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Bird in a Tree Dresser

Note: I originally saw this design on Pinterest and something like it at a local restaurant near our house. The pin I saw did not direct me to the originator so I didn’t know who to give credit to.  Thankfully, the original designer from Gypsy Barn reached out to me today, and I definitely want to give her credit.  You should check out her other stuff, it’s impressive!

Hi Everyone! Sorry for taking a little longer than I like to show you all the fun designs we’ve come up with. This one has to be one of my favorites, I know, I know, I say that alot!!
Here she is to begin with, a beautiful antique, but I wanted to do this design so badly so I went for it!

For the how to on painting see our post How to Paint Furniture.
We used a basic satin white Glidden paint and I’ve got to say that it sprayed well from our air sprayer when diluted.

Here she was after the primer and paint.

I just used a pencil and free handed a tree with a bird. The nice thing about a tree (in my opinion) is that it’s hard to do wrong. I had read about painting pens online and wanted to try it for this piece. I ran to Hobby Lobby.. with my 40% off coupon of course. :)  I used the largest tip I could find and it uses Acrylic paint.

I traced over where I had drawn it in pencil and had to do two coats to make sure it came out dark enough. It used one pen do the whole dresser.

I almost left it just like this, but I took a vote and everyone said I should distress it. Time to get my distressing on using 60 grit sand paper. After it was beat up, I sealed it with Polyacrilic.
Here she is all done and beautiful.

Our little guys picture of it! ;)

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Tuesday’s Treasures – Girl’s Dressers Makeover

I am so excited about this week’s Tuesday’s Treasures. Do I say that too often? Not only was this a really fun and different redesign, it went to an amazing couple and their two beautiful little girls. (Who both of my little ones got along with RIGHT away.) Thanks so much Bridget and Fred!

It all started from the color of their daughters comforter. They definitely wanted something full of color, unique and not too “matchy matchy”. Ready to see both of them??

Here’s what the first dresser started as:

This dresser was one that they already owned… it’s been in the family for years and was actually Bridget’s when she was a little girl. Oh, and to answer a question that I get almost weekly… yes, we will find a piece for you or redo a piece you already have. Just email me at sarah@funcycled.com and let me know what you would like. ;) I LOVE to creating custom furniture pieces.

I liked the shape and size, perfect for a little girls’ room and I couldn’t wait to add the color they had chosen. First, I sanded it lightly and prepped it for painting. It was a beautiful week weather wise so I decided to spray paint it instead of how we normally paint furniture (see How to Paint Furniture). I used the only aqua spray paint that I could find and it was by Valspar. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed at all. It kept shooting out green spots even though I shook it well before I started and shook it about every 2 minutes while painting. Here’s what I was up against.

I kept having to touch it up and pray that it wouldn’t come out green when I pressed the trigger. I wanted this piece to be bold so I went with hot pink spray paint for the handles.

Last but not least, I sealed it using lacquer. I used the lacquer in my barn with my barn door open and it was SO potent, I literally  felt like throwing up and passing out simultaneously. Beware! It gave a pretty good finish and didn’t yellow, but I would definitely be cautious doing it again.

OK, on to the 2nd dresser. Remember there were two!  ;) I have been DYING to do this tree and owl design I saw on the blog Never a Dull Day. I have to give credit where credit is due because if I had thought up this design, I would hope someone would give me the credit, too.

I painted this one normally with the steps we show on our page How to Paint Furniture. I used a mossy green color Behr paint in satin and it turned out really well.  I hand drew the tree and owl and used all of the colors in the girls’ bedspreads for the leaves. I wanted the colors from the other dresser to be brought in to the leaf colors as well, so I carefully matched the spray paints with the bedspread and then matched regular paints to the spray paint.

After I painted all the detailing with 2-3 coats, I added some dimension by using a black painters pen to outline everything (on the inside). Last but not least, I lacquered it!
Are you ready for some after shots?? I knew you were!

Side by side with the infamous comforter… and a surprise, a chalk board section for the girls to draw on the inside of the door!! Fun times!

 

Have a great week and happy redesigns,
Sarah

Remember… If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

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Tuesday’s Treasures – Vintage Teal Hutch and Red French Provincial Dresser

Hello Friends! This week’s Tuesday’s Treasures brings you another piece that went to my friend Tiffany… this baby was what started the entire process and led to Dining Room Chairs, that led to a Red Chandelier, that led to a vintage window turned photo frame, that led to an Eden Green Damask chair, that led to a Yellow Coffee Table.
Here’s the before and after for you.

