color. The homeowner said she is drawn to a “Cape Cod” feel, and NO BROWN. No problem! I immediately felt some shiplap, old chippy corbels and white brick coming on! 

Painting the walls Wool Skien really brightened up the space, but the biggest difference was the fireplace! Not only is it now a spectacular focal point, but it also allows us to change the furniture placement of the room, since we can now mount the TV over it.

Where did we put all the necessary components? Glad you asked!

The blue cabinet holds all those pesky items we need but don’t want to see. Handy and Charming!

Adding special items like this red 18th century blanket chest, and the Eastlake antique end table, both from New England, are what keeps the room from looking like a cold model home and more like a well put-together personal home. 

We wanted the “beachy" Cape Cod feel, but didn’t want to go over board with it. The wonderful wave print next to some beautiful white birds and a small wooden buoy were just enough to give us the look we wanted. 

The room now feels like the client’s home. Not only is it comfortable, but also calming, inviting and put together, much like my client.

Does your home represent who you are?

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Make Over Monday- Hand Painted Dresser

I have been looking for a flat-front dresser to paint for quite some time. When I ran into this one at a small consignment shop near by, I knew it would be perfect for my vision! I paid for it, knowing I would have to bring my husband, and the trailer, to pick it up the next day.

When I showed Chris the dresser I had purchased, his mouth dropped open! He said it was the ugliest dresser he had ever seen and couldn’t understand why I had bought it. 

He said, “ If I were here when you bought this thing, I would have tried to talk you out of it!”

I replied, “ Well, Rude, if it makes you feel any better, it wouldn’t have worked.” 

I admit, you need a little vision to see it’s potential. However, the size of this dresser is substantial. It has wonderful deep drawers that slide open easily, and it doesn’t wobble! This means I can start doing the fun and creative stuff right away!

I started by giving it a light sanding, then painting it with a soft grey chalk paint. While the paint was drying, I made my stencil by taping four pieces of paper together and drawing out the basic design I wanted for the top drawer. I stuck the paper on the drawer, then with a pen, traced my lines, leaving a very faint mark on the paint. 

With a white chalk paint, I traced the lines I had made with the stencil. I went over the lines with my small paint brush a couple of times to even them out. After all, you want a hand-painted look, but not one that looks like a kindergartner did it. Sometimes, that’s a fine line.

Once the top was done, it was time to do the bottom the same way. I purposefully left empty spaces in my stencil to be able to free hand the smaller details..

Once I got the basic lines on, I added all the detail. This was where the piece came alive! With every added leaf and dot, she was looking more like my vision. 

I distressed it a bit around each drawer and on the nobs, standing back and looking at it from a distance, then distressing it a little more until it was perfect. I finished her off with a clear coat of wax.

My absolute favorite part of any project is taking the After pictures. It’s like dressing up a child for the prom. I just keep looking at her, smiling proudly, knowing soon she will be moving away. Then annoying the rest of the family by constantly showing them the pictures. 

When my husband saw her all dolled up for the first time, his mouth dropped open again. He said, “I don’t know why I doubted you. You’re good. It’s beautiful.” 

I replied, “I’m so glad you feel this way, because there just so happens to be a matching vanity.“

Make sure to check out this beauty, and other pieces, for sale at the Grapevine Antique Mall!

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Make Over Monday- Ye Olde Table Desk

When I originally decided that I wanted to refinish and sell antiques as a business, I only bought pieces that I loved. Never mind sale-ability; Lancine-appeal was the only quality they needed! I figured that if I loved them, then someone else would too. Turns out, my personal taste isn’t as universal as I would have assumed. However, I am happy to report that I have learned a lot from those early mistakes. 

This “Desk Table” had the Lancine-factor in spades. It was big, classically European, and you all know I can’t resist a good Barley Twist! I paid $125 for the piece and couldn’t wait to get it home and start sanding!

Now with my perfectly honed hindsight, I know that the title of the Craigslist post should have been a red flag. They called it a “table desk” when… yeah, that’s not a thing. You typically can sit at a desk, which you can’t do here. But it has a mirror, so it’s not really a table. Turns out this table desk is neither a table, nor a desk. 

The one thing the ad did get right was the claim that it had “fancy legs.” Clearly Barley Twist hasn’t made the mainstream, despite my best efforts to make it wildly popular. 

When I got the old “table desk” home, I noticed that not only did it need to be completely sanded down, but it was also very wobbly and every drawer needed a new stopper. In order to fix it properly, we had to take it apart, chisel all the old glue out, re-glue it, put it back together and clamp it. My husband has since banned all wobbly furniture from entering our workshop. 

