Country Auctions

May 18, 2012 by Lydia · Leave a Comment

Oh My Gosh! Got up this morning to unload the truck and trailer. Wow, did we find some great treasures for the Maine Country Home last night. I guess the late night drive home made me forget how many cool things we found.

Yesterday, we went to a country auction and a discover auction. We found several great largest pieces, ranging from a perfect 18th Century pine dry sink, to an empire table which we have some very special plans to lighten and brighten.

But, we also found some unique smaller items like this darling little scale.

When I go to an auction, I have t lists. The first, is a list of big pieces I an looking for. These are pieces that I have ideas for repurposing and painting. The second list comes from looking at the auction preview online. When I look at the auction online, I decide what my limit is on each piece before I go to the preview. When I get to the preview, look carefully at each piece. Yesterday there were two step back cupboards in the auction listing that were very interesting. It turns out but they were both married pieces (tops and bottoms originally from different furniture), and not well done at that. There were other great pieces that I just didn’t see in the listing, a great bakers table and some great primitive cutting boards.

Once I see what I like, I set the maximum price in my mind and never ever go over it. Yes, you will miss some pieces, but… you will get some of your dream items. When the auction starts I stand in the back of the room, so I can see the others bidding. Some days we come home with lots of new treasures, and other time we come home with an empty trailers. But, every time we go to an auction there is always something unique to see or buy!

Filed Under: Antiques and Auctions Tagged With: country auctions

Rearrange Your Space

May 15, 2012 by Lydia · Leave a Comment

Spring cleaning is a major! It helps when you have the right tools. in our case vacuums. Over the years I have tried every brand available, except Oreck. One year, my husband bought me a shop vac, as a Valentine gift. (This year he bought me a stump grinder, go figure.)

One of the best vacuums we own, is a heavy duty rug cleaner. They are all wet vac’s in disguise, but when you have children and pets (five labradors in our case) they make cleaning a whole lot easier.

However, rug cleaning means moving the furniture off the rug, and there we get to the heart of this post. Every time the rug cleaning vacuum comes out, I inevitably end up rearranging the furniture.

This is the easiest way I know to fluff up a room since even the most simple change can make a room feel different. It almost always coincides with a seasonal change, such as winter to spring.

Our house has an open plan living and dining area. The living room end has a fireplace flanked by large book shelves. In the winter, the fire place is the focus, but in spring and summer our attention and lifestyle turns to the outdoors.

For this project, I just changed the focus of the room. First I centered the rug lengthwise and then moved the sofa and chairs off the rug to open up the space. Everything moved back away from the fireplace just a little so you look outside to the deck. Next, the largish antique side table was moved away from the wall, repositioning it as a sofa table. The final touch was to add the vintners table from the bed room.

To complete the look, we hung the summer curtains, and changed out the accessories. As I was flitting around my cleaning project, my neighbor, brought me two lovely gifts. She is a world class artistic potter and she gave me these two lovely ceramic bowls. There colors are perfect. The green blends in with the antique charts on the walls, and the beige one has this lovely shape. It will also be perfect with a fresh salad of mixed greens. Yum!Posted on Feathered Nest Friday

Filed Under: Antiques and Auctions, Repurposed Furniture Tagged With: Cottage Style, Home Decoration, Maine Country Home

Master Bed Room Make Over

May 14, 2012 by Lydia · Leave a Comment

Last week all my efforts went into my home. Despite the fact that house cleaning was the major project, it was a lot of fun to fuss with accessories, repurposing special gifts for a simple elegant effect.

The one project, that has been on my list, stared as a small make over our master bedroom. I was really just going to rearrange the furniture, yet, one corner was a little dark and heavy, and needed as little TLC.

For 30 years I have carted heavy mahogany furniture around from house to house. They were mostly bargain finds, some as far back as collage. Originally, they all had loving places in several period colonial homes. However, most of this furniture had long ago been relegated to guest rooms because at one point I had an 8 bedroom home.

Times change, and today we live in an open floor plan space with great light. Last year I painted this room green, since it always feels to me like this space is up in the trees like a bird house.

This makeover started as simply moving around the side tables. Originally there were two larger round tables used as side table. The antique vintners table on the right was moved into the living room and the other table (not really a table at all, just a glass top on board) to the other side of the bed. A smaller auction find table already painted, in linen and old white to added.

Projects have a way of growing, once I saw the little side table I knew I just had to paint the dresser to match. My girl friend Penny and I had it done in no time at all. The linen was two coats with a final light wash over the top, then a clear wax.

