Safari Cupboard

A non-traditional interpretation of a safari theme on a vintage cupboard using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and a............   Read More

Moroccan Stencil by Royal Design Studio

This small chest of drawers was painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® Henrietta. Using the Royal Design Studio........... Read More 

Inspired by Louis Vuitton

http://www.lesliestocker.com

Years ago I came across a Louis Vuitton trunk for sale in an antique store in Versailles, Kentucky. Even though I knew it was a once in a lifetime, great find, it was still way over my budget and I went home without it. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to collect a few treasured pieces of Louis Vuitton although nothing as wonderful as that trunk. I marvel at the design and craftsmanship that go into all of their pieces, truly works of art.

My post today is inspired by Louis Vuitton and the colors of his signature collection. Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® in Arles, part of the Indian Inlay Stencil from Cutting Edge, I painted a repeating, and alternating geometric pattern on this dark oak cabinet.  I love how the color and pattern highlight and contrast the traditional style and dark wood. A simple technique with very pleasing results.

A Supporting Role

This heavy old mirror was a dark walnut when I found it in at a flea market. Due to age, some of the silvering has worn away (most noticeable in the top left corner) and it has a wavy look you sometimes see in old glass. At first, before I painted it,  I used it as a tray on top of a table to add some light to a darker area of the room. It served well in that role for a few years.

I need something to fill a spot after some of my pictures that had been mounted with Command Strips, fell off the walls and broke (The walls had been freshly painted and I didn't want to put new nail holes in the wall.. Big Mistake!). Thus, the mirror lost its supporting role and needed refreshing with a coat of paint. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, Paris Grey for the first coat and followed with a wash of French Linen.  Graphite  and Old White were added by dry brushing for additional depth.

*If you would like more details on the process I used on the walls (Royal Designs Stencil and Chalk Paint), I posted about it here.

For more mirror projects see my posts, DIY Sunburst,  Sunburst Mirror Step by Step,  and Mirror Image

  

Paint and Pattern II

This is the same generic bow front chest from Wednesday's post. Again, some of the options involve paint and stencil, wallpaper, and decoupage. But you don't have to limit yourself to preprinted wallcoverings. Almost any high quality print image can be enlarged to suit your needs at a local copy shop. Many posters are large enough on their own.  The Chateau is from a wine label and the Babar image is from a children's book. Old books in general are a great source and are abundant for a fraction of their original price. Even if you can't bring yourself to tear apart an old book ( I never can), you can have the image scanned and enlarged. Remember these are virtual images created on my computer. This next step is to actually start working on that bow front chest in my garage. To be continued.....