Okay ...so I haven't even got this in my hands yet, I just bought it off ebay last night. I LOVE old furniture, the craftsmanship that went into making those pieces was remarkable. They certainly built things to last longer back then and had pride in their craft. We live in such a wasteful unprofessional era right now.
So the project... I'm going to sand this down and give it a new coat of paint, and add a slight distressed look (shabby chic). THANKFULLY that style not only pleases me, it suit my purse strings too, whoop.`' ... My favourite colour is pale blue and I am just a fool for Duck-egg blue especially, with its hint of green... (Not that you can actually find a good representative of Duck-egg blue, well not by that title on the paint tin anyway). Something about that colour really attracts my eye and pleases me.
I came across the most beautiful handles last year in a shop that I can't remember the name of right now, (but I remember where it is) and I'll be adding those. They're glass with decoupage pictures inside of flowers, butterflies, dragonflies etc.. Simply Gorgeous!
I refuse to think about anything else other than making this cupboard all my own.... I don't care if when it's done it sticks out like a sore thumb with the rest of my house. This is to be my very own craft cupboard to store all my lovely crafty bits n bobs...
The seller had this listed as a Tallboy, (oops backtracks, deletes and corrects. I keep calling it a `toyboy') but I'm inclined to think that it would have originally been known as a `linen press.' As there is no rail in the top cupboard for hanging clothes and it is shorter at the cupboard area than I understand Tallboys to be. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I'll post updated photos once it's done.
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.. ET VIOLA ... `'
I actually finished this the weekend after I got it. But this is the only time I've managed to find to come and post the photos.
Though my intention was to buy and use a few glass decoupage handles and some wooden ones. When it came to it, the shop only had 3 glass decoupage ones in stock. My daughter was with me and said `why not buy one of each of the other handles', so I did..! I think they look really effective. They ended up costing me quite a bit, in-fact as much if not more than the cupboard cost me! They're from: The Tokenhouse
I lined the draws with some old/odd wallpapers samples I had laying around. (knew they'd come in handy for something)
KNITTING/CROCHET (tools: needles/hooks) DRAW
FABRIC (sewing) DRAW
ART/PAINTING DRAW
Top cupboard, buttons, ribbons, string, needles, cotton, scissors + paper craft items etc..
The draws and cupboard are fuller since taking these photos! I've tried to take a close up of the glass decoupage handles, but they still aren't very clear.
I had the intention of investing in some paint from Farrow & Ball. But I came across some paint in the Wilkinson store that's done the trick just as well for me. It's turned out to be a great little paint, which went on lovely and is very durable. Hence I haven't distressed the cupboard as was my original thought to do. I may at some point, but I'm still undecided at the moment.
The paint is: Wilko; Quick Dry, Satin Wood - Cloudless (colour).
I sanded the gloss off the old (dark blue) paint. Gave it two coats of Magnolia Gloss (as that's what I had in the house at the time). Lightly sanding back between coats. Then gave it two light coats of the Pale Blue (cloudless) Paint. Oh, and one light coat of white gloss inside the cupboard, as it was so dark in there.
So, what do you think? ... To distress or not to distress? That is the question...
