River Bank{er} Barrister Bookcase

This post could easily be titled . . . I'll get by ♫ "With a Little Help from My Friends" ♪ . . . 

Our story begins when my friend Monica snags a well-worn Barrister Bookcase at a garage sale and 

brings it by my Humblenest, sharing the love and asking me if I could do anything with it.  

'Heck Yeah!'

He (I tend to refer to my projects in either the masculine or feminine sense -- not sure why :-) . . . 

needed a base to bring him up to standard console / sofa table height . . .

 plus, I thought he needed a little more weight on the bottom.

At first I wasn't sure how to approach this task . . . 

My bookcase wasn't a standard size to simply use a ready-made base,
and to be honest I wasn't too keen on the style.

So . . . I used 4 solid wood, corner feet and added a bit of rope molding to increase the 'curve' appeal.

My brother in law (friend 2) and his handy nail-gun and miter saw helped to 

make his new parts and original parts all come together nicely.

I knew I was going to paint and distress this piece -- allowing a bit of the stained wood to show through.

Since the new molding and corner feet were not stained I painted them first with a dark brown . . . 

I didn't have any dark brown chalk paint, but a friend did :)
So a quick call and short road trip and I had a sample of Virginia Chestnut (CeCe Caldwell's)
from my friend Allison . . . (friend #3 if you are keeping tabs).

My color inspiration came from an unlikely source . . . a salad plate:

from my 8 Great Ways to Set a Place for Dad blog-post

The plate is called Riverstone and the color is a warm grayish-blue with a medallion in taupe.

I painted the interior (and I apologize that I didn't open the glass doors!) in Annie Sloan's Country Grey
topped with clear wax and lots of dark wax to really bring warmth and depth to the piece.

The interior really turned out nice  . . . though it was a real workout on my arms to achieve!

For the exterior I created a custom color mixing :::
3/4 Annie Sloan's Graphite and 1/4 Annie Sloan's French Linen  {a YuMMy Color I will use Again!}.

He received a few sweet coats of my custom color and a bit of distressing.  

Lots of clear wax, with a bit of dark wax on his curves.

I also changed out his original hardware -- going with a wider knob, 

that was also a bit more masculine, in a oil-rubbed bronze.

Here is a great tip I picked up from This Old House for painting the wood around windows 

that worked perfectly for painting the glass doors.

Use Pages from an old magazines to keep glass paint-free (Frontgate's catalog was 

the perfect size for this project).  Simply wet the edges of magazine pages and press them 

onto the panes. After painting, the magazine paper peels off easily.

He was distressed in all the right places (kind of like Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. -- am I dating myself?).

Here he seemed to enjoy strutting his custom color in the sunshine.

He left my life too soon . . . he was sold at 'my shop' almost as soon as he came in.

He brought friends into my life and I made a new designer friend, Deborah, in the process.

Deborah proudly owns River and we both couldn't be more pleased.

Thank you for stopping in!  I always love to see a friendly face :)

Here is where me and River are linking up this week:

Miss Mustard Seed                                              Funky Junk Interior's Saturday Night Special

Elizabeth & Co.                                                    Savvy Southern Style
Under the Table & Dreaming                               I Heart Naptime
Nifty Thrifty Sunday                                              Coastal Charm
French Country Cottage                                      The Shabby Nest
My Romantic Home                                             Mod Vintage Life
Between Naps on the Porch                                Homemaker on a Dime
Not Just a Housewife                                           The DIY Dreamer
Southern Lovely                                                   Fine Craft Guild
Uncommon Slice of Suburia                                Home Stories from AtoZ
From My Front Porch to Yours                            Stone Gable
Jennifer Rizzo                                                      Common Ground
Redoux Interiors                                                   The Charm of Home                                              
Say Not Sweet Anne                                            Fox Hollow Cottage
Too Much Time on My Hands                              Tater Tots & Jello   
Pieced Pastimes                                                 Finding Silver Pennies
Three Mango Seeds                                            The Tablescaper
The Rustic Pig                                                     Alderberry Hill
Uncommon Designs                                            Shades of Amber
Married Filing Jointly                                             Salt Tree Social
If it ain't Baroque                                                  Homemaker on a Dime
A Stroll through Life                                              Lil' Luna
Blue Egg Brown Nest                                            House of Hepworths
Life We Live 4                                                       A Bowl Full of Lemons
Practically Functional                                             Wait Til You Father Gets Home
Six Sisters Stuff                                                     Love & Laundry
Flamingo Toes                                                       DiY Showoff
PJH Designs                                                          The Dedicated House
Cozy Little House                                                  Thrifty Decor Chick

