Garden and Easel Art Studio

Sometimes my job is to find new uses for old things...like this vintage Stromberg-Carlson record player and radio console.  I found this partially gutted cabinet hidden in the corner of thrift store in Cookeville, Tennessee, and I couldn't wait to get it home and give it a new identity as a wine bar.  Presto! Cumberland Gold from our local Stonehaus Winery Built in the 1950's at the end of the radio boom, this piece was a high end purchase for any home. The early advertisements worked hard at getting wives to talk their husbands into buying one.  The inside originally looked like this:  Mine looks like this: Video killed the radio star  I built an extra shelf  where the speaker used to be. The inside is painted a raspberry wine color Before and After The perfect little wine bar. Painted light gray with slightly distressed edges, and sealed with wax for everyday use ...

This Tennessee landlocked gal has gone coastal!  Inspired by the colors of the coast, the beach, the sea, sand and salt,  I have painted a hutch destined for a beach cottage or any  coastal inspired room.  Don’t grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach. ~Michelle Held This hutch was begging to be painted.   2 Coats of Valspar paint in Ultra White Some Light Sanding Taping off to paint the stripes Beach Colors! I mixed my own colors using mostly white to keep the values light The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.  ~Jacques Cousteau This photo, taken in the early morning light, reminds me of the sunrise at the beach. Sigh! Nothing says beach like a gigantic conch. This one is from the Bahamas.  The sea! the sea! the open sea!, The blue, the fresh, the ever free!  ~Bryan W. Procter ...

There's nothing more rewarding than rescuing an old piece of furniture from obscurity and giving it a new life. And that's exactly what I did with this 1930's dresser and its gorgeous etched mirrors.  Cracked and peeling veneer, a scratched top, and missing pieces were no match for the vision I had for this beautiful piece of furniture. Removing the cracked veneer with a putty knife and scraper I used a long plank and wood glue to glue the veneer back down on the top.  Plaster of Paris makes it easy to sculpt missing decorative pieces. Voila! After a light sanding and good cleaning with tsp (trisodium phosphate), I started painting The first coat of paint Two coats of paint and the beginning of the accent colors The base coats are Valspar Paint and Primer in flat Ultra White. The accent colors were based on  the Valspar colors Morning Glow and Strawberry Malt

Read how I salvaged this Duncan Phyfe style drop leaf table and gave it new life.   Before I began this project, I knew very little about Mr. Duncan P hyfe or how he immigrated to America with his mother from "the tiny hamlet of Loch Fannich about 30 miles northwest of Inverness", Scotland. Outlander fans will appreciate his Scottish heritage .  He was only 16 when he got an apprentice job with a New York cabinetmaker.  Here he learned and perfected his craft and eventually went on to become one of the most famous furniture makers in New York and America. You can learn more about Duncan Phyfe  here . I wonder if he had red hair? Stored away for decades and slightly damaged from a house fire, the first step in bringing this beautiful table back to life was a good cleaning with tsp (trisodium phosphate), then repairing the veneer that had starting peeling from the top and underneath. This was nothing a little wood glue, a thin plank and some clamp...