Eliot School Present

Do you need to get someone an original gift for the holidays? Do you live in the Boston area? Well if you do, then come on down to Ernie B....Elliot School and sign up for a class I'm teaching in the winter. In this class we'll refurb a small piece of furniture with paint! I'll teach you everything I know, and more!?

Happy Holidays!

Annie

Here's a recently completed project, and we'll call it Annie.

From a far Annie looks curiously warm and inviting. Not a cold gray and not a clean white, but a warm...something. When you get a little bit closer, you realize that this 'something' is the cream-based linen pattern painted directly on the three-drawer piece. If this dresser wasn't made out of wood, you would want to cuddle with it.

Craigslist Find!

Spotted this kitchen hutch for cheap on Craigslist.  Scooped it up, gave it some fresh paint, and voila.

before...

and after...

McCarthy

Ladies and gentlemen, meet McCarthy.  This poor guy was on his way to the landfill, can you believe it!? Despite a few scratches, some missing hardware, and a rough finish... he had a lot going for him.

Here's McCarthy before...

Here's McCarthy after...

It's Been a While!

Hi friends! It's been way too long. We've been keeping busy with lots of projects and another round of upholstery classes (more on that soon).  The big news of the day is that we just completed two custom pieces for our lovely friend, Annie Chase.  Annie came to us with a chair and a washstand and gave us total creative freedom to do whatever our hearts desired. We had a lot of fun with her pieces and here are the results!


Annie's washstand before...

and after!

Annie's chair before...

 and after!

We found the fabric at the Etsy store KainKain, based out of Jakarta, Indonesia.  The store's owner, Jenny, was such a pleasure to work with and even set up a custom listing for us that was the perfect size/color for our chair. Be sure to check out her shop -- amazing embroidery skills!

Brimfield

We ventured to the Brimfield antique festival this weekend.  So much to look at... 

Decorating with Books

I've got a thing for old books. I have a small collection going, mostly flea market finds. Clothbound, leatherbound, old and a little musty. Today I decided to go for a walk on my lunchbreak and stumbled upon old book heaven: The Brattle Book Shop on West Street. I walk by this place all the time and for some reason I've never gone in. I had no idea what I was missing!

Not only that, but turns out the Brattle is all about helping you decorate your home with beautiful old books. "The Brattle works with decorators who need books by the yard based on color schemes, such as autumn-colored, cream, dark or red." They'll help you create the perfect display. Ooooh I can't wait to go back tomorrow. My wallet is going to be so sad...