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 White is one of the most popular paint choices for painted furniture as it creates an atmosphere that is both soothing and tranquil. In particular, you are seeing a lot of French provincial furniture pieces beign done in white these days. White paint gives a fresh crisp new look to old and outdated furniture, transforming it into something modern and new with minimal expense. You can achieve a high-end designer look with simple white paint on a piece of furniture that you already own that needs a refreshing makeover. You don't need much experience with painting to achieve a professional painted look if you follow the simple steps I list below. In this article I spill my secrets from years of painting and transforming beautiful pieces of furniture with simple painted finishes. (Read more....)
  I have had a lot of fun over the years doing furniture makeovers, trying new paint techniques and giving old furniture an updated look. I love to paint because it allows me to experiment with faux techniques and it allows me to explore truly antique paint colors. I also enjoy the challenge of turning something dated into something beautiful. My husband says that it feeds my shopping habit while also allowing me to make a little bit of money on the side. I make over furniture as a hobby, and I try to focus on classic upscale styles such as Chippendale dressers, which I usually make over with simple black paint. However, I do also have a lot of fun with cottage furniture. But my absolute favorite style of furniture is French provincial furniture. Sadly, I rarely come across antique French furniture because those pieces are in such demand. But when I find a piece that is ready for a dramatic transformation it can be extremely exciting. (Read more....)
 French provincial furniture makeovers can be extremely fulfilling. Turning a rather plain piece of furniture into something spectacular can truly be a lot of fun. Some of my favorite french provincial furniture pieces are the marble-topped living room vintage sets. French provincial marble living tables consist basically of the base of the table which is made from wood, and a marble top which is inserted into the wood base. Many of the 1950's french provincial coffee tables and end tables were made with luxurious marble tops which even today is still a very expensive material many people still have to stretch their wallets for. Marble itself is an extravagant choice for counter tops in kitchens, but which is often bypassed because of its high cost. Marble is one of the most beautiful materials in the world, because of its complex patterns and deep colors. Marble comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. These vintage marble sets can be picked up for as little as $50 dollars a table which pales in comparison to the cost of purchasing the marble, then having it cut to fit a particular table, and then making the furniture. (Read more....)
 Gustavian antique furniture has been highly coveted ever since affluent decorating magazines such as Veranda started featuring Swedish furniture month after month as the new "luxury choice" for discerning decorators. Swedish furniture is a higher end alternative to normal white distressed furniture. Many Swedish antiques combine a twist of antique patina detail with paint hues which are layered on to give incredible depth to the appearance of the paint finish. If you have ever seen any of these pieces up close you know how absolutely exquisite they are. The most beautiful aspect to many of these genuine Swedish pieces are the exquisite layers of paint that give these painted pieces a multi-dimensional look. Many of these Swedish looks combine classic baroque and rococo designs with intricate gold details and impressive ornate furniture carvings. Many homeowners and decorators alike are turning towards the fresh look that only white can provide, but are looking for more detail than what basic white finishes typically provide. As this trend toward French and Swedish influences continues, vintage french provincial furniture has been bought up quickly at flea markets, antique stores, and through online classified listings in an effort to creating these impressive looks for less. (Read more....)
 French Provincial furniture is often very curvy and delicate that it is the perfect choice of furniture style to paint in a bright color. French nightstands, cabinets and dressers can often be found at very reasonable prices that it makes redecorating very affordable. Bright colors do make dramatic statements, and often become the focal point of any room making the room more designed and throught out. Accent furniture gives you the opportunity to change the look of your room without making a huge investment. Consider french provincial living room end tables, or french provincial tall bed side tables, as they are easy accessories that you can paint and then combine with throw pillows which easily tie in the bright colors. Living room end tables and coffee tables do not have to match the existing furniture, and they also can be easily be repainted months later with ease. (Read more....)
  French provincial furniture has caught popularity with designers and decorators as the new Tuscan looks sweep the magazines. More decorators are getting resourceful transforming old vintage pieces that have the charm of high end looks, into the expensive antiques they see in the designer show rooms. Black has always been one of the most popular choices of the past andof today because it is a color that works with every other color of the color wheel. Black and white will always open up your choices for your walls, and fabrics compared to other colors.
Perhaps you are an experienced painter, and have transformed hundreds of pieces; we would love for you to leave your insights into painting tricks and tips of the trade. If you are a new painter, I hope I can share some valuable tips that I have learned first hand over the years that I have painted furniture, and hopefully to encourage you in your next transformation of your plain dresser into something spectacular. (Read more....)
  Achieving the authentic feel of a period-styled room is usually accomplished by staging the right period furniture. With authentic or reproduction pieces your room can be transformed to a French cottage or a luxurious French chateau. Upholstery is usually the easiest ways of creating the mood in the room, and does push the envelope from a decorated room to a professionally designed room. French sofas are generally something you can find easily since many reproductions were made in the 1960's. There are so many designs, so pick one you absolutely love. French provincial sofas from the 1960's often featured satin fabrics, and a mix of baroque fabric, which are generally out of date, which means you will have to factor in upholstery costs. Your fabric alone can make your room signal an antique feel, or formal style, or relaxed family home, so your fabric consideration is very important when you want to make a statement. When considering fabric, limit your selections to upholstery fabric than curtain fabrics and so forth. Upholstering a chair or a couch alone can be a large job all on its own if you are doing it by yourself, and can be pretty costly, so be sure to pick a fabric that lasts long, and wears slowly over time. Picking a simple fabric with no design isn't a wise choice. A design of some sort will disguise age and daily wear and tear well as apposed to a solid fabric that shows where you have sit, and placed your head and hands. Consider silks only for chairs which are accents which are there for decoration only. Never use silks as dining room chairs as I did once. I upholstered 4 dining room chairs in a silk striped fabric, which took me long time to stuff, and stretch and staple, and finish with nail head trim, and one night I spilled water on the chair, and the fabric was ruined by the water mark. Often times, we don't understand some fabrics are dry clean only, which doesn't make any sense if you are considering them as upholstery fabrics. I came across this outstanding taffeta silk with Swedish colors in a checkerboard pattern which I fell in love with. Considering it for a pair of chairs, I decided I would wash it as it was vintage and smelled it's age. The colors ran in the wash and the fabric wouldn't press with an iron. It was permanently wavy. I was really disappointed to throw out the fabric, but thankful I didn't go to all the effort of upholstering, as eventually down the line it would have been ruined. Natural fabrics are the way to go. Velvets, and heavier fabrics will age well with the slight coffee spills over time. (Read more....)
  Interior designer Ruthie Sommers designed this one of a kind office for super maga star Drew Barrymore. “I’m not a paper pusher,” Barrymore says. “My goal is to be creative, which is why my work space is playful and full of images that are thought-provoking and inspire me.” “Drew decorates intuitively. She falls in love with individual pieces—and somehow they always end up working together,” says designer Ruthie Sommers. A linen-covered corkboard serves as a map of the actor-producer-director’s mind and inherently collage-y aesthetic. Drew's office is a mixture of her favorite things she says, and when it is all combined together, it just works!
Questions for Drew Barrymore - How did you connect with Ruthie? (Read more....)
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Contact Me 
With more than 50 Blogs, we can get busy to respond to comments. Email me your painting or french provincial questions, and I will be more than excited to answer you back by email. michaelandmeranda at g m a i l.com (No spaces. We try to eliminate Spam) Blessings! Meranda |
