Executively Executed

 What do you think of when you hear the words "polished", "mahogany", and "brass"? You can almost smell the cigar smoke from here, right? It's such a manly, sight this desk:

It would be right at home in a high level executive's manly-man den, wouldn't it? I'm sure that man would have a better word for his private office, and there would be no need for a sign on the door that says "Men Only" because no woman in her romantic heart of hearts would want to enter! Unless, of course, there is some primping involved with some CeCe Caldwell's paint!  

Painted by the Über talented Pam Lawrence!

Now this is a desk I could fall in love with! All it took was some Seattle Mist paint on the drawers, top and sides, some (less than 1/4th of the can!) Vintage White on the trim and the brass drop pulls (that's riiiightt--just paint right over that glaring yellow metal!).  Cece's Satin Finish was used for a protective-sheeny finish.  To tell you the truth, it had me when I saw all those fabulous drawers!

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A Tale of Two Sitties

Once upon a time, in the land of My Inventory is Low At Room With A Past, there was great flurry hovering around consignor Pam Lawrence. Pam was a happy and energetic woman, but when faced with the great luck of being a consignor whose inventory was dwindling down to the bare walls in the middle of the busy December sale, she became flustered and worried. "What will I do when there is nothing left for my lovely customers to purchase?" she nervously wondered. Luckily, Pam remembered "The Twins" she had ferreted away for just such a time.

"The Twins" came to Pam as unwanted, under-loved and most certainly dingy, but sweet orphans, swathed in a raggedy stained cloth.  "Please madam, may I have some love?" they groveled at her feet. Pam scooped them up and took them home, giving them a warm storage room in which to stay.  Time passed as Pam began working on her other projects that came first on the list; a dresser, a china cabinet and a dining table and chairs. One after the other, the twins saw them being transformed under her hands and moved out of storage, into Room With A Past,  looking quite fabulous. 
 

Then one day, Pam (having run out of things to sell in her space at Room With A Past) rushed into her storage room with a can of CeCe Caldwell's Vintage White & a paint brush in one hand, and some new fabric & staple gun in the other. A calm, but determined look was on her face as she feverishly worked away on the two chairs. In no time at all, the chairs were transformed from "Dingy" to "To Die For"!

"Look at me, look at me!" the two chairs exclaimed after their paint had dried and clear wax was being applied. "I'm a whole new chair!".  Pam hooked her arms through the frame of each chair and off to the store they went!

They each were staged in Pam's space and in no time at all (about a half hour, actually!) both chairs were snapped up by their new owner, and they all headed home together. It just goes to show, if you have a can of CeCe on hand, you've got the power to transform your world!

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Sittin' Pretty, Pretty Quick

It's the holidays and we're all rushing around with plans swirling around in our heads and sore & tired tootsies. Have a seat? Don't mind if I do! But um, eeww! Let's see if there's anything we can do about freshening up a little bit around here before the guests arrive:

It's a good enough looking chair to behold, to be sure, but that old dingy fabric with the spots and stains has got to go!  What's a quick remedy? 

Q: how about a store bought slipcover? 
A: besides requiring one more trip through the cross town traffic, they never really fit right!

Q: how about we just PAINT IT?
A: sure, in a perfect world, it would be that easy!

Enter the perfect paint for the job:

Seriously? Seriously! Get out your CeCe Caldwell Paint of choice and go to town on that chair. Even the fabric? Yes, especially that fabric! When it's all dry, follow up with the Satin Finish. And. You're. Done.

Pam Lawrence and CeCe to the rescue!

You've got a durable finish on a cute new place to sit. Now if finding the perfect Christmas gift for my mother was that easy, I'd be one happy woman!

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Light Up Your Life

I love this idea shared by my cohort at both Room With A Past and Paris Flea Market, Pam Lawrence.


It's a very old light sconce made of brass,  now tarnished. Yes, it looks just fabulous as is with its darling angels and faceted crystals hanging from the bobeches, doesn't it?

But if your taste is more sweet, rather than grand, why not change your fixtures to match? Pam used a little CeCe Caldwell Vintage White paint on a cheapo brush, and just dry brushed lightly over all that wonderful detail, making it really pop!

 

Even this little guy loves the way it turned out! But the best thing about this simple project? Pam didn't use any wax (because the fixture is up on a wall--who's going to be touching it?) and if she ever decides to go back to the tarnished brass finish--she can! Just a few swipes with a damp cloth will take off the chalk & clay based paint!

I hope I've enlightened you (oh, how corny!) on yet another way to transform old into new!

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Clearly, A Beauty!

What do you do when you acquire a breakfront with potential but don't want to break the bank to update it? You pop open a quart of Vintage White (it's like looking at melted vanilla ice cream in there!) by CeCe Caldwell, lay a drop cloth on the living room carpet (it's TOO COLD to paint outside today!) and get to it!

Can you stand the curvy legs on this piece? There's a lot of surface area to paint but at least it won't be smelly when you use this kind of paint indoors!

