Refinished French Provincial

Monday's Featured Product

Seaside Cottage chest of drawers

The girls and I were heading out to yard sales a couple of months ago, "keep your eyes open for any French provincial furniture" I reminded them. We had received lots of positive feedback on the French provincial chest of drawers  that we painted in true PBC style and named the Seaside Cottage chest of drawers. (See photo at right)

Before we started PBC it seems French Provincial furniture was plentiful at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift shops. This year we hadn't found any except the one chest of drawers. Weeks went by and we were not finding any good pieces. Then one Saturday afternoon as Marci was taking a walk around her neighborhood she came across a yard sale we hadn't even known about. The family was beginning to pack it up as Marci's eyes skimmed the few remaining items strewn about the driveway. And there it was, one lonely little French provincial night stand / end table, and since the man was ready to call it a day he made Marci an offer she couldn't refuse. It was sturdy and well built but drab and boring with worn faded yellowy cream paint and Marci knew what potential it had.

So, with some ASCP in Graphite, some of our own mix of chalk paint in pink, and a little AS Clear Wax to top it off, we gave an old drab nightstand some punch and pizazz. This color scheme would be great in a little girls room, a pre-teens room, or even a young lady heading off to college would enjoy the updated look as well. The ample storage for personal items and books and the spacious surface for a lamp, alarm clock, and cell phone charger make this a great piece for the dorm as well.

We really hope you like the gray and pink, slightly distressed look as much as we do, it's a fun, versatile piece!

Choosing a Paint Color

Tuesday's Tip

For today's tip, I want to talk a little bit about paint colors, and how to choose one. It's not always an easy task, and sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error, but when you get it right, boy does it pay off. Here are a few things to remember when deciding on a paint color for your next project:

1. Have a large collection. What I mean by this is to always have a multitude of colors to choose from. You can find excellent quality paint for a reduced price at just about any location that sells paint. All you have to do is find the section where they keep the "mistints" and find one that you love. Just because it's not the exact color someone else wanted, doesn't mean it's not right for your project!

2. Have a vision. When you're getting ready to start a new project, ask yourself where you envision this piece going. A beach-side cottage? A formal living room? A sunny front porch? Try to figure out where this type of piece would look best and then search for a color that embodies that vision.

3. Never trust the first coat. Have faith in your selection and don't fret when the first coat doesn't look spectacular. More often than not the first coat is going to look thin and streaky, just keep the faith!

4. Don't be afraid to mix it up. This tip actually has a double meaning. The first of which is to try something you typically wouldn't. We've written before about Keeping an Open Mind and trying new things, and that goes for your paint colors as well. Think out side of the box every once in a while. And the second take on this tip is to mix it up, literally. Is your green too pale? You red too bold? Find another color that will either enhance your color or reduce it. White is typically a safe bet for toning down a bright color. Just be sure you remember your color wheel before mixing too many colors.

5. Know your finish. This is important to you final look. When working on a piece, at some point you must determine what kind of finish you want. A smooth, modern and shiny finish would require a more standard paint. While a more textured and  distressed look would typically require a chalk paint and some rubbing with a piece of sandpaper.

You certainly don't have to spend a fortune on paint, but it helps to know what you want. Evaluate your pieces before you make any decisions, and try out small strokes before you settle on your favorite. Most importantly, have FUN!

The Art of Disguise

I have lived in my home for 18 years. For 18 years I have tried, cajoled, encouraged folks to come in through my front door since there is lovely landscaping, a porch with rockers and flower planters, a pleasant entry! But no....EVERYONE insists on coming in through the back door, which is the laundry room, which was standard back in 1994 (Smart people these days put their laundry close to their bedrooms!). All those years my laundry room/back entry was functional, it served an active household with three busy teenagers, but it was not a pretty room. This always bothered me. But nothing bothered me as much as day in and day out the first thing you would see when you entered through the back door was this darn water heater.

Tapping in to the wealth of ideas on Pinterest, and utilizing my local Habitat ReStore, I snapped up a shutter style louvered closet door. The finish and color were all wrong for my style; pine doors with a honey stain and glossy polyurethane, but I knew they could become the shabby, weathered, antique looking "shutters" I envisioned to disguise the water heater. One coat of Zinsser 123 Primer, a coat of Tulip Yellow like my newly painted laundry room walls, a coat of Graphite, a light coat of Old White, a coat of AS Clear Wax, and finally after buffing, some sanding and roughing up and Voila! My version of old shutters with a lovely aged patina to hide my ugly water heater.

