The Kitchen

Tags

Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage 'Linen', Clock knobs, painted kitchen

The kitchen is about done. The walls need a lick of paint, but it’s not a big job because the cupboards take up most the space in the small area:

 

One of the cupboard doors had just been wiped, hence the marks.

I used some of my clock knobs to add a touch of contrast to the Autentico ‘Cappuccino’ and ‘Linen’ paint:

And there’s also the bespoke ‘snob on a knob’, who is now at home on the goodie cupboard door:

I’m the first to admit that this hasn’t been a ‘careful’ refurb. I did no sanding, just a de-grease to the cupboards with some squirty from the 99p shop. The paint went on fine, but I had to be careful on the sides to the cupboards, which are made from shiny, laminated material – I left each coat 24 hours to ensure that it had some grab. The chalk paint was matt varnished to give a wipeable finish:

I’m hoping to have some different cupboards in the next year or two (probably some free standing units), so I couldn’t see the point in spending loads of time sanding and priming, a quick face lift was all I had in mind.

The pictures aren’t the best as it’s dark in my kitchen and today has been particularly gloomy:

Yesterday’s visit to the dentist proved to be expensive and unpleasant and I had to go back today for antibiotics as I had toothache with a raging temperature last night. Alas, despite always being a good girl in the teeth brushing department, I have gum disease. Can’t say it came as a shock, my teeth have always been sensitive and my gums have always bled easily. In the New Year, I’ve got to have some sort of deep cleaning treatment, to reach the gaps where my gums have retracted. Can’t wait:-( I just know it will set my teeth on edge for weeks.

 

 

 

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A frosty reception

Tags

Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage 'Linen', painted writing bureau

As you can see from the pictures below, it’s been very frosty today, but the weather was bright enough for photographing:

Writing Bureau, painted in Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’ & ‘Linen’

Inside painted in Annie Sloan ‘Emperor’s Silk’

Decoupage images and French script to embellish the inside

The bureau was painted in Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’ and ‘Linen’, with Annie Sloan ‘Emperor’s Silk’ on the inside.

Not too sure what’s next on the agenda, but whatever it is, the weather will need to warm up a bit for painting. In the meantime, I’ve a million and one loose ends to tie up, along with another bureau to tweak.

 

 

Progress of sorts

Tags

Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage 'Linen', painted kitchen

I was working with my husband today; he was helping out paint knobs.

“Can you stop that” said hubby

“What?” I replied

“Breathing” he said

“What?” 

“Can you stop breathing like that”

“What?” said I (yes, you can see why I’m a barrister – I’ve a way with words:-))

“You’re doing a little huff and it’s irritating” he said

“What?”

“At the end of each breath, you’re doing a little huff”

I said nothing.

A little later, I decided to make a start on the kitchen cupboards. All was going okay, until hubby waded in to help. He stepped back off the step ladders and knocked me flying, then trod on the back of my leg whilst I was knelt down painting.

No bloody wonder I do little huffs!

Anyway, domestic bliss aside, here’s a pic after the first coats of Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’, with ‘Linen’ on the plinth and edges:

The photo is dark, because using my flash gives too much glare, nevertheless I’m sure you can see that they look quite awful, but trust me, it’ll be just fine.

I hope to get it all finished by the weekend, but with just the odd bit of time here and there, it might be pushing things (there are 14 cabinets to do, plus 4 drawers). I’m leaving the old knobs in place whilst painting because the cupboards haven’t been emptied – there’s nowhere to put everything. Come to think of it, I can think of one place where I could quite cheerfully stuff the contents of my kitchen cabinets. Can you guess where? 😉

 

The Bureaux

Tags

Annie Sloan Emperor's Silk, Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage 'Nearly Black', painted bureau

Well, they (the bureaux) were photographed today, once the weather warmed a little.

My eyes were streaming this morning when I took Jasper to the paddock; it was freezing. His Lordship wore his turn out rug for the first time this Autumn. He wasn’t impressed and nipped me when I was putting it on. After scoffing a couple of carrots, he wandered into the paddock, rolled in the mud, squealed and then set off at speed to greet his neighbours. The timid mare in the next field looked somewhat shocked to see a ton of heavy horse heading towards her at speed. I also looked somewhat shocked at the ton of heavy horse belting across the field and did wonder if his braking mechanism had improved at all. It hadn’t and he just sort of stuck his back legs out and slid to a halt just inches from the fence. The little cob next door let out a surprised scream:

Bob the cob

Once I got back from the paddock, I spent a couple of hours working on the new designs for the knobs. The hot coffee was particularly welcome and I eventually warmed up enough to get cold again photographing the bureaux:

Walnut bureau, painted in Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’

The inside of the ‘Cappuccino’ bureau.

