pretty unique furniture

Crafty Day @ 'GoshDarnIt!'

2011-11-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

Well, just a quick update for you all! I have a few pieces of furniture to be working on but I just can't seem to find time at the minute! I work in a toy shop and this time of year is always a little hectic for us :)

Last week, I spent the day with my mum and sister at a 'craft workshop' in our very own kitchen. My sister Grace is fantastic at sewing, and makes BugBears, Badges, Bunting and other beautiful things to sell at craft fairs. She goes by the name of 'GoshDarnIt!' and you can see all her stuff here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gosh-Darn-It/165624210173919

So we worked hard all day to replenish stock for her stall and came up with a few things...
Robin Tree Decorations

Festive Bugbears; Hollie, Donner and Blitzen!

Just LOOK at the handstitched yumminess in these Christmas Pud's!

And here is her stall all jazzed up for Christmas :) I LOVE the Christmas bunting and vintage material gift bags!

Well, I discovered during the day that all this is very fine, detailed work and I think that I will stick to the paintbrush :)

Monroe Madness or Masterpiece..

2011-10-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

This one is for Sandy.

In the words of Marilyn Monroe;

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

I feel like this quote was written for this piece of furniture!! It's been a case of one step forward to take two steps back, but let me begin...

FIRST ATTEMPT

My friend Sandy brought me this little coffee table complete with glass top, and asked me could I paint it in cream and gold for her shop 'Revival'

The top was an old chippy veneer which I tried to take off by sanding, by scraping, and then with white spirits but it hardly seemed to make a dent. Against my better judgement I then whipped out my gold spray paint and began.

After this, I painted the entire table with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 'Old White' but it was no good as the top surface was uneven and just looked rubbish. I then tried to rub it down with a sponge to bring out the gold...but nah it just wasn't happening! Sorry I didn't have the heart to take a photo of this stage.

ATTEMPT TWO

This time I rubbed all the white off and was left with a thin coat of gold which I left on. Then I painted the legs in a deep glossy black, waxed them and ordered a Marilyn Monroe poster to attach to the top - perfect what with this table having a glass top. I used PVC glue and got to work

EEEEEeeeek. Yikes. Etc.

I have tried this method before and failed, and I thought there may be the possibility of bubbles BUT LOOK at the lines and wrinkles!! Any tips on this method from my fellow bloggers would be very much appreciated, especially as we don't have 'mod podge' in Ireland.

THIRD ATTEMPT

If this piece was for me then I may have given up at this point, but as it was for Sandy I kept relatively calm and carried on by peeling all the top off;

Then I went to a local shop and bought the only Marilyn poster that they had, even though I had concerns that the face was too big.. but BOY am I glad I did!

My dad helped me at this stage (thank goodness). We simply cut the picture to size, set it on top, and used his electric screwdriver on four corners to attach the picture and the little black plastic screw caps. No glue in sight!

What do you think?

I just love the pop of pink and ruby red lips!

For Sale

2011-10-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

This cute little dressing table is up for sale at £150, just follow the link.

Painted in 'Henrietta' Chalk paint and hints of gold - gorgeous and girly!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260866338400

Worth the Wait

2011-10-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

This little gem has been a long time coming, but as the title suggests, was worth the wait! My dad found this one for me in a skip of all places so it was absolutely free. It was going to be thrown out because the top left hand corner had broken off, and to be honest if I had of been the one to see it I don't think that I would have taken it home because of the state of it - I mean how do you add a corner onto furniture? Beats me.

Here she is;

I would love to tell you all how to fix this up, I even have step by step photographs for you all but the honest answer to 'How did ya do it?' is... 'my daddy!' - he did it for me when I was out one day. Lets see what he did

Drilled holes and glued in wooden dowels

Sanded..

Got a good samaritan 'Tommy Mooney' to do the edging, and what a fantastically smooth job he did;

Then primed and lightly sanded

Now it was over to me. I really liked the table being white but I wanted a challenge so couldn't make up my mind when I had a visit from a friend who wanted it painted in black with lots of lovely gold on the details. Not a bad idea! So I got to work and here she is

I sprayed it with gold craft paint first including the inside and outside of drawers, then gave it two coats of black water-based eggshell paint which I love because it is environmentally friendly, washes out of the brush in water, and has a lovely sheen which I found very similar to the quality of oil-based paint. Last of all I waxed it a couple of times et voila!