They are still a work in progress, as I am looking for just the right decorative objects to hook on the slats. I've only found one cute little thermometer so far to put there. So just remember, even utilitarian objects with no style or beauty whatsoever can be camouflaged through the "Art of Disguise".  If you like the distressed and aged look of my "shutters" you will probably like some of the other pieces we will be offering over the coming months. Check back with us often!

Tropical Paradise

Featured Product

That is what I think of every time I look at this vibrant chair, Tropical Paradise. Given to our team from our fabulous yard saling partner in crime, Cathy, this retro chair was in great condition. Sturdy, solid, and structurally sound. Everything you want to look for when re-doing a vintage piece.

Our design expert, Donna, was the creative genius behind this chair, using Barcelona Orange AS Chalk Paint, AS Clear Wax, and a piece of fabric from Calico Corners. If you are looking to add a pop of Tropical to your home, sunroom, or beach house, this is the chair for you.

Please visit our etsy shop to purchase, or shoot us an email at ptbreezecottage@gmail.com for more details!

Keeping an Open Mind

“Seaside Cottage” she said, “I think you should paint it to suit a happy little cottage by the shore”.

“But it’s French Provincial” I protested. “Do you think I can pull that off?”

“Just go with it Mama, it’ll work, you’ll see”. ..

So went the conversation with my daughter Mindy on the French Provincial yard sale find.

I had my doubts. For months I have been envisioning this nice little chest done up in Paris Gray or even Provence Blue, maybe a dark wax, a little distressing, not too much, maybe a little gilding, dressing this fine little lady up in the French style she was born with. But Mindy had other ideas, and being open to other ideas is something I need to work on, so I set my mind to it, Seaside Cottage, NOT French Flair.

I cleaned the chest of drawers from top to bottom in March. In April I put some primer on the laminate top. The little chest of drawers taunted me, day in and day out, as if to say “is this it? is this all I get?” Beachy, cottagey, time worn, seaside, I had to find a starting point. Two days before our trip to Tybee Island, Georgia I found in my supplies a lovely blue paint. No name on it, no label, not sure where I got it from, but it was a lovely clear blue, kind of like a blue bird, and I decided that would be my base coat. It wasn’t exactly pretty, that first coat, but it was a start. I knew I would build from there, but it would have to wait until after vacation.

Upon returning from Tybee I had lots of color inspiration. Color abounds on this lovely little Island, every home is trimmed out in bright cheerful colors, and the home we rented, Under the Tybee Sun was colorful both inside and out. Happy is the word I would use to describe Tybee!

 A lovely greenish blue color kept popping up on signage around the island. After taking a moment to read the signs I realized they were in conjunction with The Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project through the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.  What an incredible effort to protect the Sea Turtles down there on Tybee, by employees of the museum, volunteers, and regulars citizens alike! You can check out the project here: http://tybeemarinescience.org/sea-turtle-project. 

Upon returning to Maryland I kept thinking about Tybee, about the turtles, and about the many lovely colors. Completely refreshed and rejuvenated I went to work on the chest of drawers and it just flowed, it really came together without even having to think about it. I applied a lovely blue green chalk paint that I mixed up myself, two coats of Annie Sloan Clear Wax, and then I started distressing.  Sanding here, rubbing there, I was beginning to realize Mindy’s original vision for this piece! The original drawer pulls were the finishing touch, and I’m glad I painted them the true blue color of the base coat, I think they really pull it all together. So what do you think? Was I able to take her from French Provincial to Seaside Cottage?  I’m so glad I kept my mind open to Mindy’s vision, this little dresser is absolutely charming. I can picture her with seaside décor sprinkled across the top (sea glass, shells, candles, etc.), used to store beach towels and swim suits, or for clothing storage in a fresh and breezy cottage bedroom. I hope you like the vibe of this chest as much as we do. It really does say “Seaside Cottage”!

Chalk One Up for Point Breeze!

Success!

As much as we love ASCP and the results we achieve using it, we thought it was time we tried making our own. Recipes abound on Pinterest and various blogs, but we stuck with a very straight forward method, 3 parts Valspar satin finish paint, 1 part calcium carbonate. Mix well. Wax and buff once paint is dry, and voila! A lovely finish. Take a look at my most recent project done in our custom mix. We love this patina!