Paint is part of accessorizing a bookcase

This wall mounted bookcase is in my guest bedroom. It’s from Elden Collections. I have always loved the architectual feeling it brought to the room. Since i just finished painting the room Ben Moore Adagio i decided to give the bookcase a facelift. Since the room is going in a shabby chic direction i went with Decorator’s White advance semi gloss. This is a fairly new trim paint from ben moore that is water base but it paints on like oil base…love it and the finished product!

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Taking Freight in the Pouring Rain

I have been in the new shop location now for one month and yesterday i received my first large freight order…in the pouring rain with nowhere to conveniently take delivery. I must say you can get pretty innovative when you have too. But i do miss the basement at my old location. Sigh…

The arched mirror above is one of the large mirrors that came yesterday…its very shabby chic and looks great in the Paris Boudoir.

This one i had stashed away but since we sold a piece of art…it got a chance to hang on the wall. What a crime that i didnt hang it sooner…

Here’s another one that is now unpacked and leaning on top of a beautiful habersham console. It’s one of my favorite mirrors.

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I went a little crazy with the distressing

well, i might be done…

I did really go crazy with the distressing…but i think i like it!

I used a little of the gilding wax on the hardware and on the drawer front.

You can never have too much gold!

Ooophs – i just couldn’t resist painting the insides of the drawers with Henrietta – Annie Sloan Chalk Paint -

its the sweetest lavendar!

I love the little Fleur de Lis detail smack in the middle…

every time i open this little drawer i know it will make me smile – yes! I am definitely done with this piece!

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It’s a Wine Cabinet Makeover

Remember that black wine cabinet that i posted…well the makeover is almost done!

First coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint…Louis Blue and Louis Blue mixed with Pure White.

I left the inside black….liking the contrast!

Later I’ll distress it…

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Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – the marathon continues

This little table had a dark wood top…it really had style with those cute legs so I decided to just paint the top with some Annie Sloan Pure White.

I left the legs the way they were – so here is the table with the Pure White on it.

Table with Annie Sloan Pure White top

I waxed it with the clear wax and then applied a little dark wax then distressed it.

Last i hit it with some of the gilding wax then distressed it some more…

Now it has a whole new life!

Love it!

Small Painted Table – Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint

I also worked on this standing mirror…it had a lot of “design” potential!

One of the reasons i selected this piece to paint was because of the beautiful wood carved crown at the top…

and the way this mirror resembled a “boiserie” panel…

The way i envisioned painting this piece i knew that its architecture would  be greatly enhanced by using two colors to create a contrast.

I knew that using an alternate color on the crown and on the inset panel would work beautifully

and that connecting them by hitting part of the molding with the contrast color would be very pleasing to the eye.

So, i decided to use Paris Grey and Pure White.

Here’s the crown with a little Paris Grey which i purposely slapped on so it didnt cover all the dark wood.

Later i put some Pure White sloppily over the Paris Grey – i didnt care about covering since i knew i would distress it heavily later.

Crown Top of Standing Mirror with Paris Grey coat of Annie Sloan Paint

Originally it was also part of my plan to highlight this piece with some gold wax accents.

  However, a customer came into the shop

while i was working on it and asked me not to put the gold on until she saw it finished with just the white and grey…

she thought it might work for her  just that way…so i will have to wait until tomorrow when she comes in to see whether it will go home with her sans gold wax..

Here it is BEFORE distressing…

Standing Mirror in Paris Grey and Pure White before distressing

I painted the body of the piece all Pure White then applied the Paris Grey over only the molding and on the inset.

I did that because i knew when i distressed it i would get the dark brown and the white thru the grey.

Annie Sloan Paint on Mirror before distressing

Here is the boiserie mirror after distressing…I am just dying to highlight it with gilding wax!

Standing Mirror wearing Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint

Here’s some close ups of the details of the newly antique mirror!

Standing Mirror Top Detail

Annie Sloan Paris Grey and Pure White

When i am painting i find myself working on a lot of projects at once…

if i have a can of paint open i generally use it on as many pieces as i can so i dont have to open/close the paint, clean the brush etc.

it may be that i am just lazy…. but i think its a good idea to use the paint on something else while the can is open…

so here’s a little mirror that i also worked on!

Oval Mirror Before Annie Sloan Pure White

This distressed mirror was a brownish/cordovan kind of a color with some gold in the corners.

I just went ahead and coated the whole frame with Annie Sloan Pure White, Clear waxed it, distressed it and then

hit it with some of the gilding wax.

Oval Mirror Annie Sloan Pure White Chaulk Paint

Here it is all done and ready for me to put in Little Paris so perfect for my shabby chic shop!

The Annie Sloan Chaulk Paint has been a pleasure to work with and i am loving

all the new decor created…a very good product for interior design!

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The Great Annie Sloan Paint Experiment

I decided to experiment with the Annie Sloan paints…

so i bought some Paris Grey and some Clear Wax and have been painting everything in sight for the last couple of days…

out in front of The Whistling Elk in the courtyard.

Round Table Painted with Annie Sloan Paint

This is actually a before shot….

