Merry Christmas!

With less than a week until Christmas, I'd like to wish you all a very happy holiday season! 

 

I'll be back in the New Year!

 

Michelle

Restocking

It's been a busy shopping week around here!  I've been restocking my spaces at From Out of the Woods and Mill City and have lots of new items to share.  Take a look...

Now at From Out of the Woods Antiques in Goffstown...

 I assembled this little table from a wooden ironing board base and a large galvanized tray.  I love the simple, industrial look and the flexibility to adjust it's height to any use!

I love apothecary jars!  I filled this one with a collection of nautical pulleys.

 

I also love old shoe factory racks...just take a look in my studio sometime!  This one required a good cleaning job, a complete sanding and a new stain/wax.  It is gorgeous!

 

Wreath I made from antique French dictionary pages. 

 

A couple of vintage photo albums.  Both are large and in never-used condition!

 

Chalkboards I made from old cupboard doors and metal bin pulls. 

 

 

And now for Mill City...

 

 

I restocked at this location twice last week! I actually pulled a few items from my own house to fill the space!

These two little tables were in my last blog post.  Both have metal bases and antique bread board tops.

 

This old catnip crate is huge!  It would look great with casters and a glass top as a coffee table.  And don't you just love the graphics?!

I've used this old wooden tool box to hold mail in my kitchen for several years.  Now it is ready to find a new use in another home.

 

I love this old chippy bird cage.  The bottom is missing, making it great to use as a cloche (or a light fixture?).

 

 

This old shoe rack is a great size.  The height is perfect for use in entertaining.  The wheels turn smoothly.  The bottom shelf is extra deep to hold dishes, wine bottles, etc...  I used a dark stain on this piece to give it character and presence.  Love it!

 

Stop on by!  Both Mill City and From Out of the Woods are open daily.  Hours are posted in the top right column of my blog.

 

 

Have a great week and keep safe in the coming storm!

 

Michelle

 

 

 

Transformations

I had a busy week transforming old treasures.  Some pieces needed a little paint, others a new purpose, and some, well, a complete transformation. 

First, this mahogany bookcase.  A great piece in terms of size and shape, but dark and dull.  A couple coats of "cream" milk paint and, voila!  What a difference!

Before:

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 This stool got repurposed as a side table.  I removed the round seat and attached an old bread board as a table top.  A little white paint lightened up the base.  Now it's a great industrial piece you could use in any room!

Before:

 

After:

 

 

This large trunk is the perfect table height.  It's on casters and has lots of storage space, making it a great piece for any room.  It was originally dark green, so my first step was to paint it "stone gray."  Next to figure out how to make it work as a table.  I thought about having a piece of glass cut to fit the top, but you'd have to remove the glass every time you wanted to open the box.  Not convenient.  Then it hit me, why not remove the hinges and flip the top over?  A little sanding and staining, plus some great old hardware, and it's now a removeable tray!

 



This week I'll be working on repurposing some great barn sale finds.  Stay tuned!

Michelle

Recent Finds

I haven't posted any flea market photos in a while because, well, I haven't had a really good haul.  Been getting there too late.  But it's sooooo nice to sleep in on Sunday mornings!  I have, however,  managed to amass a few fun items over the past weeks, so I thought I'd give you a little update.

Metal drawers...I can never pass them by.  Can you see these all cleaned up, rust scrubbed off, painted white?  The drawers all have adjustable compartments.  Great for a craft or sewing room!

I picked up this door a few weeks ago and just recently scrubbed off the dirt to reveal it's beautiful cream color.  I was shocked to find it in such good shape, actually, under all that muck.  My plan is to turn it into an entryway piece...a mirror...some hooks...a small shelf...maybe hung by barn door rollers?

 

 

This little cabinet is a great piece, as it is shallow and could fit pretty much anywhere you need extra storage.  I just finished priming it and will have it all painted up for the Townsend Harbor Market next week.  Grey?  White?  Black?  Hmmm...

Love this string holder!!!! 

Last, but not least, here are a couple of items that never quite made it to my studio:-)  I picked up both during the last 5 minutes of the Todd Farm flea market last weekend.  I'm loving this little typewriter.  I'll sell it eventually, but for now it's happy in my living room...

...along with this little adjustable table.  Looks like it was in a medical office.  The base is cast iron, nice details and low profile.  The top adjusts up and down and tilts, as well.  It's just perfect for the little corner next to my sofa!

Happy hunting!

Michelle

Favorite Projects

Well, it's been a crazy few weeks.  The Barn Loft Grand Opening and Nashua Art Walk were this past weekend, so I've been burning the candle at both ends trying to get ready!  In the end, the last three pages of my to do list went out the window (yes, I may be a bit of an over-achiever), but the sale and open studio were successes, and I am thankful.

