nautical tricycle

There is something very summery about Miss Mustard Seed’s Tricycle milk paint.  I have now painted my 3rd oak dresser Tricycle.  The color is so vibrant! I love it.  The two pictured on the right were done last summer.  I just completed the one on the left.

Tricycle milk paint oak dressers

They all seem to have a subtle nautical vibe but this last one is just so much more obvious due to the rope details on the dresser and pulls.  I left the two knobs unpainted and added some antiquing wax to darken the color.

tricycle milk paint nautical dresser

And here’s the before picture.

oak dresser before milk paint

And here’s the top drawer.  There was a great ship wheel applique but part of it was broken and beyond repair.  There is a slight shadow left where it was attached and I think that is pretty cool.

oak dresser before milk paint

I love its shape – great for a little boys room.  Or a beach house of course.

tricycle milk paint nautical dresser

If you come here often, you probably know how I feel about antique oak…fab!  Something about the grain of oak wood is just beautiful.  Sometimes I don’t want to paint it at all.  It just depends on the patina of the wood I suppose.  However, the color can sometimes be orangey or blah.  That doesn’t mean the beautiful grain has to be lost.  I used the milk paint as a stain on this piece because it was very raw oak meaning it would absorb the color.  I applied just one coat letting it settle unevenly in some places to give it a nice aged look and to allow the grain to show.  I topped it off with furniture wax and buffed a little bit.

tricycle milk paint nautical dresser

By the way, there is a new Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint group page on facebook for more color inspiration.

Did you meet my friend the sailor boy?  Isn’t he a darling little paint by number?  I have had him awhile and can’t seem to part with him.  I think he needs a name – any suggestions?

tricycle milk paint nautical dresser

This dresser is headed to West End Garage in Cape May this week so it can find a forever home, hopefully at the beach.  Don’t we all wish for that?

Linking to: Home Stories A to Z

Miss Mustard Seed

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vinyl + chrome = love

We’re just barely back from our honeymoon.  Still organizing life and most importantly all of our Brimfield finds!  However I couldn’t leave you hanging without a little dose of Circa Dee.

I’ve got a before & after for you from the archives.  I can’t hardly believe that I’ve never properly shared this project with you.  It is definitely one of my favorites around here.  In fact, there has been a debate on whether or not we should keep it for ourselves.  We don’t actually need this adorable retro dinette table & chairs however it fits in perfectly at the beach.  And we happen to have an open space for it.  Hmmm…

updated retro dinette  (2 of 23)

Of course I didn’t take a proper before shot. More like an in progress shot after we started taking the chairs apart.  As you can see they were covered in the original vinyl which was in bad shape.  And then there was newer vinyl (not pictured) haphazardly tacked on over the original.

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Off it all came!  The chairs got updated with my modern spin on the original vinyl – bright aqua marine grade vinyl.  So fun!

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Don’t you just want to sit down?

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Now for the table… I love the original table.  Nice and solid.  What you can’t really see are all of the dings, filth and general wear & tear.  So ultimately we stripped it with the intent to stain the original wood with a more modern dark color.

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But at the end of the day we settled on a couple of coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in graphite.  I think it adds another modern punch that coordinates with the bright chairs very well.  I topped it off with a couple of cots of furniture wax.  It has a nice smooth finish.

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And check out all of those legs!  We cleaned and shined up all of that chrome which really gives off the retro vibe.  All of that gorgeous chrome is the feature that is saving the table from staying in our home.  We have all brass accents so the chrome has to go!  Too bad for us but maybe good for you?

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Wouldn’t you like to have a glass of wine at this table?

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Linking to:  Miss Mustard Seed

twinsies

Good morning friends and happy Monday! How was your weekend?  Our was filled with final wedding DIY projects and prep…mostly outside because it was gorgeous out.  I’m getting so excited for our wedding festivities!

In the meantime, a little eye candy for you…

We have this amazing pair of oak twin beds in!  Only one is pictured here but honestly there is a phenom pair.  So I cleaned them up and hydrated the wood with hemp oil from Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint line which enriched the color and patina of the wood.  This hemp oil is the bomb.  I’ve used it for so many projects from hydrating wood like this to a top coat over paint on a porous surface and also in between layers of paint.

antique oak twin bed - pair available

Each bed comes with a solid antique oak headboard, foot board, side rails & slats.  All you need to do is add the mattress and box spring. Check out the detail on the foot boards…

antique oak twin bed - pair available

I pretty much love them and keep imagining a twin room featuring this pair of beds (only one bed is pictured).  So tell me, how would you style a room with these beds?  I pulled a few inspiration photos below of twin rooms.  (Please do not pin them from here, rather click the source link to take you to the original image.)

antique oak twin bed - pair available

Sophisticated Twin Guest Rooms

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Airy Feminine Twin Rooms…

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Neutral Masculine Twin Rooms…

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Which is your favorite look?  And are you in he market for a pair of smokin’ hot antique oak twin beds??

spring milk paint workshop series

Just a reminder friends!  I am currently registering folks for the spring milk paint workshop series.  We have a few spaces still available.  I hope you’ll join us.  All of the details are below.  Simply email me or leave a comment to sign up!  I will respond with a paypal link to complete registration.  Also, feel free to provide feedback on days and times that you’d like to see future workshops scheduled!