Thank you very, very much to Tommy Mooney and my dad for helping me on this one.

"who is the fairest of them all?"

2011-09-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

That's right, this is my second mirror redo of the week and I think that it is my favourite of the two although my photos don't show this in all it's glory.. Like the last mirror, this one is also for my client Sandy's new shop 'Revival'.

This is basically how it arrived, except by this time I my dad had taken the mirror out

It is made from plastic and had various cracks which we tried to glue up. Also, we put a very high grab adhesive bonding along the top back to try and give the mirror more strength.

Next I took out a brush and lightly dabbed on some paint which I had used on another piece called 'French Grey' by Farrow & Ball. I love the tones of this shade, they are nice and dusky and earthy.

Here she is;

'Mirror, mirror on the wall'...

2011-09-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

A client, Sandy, brought me this mirror to be re-vamped for her new shop. I think she bought it locally, and it looked a little...~~dingy boring~~ sad?

But we could see that she has pretty curves in all the right places, and was in good condition. Sandy made the call for her to be finished in cream and gold, and I'm glad that she did. I set to work with masking tape and newspaper (I find that the easiest and quickest way to do this is to first tape all around the outside with masking tape and then stick the newspaper ontop of the tape that is already down).

I quickly sprayed it completely with some gold paint that I purchased in local craft shop... (you can sneak a look at another table that I am working on but that's a longgger story for another day)

Once this was dry, I brushed on some Annie Sloan Chalk paint in 'Old White'. This paint was ideal for a number of reasons; I knew it would adhese to the spray paint no problem, it dries within an hour or two, it would only need one coat, and it distresses beautifully. I allowed it to settle for a few days and then set to work distressing it with a wet sponge all along the edges and ornate settings. Finally, I waxed on one coat with my usual Colron Clear Wax to secure the chalk paint to the frame and to protect it.

Here she is!

There's A New Sheriff in Town!

2011-09-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

'REVIVAL'

This word will probably be all you will hear from me in the near future as it is...wait for it...my new stockist! Woohoo! It is all very exciting, let me explain to you a bit better..

I recieved an email from a facebook follower a few months ago saying that a friend of hers wanted to talk business with me, well one thing led to another and we met up, chatted, giggled a little and she told me her dream of opening a shop locally where people coud buy quality designer and vintage goods at affordable prices. She was ture to her word and now the shop, named 'Revival', is due to open on October the 1st! It is located on Railway Road Coleraine, and let me tell you now that it will be the place to be - Sandy has so many visions and ideas for the shop that I know it will be buzzing.

Anyway here is where I come in, there is a designer who she is working alongside to get the shop looking authentic and she wants me to paint furniture to display all her gorgeous designer garments, dresses and vintage jewellery on. All this 'display' furniture will also be available to buy, and in addition to this she wants to sell a range of my furniture in the shop!

Here is a taster of my first completed piece for the shop...

Isn't she sophisticated? I am a happy bunny today, and tomorrow I will tell you all how I gave this mirror a Pretty Unique Furniture makeover!

New LooT!

2011-09-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody, I know that I have been away for a while so here are a few tasters for y'all!

These pieces came to me at the weekend and are for a client who is opening a new vintagey/second-hand/designer shop in Coleraine and wants me to paint these for her. So, they will be available for you all to buy next month, just at her shop.

This frame is wood effect. Isn't she curvy!

Love this retro table, it will have a glass top on it when I am finished

And this frame has seen better days, it is quite light plastic with a few broken joins but hopefully it will be transformed into a beautiful mirror

Chippy Table (Finally Finished!)

2011-08-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Phew I am glad that this project is over, ever get that feeling? I wrote a previous post about this called 'paint chalk disaster' so I won't bore you with all the details but will keep it brief :)

I got her at an auction and she looked like this

I couldn't decide what to do with it so in the meantime I primed it with this
Then I bought bought some Annie Sloan 'Old White' Chalk paint and it didn't go on how I liked - it was a terrible texture.