I have to admit I spent most of my time these past few weeks on Barn Loft projects, despite an injured hand (closed it...completely...in a car door...ouch).  I did, however, finally get the chaos organized in my studio after emptying out two large storage units in to it early in the summer and then, well, trying to ignore the mess until now. 

Anyway, here are some pics of my favorite projects from the past few weeks...

1.  Bench/hall tree made from old door and spare parts...

...the shelf is made from old floor boards and some reproduction iron brackets...the mirror is one-third of an old, folding, mercury glass mirror...

 

...these supports came from a two-piece hutch that was disassembled.  The seat is a salvaged oak table-top from a previous project gone awry...

2. Chalkboards, made from the old cabinet doors from my kitchen remodel and some antique bin pulls...

 

 

...what you see is the inside of the doors.  Sanded, painted with charcoal grey chalkboard paint, and adorned with an old iron bin pull used as a chalk holder...

 



 3.  Coat/towel rack made from old corbels and spare wood...

...I found a box of these "corbels" at Mill City Antiques.  I used scrap lumber to create a back and small shelf to work with the slanted tops of these pieces.  Love the look...think I'll have to make a few more...

I'll be back in the studio tomorrow, preparing for another show in a couple of weeks and exploring a few creative ideas...  Stay tuned!

Thanks for following!

Michelle

Making Pallets Look like Barn Wood

 

I just posted about this repurposed industrial cart on Barn Loft.  It's a great piece, but the best part of this project was figuring out how to make pallet wood look like barn board.  Well, I think I came up with a process that works.  Take a look below:

 

 

The piece of wood on top is barn board.  The two pieces on bottom are pallet wood.  What do you think?  Pretty close, huh?!

 

How did I do it, you ask?  It was simple, actually. 

 

1.  I ran the boards through the planer to take just the tiniest bit of wood off the top.  You can use an orbital sander to get the same effect.  Just be sure to remove any splintery pieces.

 

2.  I used a whitewash "stain" I picked up at the Depot.  The trick here was to dip my brush (just a cheap chipbrush) into a glass of water then into the witewash.  It dilluted the wash just enough to get the desired look.  I removed any excess with a damp cloth.

 

3.  Last, I went over the whole piece with a combination of clear and dark wax.  I used Annie Sloan, but any tinted wax will do.  As with the whitewash, I dipped my brush (another chipbrush) into the clear wax then into the dark wax.  I mixed the two up a bit on a paper plate, then brushed onto the wood, being sure to work the wax into all the nooks and crannies.  I buffed it up with a clean rag and this is the result.

 

Not bad, if I do say so myself!  I plan to take lots of photos next time I use this process so I can provide a more detailed tutorial.  In the meantime, please stop by my studio during the Nashua Artwalk, September 29 and 30!

 

See you soon!

 

Michelle

Autumn is in the Air

 

Have you felt it?  That crispness at dawn?  The urge to throw all the windows open at night and sleep in the cool air?  Autumn is finally upon us and I couldn't be more thrilled!  Autumn is my favorite time of year in New England.  The weather, the changing leaves, the tast of fresh picked apples, the sense that everything in nature is slowing down, stocking up, tucking in, and preparing for a long, cozy winter.  I love it!

 

 

 

And in the spirit of change, I moved my booth at Mill City yesterday to a larger space at the front of the store!  I'm thrilled to be in this new space and honored that the owners have moved me to a more prominent position in the shop so quickly.  If you haven't been to Mill City yet, you have to go!  You're sure to find that perfect piece for your home and a lot of inspiration!

 

Here's a quick peak at the space.  I brought in a few new pieces and just a bit of Autumn decor:

I made this table from a huge piece of barn board and steel plumbing pipes for the base.  Couldn't quite fit the top through the planer (sad)  but did manage to give my new belt sander a work-out!  It cleaned up beautifully and is finished with a couple coats of Vans wax.  The table measures around 6 feet long by 2.5 feet wide and is standard table height. 

A bowl of gourds and paper-embellished candles on an old scale make a great Autumn centerpiece.

Fill jars with acorns and pine cones.  I used wood acorns as they can be reused year after year.

 

 

Every space needs a little bling!  I created this candelier from an old yoke and three hanging candle holders.  I love the juxtaposition of rustic and glam!

 

Great old pine desk I mounted on an iron sewing table base.  It's a perfect height for your kitchen or any place you could use an extra desk.  Lots of storage inside...plenty of room for a laptop and charging station.

 

A few vintage desk accessories to top it off...paper cutter, dip pens and a security box.

 

Get on over to Mill City to see more!  They are having an indoor flea market this weekend!  You won't want to miss it!

 

Happy hunting,

 

Michelle