DIY Beverage Cart --- or How to invite a Changing Table to a Party.

Forecast calls for Cool Breezes with a Good Chance for Cocktails by the Fire!

With a beverage cart your 'party' can go anywhere! 

If you want your guest to congregate on the patio, or perhaps by the fire . . . 

just roll your beverage cart out and fill it up with every thing a well-stocked party needs!

Our beverage cart wasn't always such a party girl.   I found my stable, reliable friend in a garage sale. 

She was once a hard-working Jenny Lind changing table; 

that is until she got her invitation to PARTY!

I gave her a pair of party shoes {a.k.a. casters} and

dressed her from head to toe in Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue. 

Accented her with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Versailles 

. . . simply by dry brushing and adding a swirly graphic on her top.  

Gave her a wax and a buff (kind of like a trip to the spa ;)

Now, she was feeling pretty, but also needed a little BLiNG . . . it IS a Party after all!

A little touch of Gilding Wax in King . . . 

. . . was all she needed to feel like a QUEEN!

I applied the gilding wax using a tiny paint brush, and boy does that stuff shine!  

Gorgeous!

Now she was dressed for the Party . . .

. . . so it was time to Accessorize with all our Cocktail Party Essentials.

I love how our martini glasses mimic her spindles. 

She was once sequestered to the nursery . . . now she is dressed and ready to join the party!

Thank you for joining me for her debutante party!  

This beauty is available at my 'shop' in the Vineyards Antique Mall and is ready to Party with You!

What's that?  Okay . . . one last curtain call ;)

Here is where Me and my Party Cart are Partying this week! :::

Miss Mustard Seed                                               Funky Junk Interior's Saturday Night Special

Elizabeth & Co.                                                    Savvy Southern Style
Under the Table & Dreaming                                 I Heart Naptime
Nifty Thrifty Sunday                                              Cowgirl Up
French Country Cottage                                        The Shabby Nest
My Romantic Home                                              Mod Vintage Life
Between Naps on the Porch                                  Homemaker on a Dime
Not Just a Housewife                                            The DIY Dreamer
Southern Lovely                                                    Fine Craft Guild
Uncommon Slice of Suburia                                   Home Stories from AtoZ
From My Front Porch to Yours                             Stone Gable
Jennifer Rizzo                                                        Common Ground
Redoux Interiors                                                    The Charm of Home                                             
Say Not Sweet Anne                                             Fox Hollow Cottage
Too Much Time on My Hands                               Tater Tots & Jello  
Pieced Pastimes                                                     Finding Silver Pennies
Three Mango Seeds                                              The Tablescaper
The Rustic Pig                                                        Alderberry Hill
Uncommon Designs                                               Shades of Amber
Married Filing Jointly                                              Salt Tree Social
If it ain't Baroque                                                    Homemaker on a Dime
A Stroll through Life                                               Lil' Luna
X0X0Rebecca                                                       Blue Egg Brown Nest
House of Hepworths

DIY Faux Fireplace

One of my favorite projects we completed recently is the faux fireplace I added to my shop (booth space).  

After years of helping homeowners decorate their mantels for every holiday and season -- I knew that I not only had car-loads of mantel decor, but I also might be able to share some decorating tips through my displays.  Plus I thought it would add a cozy touch to my space :)

I was struck with the idea after I saw Sophia's shared on Apartment Therapy . . .