So I waxed it with Colron Clean wax and it still didn't look better. So I got out a wire brush and scrubbed like mad - it took hours upon hours upon hours!! At least I learnt something - that my primer and wax are very good quality and almost impossible to shift! It definately would have been an easier job had I not have primed this piece.

I sanded down the top as it looked terrible done 'chippy' and then used a brush to staint the wood twice. Next I added this cute crackled knob which my sister bought for me :)

And finally, another coat of wax and it is done! I really love the texture on this piece, I don't think that the photos do it justice but there are loads of layers coming through.

Woodworm!

2011-08-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

Friday was an exciting day, I was painting a few doors in my house in the morning (as you do) and then I heard the sound of a large lorry outside and got quite excited - it was a delivery of furniture which my client had bought and wanted me to paint. I hadn't seen these babies yet so was a bit like a child on Christmas morning!

The first was this gorgeous wardrobe which she wanted done in cream and gold

It came in pieces, here is the bottom of the wardrobe - a nice deep drawer which was solid but heavy and hard to open

If you look a little closer it's left handle is missing a ring

It has a lovely vintage rail and fabric inside

Nice, yes?

Next up is the second piece,

a chunky dresser with cute, smooth running drawers and a mirror which was broken. We got quite excited at this point, my client wanted me to take the mirror off, add a cushion and make this into a seat! She wanted it painted in cow print like this

except done using gloss white and black. Our plan for the cushion was some chunky foam covered in black velvet. Can you picture it?

And then

came

the

discovery

WOODWORM!!!

In BOTH pieces!

SO, plans are now scrapped
furniture is to be picked up and returned to shop

and client is a little sad :(

Keep tuned for more cow print though - I have a feeling another piece will pop up soon!

Cow Print for Client

2011-08-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Recently a very special client of mine (who I can tell you more about at the end of this month) came to me to ask me to paint a few different pieces of furniture for her which she will deliver to me in the near future... She had a few ideas and for one particular piece (a big dresser) she has asked me to paint in cow print!

This stunned me at first as it is a little out of my comfort zone as although I can paint I cannot draw to save my life so my freehand is sketchy to say the least! And to be perfectly honest I couldn't see how I could do this without it ending up looking tacky.

SO I put my thinking-cap on and decided to give this a trial run on some spare wood so that when my client comes with the furniture then she can have a better idea of what her piece will look like. I used some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White for a quick base, and then realised that I didn't have any black paint left! So I ~~sneaked~~ ~~borrowed~~ used a little of my dad's artist paint in black and it did the job nicely!

What do you all think?

Tacky or not?

Chalk Paint Success!

2011-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yay! This is my favourite redo out of all that I have done, well it still isn't completely finished yet as I have to do something with the manky insides of the drawers but I couldn't resist posting early.

I found her at an auction in the winter and got her for next to nothing.

Don't you just love a bargain?

The top was quite heavy marked, as were the drawers so I sanded it down with the electric sander and then gave it a wipe. Because I had used chalk paint before, and had a not-so-good experience.. I had the benefit of knowing that this paint dries super quick meaning that it is hard to get an opaque and even coverage. With this in mind, I bought some gold craft paint and sprayed the piece, concentrating on the edges, legs and top with the happy knowledge that this chalk paint can go on top of any surface below.

This dried really quickly, so I was able to paint over it on the SAME DAY! Amaaazing! I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Henrietta. It is has lovely lilac tones to it but overall I think it is more pink. It really is such a beautiful colour on! I had heard along my relentless research on how best to use this paint that using a foam roller gave good results so I gave this a shot and it worked brilliantly! I also made sure to put the lid right back on securely after I poured it each time onto the tray as this stuff thickens up really quickly. Normally I would have to use a brush to get into the nooks and crannies, but with the gold shining up from below I wasn't that fussy and just went with it.
I just used my regular Colron clear finishing wax to protect it and to secure the chalk paint to the furniture.

I left little bits of gold peaking through;

At first I was going to get new knobs for the piece, possibly crystal, but decided against it when it was all painted. So I just gave the old ones a good scrub and here they are in all their glory

Such pretty legs! I love old furniture, the quality of the wood, the fine detailing and all the skill that went into making it, this piece even has beautiful dove tail joins on the drawers!

Oh la la she is pretty :)

My favourite piece so far.

