A Passion for Painting

My mom(Nancy) and I have been buying and selling Antiques for over 12 years now.  Anne has quite a few years under her belt as well.  It's amazing how excited we still get after we transform an ugly, or tired, unnoticed piece of antique furniture to something that is so adorable and loved once again.  It never gets old. We love to paint old furniture, but always give a beautful old antique a chance before we paint it. I was in the shop today, marking the furniture tags with the ASCP colors.  As I was walking around, I was remembering how ugly and tired most of the pieces looked. I thought I should share. 

Bad, really Bad! Dark, dingy, and ignored.

Until now. Look at her smile.

 Painted in Annie Sloan's French Linen, she shines, with her little crystal knobs, and light tatter.  Adorable, and so much more usable now! 

It's remarkable what new life paint can give an old piece of furniture.  This piece would be perfect as a night stand, tv stand, or extra storage in a bathroom. 

This dresser has seen better days.  She's been neglected and unappreciated for too long!

This by far is one of my favorite little dresser's we've had.  I don't know if it's all the jewelry she has now, which makes her look dressed up, but she's so cute. 

She is painted in Annie Sloan's Old White.  Dressed to the max in big and little crystal knobs, she's perfect for a bedroom, bath, or kitchen (hint, hint).

Boring!

Fun and fresh now.

This secretary is painted in Old White, with a light tatter, and hand painted numbers to give it a fresh new take on vintage. 

Last but not least, a tired old desk.  We've had lots of requests for desks and this weekend this one is making it's debut. 

Great for a bedroom, living room or office, this desk is ready.  She's painted in Country Grey, and carries her original knobs with a light tatter to her edges.  This desk, along with all the other pieces shown here are still available. 

 I hope we have inspired you to breath new life into an old worn forgotten piece of the past.  Thanks to all our customer's today who braved our first midwest winter storm! Have a great weekend everybody!

 

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that...

Well, I thought I'd share some of what's new at the shop.  Hope you come out this week to see for yourself.  We have lots of furniture, and some great new smalls.

Another little cabinet, perfect for a bathroom.

Lots of little tables.  This one is painted in Annie Sloan's Duck Egg, which you can now buy in the shop.

We have a couple of old cow bells. 

Lots of cool architectural pieces this month.

We are crazy about old crystal door knobs, and have a couple of bowls to prove it.

One of our best sellers, are antlers, so we made sure we have a ton to choose from.  They are perfect for fall tablescape's.  If you don't believe me, check out our friend Susan's blog over at Maple and Magnolia.  She did a beautiful tablescape today using antlers as part of it.

This is painted in one of the new Annie Sloan colors, Pure White. 

Any dresser I paint in Paris Grey, turns out fab.  Add crystal knobs, and it just sets off the whole piece.  This isn't the greatest of pictures, but trust me, she is a beauty.

Burlap ribbon would look adorable on a Christmas tree, don't you think

I love this piece, but personally think it needs a light tatter for some character, and maybe a 1, 2, 3, on the drawers.  What do you think?

You better get your burlap runners while they last.  They are perfect for a Thanksgiving table.  Poor mom can barely keep up with demand.

 
Extra seating anyone?  We have a couple of cute benches.  Including a really nice black piano bench.

Aren't these great? 

Need a great and inexpensinve gift for someone? Give one of these vintage key necklaces, I think they are a steal at only $18 each.

This little house is just perfect for winter decorating, which will be here sooner that we know it.

We have tons of vintage ornaments in back.  I can't wait to bring them all out. 

Give us a visit at 22029 N. Pepper Road, Unit 2, in Lake Barrington, IL.  Thursday and Friday hours are 10-5, and Saturday 10-3.  We will be open next weekend as well, November 10th, 11th, and 12th, as well as November 17th, 18th, and 19th.  Hope to see you soon! 

A special thanks to all our repeat customers!  You guys are the greatest!! 

Chalk Paint

We are so pleased to be carrying Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!  Our good friend Michelle, over at Di Lucca Design is stocking our shelves with chalk paint.  We only have a small portion of all the colors, so please let us know if you are looking for anything specific. We have been using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint since we opened the doors back in April.  It has transformed the way we look at old furniture, and how we paint it.  Chalk paint goes right over almost anything, no priming or sanding needed! 

The other thing I love about this paint are the names.  Things like Provence, Paris Grey, French Linen, and Chateau Grey.  These names all conjur up images of France. 

Such simple little cans with so much potential!

This is Paris Grey, our favorite.  This color can make anything look grand, especially a dresser.  Here you see it up close on a lightly distressed piece.

And here it is on a heavily distressed dresser. 

We have tons of new furniture this week, and we will post more information on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint soon, but in the mean time, go here for more information on the paint. We are so excited to share this paint with you, you're going to love it!

Come see us this week, we're open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3rd, 4th, and 5th. We are at 22029 N. Pepper Road, Unit 2, Lake Barrington.