G’day!
Hope you enjoyed the weekend. Ready for a chic coastal makeover? You got it.
We had a very busy weekend, absolutely chock full of sport…nothing on my list was completed apart from getting this old unit in after it had been the recipient of the Beach Cottage Makeover treatment.
I bought this an age ago from a garage sale, to be very honest I have forgotten exactly how much she cost me…I think it was about 30 dollars or so…I know there were definitely eyebrows from my lovely husband when I forced him to help me bring her in and stash in the garage…that is the trouble with hunting out vintage furniture as a shopping hobby…a lot more tricky to get things in and hide them in the back of the wardrobe…
So she sat in there for a long time, doing nothing, dusty, sad and waiting to come in…but you know what, I had no idea where she would go…I mean it’s getting packed in here and Mr BC is having a bit of a ‘crikey there is too much of your old **** furniture in here phase’ ahem, yes I know, I need to get my favour giving skills brushed up ;-)
Anyway, the last few months I have been looking for a unit for the family room, one with doors that would hide junk…before we had one of those IKEA open shelving units here with baskets in it and it always looked messy…I mean it is a Family Room for heaven’s sake, meaning kiddos hang out here…and they sure don’t care about tidy, but I thought something with doors would mean we could stuff and close…
I did a lot of searching for a piece of furniture that suited me and my budget…and if only I had just walked downstairs to the garage…
Really, I wanted either a frenchy grey type affair and had seen one for $3500 in the little frenchy boutique or a more country rustic feel with a butchers block top…and had seen one at one of those furniture shops that pretends that it is high-end but in reality the stuff is all made in the same warehouse and shipped here by the same companies…cheap furniture, labelled with a fancy name and high price tag…
I had also seen one in the beachy shop…very kinda coastal-driftwood-chunky-rustic, but again it was in the thousands and with my track record of changing my mind almost daily on whether or not I like things, that wasn’t really an option either…
Then there was the stuff on ebay…I must admit if I were to buy upcycled furniture I would want it at good prices…it makes me laugh when you see stuff on there for bundles ..when you know they got it from the auctions or garage sales for a few bucks, slapped some paint on it and offer it for $$$…oh and you have to organize your own courier too ;-)
After looking for a long time, I remembered this old girl sat in the garage on her own…
I didn’t want pure white in here…as you can see the sun comes in through my boyfriend and there is rather a lot of white going on already…
So I painted her first with my go to primer, Zinsser and then with a coat of hand-mixed beachy white…(I am afraid I have no before shot for you, I swear I took one but I can’t find it anywhere…just imagine wood the colour of the oar only a bit more yucky)
Then I got some grey paint and kinda dabbed and wiped it on with my paintbrush…the paint i picked up at the paint shop in the sale section – it was a mistint…. all paint shops have these…normally a little area near the till that has paint that has been mixed up incorrectly or paint that people have brought back…I love buying mistints...the cost is really low, sometimes only a few dollars a tin! It makes trying out new colours so much less scary because the outlay is not huge, also mistints have a splash of the actual paint on the lid of the tin so you can see the exact colour inside the tin…rather than trying to squint at one of those little colour cards…you will also find a lot of different whites in these sale sections…I can only assume that many people get a white mixed up and are not happy with it and bring it back…or the paint guy hits the ‘wrong’ white when he mixes…who knows but it’s a no brainer people…
I wish I could tell you that I had the most wonderful paint technique like those DIY Bloggers who do it all, with a power tool strapped to their apron-ties, but really, I had no idea what I was doing here and to be quite honest I thought while I was doing this and before it had dried for a few days that this was going to be getting a coat of white not long after…
But the dabbing and wiping with the grey paint is just the look I had in my mind…it is not perfect…much more ahem rustic…
I left the drawers without the grey…and washed the white on…
There has been little if no comment from the Beach Cottage Crew, hoping I may get more on here lol!…though resident teenager’s friend did have a question…at least someone ’round here has not become immune to furniture painting and re-arrangement…
As ever in this old cottage on the wrong side of town the photos are about the tidiest this area will look until the next time it appears on the blog…
See you next time beach lovers…the sun is out here and I am going out to an Adirondack for goat’s cheese with home grown salad and a new (to me) salad dressing recipe which right now is looking very rich…
Yours in upcycling, painting things, saving sad old furniture, oh and saving c. $3470.
p.s. the Beach Cottage How To Blog e-course will be available very soon
Hello I am a fellow Brit who loves your style! I also do some french provincial/shabby chic stuff and sell on e bay (at reasonable prices tho LOL)
The bad news is my name is Angela (truly) Iam a nurse AND I have 3 girls although mostly grown up and a lovely hubby who thinks I spend far too much time scouring yours and many other blogs . These are where I get many of my ideas – so keep a lookout on Ebay for a dresser similar to yours as once again Sarah you have given me another fab idea !! i will agree with the other ANGELA though, the op-shops have become more expensive lately ,well here in adelaide they have -anyone else noticed or is that my scottish stingy side coming out?