Walnut bureau painted in Autentico Vintage ‘Nearly Black’.

The inside of the ‘Nearly Black’ bureau

The dresser will have a little tlc tomorrow and if all’s well, it will be photographed.

 

 

 

Day three in the Big Bureau house

Tags

Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage Paint, Hand painted roses on furniture, painted bureau

The first bureau is all but finished:

Bureau painted in Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’

Not the best of pics; I’ll get better ones in the next day or two. The walnut veneers compliment the Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’ paintwork nicely.

I painted the red rose on the inside, then added some French script, which I promptly smudged, so that will have to be re-done today:

Now for my next trick:

The veneers on this bureau are also very striking, so I’m also keeping them ‘as is’. I’ve already done the prep on the bureau, so can get straight on with painting this morning. I’d planned on doing the artwork for some new fabric transfers today, but hubby was in a bossy mood. He was already in position to help me move the bureaux at half seven this morning, and it was easier to go with the flow… I’m grumpy in a morning, Jasper is grumpy in a morning (he was snorting for attention whilst all the furniture moving was going on), and hubby is grumpy most the time, so I just moved the bureaux. The artwork will have to wait until another day.

You don’t get rid of me that easily

Tags

Annie Sloan Emperor's Silk, Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage Paint, painted bureau, Vintage fabric transfers

Well I should be in Nottingham helping hubby, but one of the testing machines threw a hissy fit yesterday, so we’re down to one and I’m off the hook.

I’ve made a start on a bureau instead:

Inside of bureau, painted in Annie Sloan ‘Emperor’s Silk’

The inside is being painted in Annie Sloan ‘Emperor’s Silk, whilst the outside is Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’. Lovely warm colours to be working with on a misty, Autumn day.

I’m planning on painting a deep red rose on the inside and also have some pretty Frenchy images to embellish. Oh, I do love refurbishing bureaux; they are such a lovely canvas to go a little wild with.

I’ve got a load of sewing samples lined up too, but they will have to wait a few days, as there’s another bureau in hot pursuit of this one.

Progress pics to follow…

One out of two is better than nowt

Tags

Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage 'Linen', Chalk painted furniture, painted bureau

I’d hoped to get both of the bureaux I’ve been working on finished today, but only managed one. All being well the other will be finished tomorrow, but I’ve got furniture to collect from the auction house, so it depends on how well that goes. Sometimes loading is easy, other times it’s not! And then there’s the unloading at this end, which requires the creation of non existent space in which to plonk the furniture until it gets refurbished. I’ve a feeling that my hallway will be a traffic jam of furniture once again.

Not too sure which items I’ll be working on first. The chairs look the most straight forward, so maybe I’ll ease myself into the new stuff with those. I’m itching to make a start on the antique desk, but need to have a really good look at it before deciding what to do with it. I’m contemplating painting a large pine chest of drawers in milk paint. I’ve a shade that’s a really nice warm cream that would look nice with pine.

Anyway, here’s the latest bureau, which has been painted in Autentico Vintage ‘Cappuccino’, with the drawer fronts in ‘Linen’:

 

 

Some new colours

Tags

Autentico Vintage 'Antique White', Autentico Vintage 'Cappuccino', Autentico Vintage 'Copenhagen Blue', Autentico Vintage 'Passion Red', Autentico Vintage 'Rose', Autentico Vintage Paint

I’ve just placed my order with Autentico and have ordered a few new colours to add to those I already stock.

‘Cappuccino’ is a lovely warm deep beige, whilst ‘Rose’ is a romantic pink that’s not too ‘bling’. ‘Antique White’ is, well an antique white and ‘Copenhagen Blue’ is a very pretty, pale duck egg. Oh, and I almost forgot, there’s ‘Passion Red’ too, which will make a nice accent colour, or a stand-alone paint if you like a little colour in your life.

Tomorrow I’ll be finishing off a couple of the chairs I’ve been working on – pics to follow…