 Before |  After |
I am very nostalgic when it comes to holding on to pieces of the past; things that evoke treasured memories of the people or places I have loved and enjoyed over the course of my life. I always feel a great sense of comfort when I am surrounded by elements of the past. Topping my list of favorites are things that came from my Grandparents. Although I don't have my Grandparents with me any longer, I have pieces of them...things that were in their homes, things they enjoyed, used or admired.
I get so much joy from Pop's mechanical bank...the Dentist pulling a tooth from his patient's mouth. I must have played with that bank hundreds of times as a child and now it sits in my family room for all to enjoy. Furniture, artwork, collectibles; anything that once belonged to my Grandparents is special to me; it is all I have of them now.
Friends of mine recently received a French Provincial dining room server their Grandmother owned. It is beautiful, functional and an incredibly well made piece. The milky-yellow finish on the server was dated so we got to work, considering colors and finishes that would be updated and elegant.
We settled on black, but they let me decide on the exact hue and finish. I chose Annie Sloan's, "Graphite" chalk paint for its grayed-down tone. After painting the server, I lightly sanded the edging to bring out the beautiful lines, replaced the original hardware and applied a soft wax finish.
Seeing the finished product in its new home gave me a wonderful sense of fulfillment, knowing that my friends will always have a piece of their Grandmother with them. Reclaiming, refinishing, remembering...
"I want to tell you how much we love what you did with the server. It looks fantastic! Every time I walk by it I smile. Thank you so much for making it look beautiful in our home. We love that we are able to use pieces that belonged to Dave's Grandmother! Thanks again." AC
I get so much joy from Pop's mechanical bank...the Dentist pulling a tooth from his patient's mouth. I must have played with that bank hundreds of times as a child and now it sits in my family room for all to enjoy. Furniture, artwork, collectibles; anything that once belonged to my Grandparents is special to me; it is all I have of them now.
Friends of mine recently received a French Provincial dining room server their Grandmother owned. It is beautiful, functional and an incredibly well made piece. The milky-yellow finish on the server was dated so we got to work, considering colors and finishes that would be updated and elegant.
We settled on black, but they let me decide on the exact hue and finish. I chose Annie Sloan's, "Graphite" chalk paint for its grayed-down tone. After painting the server, I lightly sanded the edging to bring out the beautiful lines, replaced the original hardware and applied a soft wax finish.
Seeing the finished product in its new home gave me a wonderful sense of fulfillment, knowing that my friends will always have a piece of their Grandmother with them. Reclaiming, refinishing, remembering...
"I want to tell you how much we love what you did with the server. It looks fantastic! Every time I walk by it I smile. Thank you so much for making it look beautiful in our home. We love that we are able to use pieces that belonged to Dave's Grandmother! Thanks again." AC
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