NeW bLoGgY sTylE

2011-07-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I have been playing around with a different look for my blog, something which I think is more personal to my brand. It is hard to know as the old look was very colourful which I thought reflected my furniture, but my style has been changing recently.

(Ok..so it is very much still a work in progress BUT)

What do you all think??

With thanks to the Background fairy

and shabbyblogs.com

who are both fantastic, completely free and I now love them!

How cute is this below!! :)

Chalk Paint DISASTER

2011-07-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. I am so annoyed I could cry! Ok so here is my story so far... Firstly, I bought this table at an auction a few months ago;

It's quite nice, right? So I sanded it down by hand, filled in the surface and primed it with 1-2-3 waterbased and decided that I would HAVE to try this Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that everybody is raving about. So I ordered some 'Old White' from an ebay supplier and got cracking....literally - the paint looks so uneven, liney and cracked on that I could just cry...but instead I thought that I would keep a cool head and lightly sand it down to see if it would smooth. (It didn't). Then I thought that the problem may lie with my less-than-average attempt and filling in the surface;

so I asked my kind daddy for help and he put a nice layer of filler on, which then turned into this mess

Yup. 'Electric sander' I hear you say?! My thoughts exactly, so I got it out and sanded til my heart was content - look how lovely and smooth it was;

So I tried my chalk paint all over again, and the same thing happened all over again. AHH! It looks grainy, uneven, gathered and I just don't know what to do with it next.

The texture is the same all over the legs and everywhere. Maybe this is the way it is meant to look? Maybe it is just not my style? Maybe I have done something wrong? I have tried it thick, then thinned with water, I have used big brushes and then small brushes, long strokes and short strokes and even a roller to no avail.
Is there anybody who can give me advice on where to go with it next, or even anybody who has had a bit of trouble with this paint too?
In short, Help!

Electric Sanders

2011-06-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

I love electric sanders!! That is all.

(What did I do without it before??!)

Damsel in Distress Dresser

2011-06-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well, as the title may hint, this piece has caused me a little bit of distress. Not because of any major problems - structurally it was fantastic, the drawers run like a dream, the mirror is intact, it was a bargain at auction and everything did run smoothly. What did bother me about this piece was that I bought it in the depths of the winter, and started sanding and working on this about two months ago, so I feel it has been dragging on and on and I hate that! Anyway, it is finished now :) and it looks mighty cute!

I used an electric sander, primed it with 1-2-3 water based, and used a creamy white oil-based paint with a roller that I could just chuck out after. Happy Days! Then I gave it a little worn in feel by lightly distressing it. I kept the original handles because I thought they were cute and very 'french', so I just gave them a clean and sprayed them with Rustoleum oil-rubbed bronze paint. Then I lined the drawers with gold and cream Laura Ashely paper. After this I gave a couple of coats of clear wax just to protect from future make-up stains and the like...

So it is up for auction on ebay, just follow the link, and is currently sitting in the van waiting to be taken to the shop tomorrow (Homemakers Discounts Coleraine).

Hope you like :)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Cream-Dressing-Table-Mirror-/260808677337?pt=UK_Home_Garden_LivingRoomFurniture_EH&hash=item3cb96897d9

Sell, Sell, Sell

2011-04-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Things have been quiet for me recently, I suppose it is hard for everybody trying to sell in this economic climate. However I hope my low prices and quirky features will be enough to draw everybody in! So, lets get this show on the road - here are a few pieces for sale on ebay, just follow the links and have a browse :)

For the cute vintage set of single wardrobe and mirrored dressing table ;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Single-Wardrobe-and-Dressing-Table-/260768578803?pt=UK_Bedroom_Furniture&hash=item3cb704bcf3

For the snazzy Drinks Cabinet (I'm dying to put cocktail glasses in here!);

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Distressed-Black-Display-Drinks-Cabinet-/260767650638?pt=UK_Home_Garden_LivingRoomFurniture_EH&hash=item3cb6f6934e

And finally the Cube Cabinet

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Slate-Grey-Locker-/260768579678?pt=UK_Home_Garden_LivingRoomFurniture_EH&hash=item3cb704c05e

Ebay!