Milk Paint 4 week workshop series this spring…

Gain the skills you need to tackle projects with Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint around your home with confidence!

milk paint banner

Throughout the hands-on 4 week series, we’ll cover each product in Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint line and how they interact with one another. You’ll complete a make and take in each workshop. Plus, enjoy 10% off all milk paint purchases the day of the workshop.

Attend the entire 4 week series and receive a quart of milk paint & bonding agent in the color of your choice FREE!

Now what? Select the workshops you’d like to attend and register by emailing me! You can either pay buy pay pal, credit card over the phone or in the shop. Each workshop is $50. Payment in full reserves your class space. Class sizes are limited. First come, first served.

All classes are located at 1814 Valley Forge Road, Worcester, PA

IMG_8658Introduction to Milk Paint $50

Thursday, April 11th 10am-12pm

What exactly is milk paint?

Learn how to mix milk paint
Learn to apply milk paint as a stain
Learn when to apply hemp oil as a topcoat

Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint TricycleAnti-aging with Milk Paint $50

Thursday, April 18th 10am-12pm

How do you get a new, cohesive finish with milk paint?

Learn how to mix milk paint with the bonding agent
Learn about using milk paint for a cohesive finish
Learn about furniture wax as a topcoat

Yellow Mid-century Dresser

Aging with Milk Paint $50

Thursday, April 25th 10am-12pm

How to you get an authentic chippy finish with milk paint?

Learn how to get the highly desired chippy look
Learn when to apply the crackle medium
Learn how to apply antiquing wax as a topcoat

Abusson Blue, Shutter Gray, Ironstone, Egyptian Gold - French sideboardTwo-tone & Distressing with Milk Paint $50

Thursday, May 2nd 10am-12pm

How do you layer milk paint for an authentically aged finish?

Learn tips and tricks for creating two-toned pieces
Even learn how to effectively use milk paint with chalk paint
Learn distressing techniques and how to get a smooth topcoat

another mantel to scape

Yes, you heard right.  There is another mantel in my life.  No, I’m not cheating on my first mantel.

art deco coastal mantel

I firmly believe you can never have too many mantels.  And you don’t need a fireplace to go with said mantel.  A really great mantel will add character and speak for itself.  Like this art deco one that I alluded to on Monday.  Check out the lines.  And the subtly distressed wood.  Love the imperfections.

art deco coastal mantel

As promised, beside the mantel sits my new favorite mid-century tweed swivel chair with brass tips.  And a box of driftwood for good measure.

mid-century tweed swivel chair

This vintage/coastal vignette is the new focal point of our beach house living room.  As our home should, it feels like the perfect mix of both Ryan and me.

vintage coastal living room/mantel vignette

This room is large in scale and was in dire need of further updating to get to this point.

Here’s the back story and before shot.

I’ll be honest, I had a mini-bridezilla moment a few months ago when I realized Ryan would be getting ready here for our wedding which means photographers would be set up in THIS ROOM!  It wasn’t ready!  This is what the furnished space originally looked like when we moved in 3 years ago…

living room before

It is like a time warp of someone’s grandmother’s house in 1992.  I began tearing down the thick vinyl wallpaper about 2 days in.  I couldn’t take it.  We did however embrace all of the wood trim.  I know most people would have walked in and painted everything white and called it a beach cottage.  We are going for a “rustic boathouse” look in this bungalow hence natural woods, brass, blues & greens.

D for drywall & dana

After removing the wallpaper, we painted (and discovered a hidden D!).  I believe the blue we chose is called January Frost by Valspar.

painting

And from there, we just moved those hideous couches back in their places and went to the beach for the next couple of years I suppose.  Slowly the side tables and things got changed out but the couches stuck around for far too long.  Ryan tried to convince me that they were vintage but they weren’t what I had in mind and we both agreed that they were very uncomfortable.  Last fall we found a comfy sectional for the space and then things really started to evolve around it.

coastal cottage living room

A lantern turned lamp with a modern shade got added to the mix.

vintage lantern turned lamp

Green shutters from Phantastic Phinds flank either side of the window.  There are lots of aqua touches throughout the room.  I will share the other half of the space in the near future.

art deco beach house mantel

I found this cage 2 summers ago and turned it into a coffee table with casters and a piece of glass.  It houses an anchor and other rotating coastal treasures.

vintage cage turned coffee table

Let’s get back to the mantel though.  The inaugural coastal mantelscape is a bit monochromatic.  I already have some plans to brighten it up for spring but let’s review…

vintage ship wheel

I found that large picture at a consignment shop a few years back.  It is actually a woodburning of a lighthouse scene.

lighthouse woodburning

The vintage bookends are new to us.  We seem to be collecting ship captains around here like our Gorton’s Fisherman painting that now hangs across the room.  And the old man Ryan needlepoint.  I love them all!

fisherman bookends

But doesn’t it look like this captain is wearing lipstick?  Hey, whatever floats your boat! Ha, get it? Boat.  Captain.  Ok…

ship captain bookend

That wraps up where we are with this space at the moment.  More to come I’m sure!  I am already looking for an updated lamp shade for the ship wheel sconce on the left that I purchased from another vendor at West End Garage.

art deco coastal mantel

What’s currently on your mantel?