I primed this hutch and painted it using Valspar’s Vintage Teal in satin. Please see our post on How To Paint Furniture for step by step instruction on how we paint. Tiffany and I went back and forth about different color teals, but finally landed on this one. I really, really, really love it!!! This is another piece I would have kept if I could. After I painted it (which took almost an entire gallon!!), I glazed it using Ebony stain by Minwax. I used all of the original hardware and spray painted it with primer and then painted it using a Rustoleum black spray paint. The finished product was simply breath taking….one more time, shall we?

Do you have an old hutch in your house (or garage) that’s making your space look dated or boring? We can custom paint it for you to make it the focal point of your room!! Remember my California Poppy Red Hutch?? It’s almost always the first thing people comment on when they walk into my house. I’m in LOVE with painted hutches.

One more quick look at another piece that went to Tiffany… this french provincial style dresser.

I know, it’s a horrible picture. ;) The top, like many of the french provincial style dressers, is a plastic material. I was leery of painting the top, but it came out surprisingly well.   Instead of just priming it with latex primer like I normally do, I spray painted the top with a primer that sticks to plastic. Then I primed it again with the a latex primer. I used the original drawer handles because I love their style, so I  just painted them white using white spray paint.
Here’s the after picture!

The only two things I want to bring to your attention about painting a dresser like this. It look about 4 coats of red to cover it properly. Also, because it’s a plastic material, it was very, very drip happy. I ended up getting a couple drips that I didn’t even see until I got it out to take pictures.  I’m the drip-watching queen so that made me a bit annoyed. Anyway… I still definitely like the look. Just a heads up for you if you try it yourself. :)

Have a great week and happy redesigns,
Sarah

Remember… If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

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Tuesday’s Treasures – It’s Country Time

Happy Tuesday, everyone!! We’ve had an awesome week thanks to the Anchor No. 5 debut, filling my friend Tiffany’s house with 12 transformed pieces and taking in lots of custom orders. Thanks everyone! I can’t thank you enough for your support and kindness to our family.

Let’s get going with this week’s Tuesday’s treasures! So many times people have come up to me and said, can you do country pieces? Why don’t you show the country furniture you’ve done? At last my friends, it’s time to show you some pieces that are more on the country side of things.

When you set out to create a country look for your living space, it can get confusing. Country can mean different things to different people. From English cottage to primitive farmhouse, country can be rustic or refined. It can even be modern, with some classic country flair.

More and more people are carving out their own country look by mixing and matching modern and traditional country elements. The result:  bolder rather than muted colors, checks and prints that you may be used to, paired with basic blacks, brilliants whites, fire engine reds, and mustard yellows creating eye-popping interest to wake up that distressed look with color. I really enjoy bringing that pop of bold color to the country pieces as well as keeping some of the more primitive country styles.

First up, this fun Antique Grain Cabinet!

Before:

We repainted this cabinet with yellow and then did a crackle black on top. The quick highlights of this pieces:
1) We had to saw off the back top to make it flush.
2) It didn’t have a front to the drawer so John used an old window that we had on hand to make the front of the drawer.
3) When the family who bought it came to pick it up, their children saw it in the barn from about 500 feet away and started laughing and yelling “there it is mommy!” Priceless!

Remember that mustard yellow I was talking about… that’s up next with this Mustard Chair.


This chair needed some repair when I bought it, but you know how we like to upcyle! :) The highlight of this piece… selling it to a wonderful, kind couple in the Bronx who walked to the Bronx zoo to meet us and carried it home from there. Thanks Rosie and Gordon!

Bright white, here we come with this Farm Style Country Coffee Table.

Here’s the before picture.


I painted this coffee table white, then I dry brush painted it with light grey, and distressed the whole thing. The highlight of this piece… delivering it today and seeing how it was the perfect fit and look for the living room of a newly purchased home. Super cute, Betsy!

Last but certainly not least, this little Country Chic Stand.

This one is for sale. See our For Sale page for the measurements and pricing.

Oh, and don’t judge me, but I don’t like country music. So, even if I’m painting these pieces, rest assured it’s not while listening to country music for inspiration. Ok, did I loose a ton of fans because of that statement. Sorry… just keeping it real. :)

Have a great week everyone!!