2011-02-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

I have just listed a gathering of my furniture pieces on eBay for sale so follow the links (by clicking on the picture) if you would like to get in on the action and happy bidding!!

First is my all time favourite piece - the KINDER SURPRISE LOCKER which is on at a fantastic sale price starting at only £39.99

Next is my most recent Damsel in Distress which would make a snazzy little drinks cabinet for cocktail supplies! Go on and make me an offer on this one!

Stay tuned as I hope to get the French Grey Single Wardrobe and Dressing Table up soon.

Damsel in Distress

2011-02-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

You might remember this display cabinet from an earlier post - believe it or not it was nearly painted a bright glossy red...

After looking through other blogs, I was inspired to do something more elegant with it. This one from The Frosted Gardner caught my eye - isn't it just lovely?!

So, I bought a couple of cans of black matt spray paint as the thought of painting this by hand was too much for me!! I learnt from 'The Mad Hatter' china cabinet that 10 hours wouldn't even come close to how long it would take with a brush! I didn't use a primer on this as I knew that I would be distressing it so I didn't need a perfect finish, also, black gives good coverage. It was more expensive using the spray paint but it was so so so worth it!! I had several coats of it covered in no time and then just used a roller and some left-over paint that I had for the back and bottom.

My next step was to paper on the back with wallpaper paste- I didn't take the back off for this as there was loads of room for me to get at it from the side, so that saved me time too. I used a metallic silver wallpaper which has gold detailing on it which helps to bring out the yellow stained glass on the doors. After this, I had fun distressing it! A final coat of walnut wood stain rubbed on and then buffed off helped to smooth everything over.

This is for sale! I am not much of a photographer but it really does have lovely detailing in real life so if you would like to give it a home then you can do one of the below;
Email me at prettyuniquefurniture@hotmail.co.uk
Call into Homemakers Discounts Coleraine
Or, click here

'A' is for...Auction!

2011-02-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Excuse me as I write this as I am very excited and still feeding off the buzz I got at my first ever auction last night!! It was run by Coleraine auction rooms and the room was crammed with people, furniture, antiques, mirrors and bits and bobs. I thought it might be a little scrappy - well I didn't really know what to expect, but it was great! After fishing around to see what I fancied I got bidding! All bids started from £2 so needless to say I got these items at a fantastic price, I really can't believe it! I got these three items for the less than the price that I would pay for one if I was buying these at a second hand store!

This Dressing table is my favourite, I knew instantly that I wanted to paint it a really light pink. LOOK at these gorgeous handles and little stacked legs!

This second dressing table is quite similar and was my first bid of the night! I don't have a clue what to do with it yet.

Lastly is this table, I have been wanting one like this for ages! Don't forget to let me know if you want any of these customised - I can paint in any colour from bright yellow to dark plum, whatever floats your boat :)

Client #1

2011-02-16T05:26:00.000-08:00

Last week I had a real milestone with my first consultation with a client! The gentleman was looking for a display cabinet with lights, loads of shelves and painted in his favourite Liverpool (Bright!) red. Homemakers Discounts knew that I had a cabinet in the garage and kindly pointed him in my direction...A few phone calls later and I had my first consultation for a customised piece of furniture :). As it turned out, the cabinet has loads of beautiful detailing down the front panels whereas my client wanted something clearer and plain to really show off his items. After sourcing around locally I couldn't find a second-hand one that would suit, but was able to source some new ones for him at a price that was reasonable. So, he left a happy customer and I learnt how this business works and with a local client who will pass on the word of what I am doing here.

P.S don't worry - I have something else up my sleeve for the cabinet!

Cola to Clean?

2011-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

At the minute I am working on a display cabinet and am trying to clean up these dingy hinges and nails. I wanted to keep them as they are the original ones although the way they are looking at the minute I might just have to buy new ones.

Do any of you have any tips for this? I tried steeping them in coca cola overnight - didn't work. Then I tried a silver polish which you rub on with a sponge and then polish off - it was a bit of an improvement but the grime is still there!! C'mon and share the wisdom guys!