Also a fan of your style Sarah my wardrobe has had an influx of stripey tops and tee’s and am getting quite a scarf collection going.
Regards Angela
I love it but then I always do love your make overs. Looks very french and perfect with the touches of grey, makes me want to paint something :) x
I love what you have done with this cabinet – looks great! I love the colours and the atmosphere of the photos – very serene. The star in the blue bottle looks beautiful – l love stars; they are my favourite shape.
And while on the subject of all things wonderful, I did your all in one roast chicken & veg for dinner tonight – yummo! Very easy – I could even do my cenus while doing it! Too easy!! Must try out some of your other dishes. Just wish there was someone here to share them with…….sigh!
Goodnight!
Angela, your jealousy is showing. If you don’t like Sarah’s AWESOME blog, don’t read it.
Sarah, your piece is GORGEOUS!! All I can say is WOW!! Love it. You are so taleted with a paintbrush. Wish you could come paint my stuff lol
:)
Looks good! I love how it looks in your house.
Your house just makes me want to curl up and read a good magazine. I’d say book, but wouldn’t sit long enough. It has such a cozy, airy feeling all at the same time,
I love your latest addition to the cottage! Great idea and love how it’s settled into your lives quite nicely and quickly!
Fabulous Sarah, I think you did a fine job. I do love picking up the mistakes at our local HD too, they usually only cost 2 bucks here.
The Frenchy grey you mixed up looks super and I love that piece of furniture. It has great curves! You better watch her so close to your boyfriend! I think those doors are already taking a shine to her!! . ;)
Love it! I love the key in the door as well, I love old keys!
Of course…in 66 comments, I wonder if this will even reach to you! But WOW. Super awesome…i’ll hunt for mistints…the effect is wicked brilliant.
oh yes, it certainly will!
I honestly never tire of looking at the refreshing palette on your site. It is so relaxing.
So inspiring as ever Sarah – now even more desperate to get my hands on hubby’s grandfathers gruesome dark book case. Think he’d notice if it turned shabby chic white over night??….
Love it!! I’ve got a dining room set that I want to paint shabby chic white/cream…just not sure how to begin since I’ve never painted furniture before. Maybe I’ll get up the courage and go for it. Thanks for all of the beautiful inspiration!!
Love it! I love buying Oops paint, too, and you hit the jackpot with your nice soft color. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sarah
When you said that you forgot you had your cupboard it reminded me of myself soooo much as I put my “treasures” aside while I ponder.
I once read a book (you know one of those guides to getting in touch with your inner self and the meaning of life ones). This particular book said we all have everything we need and we should consider looking more closely when we have the urge to buy or accumulate. I have used this idea many times and strangely, often to my delight I really DO have what I’m wanting to buy or acquire. With a bit of creativity or a few changes I can often make do or re-create.
Mr alison shakes his head at my treasures and says “The house is full!” He’s right but …………..Sarah I just have 2 old WWII wooden ammunition boxes I want to find a use for. They’re 20x20x40cm and 20x20x50cm, timber, very fragile rusty hinges. Have you or anyone else got any ideas???
alison
yes send them to me!
I am a WWII freak :-)
Mr alison would gladly give them to you if he knew!!!! But he doesn’t.
alison
I was gonna say coffee table too…nice with glass though it is exxie
I kinda just love things like that propped around though…I love old suitcases under tables and on top of wardrobes…great storage too. as long as they are not stinky inside ;-)
x
I am not sure how functional you would want them to be but I think they could look great stacked on top of each other at the end of a sofa as a pseudo end table or statement piece with a little something on top.
Or perhaps as a coffee table – stacking them side by side with a piece of glass on top but given they are different heights you could adjust the lower one with some large antique looking books on top with the glass over?
And you could possibly clear (matt) lacquer the hinges so they don’tstain anything – hoping that in doing so, they are not some incredibly rare beast that would fetch $$ thouands for
Wow Amanda!
You’ve got my brain going into overdrive. Thank you so much for these great ideas.
Cheers
alison
Sarah is right about the glass being ex, but they would look great under a glass top table even… They may not be useful to store stuff but are a bit of eye candy. I just love old things with character.
Love the new makeover, your room looks so bright and sunny!
I love love love your family room furniture – it looks sooooo good. Your design skills are awesome and your photography is to die for! Other than that, I don’t like your blog at all! LOL – Just kidding – everthing about it is fabulous. Just one question – the sun is shining through your boyfriend?
my boyfriend is my nickname for the door :-) I put up with a horrid one for a few years when we first moved so when this white stacking one came in I loved it so much it’s now my boyfriend…yeah I need help in my little life ;-)
Hello
I think furniture is the must for house and all person need these furniture because without these furniture house is empty and looking very bed.
Your lovely painted white furniture is just what we need in the UK. Our winters are so gray and dreary the white furniture would brighten up any room.
Love it! It looks wonderful next to your boyfriend! :)