After the stain and poly was dry, it was time to add the “new” hardware. I consider myself somewhat of a hardware snob. I strongly feel that antique pieces need to have actual antique hardware. Ebay is a great resource for this! For $45, I found the perfect hardware!

Painting this sideboard (if that’s what it is!) would have been much easier, but old Lancine didn’t go for easy! Returning this beauty to its original color seemed like the “right” thing to do. 

This piece ended up traveling with me to the famous Round Top flea market, where it did not sell.

I put it in my antique store front, where it sat for 5 months and didn’t sell.

It’s on Craigslist, and three other online sites. It just isn’t selling!

The particular idiosyncrasies of this piece make it hard to sell - apparently table desks just don’t go for what they used to. It’s a bit small for a buffet, which would be great for apartments or smaller houses, but those are a bit rarer here in Texas, where people have garden sheds bigger than the average Manhattan apartment. 

So what did this tale of hardship and woe teach me about selling antiques?

1. When buying furniture to resell, it needs to have a clear purpose. And no, combining two words to make up a new genre of furniture doesn’t count. 

2. If the finish is not salvageable, then it’s best to stick to pieces that were previously painted, or not of “fine antique” status. I don’t want to have to feel guilty for painting it! 

3. No wobbly furniture allowed!

After all that, if it still passed the Lancine-appeal test, then the odds are good that you’ll soon find it in the Grapevine Antique Mall!  

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Trendy Tuesday- Are Your Fireplace and TV Fighting?

When we walk into a room, our eyes naturally go towards a specific item or area. When a room has two focal points, it can often make the room feel messy or disjointed because too many objects are attracting our attention. 

I’ve seen this a million times; the fireplace and TV fight for attention. You try to keep peace by arranging the furniture around the TV, but the fireplace feels neglected. So you move the couch to face the lonely fireplace, and now the TV is uncomfortable to watch. If only there was a way to make them both happy... Oh wait, there is!

If you’re lucky enough to have a corner fireplace, then I strongly suggest finding your architect and giving them a big kiss! Corner fireplaces often leave a large open wall perfect for your TV. Whether you hide your TV in a cabinet, or leave it out on a console, it really doesn’t matter. As long as you put your couch where you can see both, you will all live in harmony together!

For my less fortunate friends, there is always the option of mounting the TV over the fireplace. Now I will admit, this approach is controversial and this particular TV seems a bit high for comfortable viewing. Make sure you lower it as much as possible, and that your seating is comfy enough to lean back on. At least there will be no debate about where to put your couch! 

Are you one of those anti-TV-over-the-fireplace people? Try getting a sectional couch, or arranging your furniture in an L shape, so that you can see the fireplace and TV equally from different sides. Everyone is happy!

If none of these ideas feel right, you may just have to reconcile yourself to choosing form over function: hide the TV. Pretend you use your living room solely for drinking tea and reading novels, and when people ask just condescendingly say “oh, we don’t even OWN a TV.” You’ll still have to position your couch to face the fireplace, but your living room will look organized, serene and super smart.

Arranging your living room furniture can get tricky when you have to choose between pretty and practical, but hopefully at least one of these ideas will work for you! And if you still need help, you can always call Lancine at Timeless Interiors!

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Make Over Monday- English Buffet

I met this dark and dated buffet at an estate sale last week. The bones were good, but it was the old mirrored doors that were speaking to me. I could tell the owners were proud of this piece, hence the high $350 price tag. I gently told the buffet that it wasn’t meant to be, said goodbye to the beautiful mirrored doors, and went home with the $3 pizza board. 

When a friend of mine went to the same estate sale the next day, I asked her if the buffet was still there. She said it was, and they were ready to bargain. I raised my first in the air and declared, “The time has come!”

I bought the buffet and sweet-talked two male neighbors into loading it up for me. 

The finish on this piece was worn and dirty, making it seem dark and depressing. Through the years of wear, I could hear it begging me to give it a happy new look. And I was delighted to oblige!  

The original lion head hardware was already amazing, and just needed a partial polish. I didn’t want to take its age away, just restore its original grandeur.  

I chose to paint it a classic white, with a clear wax on top. I very lightly distressed the edges to add to its antique look. Now that the piece is lighter, all the beautiful detail in the molding stands out. You now also notice those lovely mirrored doors a whole lot more!

Surprise! This buffet is also a butler’s desk! Now your butler never has a reason to leave the dining room!

Unpainted, this piece sat at an estate sale for three days while people walked right by it. Now the finished product is light, bright and happy! And it sold in three minutes flat!

