Black and White With a Little Bling!

Here in Southern California, people line up for estate sales in the middle of the night. Seriously.

I've been missing out on some great furniture because I was too late. So when I saw a preview picture of a French Provincial set, I knew immediately it was Drexel, and it needed to come home with me. Even if I needed to camp out to get a good spot in line.

So yes, I was in line at 5:00 am for an 8:00 am opening. And incredulously, I was number 24!
See what I mean about the competition? This particular estate sale had a ton of vintage jewelry and I believe that was the main draw.

Fortunately, I was able to get this highboy and two matching nightstands. It had a matching long dresser, but a lady right in front of me paid $350 for it. I thought that was a ridiculous price, so I let her have it.

These pieces sat in my shop for months before I got a chance to work on them. A long summer of custom orders, trips, hot flashes, being too hot in the garage to work, hurting my hip from moving furniture around by myself, and a week laid up with the flu.

So when it finally cooled down enough to work, I knew I wanted to do something special and creative.

All three pieces were thoroughly sanded, cleaned and primed.

I used General Finishes Lamp Black on the body and outer edges of the drawers. The inset portion of the drawers and sides were painted with General Finishes Snow White.

I loved the original gold finish on the hardware, so I decided to add a little "bling" by using Modern Masters Metallic Paint in Rich Gold. I used a tiny artist brush and painstakingly handpainted the details. This process took forever - with a million touch-ups to all three colors.

When I finished, I then sealed everything with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Satin.

Didn't they turn out beautiful? Can't you just see these pieces in a glamorous bedroom? They're for sale in my Etsy shop. Let's hope they go to a great new home soon!

If you like this look, feel free to pin away! I've been "losing" myself in the Pinterest world lately; stop on by at Mary Beth's Place and have a look at all of the great inspiration I've been finding lately!

I'm Sharing At:

Inspiration Monday, Metamorphosis Monday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop,
The Scoop, Wow Us Wednesdays, Share Your Style, Creative Inspirations,
Your Turn to Shine, Painted Drawer, Feathered Nest Friday,
Silver Pennies Sundays, Be Inspired

When It's Too Hot to Paint

Happy Fall!? It doesn't feel like fall weather here in So Cal. Last week it was too hot to work in the shop so I took advantage of some great estate sales and brought home a treasure trove of furniture!

Hopefully, they'll turn out beautiful when I'm done with them and go to good homes. They better - because I had to face two of my phobias - a bridge and a high, windy road to get to this sale! Aah, the things we do to get great furniture!

Here's just a few of the pieces I found.

Like this gorgeous French Provincial dresser. I've had a hard time finding one like this with the center feet - so tickled I finally found one!

A Bassett buffet:

You may know that I have a "thing" for secretary desks. Can't wait to get started on this one!

All I had to do is drive around the corner to get this one - no bridges or heights! A lovely French dresser - check out those serpentine drawers!

I've updated my "Unfinished Furniture" page with these items and (others!) with their dimensions. If you're interested, please let me know. I'm sorry, but I don't ship and these items are not available "as is". I'd love to refinish one of these pieces just for you!

Here's to cooler temperatures and a great week!