Lovely Pair

2011-02-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems like I have been working on these two pieces of furniture for a looong time but today at last they are finished and worth all of my blood sweat and tears! I purchased this single wardrobe and matching dresser from the Malawi Mercy charity shop and fell in love with their entwined carving which runs all around the wardrobe and down the legs of the dresser. The handles were also a gorgeous design if not a little dull, and the wardrobe had an authentic vintage rail to hang all your clothes on! The drawers run smooth and it was sturdy, solid wood - PERFECT right?

I worked on both the dresser and wardrobe at the same time and stages and in the same way except; for the dresser I used an electric hand-held sander, but for the wardrobe I tried out a liquid sanding agent which you just rub on and then buff off. I found both methods to be quicker than my usual slow sandpaper-by-the-hand-job and to be honest I can't tell which of the two I prefer as they gave the same results, but the electric sander did create a bit of a mess...

After they were sanded, I used a white water based primer/undercoat and a small roller and mananged to get two coats on each piece in one day. Next, I filled in some holes with filler and lightly sanded them as I think this stage really adds to the final result. I wanted a creamy grey shade for these beauties so I decided on Farrow and Ball 'french grey' and I am pleased with the results although it definately has a green tint to it. I applied about two or three layers of paint - it just depended on how the paint took to the wood at certain points. To finish it off and add protection against chips and scrapes, I applied two coats of beeswax which I find gives much better protection than any varnish that I have used.

I thought that the handles, hinges and screws could do with a little TLC so I gave them a coat of black gloss paint and gave them a good week to dry out before putting them back on. On top of this, the wardrobe rail was a little rusty, so used a cream to polish silver with and it cleaned right up! Finally, I applied little felt protectors onto the bottom feet of the wardrobe and took stood back to admire my work :). I think these two have a real romantic, girly, vintage feel to them compared to all the other furniture that I have restored.

The wardrobe and dresser are available to buy at Homemakers Discounts of Coleraine, or feel free to email me for any questions.

p.s a big thank you to dad for helping me on all the tricky bits on this one, and aaron for the photos X

I am linking up to these furniture parties;

Colour Charts

2011-01-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

A while ago I decided that I needed a way of viewing my paint without opening the tin each time as the tins were beginning to give way around the lid..so, a 'mentor' as such advised me to go to a hardware shop and buy some wood where the men there would cut it for me but I knew my dad was the man for the job. As it happened, dad has plenty of thin wood in the garage and used a clipper thing to cut it into little strips the size that I wanted :). After painting them I printed out the name, colour and type of paint and stuck it on the back.

So here are all my paints lined up. I must admit that I thought I was very adventurous with paint colours until they were all infront of me and they are all very blue and grey....hmmm

November News

2010-11-24T03:21:00.000-08:00

Well, this month has been a busy one for me as I am sure you can all imagine what with working in a toy shop this close to Christmas! This means that my furniture work has had to take the back seat, but don't worry - I still have a few projects up my sleeve. I bought these cute pieces a week ago and am wondering what to do...pretty pink would be nice for a nursery? But then they are screaming cream at me too...

On top of this, my furniture has started to sell at Homemakers Discounts (yay!) with my little Mad Hatter cabinet being the first to go, to a woman that loves it just as much as I do. It's a great feeling :)

Sold - Mad Hatter

2010-11-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

**The Mad Hatter China cabinet is now sold!***
with thanks to Homemakers Discounts of Coleraine

Update - Homemakers Discounts

2010-10-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
Sorry that I haven't updated this for a few weeks but I have been working on pieces to display in a shop..yep you heard me right! Homemakers Discounts of Coleraine have kindly offered to sell a range of my furniture and I couldn't be happier! I hope to get some photos up of how it looks soooon.

So, for all you local people reading this - get down to Homemakers Discounts NOW and see what you can find :)

86-96 New Row
Coleraine BT52 1EJ
028 7034 4554
(Opposite Tesco)

Featured!

2010-10-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Ah I'm feeling over the moon - Bonnie from
http://creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com/ just featured my kinder surprise locker in this weeks link party as one of her favourites! Thanks Bonnie, it is a real privilege - with my button below i feel like a kid at school who has just got a gold star :)

The 'Kinder Surprise' Locker - £50

2010-10-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

OK ok so the name is a little cheesy but it works!

Honestly...

