DIY repurposing an old stereo console

This is definitely my fave thrift store furntiture project to date.

The hubs and I got this sweet vintage stereo console at our favorite thirft store, Nettie’s Thrift and Consignment in WPB:

Look how cool this thing is.  Original radio & turn table in tact. Honestly, it could have been left well alone and it would be awesome in it’s original essence, but I decided to repurpose it to work perfectly with our space.

The console would be used to store our DVD player, cable box, PS3, record player, etc. under the TV.  We were using this set up before, another thrifty find, but it just didn’t hold that all we needed it to and we ended up stacking stuff on and around it:

See?   No bueno.  I like things neat and organized!

So, first things first with this baby.

I wanted to make sure to preserve and enhance the vintage feel, so I went with a weathered crackle style finish.  To achieve this, all you need to do is buy the crackle glaze, a basecoat paint (optional), and a topcoat paint.  I didn’t get a basecoat paint because we wanted to wood to show through instead of another color.

Brush the glaze on AFTER your base color has dried.  Or, if you’re just using the original surface as the base like this, you can put it directly on there.  Do it pretty quickly, it dries fast.

The insides of the console were removed, with the exception of  saving the “telefunken” radio logo.  DUH!  So cool.  That thing is going right back on there.

Some paint colors we tested too.  Remember to always get samples FIRST before you commit.

The light robin’s egg/Tiffany blue shade is the color of the season AND it matches our beloved dining table set.  Score.

Brush the paint on and as it dries, watch the crackles appear before your very eyes. 

It may not crackle evenly, but to me, a little inconsistency is part of the charm.  It also looks pretty cool if some paint streaking or pooling occurs.

Check it out:

When the paint dried, the edges were sanded for an extra weathered touch.  The legs were also spray painted black, it added some depth

 I looove repurposing stuff, and this distressed finish look is pretty simple to achieve.  Give it a try with your next thrift shop piece! 🙂

an old fashioned mothers day

First, a little background.  

My Mom and I have grown to love Victorian tea parlors over the years.  I love the atmosphere and it’s always a special time for us.  My bridal shower was at this one and I hope to maybe have a baby shower in the same sense someday (such a sentimental mush I am).

4/11/09

This Mother’s Day I decided to treat my Mom to one of these special times BUT at home!  My vision: a lace tablecloth, floral patterns, tea, scones,and a tiered pastry display. Simple and meaningful.

Two retailers were really instrumental in my quest to have the perfect afternoon tea party: British Depot where I picked up some scones, clotted cream and lemon curd (yes, there really is a store called British Depot… and it’s right near where I live in College Park) and Teapots and Treasures where I got some fabulous loose leaf tea.  I highly recommend the Rooibos Chai tea from Teapots and Treasures.  It tastes like Christmas 🙂

My favorite part of the prep was throwing some  jewelry and a scarf up on our mason jar chandelier.  Yes, I really threw my accessories on a light fixture as a decoration.  Don’t knock it till you try it!  I loved how it gave the room a shabby chic feel. 

I used the hubbs’ Grandmother’s authentic vintage lace tablecloth.  It was made by hand.  So. Gorgeous.  We have some really beautiful heirlooms from her, most notable being our amazing dining room set!

It was so fun putting this all together.

As fun as this was to plan, the best part was spending it with this special lady:

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there.  You are appreciated more than you know.

I love you, Mommy!

Storage and More

I’ve decided to spotlight my favorite thrift store/yard sale purchases.  We go ‘treasure hunting’ pretty often!

My favorite thrift store HANDS DOWN is Nettie’s Thrift and Consignment, and this TF just happens to come from there: 

These vintage crates arrived at Nettie’s the same day the hubs and I were there. What luck!  Shabby chic solid wood, one painted/one au natural, decades old with IBM Corp stamped on the side (did I mention half my family works or has worked for IBM?  Nostalgic coolness). 

For now, we’ve used one for throw pillow/blanket storage in our bedroom (below), and the other as a stereo equipment console under our TV.

The possibilities are endless with these things.