Happy Redesigns,
Sarah

PS- If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

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FunCycled Featured at Anchor No. 5 – August Items

Hi All! Thanks to Petra over at Anchor No. 5 Boutique in downtown Troy, we are now featuring new furniture pieces each month at her shop.  I thought it would be fun to post each month letting you know which pieces will be available there. We will still continue to sell other pieces at our home and do custom work for you as well. Please see our For Sale Page for a complete listing of items available.

Let me give you a quick glimpse of  what you can expect to see at Anchor No. 5. So… when you walk in the door, the first thing you’ll see is the super personable, grinning face of Petra.
Yeah, she cracks me up EVERY time we talk. If I could pick a person to talk about our furniture, it would be Petra. She’s so fun and exciting to be around. Go visit her, it’s true, you’ll see. :) Then you’ll look around and simply melt looking at all the unique items for sale. She has everything from paintings, jewelry, and wallets to handbags, baby clothes, aprons, bottle openers and headbands. The best part is!!! Everything for sale has been hand made by someone local.

Petra can tell you the story behind any of the artists or pieces. Ask her about a piece, it makes a purchase come alive when you know the maker and story behind it. Petra designs many of the items herself, but here’s a quick look at some of my favorites.

Kelsey Rose Wristlet – $32

Wendy Belts – $22 each

And of course, her Love Birds Necklace.

On the last Friday night of each month, Troy has Troy’s Night Out where the restaurants and small business stay open late (usually they close between 9 and 10pm). Petra chooses one artists to be displayed in her window (288 River Street, Troy, NY) and they are featured for the entire month starting every Troy’s Night Out. This month, FunCycled is going to be the featured artist of the month. A huge thanks to Kristin who is one of the artist at  Anchor No. 5 for featuring each new artist on her Artist of the Month blog. Here’s a quick overview of what FunCycled has available at Anchor No. 5 starting today through the month of August.

Sizes, prices and close ups can be seen on our For Sale Page. This Friday Night, July 27th, I will be in Anchor No. 5 from 7-8pm to meet anyone who would like to stop in and say hi or talk to you about customizing pieces for your home. I’d love to put a face to the names I see on our Facebook Page.

So, if you don’t already have plans for tomorrow night, you should come to downtown Troy and enjoy dinner at one of our amazing restaurants, then walk River Street after dinner to come see us at Anchor No. 5, and maybe even grab a caramel apple at Sticky Fingers Apples  right down the block to eat in the car on your way home. :) Or bring me one when you come say hi… lol. No, you don’t really have to do that. Ok, you can. No, you don’t have to. :) Ok, you can.

Thank you all for your support of local business and for everything who has been more than generous to John and me! Hope to see you soon.

-Sarah

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Black Panton Chairs

Here’s another makeover for you. I found these beauties along side the road for free. Who throws something like this out?? Ahhh… !

Want a quick history lesson about them? No… yeah sure you do. :) They are called Panton Chairs after their designer Verner Panton. Panton first established himself at the forefront of avant-garde design with furniture based on extravagant, geometric forms and use of strong colors, such as the Cone Chair of 1958. Along with the Panton Chair, which was designed in the early 1960’s, but not put into production until 1967 due to its technical challenges, these designs cemented Verner Panton’s reputation as a designer of an original and uncompromising approach. OK, I’m done with the history lesson. :) I just found it really interesting.

There were some small gouges that we had to  Bondo and sand down. That worked surprisingly well. Since I haven’t painted many pieces using spray paint, I read up on the best techniques first. Pretty much, the quick summary is to lightly sand, prime it using a primer that says it will stick to plastic, and then paint it using a spray paint that will stick to plastic as well. Try to keep your spray can about 6-10 inches away from the piece to help avoid drips. On a piece like this drips are almost impossible though. It was so sleek and slippery.

Here’s what they look like complete. Do you like them?

Happy Redesigns,
Sarah

PS- If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

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Tuesday’s Treasures – Paris Lawyers Book Case

I hope you all were able to enjoy the weekend! We had a really fun, relaxing weekend with my dear friend Theresa and her family. On this week’s Tuesday’s Treasures, I wanted to share a book case makeover. Here she is! 

I didn’t get many good before and after pictures because I have been busy, please don’t hate me for it. :) Here’s the best before picture I could find.

