Before & After: Modern Grey Dining Set

While I may only be dabbling in my furniture painting lately, my hubby seems to have fully jumped onboard. He recently completed this gorgeous dining set, restored from a nasty garage sale find. I'm bummed I didn't take any before photos - he started the project on the sly - but rest assured they were an ugly honey wood frame with stained mustard velvet seats. Ew! 

After some elbow grease, lots of sanding, priming, painting, finishing and re-uphostering - ta da....a fresh and chic dining set that would go with many different decor schemes.

The frames are painted a soft dove grey and the seats are covered in a creamy neutral fabric with a touch of whimsy - polka dots! Here are some pics and if you live in Winnipeg and are interested in purchasing them, they're listed for sale on Kijiji here!

Hope you're all having an amazing week!

Before & After: Rustic Live Love Side Tables

Hi everyone! Long time no blog...I'm enjoying the slow start to 2013, with lots of lazy nights at home, refreshing yoga classes and cooking comfort food to fight off the frigid winter we've been having. How about you?

So I'm very exciting to share a furniture makeover with you - my first one since around wedding time over a year ago! This was a great project to dive back into because it's for someone super special. My amazing friend L is getting married and I knew I wanted to donate furniture for her wedding social. Well, tomorrow is the big day of the social and here's what I did!

I had a set of two simple side tables in storage for a very long time and they were perfect for this project. I gave them a good sanding, primed them and painted them in an allover pale white/grey. Then I trimmed off a border and added a pop of colour with a vibrant turquoise. But it need a little something extra...so I added a little messaging to really make them unique and mirror the new start with L & I's upcoming marriage. A bit of distressing for that rustic look plus a few coats of finish and...voila! I introduce to you the Rustic Live Love Side Tables. I hope they find a fabulous new home tomorrow!

 

Have a fabulous week everyone!

Before and After: Espresso with Cream Dining Chairs

Hey everyone! As promised, I have a Lather Creations furniture reveal. The twist is that I had a guest upcycler for this project....my husband Jack!

Jack has his own hardwood flooring company so he's a total wood guy - loves working with it and loves the rich visual appeal and warmth it adds to a room. He's been wanting to get involved for some time and was just waiting for the right passion project to come along.  So when our friends were getting rid of their old dining room chairs - Jack snapped them up. The chairs needed some work, so Jack ended up taking them apart and reinforcing them, sanding them down to the bare solid red oak wood.

The chairs have regal spindle sides and a classic ladderback design. Being so fond of wood, it was hard for Jack to think about losing it completely. So he came up with a unique design that blends the bright modern feel of the Crisp Linen paint with richly Espresso stained wood sections. 

His work is absolutely meticulous and I love how they turned out! They would be equally suited around a clean white table, a more elegant black table or even a classic dark wood dining table - depending on your style. A huge thanks to Jack for bringing your impeccable style to Lather Creations - we have to think about more than just a marriage partnership.... :)

Here's some shots of the individual chairs...

And the complete set...

If you live in the Winnipeg area and are smitten with the set of Espresso with Cream Solid Oak Dining Chairs then click here. Or if have an old piece of wood furniture laying around that you'd like refreshed, email me at lhume1@mts.net and we can chat!

Have a lovely day friends!

Lather in Flea Market Style Magazine

Good morning! I hope you all had a fabulous last weekend in August? For my bloggy friends on the US east coast...so glad Irene wasn't as bad as expected and sending warm and dry thoughts your way!

Wedding week just happened to start with something fantastic - I got the new issue of Flea Market Style Magazine in the mail and I couldn't be more excited about being featured as a fave vintage blogger!! Yay! I love this magazine, poring over all the cool upcycled projects and unique ways of repurposing vintage treasures. Thank you so much for sharing my blog with your readers!

 

The other cool thing is that I just sold the 'All you need is love' Blue Half-moon Table (in the pic) on the weekend and I was able to share the feature with my customer Carrie! 

If you get a chance to pick up the Fall/Winter issue of FMS, it's a great magazine full of very cool ideas!

Have an amazing start to your week friends!

Before and After: Sunday School Cream Writing Desk

Yes, I do still paint furniture! It's been eons since I've posted a Before and After for Lather Creations, but I did accept one last commission before the wedding and she is now complete. Vanessa contacted me about working on this gorgeous solid wood writing desk she had been holding on to...and wanted refreshed with a new look. How sweet are those spindle legs?