While it is hard to see in the picture, it is just a kiss of white in the final wash coat then light distressing.

I think the effect of the lighter furniture with just a little more space turned out delightful.It reminds me of beach sand and sea foam.

Filed Under: Repurposed Furniture

Fluff and Buff

May 13, 2012 by Lydia · Leave a Comment

Last week I got caught up in a massive project fluffing and buffing our house for summer tenants. Otherwise know as house cleaning! Like many people who live in travel destination we often rent our home for a summer rental. We have even done a rental exchange for vacation homes overseas. Which is a great way to keep your vacation costs under control. Here are my fluffing tips for rental or special guests.

Tip 1 – Clean, Clean, Clean. It is something that very few of us do often enough. But when you have rented your house, take the time to really scrub. Especially if you have pets rent a carpet washer and do the entire house. And don’t forget to clean your closets.

Tip 2- Spruce up your linen, clean sheets make a big impact! No one want your tire

d yellow pillow cases. I have tons of new rags for painting and waxing projects from this week, since it was my excuse to go through every bit of bed linen I own.

Tip 3 – Clean towels are obvious, but run out to a box store and buy a few cute hand and fingertip towels. They can add a finishing touch that says welcome.

Tip 4- Get rid of clutter. We all tend to have to many things on display. Take the time to declutter your home. Then add a few pillows or pretty pieces of pottery as a finishing touch.

Tip 5 – Once your clean, add a pretty bowl, with fresh sachet or flowers and add room freshener to your closets.

Your guests will thank you.

Of course, I decided that i needed to paint two pieces of furniture in the master bed room, so I took a little longer to finish my projects, because I kept adding to them!

Filed Under: Pillows and Soft Goods

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

May 8, 2012 by Lydia · Leave a Comment

What To Do With Boat Oars

There are plenty of boat oars for sale at flea markets and auctions. In fact, hunting around The Maine Country Barn last week I found a couple we already owned. For me the next step is usually to answer my husbands favorite question, “ What are you ever going to do with that?”

The web is a beautiful thing, just do a google image search and let your imagination run wild.

Today, my google quest was painted oars. Below are some of the ideas I found. I never copy ideas exactly rather I use the image search to push my imagination in new directions.

First, there was this great towel rack. Found on a delightful blog Cafe Chatelaine, writing about the Hidden Pond Cottages right here in Maine.

Then this set of painted oars from Completely Coastal.

Or this great hand painted lighthouse from Hales Hand Mades.

But the one that really caught my eye, was the day bed from Seabrook Classics. While this day bed is new furniture, I could not help but think that old oars painted with a deign would make a great DIY headboard. It would certainly fit in a country home or cottage.

You can bet that I will be bidding and bargaining on the next few sets of oars I find! Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Repurposed Furniture

What to do with an old box?

May 7, 2012 by Lydia · Leave a Comment

What to do with a box ! Well storage comes to mind. but storage can also be a display. Candles, flowers magazines, pictures and books are all things that can be out for display. Turn the box upside down and set a lamp on top. You can also use the box as a centerpiece. When you store fruit and seasonal vegetables, oranges, apples, pumpkins and squash you combine your storage needs with your centerpiece. It can be an edible and fun decoration that changes with the seasons.

Storage and the Maine Country Dog

This was a simple bargain find old wooden box, that I painted bright green, used clear wax and then dark wax. One of the reasons I used this box was to practice dark waxing and distressing. At first I only painted the sides but later decided to paint the bottom. That way I can turn it over to add height to other items being displayed.

Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Repurposed Furniture

A Day At the Beach

May 3, 2012 by Lydia ·

French Linen Dresser

A French Country Chic Dresser

Beige and white is one of my favorite color combinations. To me it has a feeling of a day at the beach combined with French Country style. I could do an entire house it this color scheme, if I didn’t have five dogs. Maybe I’ll do a guest room in this color scheme in a room in our new house.

For now we just have this cute little dresser.

This oak dresser started as a bargain find with good bones. It came from a discover auction. It was covered layers of old varnish that had crackled with age.

The first step, not one I usually take, was to strip it using a heat gun, and sand paper. Then I needed primer to get rid of the red bleed through. The dresser is painted with two coats of ASCP French Linen. I then washed the French Linen with Old White and finally over coated Old White on the top and side trim. The dressers was then lightly sanded and waxed with two coats of clear wax and buffed. New handles from Signature Hardware capped off the finished look.