I bought this locker because it was really sturdy and had nice, strong lines which I thought would make a great piece. So, I contemplated painting it in deep red, then navy...white..yellow and so on. I decided on grey to keep it quite masculine and because this colour would go easily in any room. However, finding the right shade of grey proved a task and I even bought a dark brown because the tin looked grey.. so after several shops, days and exchanges later I had the perfect charcoal-like shade called'herringbone' from Crown's dark elegance range. It was rich and matt and did the job nicely!

For the inside, I wanted to jazz it up a bit and so used some 'mojito' paint which I had left over from another redo. This is where I got the name from - it is yummy on the outside and has a nice surprise when you open it. I have always liked bright greens and greys together and this didn't disappoint! A new knob and few coats of wax later and she is all finished :)

Nearly new cabinet...

2010-09-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Disaster struck me today with my latest piece!! well, i am exaggerating BUT I had just finished my final coat of wax and was screwing all the bits together when my brand new knob broke off :-(

Until I get it fixed, here is a sneak peak!!

Gaga Telephone Seat - £80 **SOLD*

2010-09-29T13:28:00.001-07:00

I call this one my Gaga Telephone Seat because, lets face it, it is a little crazy!

I have wanted to use this shade of paint for a long time (crown, 'mojito') and went out on a whim and bought it. I wasn't sure if it would work when I got home and was even less sure after the first coat... BUT all worked out well in the end. The fabric I had initally chosen was black and white so I had to rethink it and ordered this comic-strip fabric called 'the dysfunctional family' from http://www.gagafabrics.co.uk/.

A few staples and coats of wax later it is ready for sale (although I would be quite happy to keep this one!)

***This item has now been sold***

Mini White Occasional Table - £30

2010-09-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

I purchased this tiny little table at the Malawi Mercy Shop Portstewart. I wanted to colour it white and put either nice wallpaper or floral material on top but getting a bit of glass to cover this proved difficult! So, I went ahead and handpainted a couple of coats of primer and then spray painted some white gloss on top - this way there are still visible brush strokes peeping through. Next, dad had a brainwave of tiling the top which is much more practical and hard wearing! We found the perfect one at a local store.

This redo is a little out of my comfort zone - it is actually the first time that I have painted and styled a complete piece of furniture white. Despite that, I think it looks well and would suit nearly any home.

Shopping!

2010-09-15T10:11:00.001-07:00

As I sold a couple of items this week, I decided to do a little shopping... well i did need new stock afterall!

I found these two and can't wait to get started.

I'm thinking olive green, lemon, mustard, red, grey, black, white... watch this space!

2010-08-31T03:23:00.000-07:00

My latest piece of furniture is this retro long-mirrored dresser which I bought at refurnish. It was a complete bargain as part of the wood at the back was cracked, but it was nothing which couldn't be replaced!

I painted it with a roller in a deep glossy black paint, and the drawers in 'antique grey' which is a lovely light shade and really compliments the black. The original golden rose handles were in such good condition that I had to keep them just as they were.

***THIS ITEM HAS NOW BEEN SOLD***

http://

"BUY ME" Mad Hatter

2010-08-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

'Mad Hatter' 1940's Glass-Fronted Display Cabinet is for sale now on
folksy at

http://folksy.com/items/735953-Mad-Hatter-Retro-1940-s-Display-Cabinet?shop=yes

Exhibition at Flowerfields

2010-08-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Last night the Creativity Thirst classmates and myself had a celebration evening to mark our progress and completion of the course, and what a night it was! We all got the opportunity to display our work at Flowerfields and even though we had seen each others work before, I was amazed at the quality of the displays. I was very proud!

Mad Hatter China Cabinet! - £110

2010-08-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

I went a bit crazy on this one, but i absolutely LOVE it!! It's a bright pop of colour! I think it would look fantastic for displays in a shop or at home stacked with cocktail glasses...
I bought it at refurnish (Coleraine) a month or two back and have been working on it since. I got the paint-colour custom made this time and finished it with a couple of coats of wax - I think wax gives much better protection that varnish. I ripped out the old pinky fabric and updated it with a black floral Laura Ashley wallpaper.
What do you all think?!

http://

"BUY ME"

2010-07-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

If you have fallen for this quirky little Country Cottage Stool, snap it up now at

http://folksy.com/items/717569-Shabby-Chic-Distressed-Stool?shop=yes

or contact Tina for direct sales :)

prettyuniquefurniture@hotmail.co.uk

Country Cottage Stool

2010-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

At last! I have got a new addition to the family - Country Cottage Stool! I have had this stool lying around the house for years so I decided to try out a new style on it and am pleased with the results. I painted it with a water based almond colour paint and then gently began to distress it to reveal the wood below. After this I got some upholstery foam, cut it to shape and covered it with some sandy cotton material and added a nail trim. As this is my first time distressing furniture I would love to know what you all think?!