The top of the desk was pretty beat up so after some heavy duty sanding and wood filler, I primed and painted the piece in CIL's Crisp Linen - a slightly yellowish white that looks perfectly antiqued. Some distressing around the edges and few coats of water-based finish completed the process. Vanessa chose a chic antique-looking Anthropologie knob from my collection for a little pop of sophisticated colour. The desk made me think of penning hand-written letters on the weekend to loved ones...isn't she pretty?

 

Hope she enjoys her new look in Vanessa's home office - thanks for letting me work on your special piece!

If you have an old piece of vintage or antique wood furniture in need of a fresh new Lather Creations look, get in touch. I won't be taking on new projects until September but we can definitely chat...email me at lhume1@mts.net.

Have a lovely day friends!

Before and After: Milk White Weathered Farm Chair

Hey friends! Remember how excited I was about the nice weather on Saturday? Well Sunday was the complete opposite - I'm talking steady rain and plops of snowy sleet all day long. What's a girl to do? Paint furniture of course...

I have four amazing 100-year old antique pressed back chairs that I've been waiting for inspiration on. So I decided to tackle on on Sunday. Of course, in my haste I forgot to take my before pic AGAIN! I know, this is turning into a bad habit with me. Hopefully the 'after' shot makes up for it!

Isn't she lovely? I'm so happy with how she turned out, all creamy and chippy and weathered and fantastic! I used the most gorgeous vintage-y white colour called 'Crisp Linen' by CIL and I think it's going to be my go-to white from now on. I love the touch of yellow undertone that gives it such a rich depth. I heavily sanded the chair after painting, to make it look aged and well-loved, then sealed it with two coats of water-based polyurethane for durability and a nice sheen.

I think it would be just fabulous as a bedside table in a romantic bedroom...where would you put it?

If you live in the Winnipeg area and would love to take the Milk White Weathered Farm Chair home, you can purchase it here. If have an old piece of wood furniture laying around that you'd like refreshed, email me at lhume1@mts.net and we can chat!

Have a great evening friends!

A little birdie...

How are you doing today friends? I must admit, I'm feeling a bit of burnout - between preparing for my workshops, getting my business taxes in order, wedding planning and regular old life - my mind is racing 24/7. Most of the wedding stuff is booked, but my desire to craft details and be creative is so overwhelming that I'm going to have to put the brakes on at some point...it's just so fun you know? But as always, something has to give.  I think I just need to buckle down and get to some tasks I've been avoiding....do you ever feel that way?

I did have a little thrill when my new order of drawer pulls arrived! Aren't they just gorgeous? Such a dainty, rustic, feminine vibe. I absolutely can't wait to use them on an upcoming Lather Creation! I'm also thinking I could paint them if needed, depending on the piece. Oh so many options...you know I'll be up in the middle of the night pondering it all....

The weekend will be good, I promise to slow it down a little bit and enjoy the warming weather with more walks outside with Gus. There, now that I promised it to you all, I must I must!

How are you doing these days friends? Does spring have you feeling refreshed or are you feeling like me?

Regardless, I hope your day is wonderful!

Before and After: Gentle Grey Owl Wooden Bench

Hi everyone, I hope you're having a good day. Thanks for all your kind words yesterday about Terry, it felt good to know you care. I've been working on this little wooden bench for the last two weekends and I'm pretty excited to finally show you. In my haste, I forgot to take my before shot but picture a small solid wood bench - plain and waiting for some Lather love!

Okay, here she is after...

I painted the base a soft lavender grey colour, then added hand painted details of an owl on a branch in navy and pale taupe. I'd been wanting to do something whimsical and fun and this was just the ticket! I picture this bench in a little one's bedroom, it's small scale allows for lacing up sneakers with ease. It would also be really nice in a soft baby's bedroom, with the gentle grey owl watching over a good night's sleep.

If you live in the Winnipeg area and have the perfect place for the Gentle Grey Owl Wooden Bench, you can buy it here. If have your own piece of wood furniture you'd like painted, drop me a line at lhume1@mts.net and let's talk! *update - this piece has been sold!

Have a great day friends!