Linking to:

on a makeover bender

You know that David Bowie song “Ch-Ch-Changes”?  Well that tune is sort of playing in my head as I write this post.  I’ve been on a bender lately. Re-doing every room in the house.  Re-doing this website.  Makeover city.  I just want to change it all!  What do you think of the new look here at circadee.com?

The scariest part of the bender has been the furniture buying part.  I can not stop.  I know I have a problem.  Admitting it is half the battle, right?  That’s what I told Ryan when I brought the last chair home.

So you might be thinking that this doesn’t sound like a problem for a vintage dealer.  Buying is part of selling.  And you are correct.  Absolutely.  However, I want to KEEP every chair I have bought.  I want to re-do every room in my house around these vintage finds.  Basically I am just shopping which is different than buying in my book.  It is a fine line.

See where does the problem come in?  I am losing sleep thinking about ch-ch-changes I can make around here.  Ryan is pretty much ready to have me committed.

I think the tip of the iceberg was when I convinced him that his coveted overstuffed 90s big red recliner sofa had to go.  I am so over that glorified lazy boy taunting me in the living room.  The color is so wrong especially since we updated our dining room.  Domino effect.  You know how it goes.  Being the doll that he is, Ryan agreed that we had a good run with that free sofa.  He suggested buying a brand new couch.  I don’t really do brand new.  I do vintage.  You know that.  So I pinned away.  Mid-century sofas yes.  Then I cruised craigslist at a rapid pace.

Ultimately I found a brown velour, long and lean luscious mid-century sofa.  No it’s not tufted, darn, but it was a steal so I jumped on it.  I had originally spied it at the thrift store weeks prior and when I went back post the conversation about big red’s demise, I was shocked to see that it was still there.  I took that as a sign that it is meant to be.  Maybe it was a sign that everyone else thought it was hideous.  Not me.  After dragging it into the sunroom in the dark and snow Ryan decided he wasn’t a fan.  Shocker.  It is currently getting shampooed.  I may love old but I’m a actually a bit of a germaphobe too.

brown velour sofa

The very next day after the dragging through the snow incident, I followed up on a craigslist ad.  The seller had not one but two highly desirable and cheaply priced chairs.  Omg.  I told myself and the seller that I was mostly just interested in the roller office chair she had listed.  Because I actually sold my last one right out from under me.  True story but I didn’t tell her that part.

We arranged a time for pickup.  I told her I would like to take a look at her midcentury side chair as well while I was there but I was definitely interested in the wheely office number.  Yes I was!

A few hours later, Wilson and I arrived to take a look.  I instantly fell in love with the midcentury side chair.  “Where is the office chair?”,  I asked.  Oh she sold it early that morning.  My chair!  Sold.  Who does that?  I agreed to buy it.  Well I drove the 40+ miles round trip for that darn office chair and, Wilson is my witness, I would not leave there empty handed.  So of course I bought the midcentury chair.  I’ll show that seller!  Hmmph.

mid-century chair

I took my new treasure home because of course I have just the thing to go with it.  A fabulous art deco mantel that was sitting in my garage at the time.  They will look great together…in there.  Well they’ll seriously look great together just as soon as they get settled into the new and improved living room at the beach house.  Pictures coming soon…

That mantel, by the way, was another one I thought long and hard about after I spied it at one of my favorite antique stores.  When I went back a few weeks later it was still there.  Fate I tell you.  Garage door swings open.  Mantel goes in with the stash.

art deco mantel

Speaking of the stash, I have been housing a great big French provincial china cabinet for longer than I’d like to admit.  I want to paint it.  I have so many ideas for the color combo but the fact is 9 months have passed and I need to move on.  I am considering selling it unfinished because who knows when I will get to it.  Want to DIY it?  If you’re local email me and you can buy it as is or it can be custom painted just for you.  Here it is…

French provincial china cabinet

In the midst of this furniture bender, I briefly considered getting a storage unit to house my treasures.  I quickly realized how ridiculous that was and instead sent an S.O.S. to my brother and sister-in-law, new home owners, to see what they might want to take off my hands.

Tell me I’m not alone.  Is your partner entirely over your hoarding and constant redecorating?  But more importantly, how much do you love my newly acquired pieces and the new site design?