Remodel Updates and Tea

I am excited to share with you a few updates on remodeling my house.  I have focused on the dinning room so far, and I am thrilled with the progress!

I recently have decided I am a friend of thrift stores!  I have always thought the only way I was going to find any pretty vintage things was flea markets.  BUT surprisingly that is not always true!  I found this big mirror for $5 at an old consignment furniture store.  You can really see the detail of the mirror in some of the other photos.  This cabinet was wood.  I painted it white and added glass knobs I found on ebay for $1.99 with low shipping both with shipping cost me $5.  The handle I got at a shop in town that was going out of business.  It was $2.50.  I got the stand at the same shop for $10.  It is new not vintage, but has lovely scallop and rose detail on it and I love it.

So here it is so far.  A work in progress, but the puzzle pieces are coming into place for sure.  I was so happy I was actually able to get a photo without it being BLACK in there!  If you remember my first post HERE, I was so excited to start I did not really take a before photo.  But I did find this old photo with the dinning room in the background.

Sorry about the mess lol.  But you can see I had a country apple theme and it was just so dark!  The windows had darker curtains.  I shared in the last post the bottles I painted that are now over the windows.  My husband has said a few things are off limits. They have surely been challenges to overcome.  He won't let me take the blinds out, I can't paint the moldings around the windows, I can't paint the green cabinets and then there is "the cabinet".

I am not allowed painting, putting backing, sanding, etc. to "The Cabinet".  It was a piece passed down that was made for his grandmother by his dad.  The color of the wood is a little harsh, and the hardware is really strong.  I would love to paint it, change the hardware, add a decorative accent to the top, and put chicken wire in where the glass is, BUT NOPE off limits!

It was really hard to try and figure out what I could do to it to soften the feel a little and help it blend better with the surrounding decor.  So this is what I did.  I added lace pieces on the shelve and let them spill over a little. 

 

I tried to tack some lace pieces also in the back on the top shelf and added pearls and vintage buttons to try to lighten the harsh wood.  I also added a few of my china pieces I have gathered.

I am not 100% happy with it, and may redo it later, but for the mean time it will work, and is an improvement.

I also loved the look of layered mirrors I saw in this magazine (to the left).

(100 ideas Flea Market Style 2011)

So I added a couple mirrors on top of "The Cabinet" angled toward the ceiling.  I loved how they reflected the white from the ceiling and helps bring more white color to the dinning room.  I found the back mirror for $1 at Habitat for Humanity, and the one in front was $4 at a thrift store and I painted it white.

I also finally had a spot to display this lovely large cake stand I won at the Paris Sale last November.  I put a couple of tarnished silver pieces in the center in a variety of silver shades to try and tie in a little of the tarnished silver from "The cabinet" that my husband inherited.

And now that the light is better, here is a better look at my table I painted (above).

This is a before picture of our coffee table.

And here is the after picture.  I painted it white, and added different cream and brown colors over top.  I also added the accent pieces.  I love how it turned out!

While searching for treasures for the house, I stumbled upon this darling little white teapot at a thrift store.  It came with 3 pieces and the lady sold it to me for $3.  There where just two little chips on the lid I noticed, and I think the lid to the sugar bowl is missing, but it's so darn cute I did not mind at all!

I also found a box of Myott Staffordshire Ware "Forget Me Not" dishes in a box at one of the thrift shops.  There where a set of 3 dinner plates, small bread plate, bowl, teacup and saucers.  I asked the lady how much and she said $7!  There was some crazing, and one plate had a chip and stain, but the other two dinner plates had no crazing, and despite that I LOVE THEM!  I have always enjoyed imperfect things and I actually like the crazing.  I think it is neat!  The silver teapot I got for like $5.

So with my new love for tea, and new found teapots, I was so excited to have tea with Molly this week!  She was coming over to create a sample for the Jolie a' Paris party she is hosting in July for the Pretty and Vintage Things meetup group.  So tea worked out lovely!

I had Vanilla Carmel and Strawberry Pomegranate tea.  It was so good!  It was so lovely to have a light dinning room to get photos!

The little ones where so sweet and watches a movie while we created.  Yes this brown chair is surely on my list to fix up! lol

Dylan has not been himself lately, and he was suppose to be in school, but I kept him home.  It was nice to see he perked up a little with his good friend Lilly over!  He came out while we where creating and said "Birthday Hat!" He held the cone on this head and sang "happy BirfDay to you" for us.  It was so cute!

We where making Tussie mussie's.  I was a little slow!  Molly made two and I have not even finished my first one lol.  I made the one to the right, and she made the two pretty ones to the left.

Her cones where so lovely I had to get a few photo's of them!

It was so nice to have decent lighting and a different spot to take photos!

For the moment the paint is away!  Four days of it wore me out.  So I need a little break, then maybe I will work on the living room, or maybe my craft attic room, who knows.

I am so thankful for your visit!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Comments

[stefanie]

its looking so good, it it hard sometimes when you have to keep some things, but it is looking great!

[ann divelbiss]

looks lovely! I can certainly understand why your husband doesn't want to change the cabinet..it's such a lovely story behind it and adds to the room with love put into it!!

[stevie]

You have such a lovely blog! Your dining room transformation is beautiful. You've really added a romantic touch to "the cabinet"! Beautiful tussie mussies. Have a lovely weekend!!!

[Rose McGuinn]

Your transformations of things really jazzes me! It gets the creative juices going.
At first, I had assumed you had replaced that table. I should have known better LOL.
It looks wonderful, as do all your little touches.
You know, I keep wondering if the husband in question couldn't be clinging to his past a bit oftener than is comfy for vous.
Men don't generally like changes to the home unless they think of it first LOL.
His cabinet is a nice one. I like your touches with white in and around it.
The weirdo in me likes to think up strange ideas once in a while. Like slip covering that cabinet hahaha.
Guess I'd better quit while I'm ahead, huh? ;)
Rose

[Jem]

I've got to say - there are few feelings more satisfying than doing a bit of a makeover to pieces that possibly weren't your favourites to begin with. White is such a calming, airy and positive shade and I find myself wanting to put it everywhere in my own home :-)

I love the way your table looked set for tea! :-)

Jem xXx

[Sea Witch]

Great post and I love what you did with your coffee table. Amazing how a little paint and a few accents can change the look completely around. Sea Witch

[Holly R. Moore]

Oh Cassandra I am loving your kitchen redo. Funny I have one of those little Forget me Not plates hanging on my wall. Lovely to see them all in your set up here. Thanks for sharing your transformation.

[Sonia]

The new do is amazing, I love the transformation. And you know even though "the cabinet" is not painted, it does not stand out since you have some much other pretty stuff to look at and I LOVE the coffee table. Real pretty!! Well done!! My dining room needs the same thing =)
Hugs!!
Sonia

[debi]

Oh, what a pretty post! Your dining room is so beautiful! Love the changes!

And the tussies are just so dreamy...love the soft colors.

[Erica]

Your makeover is BEAUTIFUL! What color did you use on the walls? I can understand your husband not wanting to change "the cabinet". Maybe soon he'll realize that the cabinet will shine better in your home if it matches your home's style. I do love how you styled it - the lace everywhere definitely helps soften it, and so do all of your collections. The wood of the cabinet helps blend your window trim with the room as well.
You've done a great job with the room. Now I want to spruce up my kitchen's sitting area...

[tara]

Hi Cassandra,just found your blog and it's sooooo pretty.I am now following along..xx