When shopping for antiques, it’s important to overlook dark, dirty, and dated. Try imagining what they would look like with a fresh coat of paint. With a little work, even the saddest pieces can be happy again!

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TBT- 1980s Time Capsule

In the interior design world, few things are more fun than a real, honest-to-goodness time capsule. I have blogged about several, from the jaw-dropping 1900s Parisian Apartment to the hysterical 1970s bomb shelter. If you put those two homes in a centrifuge, what you would get is probably what is splattered all over the bathroom walls of this radical 80s masterpiece. 

This home fascinates me. I love it because you can tell it was professionally decorated with no expense spared.  Some items are actually still quite beautiful, like this green buffet pictured in the entry room. You have to admire the designer, as she truly stuck to her color pallet! There is not one tiny thing in this room not green, yellow or white! I’m guessing the lady of the house also would answer the door in a full-body green and yellow windbreaker track suit.  

The green grass... I mean... carpet was carried into nearly every room, including this living room. For a room with no windows, it sure looks bright and airy! I especially like Blanche Devereaux’s self portrait above the fireplace. It gives the room a “come hither and sit awhile” look. 

I’m pretty sure you’re only allowed to eat eggs and drink orange juice in this kitchen. “I’m sticking to my color pallet dang it! No matter what trends may come and go...WAIT, who the hell put that blue flower on my counter?”

I imagine Blanche, in her windbreaker suit, giving me a tour saying, “... and this is where we eat salad...’

The grass-green carpet takes on more of a murky pond look in this duck-filled den. 

If you squint just right, it looks like that ship is sailing on the ocean. Coincidence? Doubt it! This designer left nothing to chance. 

I am actually digging the chair swing. It dual functions as a time out cage, just turn it to face the wall! That’s what you do when your daughter puts a blue flower on your kitchen counter. 

Is this the room where Jesse Spano admitted to Zack Morris that she was addicted to diet pills? This wallpaper definitely makes me SO EXCITED. 

Maybe Jesse wasn’t the only one taking pills! It takes an addled brain to come up with an all-over wallpaper design like this one.  

Ok, let’s go down stairs. Just try not to get a carpet burn on your knuckles. 

The world ran out of green carpet, so they went with the next best color. Orange is neutral, right? Yeah, let’s go with orange. It’ll be great for resale. 

They used the last of the green carpet to go right up to the bathtub! Right up. To the. Bathtub. Then they lit 500 candles to celebrate! I’m not sure this is such a great idea. However, the chandelier is super cool! And because of the fun-house mirror, you get to enjoy it again, and again, and again...

This 1980 ranch house is currently on the market in Shorewood, Minnesota for $648,900. Tell me, would you buy it furnished? 

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Make Over Monday- French Dining Chairs

When I finally found the dining table of my dreams, I snatched it up without worrying about the fact that I didn’t have the right chairs to go with it. Cute chairs seem to be much easier to find than a table anyway. “Buy now, ask questions later” has never let me down!

I wanted six antique french chairs, all side chairs, meaning they couldn’t have arms. That turned out to be some what of a tall order. Luckily, I like the hunt! 

I found these on Craigslist for $50 each. They are straight out of France, but are midcentury and walnut. They screamed reproduction to me, and I really don’t like it when furniture throws me an attitude. There is only one thing we can do to save this relationship. The chairs must be painted.

Did you know that chalk paint now comes in a spray can? Well, it does! Spraying these chairs, rather than brushing the paint on, saved me many hours and also goes on more smoothly.  It’s most definitely worth a few extra bucks per can! I went with white to contrast with my dining table,  but also because I love a crisp, clean, white dining chair. 

To give these chairs the antique look I was after, I used a sanding block to carefully wear away the paint that would naturally be gone with years of use. This also brought out the pretty detail in the chairs that was kind of lost before. When I achieved the look I wanted, I sealed the paint with a clear coat of furniture wax. I only waxed the part of the chairs where people would have been handling them. The legs and sides stayed flat, aiding in the natural antique look. 

Here’s a picture of how the chairs looked in their natural state. With the wood floor and wood table, the chairs were just lost in a sea of brown.

Well bonjour,  sweet little French chairs! So nice to see you! This project was cheap, easy and made a big difference in my dining room. If only all projects were this simple!