"BUY ME"

2010-06-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

zebra print

FOR SALE

on ebay auction now

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260663658102&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

or on folksy here

http://folksy.com/items/613209

***THIS ITEM HAS NOW BEEN SOLD***

Zebra Stool

2010-06-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

I bought this stool a few months back from my mum's charity shop (again!). I didn't know quite what to do with it until I found the fabric... This time, i used spray paint and quite like the even texture it gives. It is primed, painted, glossed, varnished and ready for sale on folksy and ebay

Drinks Cabinet

2010-04-23T12:43:00.001-07:00

My mum spotted this at her charity shop and thought that with a little bit of my TLC it would look lovely in her porch.
This time, I wanted a nice green shade to match the room and I tried Farrow and Ball paint for the first time! After sanding down the cabinet and taking it apart, I painted three or four coats of 'Vert De Terre' using a brush and a mini roller. Then I varnished it with a satin finish, reassembled it, and added the cutest drawer pulls ever!

Coffee Table

2010-04-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

I purchased this wooden coffee table at my usual charity shop (Malawi Mercy Group Portstewart) and it looked like it had already been painted a dark brown/black colour some time ago - so this took a lot of sanding down! As usual, I painted a good white undercoat to get things started. Then I painted several coats of 'Duck Egg' blue eggshell paint which I picked up at a 20% off weekend in Laura Ashley. I lightly sanded between each coat with wire wool and then applied two coats of clear varnish to finish things off. Isn't it lovely and shiny?! This table is currently on sale on ebay.co.uk

Grace's Chairs

2010-04-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Bought four of these chairs at a local charity shop (Malawi Mercy Group Portstewart), and was able to use the leftover 'Antique Grey' and 'Duck Egg' paint from my TV Unit make-over.
First I sanded each and then painted two of the chairs grey and two chairs green (no undercoat here!). My sister then recovered them in her favourite fabric and they now live in her kitchen!

Old TV Unit

2010-04-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

My brother nabbed this beauty for free in the dump thinking that I might find a use for it and he was right...
So, I sanded it, painted an undercoat and then invested in two tins of standard B&Q paint in 'Antique Grey' and 'Duck Egg'. Then I painted the main areas in either grey or green. For the stripes, I used masking tape and painted grey on top of the green. Finally, I screwed some hooks onto one side for all my lovely jewellery to hang :-) Hey presto - I have a new bedside cabinet!

pretty unique furniture

Crafty Day @ 'GoshDarnIt!'

Monroe Madness or Masterpiece..

For Sale

Worth the Wait

"who is the fairest of them all?"

'Mirror, mirror on the wall'...

There's A New Sheriff in Town!

New LooT!

Chippy Table (Finally Finished!)

Woodworm!

Cow Print for Client

Chalk Paint Success!

NeW bLoGgY sTylE

Chalk Paint DISASTER

Electric Sanders

Damsel in Distress Dresser

Sell, Sell, Sell

Ebay!

Damsel in Distress

'A' is for...Auction!

Client #1

Cola to Clean?

Lovely Pair

Colour Charts

November News

Sold - Mad Hatter

Update - Homemakers Discounts

Featured!

The 'Kinder Surprise' Locker - £50

Nearly new cabinet...

Gaga Telephone Seat - £80 ****SOLD***

Mini White Occasional Table - £30

Shopping!

"BUY ME" Mad Hatter

Exhibition at Flowerfields

Mad Hatter China Cabinet! - £110

"BUY ME"

Country Cottage Stool

"BUY ME"

Zebra Stool

Drinks Cabinet

Coffee Table

Grace's Chairs

Old TV Unit

Gaga Telephone Seat - £80 **SOLD*