Not a great picture, I know! I read online about using gift wrap on the back of a book case instead of just leaving it one color. I found this beautiful Paris gift wrap paper and simply had to use it. I taped off the glass and painting the entire thing using Valspar black enamel paint. It came out beautifully!

I painted the knobs a very pale pink to go with the paper. For the paper, I measured what I would need and cut it to size. Then I used spray adhesive to stick it to the back of each section. The only thing I may change if I do this again is that Iwill try wallpaper instead of gift wrap paper. There are small spots that have wrinkled on the back. I know they wouldn’t be noticeable once you put anything on the book shelf, but for next time I may try it.

Then I distressed all the edges of the doors because I knew they may end up wearing in time from use.

One more time, the after shot!

I had originally put that this one was for sale, but it sold yesterday. Thanks Kim and Shannon! :)

Happy Redesigns,
Sarah

PS- If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

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Tuesday’s Treasures- Eden Green Damask Chair

Happy Tuesday everybody! I haven’t had much extra time to tell you what I’ve been up to lately. My dear friend Tiffany, over at Invitealiscious, emailed me a month or two ago to ask if I could design a couple things for her new house. Tiffany and I go way back… we met one summer when we were camp councilors together in Massachusetts. We would stay up too late, get up too early, and laugh about the dumbest things. She’s awesome!!! I was so excited to start customizing new pieces with her. She is so open to anything fun and colorful… that’s a dream come true for anyone who likes to design! :) We started with a Teal Hutch, that led to Dining Room Chairs, that led to a Red Chandelier, that led to a Vintage Window turned photo frame, that led to a this AMAZING Eden Green Damask chair, that led to a Yellow Coffee Table. Don’t worry, I’ll be adding each project so you’ll get to see everything. I know, I know, you can’t wait to see it. Lol! I can’t wait to share it.

Ok, here’s what this chair looked like when I got it. Pretty blah…

I could just picture it with color. Tiff asked about it and I headed to Hobby Lobby to look at fabric. We went back and forth with a couple different designs and colors, but she went with this damask design and I am sooo happy she did! Then we had a phone debate over how to say damask. How would you say it??? Is it DAM-ask or DUH-mask? I even asked the ladies in the fabric department and one said it my way, one said it Tiffany’s way. Lol! Fun times.

Here a close up for the fabric for you!

Since one of her dining room chairs is already this color, we wanted to incorporate that color in her living room. We both agreed it would be a fun color with the fabric although I think any bold color would have worked. I could see yellow, red or even hot pink looking cute.

One more shot because I love it so much!

Have a great week everyone!

Happy Redesigns,
Sarah

PS- If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

 

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Oh Colorful Chairs How I LOVE YOU!

I hope you are all having a great weekend. I just couldn’t wait to share these colorful chairs with you. We just created them as a custom order for my friend Tiffany. Stay tuned for this weeks Tuesday’s Treasures to see some of the other pieces were designing for her new home. I love these chairs so much that I may do a set for my dining room. (I have more available if any of you are interested, too!)

Here’s what they were before…

BOOOORRRRING! Right??

After some color…. I can’t resist!!

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

PS- If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

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Tuesday’s Treasures Aqua Dresser with Mirror

This week’s Tuesday’s Treasure started in shambles – read through and you’ll see what this beauty was to begin with.

Here’s what she looked like before. I really couldn’t even do a before picture of the mirror because it was broken into about 20 different pieces. Anyway, here is the bottom part.

You can’t see it well in this picture, but there was quite a bit of damage to the top of this dresser. We had to repair it using Bondo and lots of clamps. We then primed and painted it. You can see how we paint furniture on our page How to Paint Furniture.

John very carefully put the mirror together piece by piece and added a new back to make it nice and sturdy!

I had quite the amazing handy man help me with painting the mirror. Cute as a button, wouldn’t you agree?

Here it is after the first priming.

After the first coat of paint. I know it looks more green then blue… I blame it entirely to horrible lighting. It didn’t look that green in person. :)

Then it was time to slightly glaze it. Here’s a close up of the bottom.

I liked the look of the bottom handles and wanted them to blend with the rest of the piece so that the crystal knobs on the top would really pop.  One more time, the finished product!!!

Happy Redesigns,
Sarah

PS- If you like what we’re doing, please like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/funcycled or share this on Pinterest! Also, you can now get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.