Start on the inside by removing the wood shelves, and using a stiff brush into all the inside corners, then you can roll on the flat surfaces if you prefer. Starting on the outside; remove the door handle, and DO NOT WORRY about getting this paint on the glass. (Painter's tape? We don't need no stinkin' painter's tape!). When your project is dry, you can use a damp, lint-free cloth wrapped around your finger, to rub off any paint that might have gotten on the glass. If you have unusually large fingers, use a pop cycle stick!

Painted by Pam Lawrence

All in a day's work! This took about an hour and a half to paint and when it was dry, a pretty small amount of distressing on the detailed carvings was done. It was followed by a CeCe Caldwell's Clear Wax massage (oh la la!) to seal and protect for a long, long time!

It's A Frame Up!

I can't wait to show you this project sent in to me by a customer, Nina Phillips, at Paris Flea Market Livermore, CA. She took one of the monthly CeCe Caldwell Paint classes offered at the store. She learned the basics on using the paint, waxes and satin finish, plus applications on how to layer and distress!

Here's what Nina tackled at home after buying some Omaha Ocher paint from the Paris Flea Market:

It's a Sirocco type framed mirror--you know the sort of gaudy gold, plastic/resin material that most often has very gorgeous and intricate details? If only there were a way, somehow, to make it a bit more, palatable for it to fit in with a French romantic styled home?? Hmm??? DUH (hit's self on forehead!) there is, of course, and Nina (a self-proclaimed novice painter) happily figured out how easy it was!

 

She started by brushing and dabbing the Omaha Ochre into the swirly details and let it dry. Then she returned once again with Virginia Chestnut and a light touch to achieve a perfectly lightly distressed finish.

Pretty cool huh? It was so easy, Nina says, that she's already got plans for her next project: a bombe chest! She does leave us with one caveat on a slight problem she has with CeCe Caldwell's Paints: choosing which of the 36 colors to use! 

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A Modern Day Fairytale

We have the nicest, most fabulous customers at both Paris Flea Market and Room With A Past.  And when you combine one of those fabulous customers with one can of fabulous paint, you have a real story to tell! Let's all open our books to page "Can this dresser be saved?" and follow along.

Once upon a time there was a woman named Dana Dudley. She inherited a beautiful dresser that her mother bought in San Francisco in the 1960's. Over the next 40 years it was used by her sister and then finally her brother, who basically destroyed it! When Dana recently helped her brother move, she rescued it and stored it in her garage, where it sat for over a year.

Before

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.....The drawer that is missing in the before picture still

had the front so her husband, who likes to do carpentry work, made a new drawer

and used the old front.   

Dana used CeCe' Caldwell's Simply White and finished with the Clear Wax. New white

glass knobs gave it the more modern look she desired. She is giving her re-loved 

dresser a place of honor in the room that her 7 year-old granddaughter uses when

she comes for visits. 

The Happily Ever AFTER!

This was Dana's very first try at painting a piece of furniture and it was very easy.  She
likes that the paint has no odor and went on so well.  She plans to use CeCe's paint again for some other pieces she has, and will try some of the other colors next time.  

Thus ends the story of Dana and The Dresser, but the tale of happily-ever-afters will always continue as long as there is a quart of CeCe Caldwell's Paint on the shelf!

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Are You Being Served?

Have you ever stood next to a piece of furniture and felt like it was a big strong handsome man?? OK, maybe that's just my odd love of inanimate objects talking, but you know what I mean, right? There's just something about furniture that's bigger than I am! And again, versatility in furniture is always a big plus. Look at this hunk of gorgeous wood:

Hey sailor!

It's like a sampler of what can be decoratively accomplished! It's got fantastic turned legs, a lower cut-work pediment, applied rope trim and carved notch borders. What's missing is some knobs and pulls, plus the desire to bring it home to meet the parents! If I were to guess at its personality, I'd have to say it's a bit boorish and stuffy! BUT, let's hook it up with some CeCe Caldwell's Vintage White paint and see what happens:

My new beau!

What a change! And speaking of change, can you imagine this in a baby's room as a changing table? Last month at Paris Flea Market, a customer bought one of the huge buffets to do just that!I think it would be great as a media center or as a credenza in a home office too. One piece of furniture that serves many a purpose! Love it!

Goldilocks And The Shades Of Gray

We all know the age-old story of Goldilocks; a story involving getting lost in the forest, and bears. But this story of Goldilocks starts out a little differently. This is the story of an un-bear-able color that gets lost in time! "Someones been painting my furniture with stuff left over from the 1970's and they messed it aaalllllll up!" This dresser's tale of woe started out with a golden antiqued & glazed ochre finish. Poor little Goldilocks...

I feel so LOST!

Lucky for her, there is such a thing as a modern day makeover! A trip to Room With A Past to buy some CeCe Caldwell's Paint, and we're ready to write a happy ending for this sad, sad fable. Putting brush to wood, a new chapter in our heroin's life begins:

I feel so much better!

Pittsburgh Gray was rolled right over that out of date finish, followed by some Clear Wax for a lasting protective shell. Then, to add some sparkle just like diamond earrings, we added some glass knobs. It's a storybook ending to what could have been a scary story. Oh? And what of it's fate? It was purchased at the Room With A Past October opening, by a very happy customer ... and they lived happily ever after!