Surf's Up!

problem: asher needed a little surfer vibe in his new room

solution: hand painted name detail on a surf board

this project created a personal touch that will mature with asher as he grows, and will also serve as great art for the wall.

happy monday!

Jamie Lee

my cousin jamie lee came in for the weekend and we had fun making some goodies for her first dorm at ACU! we are so proud of jamie!

we took this ikea frame

and turned it into this

then we took some plain pillows and painted in her monogram and name

we love you, jamie lee! we know that you will flourish at ACU. hang in there through the transition...it is so worth it!

Riley's Name

problem: riley's room needs a little something special

solution: custom name painting

we wanted a shape that was simple, but girly. we also wanted to tie in the colors pink, gray and cream. here ya go:

after

and some detail shots

hope your week is treating you well!

Glaze

i love working with glazes! they instantly add sophistication and history to a piece.

for example, the glaze takes something plain, like this:

and makes it look sophisticated, like this:

big difference, huh? the glaze made this accent piece look like it has a story. here they are side by side:

want to see the rest of this furniture piece?

before

now this isn't a jaw dropping, holy cow she bleaches her hair-so obvious, after. it is a subtle, does she color her hair,or is she a stunning perfect shade of auburn naturally, after...

after

what do you think? are you in to the subtle sophistication?

Tea Anyone?

problem:little girl needs a spot to have tea with her friends

solution: hand painted tea table and chairs

apparently, as a little girl, i had many a tea party. my mom even let me use real water in my tea set...she was SO cool. don't underestimate the power of a tea party. you learn how to talk with your friends at the table...even if your friends are stuffed bears. you learn how to serve others...tea and cookies of course. and, you learn how to sit like a lady...in your chair with your legs under the table.

here is ainsley's tea table, minus one chair and the porcelain tea set with her name on it, that now sits on the table.

see that little swatch of fabric in the background of the picture below? that is her drapery fabric, and was the jumping off point for the hand painting on her tea table.

 we went for a painterly, watercolor look as opposed to a modern, clean line look...

 for me, the glaze makes this table. it adds sophistication and softens all of the colors. more on that in friday's post...

hope you have tea with someone special this week! i bet ainsley will.

Lindsey's Secretary Desk

i think this week will be a week of furniture pictures. this is a secretary desk that lindsey has had in her family for a while. her parents were actually going to toss it, but lindsey saved it and had me hand paint it. 

before

after

i am so in love with this color

 i silver leafed and some of the original hardware to give it an updated look, while maintaining the original style of the piece. the new treatment on the old hardware allowed it to coordinate with the new mercury glass knobs we put on the bottom portion of the desk.

more furniture to come...