Source:  Apartment Therapy

Sophia was fortunate enough to have a really nice, oversized mantel available to use -- SWOON!  All the flea-market mantels I came across were WAY out of my price range -- so I decided to enlist the help of my hubby and bro-in-law to help me make one.

Here is what I used, in all the cost was less than $50 :::

• wall mount floating shelf 48" wide (similar to this); our shelf was 10" deep that we had on display at our old house and never found a good spot for it in our new one.  I honestly do not remember where we bought it.
• 48x48" plywood, we used 1/4" sheet as a base for the firebox surround, the shelf was mounted on top of the 48" sheet.
• 1/8" plywood cut for firebox surround (fastened to the top of the 48" sheet)
• Classic Pilasters from Lowe's
• Set of 2 Corbels also from Lowe's (just used the ones I liked best with the Pilasters)
• Nail Gun, Wood Glue, Caulk, Paint, chalk-marker and chalk.  Roller, brush etc.

I also used 2 sets of Damask Wall Accents from Southern Living at Home, that I had on hand.  This added a bit of fanciness to the fireplace surround.

Here is where you are going to have to use a bit of your imagination.  I asked my son to remove a game he installed on my phone . . . he wiped my phone, clearing my camera roll.  SO . . . I don't have all the pictures of the firebox surround coming together taken on my phone (Sorry about that).

After all the elements were attached and the mantel & firebox surround were one solid piece, 

I caulked around many of the seams.  

I also played around with the Damask Wall Accents to determine if their placement . . . 

and then I painted . . . 

. . .  and painted away.

I used Old White & Graphite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint because it was what I had on hand -- 

and it covers SO VERY WELL!

I used a piece of white kraft paper and added the measurements of my firebox, to give me an idea of how big to draw my roaring fire.  I then referred back to Sophia's fireplace and used a ruler and a sharpie to sketch out the firebox -- 

the ruler helped with the angles and bricks.

Once I was happy with how it looked I covered the back of the sketch paper with chalk 

and tapped it to my dark painted firebox. 

Using a colored pencil I traced over my sketch to transfer the image to my firebox.

I followed that up by drawing the roaring fire with a white chalk pen, 

and white chalk for shading and highlights.

I was pretty tickled with the results!

I distressed the painted damask accents a bit for character and glued them down with industrial glue.

After they were stuck in place, the fireplace was ready to install. 

We anchored it to the wall and I touched up the paint a bit -- and vacuumed the floor of course. :)

I lost of lot of the pictures I took of the fireplace all decorated in my shop when my camera phone 

was wiped clean . . . but this may give you a little idea . . . 

. . . and another.

Many other projects to share . . . so I hope you come back soon!

Thank you so much!

I am linking up with these fabulous blogs :::                                  •  Miss Mustard Seed

•  Practically Functional                                                              •  Coastal Charm

•  Savvy Southern Style                                                              •  Home Stories from AtoZ

•  It's Overflowing                                                                      •  Sumo's Sweet Stuff    

•  Nifty Thrifty Things                                                                 •  The DIY Dreamer

•  Not Just a Housewife                                                             •  Ivy & Elephants

•  DIY by Design                                                                       •  Southern Lovely

•  Fine Craft Guild                                                                     •  Cedar Hill Ranch

•  Uncommon Slice of Suburia                                                   •  From My Front Porch to Yours  

•  Stone Gable                                                                           •  Fox Hollow Cottage - Power of Pins 

•  Imparting Grace                                                                     •  Feathered Nest Friday

•  The Thrifty Groove                                                                 •  Common Ground

•  Redoux Interiors                                                                     • The Charm of Home

•  Jennifer Rizzo                                                                         • Chic on a Shoestring

•  The Shabby Nest                                                                   • Fox Hollow Cottage

•  Too Much Time on My Hands                                               • Tater Tots & Jello    

•  Pieced Pastimes                                                                     • Finding Silver Pennies  

•  Three Mango Seeds                                                               • Between Naps on the Porch

•  If it's not Baroque Design                                                        • Shades of Amber