[timelessinteriors]

Crocks Get A Bad Rap

Antique pottery has always been very collectable. But the type of pottery people enjoy collecting has changed quite a bit over the decades. In the early 1980s, the Prairie Kitchen Look was in full force and women couldn’t wait to get their acrylic nails on antique crockery. Every shoulder-pad-wearing, over-hair-sprayed mom south of the Oregon Trail was collecting crocks. The market ran dry quickly and soon prices for these old pots went sky high! 

Today, few women collect or even appreciate these beautiful old jugs, which means it’s the perfect time to start!

Crocks were first made in France (bonjour!), then in the US hundreds of years ago, up until the mid 1900s. They were made for pickling, making and storing butter, and even moonshine.  

The number on the front tells you how many gallons it holds, but most importantly, adds a ton of charm!

Crocks were individually made on a potter’s wheel and hand decorated, making no two crocks exactly alike.  The more cobalt blue you see, the higher the price tag.  

These jugs were all purchased at estate sales, each under $15. Thirty years ago, I would have paid $100 each. 

Everything comes back in style, and I predict these lovely crocks will make their way back into the limelight again soon. Let’s all agree to leave pleated-front jeans in the 80s and give these old friends another chance!

[timelessinteriors]

Make Over Monday- Pie Safe

When you think about charming country kitchens, you have to picture a pie safe somewhere in the room. I see a sweet old grandmother in a white apron placing her fresh baked goods in her pie safe to cool. Up until the invention of the icebox, the pie safe was a essential part of every home. Today, they are highly collectable and somewhat hard to find. 

This pie safe reminded me of that friend we all have that would be so much prettier if she weren’t stuck in the 80′s. She has a really pretty face, but all you notice are those big puffy bangs and blue eyeshadow!

Somewhere along the way, this sweet pie safe became an armoire. Its old hardware was replaced with shiny brass pulls, wood was refinished with shiny polyurethane, and the glass or punched tin was switched out for wood panels. From the front, it looked like a boring 1980′s piece. Luckily, the back told us the real story. This girl is OLD, probably early 1800′s. The gingerbread molding on top is quite rare, and the sides have round ventilation holes that add to the charm of this old lady.

Sometimes makeovers have to get worse before they get better! Even though the wood on this piece was in fabulous condition, it looked too new. I envisioned a lighter, older look. I wanted white with a tiny bit of blue. The first step was to add areas of blue as a base coat.

I used petroleum jelly on the parts I wanted to chip, strategically chipping areas that would naturally chip on a piece over 150 years old. I also used a crackle glaze, heavier on the bottom and lighter moving up the piece. It’s important to look at old furniture and note how paint ages. Furniture tends to age closer to the ground where weather and feet are harder on it.  I finished it with a very small amount of dark wax only applying it to where hands would have been touching it regularly and a small amount on the feet.

Purchasing authentic hardware was important for this piece. I was able to find hardware from the early 1800′s that once lived on another pie safe similar to this one. It looked right at home and really stood out nicely against the white paint. Every detail was carefully thought out, down to the 100-year-old screws we used. 

Aren’t those vent holes adorable? It’s amazing how much better she looks out of those mom jeans! 

[timelessinteriors]

TBT- Barley Twist

Few things make my heart flutter like an old Barley Twist. Barley Twist what, you ask? Anything! I don’t even care! There is just something about that old aged oak in that graceful design that speaks to me, and I can’t seem to ever resist that distinguished English accent they all tend to have!

Barley Twist might sound more like some sort of gross sweet beer, but it actually refers to the style of twisted leg found on many of today’s English Antiques. It first appeared in England and France in the 1600′s inspired by the twist in barely sugar candy sticks. At first it was all cut by hand, then after 1660 with the help of a lathe.

I have always admired the craftsmanship that has to go into meticulously spacing each curve. That must have taken such planning and patience before the carving even began.

This twist was not only beautiful, but also quite structurally sound, making it very popular in the late 1700′s. 

When Queen Victoria fell in love with the elegant Twist, it made a huge come back though out her reign, in the mid to late 19th century. People started using it not only for structure, but also for ornamental purposes. 

Purely for eye feasting, master crafters showed of their skills in creating this open Barley Twist. Not structurally sound in the least, so you’ll only see it in smaller pieces like this candle stick. 

Wether you’re dipping your little tow into the pool of antique collecting, or wanting to only collect a few interesting pieces, might I recommend a simple pair of Barley Twist Candle sticks? They are affordable, and can fit into any decor! This pair is currently on Etsy for only $59!

Because English Antiques are known throughout Europe as being the pricier choice, anything with Barely Twist is going to be a little more expensive than the same piece without the twisted legs. This style of furniture is timeless, refined, and always the perfect friend with whom to have afternoon tea.