The bottom legs/skirt etc has  been coated with Annie Sloan “Paris Grey” while the top has an old coat of a beige tone benjamin moore paint on it.

Originally this table had a dark stain on it.  It has been hanging around for a while and was pretty beat up.

When i selected it to experiment with i thought it might be fun because when distressed it would show the dark stain thru the beige…and the Paris Grey.

Annie Sloan Paint

I also selected this table because it has nice detail for painting.  The top has a raised pattern to it around the edges which

is separated from the center by two circular grooves which i plan to gild. And, the little finial

at the bottom of the leg stretchers is screaming out for gold…

So with my design plan in my head and the brush in my hand, the Annie Sloan paint went on easily and covered well…waxing was easy too.

Painted Table with Fleur de Lis

After sanding the table and distressing it to the level i desired i painted a fleur de lis on top with some antique gold paint i had around

and also put the gold in the round grooves and on the outer edges of the table.

Then i waxed it again…

The next day I sanded it down again, distressing the gold paint and the fleur de lis.

I sanded some spots down to the very dark stain but decided i didnt like what i had so repainted/waxed some spots and re-distressed.

I actually really like the soft beige coming thru the Paris Grey.

I also decided not to distress to strongly overall as i liked the softness of the look.  So, when i was satisfied with what i had i  waxed it one last time.  The next day i buffed it out.

Annie Sloan Paint – Table and Chairs

I had these two upholstered chairs so i painted and distressed the chair legs to go with the table!

It was easy – paint, wax, sand/distress, wax….Voila!

So Very, Very Shabby Chic and perfect for  Little Paris!!

Painted Table and chairs

here’s what the chair legs looked like before…

Annie Sloan paint on chair legs

So the bottom line is that i am enjoying the whole process and having lots of fun with the Annie Sloan Paints!

Stay tuned because i hateto waste time so have been painting on other little projects which are coming along…

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LoLLia…a personal inspiration for interior design

At The Whistling Elk we take our scent seriously…no…seriously!

We LOVE LoLLia

LoLLia Wish – Shea Butter Handcreme, Perfume, Candles, Shower Gel and Soap

And who wouldn’t…it fits with us perfectly…

the packaging is beautiful…

its brimming with  quality ingredients – like Shea Butter

and it is deliciously scented!

LoLLia Believe handcreme, soap, perfume

We showcase our LoLLia  products on an elegant Habersham Palais Dining Table

but it doesn’t matter where we put them – they still attract Attention…

The colors of the packaging are reminiscent of our Little Paris - very girly and shabby chic

with patterns, florals,  crystals and soft colors.

LoLLia Calm handcreme, bath gel, soap, perfume and candles

LoLLia fits with our sense of interior design – it will beautify your room decor,

sit on any vanity and elevate it and maybe even provide the  inspiration for a room do over with its color palette.

Our testers for the lotion are always crinkled up from being used and tested

and we like that!

These sad specimens are about to be retired…

But happily we’ve got more!

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Shabby Chic Sofa is sheer elegance

off white shabby chic sofa

Friday we got a new sofa for The Whistling Elk shop floor!

 Its very beautiful and comfortable and has that shabby chic appeal which means it also works for Little Paris.

It’s sheer elegance for your home!!

The main fabric is an off white and the decorative pillows have  embroidered designs in icey blue.

pillow with embroidered design shabby chic

It’s simple and elegant – just what i like for good interior design and will work in either a formal or informal room. Perfect!

I set it up in the back of the shop near the custom cabinetry and my favorite picture of an elegant lady – just love her.

shabby chic sofa and elegant lady print

The sofa is grouped with a gold chenille swivel chair from Hancock and Moore ….

sofa, chair, cocktail table

I love the way the mirrored cocktail table reflects all the color around it.  It adds a special elegance to the whole setting.

The sofa was worth waiting for….It was supposed to arrive around noon and instead showed up after 7:30 pm….

Sometimes in retail you have to have a very open schedule and be very, very patient!

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Little iron details

Gee, the fall has really crept up on me! 

 Today I am sitting here (feeling too lazy to do much)  and  my toes are cold!  I should probably move some furniture….but no instead i am thinking about the last few months and planning for the next few…

 and I realized that Little Paris

has been open over a month now and I havent posted a blog since it opened!

We are starting to get in all the fall goodies and holiday merchandise…the other day i unwrapped this little gem

 

 

It really is the little things…this simple scrolly iron ornament is great over a doorway or a bed.

  And, I love putting them over pictures too! 

 I particularly  love this one because it is only $39 and it’s like a fashion accessory – it will jazz up anything

 you put it with.   I always order a lot of them because it is so popular and i hate to be without it!

I love to paint them too – the one above comes in a rust but it would be pretty gilded.

This next one comes in white….shabby chic white…but i got the gold fever and gilded it!

It’s only $36 and that is a bargain for all the good looks you get out of it!

 

 

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I want to move into my little Paris Apartment…

The bedroom portion of the Paris Apartment room is almost complete.  I finished the window treatments last night. 

 The cornice box is made of cardboard and painted with a white texture paint.  I love the light feeling of this room!

These pastel vases are so pretty!

  I would love to put them on my vanity.

Compassion….

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