My Auction Score!!!

Before I continue with Kris's house, I would like to digress and reveal another furniture project I finished this past fall.

Every month or so, Kris (my bidness partner) and I hit a local auction.

We go to the preview and look at all the stuff,

then meet in a corner and 

(shush)...whisper...(shush)

in great excitement!!!!! 

about how we want to bid on things.

We are always afraid that someone else will see the potential in what we want.

This past autumn, we found this lot.....

All four pieces were being sold as one lot.

I loved EVERYTHING!!!!!

Kris, not so much.

Kris wasn't alone, as 

No one bid against us!!!!

NO ONE!!!!

I thought the painting was da bomb!!!!!

Kris, not so much.....

I didn't care, all I needed her for was her car and her strong back,

for helping me move this #$% stuff.

WELL!!!!

Amy, at Maison Decor agreed with me, and she loved the bed, chair and little table.

I figured I could upholster the chair and sell it in her shop.....

WELL!!!!!

She's already sold it, without me having to do 

nuthin'!!!

A guy bought it for his upholstery class.

Seeeee????

I'm not so crazy Kris, so there.

As for the little table, I asked Amy if she wanted me to clean it up, or repaint the top, as it was in pretty bad chippy condition.

Amy said.....

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!

So, she put it in her shop as it is, then she called me and said she wanted to try it in her living room......

So, she sent me this picture from her phone.....

She asked me what I thought.

I suggested putting a little footstool under it, and add some pillows.....

Sooooooo.....

Amy shopped in her house, and restaged the sofa and sent me this new picture.....

I think it looks

STUPENDOUS!!!

Sooooooo......

Now it's in her house......

SO THERE KRIS!!!!!

Two down, two to go!!!!!

The chest was really beat up.....

The top in particular.

These pieces were painted over gesso, so when the paint chipped, it really left a divot... 

Here's a shot of the chest,

 before I started working on it in my  basement workshop.....

The top was really shot to #$@

Now, this is the piece I fell in love with at the auction.

I just really like the shape of this chest.

Kris felt it was a train wreck and would be a bear to repair.

I was completely unfazed!!!!!

I am intrepid!!!!!

I am 

RE-INVENTOR  WOMAN!!!!

I also didn't realize that part of this was broken, but that comes a little later in my story.....

so keep reading.....

The first thing I did was get my Elmers wood putty to repair the large chips and gouges.

Then I sanded the putty..... 

Added some more and sanded some more, and filled in all the holes.... 

Then I painted it in Paris Grey Chalk Paint.....

And then I wondered why the drawers didn't fit properly any more.....

hummmmmmm......what's wrong, what's wrong?????

Oops!!!

They follow the shape of the chest, and were in the wrong order, what a fabulous piece of furniture!!!!!

Ok, that's better.

So at this point, I'm standing back and admiring how I am bringing new life to this chest, 

(and all the money I'll make selling it.....)

when I noticed that there was a broken piece on the bottom of the left side.

Now let me just say at this juncture...

I had repaired and painted this chest, and not noticed it.

I am blind.

I am blind.

I am blind.

How the hell was I going to get good money on a broken chest?????

I had two options:

Cut off the same piece on the right, or repair the left side......

Before I get to that, though, I kept painting the piece.....

I added Chalk Paint Old White detailing by striping the edges of the drawers and the top of the chest.....

I also painted the inside of the drawers, to make them clean and fresh....

Marion, of Miss Mustard Seed fame, had been writing about Frog tape, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I really liked it, it's sturdier than the blue tape. 

I freehanded the stripe on the top, though....

Then I did a little distressing around the key holes and drawers, letting the blue of the old paint show through....

At this point, it was time to tackle the broken bottom piece.

I got a piece of tracing paper, and traced the unbroken profile on the right side......

Then, I flipped it over and laid it on the broken part, and traced where the break line was.....

Then, I drew just the piece that was to be replaced.....

Then I took it to my good friends at Drape It, my drapery and upholstery workroom, and made asked Joe to cut the piece for me.

The two of us like to play on projects together, so even though he grumbled, he still helped me out.

We used a very expensive piece of scrap pine.....

all two inches of it....

form the trash....

Joe even drilled a hole in the piece for me, 

so I had a pilot hole for the finish nail I used 

(which he also gave me.....)

Then I took my little piece back to my workshop, and glued and nailed it in place.....

Then I added some wood putty to cover the crack where the seam was....

And then I sanded it down smooth....

And painted it.....

And hopped around the basement workshop, hugging my self in glee!!!!!

Then I waxed the damn thing.....

And was thoroughly impressed with 

MOI!!!!!

Now it's for sale in the Boston Design Center at 

Studio 534 

Here are a couple of shots of it in it's temporary home in the showroom....

So, here's a side by side of the before and after....

Can you tell I'm a proud DIY'er????

So, that's my post for today, 

which, if you noticed was late. 

I usually write on Thursday,

 but I am a blogger and a free spirit, and I do what I want, when I want.

I am a wild child.

I am a rebel.

I am full of #$%

on that note....

Latah, Gatah

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