It sounds like a lot of work but most of the time is waiting for paint to dry or wax to harden.

I was going to put this piece in the Maine Country Home, but my neighbors grabbed it before it could get out of the barn. Yahoo!

Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Repurposed Furniture Tagged With: Discover Auction, Maine Country Home

Not Everything Is Painted

May 3, 2012 by Lydia ·

Antiques add warmth and style

I love painted furniture, but I also love antiques. Whether it’s a treasured heirloom, or the item you couldn’t pass up at an auction antiques can be the focal point of any room.

Old wood has a special warm patina from years of exposure to air and sunlight. This can also include well built items made from old wood. Our dining room table in Maine is a picnic table made from antique wood. The recycling can often give you the look without the price tag.

When I’m shopping for Maine Country Home, I try, not always successfully, to strike a balance between antiques and bargain finds that I can repaint and repurpose. Recently we’ve found several great pieces that I wouldn’t dream of painting. An 18th century blanket chest with original paint, a fabulous desk, and a wonderful mechanics tools box.

Antiques often remind us of our youth and the special memories of family and friends at special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

You can add a great deal of style, and warmth to a room with antiques. Fortunately, for the budget savvy “less is best”. One or two pieces are much more effective than multiple items filling up the space.

Mix It Up

In my grandmothers day, the entire room was full of antiques, mostly heavy boring mahogany. The French love to bring outdoor furniture inside, so don’t be afraid to mix iron side tables with antiques. Of course, painted treasures can go side by side with antiques.

Don’t Delay

One mistake we have all made, is not buying something you absolutely love. Buy what you love, then find the perfect space for it. My husband and I found a great desk at an auction recently. To big for our current home, so I put it in our entry. Sitting at the auction he excitedly said “it’s EXACTLY like the one my father had when I was a kid.” How could anyone say no to that? Besides it turned out to be bargain!

Filed Under: Antiques and Auctions

The first painting…and waxing

May 2, 2012 by Lydia ·

Two months ago, I started on my first repainting project in many many years. I had a pair of oak side tables,- sturdy new furniture, just not my style. I was using them in one of my guest rooms in our Rhode Island home. The walls had been repainted, the pictures reframed new linen and a new rug installed all that was left was to fix the side table.

As I was planning the paint job, I discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. The colors I picked were Duck Egg Blue and Old White. I bought the paint, and the wax both dark and light. I bought two books and read both of them. I thought this would be easy!

Compass Rose on the Side Table

Well the painting part was easy. The paint is very easy to work with, it sticks to anything and with two coats on the tables, we were as good as gold! I added a compass rose stencil in a contrasting color for some interest and let the paint dry overnight! Now I was ready for my first waxing job;)

My first attempt at waxing was a comedy of errors. All of them my own fault. Yes, I had read the book, but clearly not very well! I put on heap of wax didn’t wipe off the excess well, and did not work the wax into the surface. The next day even though it was tacky I added dark wax. Oops, now all I had was a dirty green blue blob. Not at all what I had in mind.

From the internet I learned that I could use the clear wax to remove the dark wax. Yep, that works well but boy did I use a lot of clear wax! In fact, the dark wax was just not the look I was aiming for. In the end I repainted the piece and took more time to learn how to wax.

The Guest Room

The second attempts worked out great. I started with one clear coat fully rubbed in. I followed this 24 hours later with a second coat, and 24 hours after that a buff. The side tables turned out perfect, and were the first pieces to sell at the Maine Country Home.

Next week I am going to summarize, all the great links that are out there on the web on HOW TO WAX CORRECTLY!

Filed Under: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I Love Shopping

April 30, 2012 by Lydia ·

I love shopping! Always have and always will. And yep, I love a bargain.

One of my favorite shopping spots is Farrin Country Auction. The family is great, the auctions lively and the furniture finds and decorative items unique and well priced. Three weeks ago we found a fabulous 18th century rocking horse including a full hide to cover it with!

But the best part of the auctions is the discovery pre-auction. The pre auction is a free-for-all with buyers crowding in, limited visibility, but great prices. I have made some funny mistakes,I once bought 14 chairs for $14 dollars and could not make one whole chair out of the lot. My husband was funny suggesting we needed kindling. But….most of the time I come home with some GREAT BARGINS.

Last Wednesday I found four great pieces and some more really fun tool boxes.

So for now the barn is full with new projects waiting for my attention.

Yep, I do love shopping.

Filed Under: Antiques and Auctions, Repurposed Furniture

Maine Country Home