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! 

Join the party at:

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!

Follow these links for more happy endings!

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! 

 

Dress, White, Dress(er)

In the Navy, there is a saying: "Dress, White, Dress". Which can translate to the non-civilian as: "Follow the rule: pay attention to details to achieve the expected perfection".

This saying can just as easily be applied to using CeCe Caldwell's Paints! They are sooooo easy to use and the end product is always perfect--with one caveat: you don't always know  exactly what it will look like. Depending on what paint color you choose and how it's applied,  will give you a texture here, a deeper tone there, and that, my friend, what makes this paint so wonderful. 

Start with an appreciation for this dresser spied in a local charity shop:

It's got a lovely shape, sweet little feet and, (say it with me now...in 3, 2, 1...) great bones, to say nothing of the fabulous mirror! But let's not stop there. Let's do it one better and pull out some Vintage White and Clear Wax.

Painted by Pam Lawrence

Is it just me, or is this piece reminiscent of the scene in "An Officer and A Gentleman" that shows Richard Gere in his white uniform with brass buttons in full salute?? Makes you want to stand up a little taller and hug it at the same time, doesn't it?? Can you see the differences in the depth of the paint? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Perfection--achieved! It's also for sale starting tonight at 6 PM at Room With A Past in Walnut Creek, CA!

Versatiliy Is The Spice Of Life!

I'm a sucker for versatility. You know, how you can use one thing in different ways? Take this piece for instance:

The lovely "BEFORE"

Can you see past its chipped, "antiqued"and out-dated exterior? Can you see the matching mirror harp floating magically in the other junk that we all have in our garages? (TELL ME you have this float-sum in your garage too, please!!) It's a writing desk, it's a dressing table, it's SUPER SURFACE!!! Able to be used any darn way you see fit in your home! Don't you love the gams on it? Hubba, hubba!

The even more lovely "AFTER"! (Painted by Pam Lawrence)

Wow! Can you believe this is the same piece? But I have to let you in on a little secret. Yes, this piece was transformed with Cece Caldwell's Chalk & Clay based paint, BUT it wasn't straight out of the can--it was mixed with a few other colors of Cece's before being applied. Want to know the recipe?

1/2 cup (or 1 part) Simply White
1/2 cup (or 1 part) Seattle Mist
1/4 cup Smoky Mountain
1 Tbsp. Memphis Blue

The raised areas and the metal handles (that's right--just paint right over 'em!) were highlighted with Vintage White.  When all was dry, the Clear Wax was used to protect it.

Just like magic, huh? Check it out at Room With A Past October 18 - 21st.