Choices Will Be Made

First of all the winner of the doves from CSN Stores, chosen by True Random Number Generator, is #223 - Susan from Peanut Petunia!  Congratulations!

As most of you know, I've been working on my master bedroom and it's my vanity's turn for a makeover.  This vanity is a special piece to me because it belonged to my grandmother and namesake since she was a little girl.  It had a maple finish with lots of dings, chips, and a cigarette burn when it became mine. 

I painted it a creamy white with blue detail a couple of years ago.  Since then, I've learned a lot about refinishing and painting furniture.

I also learned that painted white tops do not wear very well.  So, I decided to strip it down and refinish the top in my favorite dark walnut stain.

It took 4 coats of wipe-on poly in gloss to get a nice, smooth finish.  I am just tickled at the result.

In addition, I recovered the bench (also my grandmother's) and touched up some spots with some dark walnut stain.

Now, I'm trying to figure out what to do with the base of the vanity.  I can't strip it down and stain it because of some fill work I had to do.  So, it needs to be painted.

I'm either going to keep it a creamy white or paint it a light aqua.  I painted a little test patch, so I can think about it.

I had a question about these lamps the last time I showed them, so I thought I would give them a close-up.  It's a feather trim that I purchased from Tuesday Morning years ago and glued to the rim of the shade.  The small oil painting belonged to my mom when she was younger.  We found it and the silver tumblers when cleaning out my grandparent's attic. 

I can't wait for this room to be done!  This is the first room in my house that I have gone through bit-by-bit and made real choices.  Every room in my house has been in limbo and while I paint pretty furniture for clients and the shop, my furniture is safe and forgetful.  I like the flexibility of having white slipcovers and white furniture.  If I want to move a chair from my family room to bedroom, I can.  I don't have to recover or repaint it, because it will work in any room.  I think that's ok for most pieces, but I need to be bold with some painted pieces, fabric, and accessories.  Bold doesn't mean brigh and crazyt, it just means intentional and interesting. 

So, I am now a girl on a mission!  Choices will be made, risks will be taken, paint will fly, and the sewing machine will hum.  And, of course, I'll take you with me every step of the way.  Buckle up.



I'm posting this to Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage and the DIY Show Off Surprise Furniture Party.