wood lovers, eat your hearts out

by | Feb 26, 2015 | Bathrooms, Family Room, My House | 33 comments

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Thanks for all of the great comments on the family gallery I am working on and wrote about yesterday.  My mom and I worked on hanging the pictures tonight, so I’ll share photos of that soon. I also will write/film a tutorial on how I cut mats.

Today, I have a treat for wood lovers.  I know some of you out there take issue with certain pieces I paint, but the thing is, I’m a wood lover, too!  I don’t buy a piece of furniture unless it’s solid wood.  I intentionally look for pieces that need some help…whether they have a damaged, hazy finish or chipped veneer.  I don’t always paint, though.

I purchased this pretty side table off of Craig’s List for $35 a couple of years ago and have been meaning to fix it up.  The finish was flaking a bit and there were plenty of water rings.  I finally took it to the studio with me to strip down.  Stripping paint is always a no-fun, pain-in-the-rear job, but this was totally worth it.  The warmth and luster revealed is so pretty.  (You can watch my video tutorial on stripping paint HERE.)

I finished it off by massaging a couple of coats of hemp oil to provide some protection and hydration.

I’m planning to paint the legs, but I’m not sure which color, yet.  I brought it back home, so I could decide.  I already have a lot of blues going on and the table is right next to a green chair.  I’m thinking maybe Linen (a creamy off-white) layered over Lucketts Green or Shutter Gray.  Thoughts?

While I had the paint stripper out, I worked on the mirror I purchased from an antique store for the upstairs bathroom.  The shape and size were perfect and I knew I could fix the flesh-toned paint.

I thought the frame was wood and I quickly realized I was mistaken.  It was actually plaster with a wood-grained paint effect.  Meh.  That was not what I wanted, but I already had the thing covered in goo, so I had to finish the job.

I usually design a room with a rough plan and then I wing it depending on the things I find for the space.  When I hit the mirror snag, I decided I would paint it rich green.  That wasn’t the plan, but it’s going to work nicely with the black, white and gray tones going on in the space.

I had some green fabric in my stash that I pulled out with the idea of using it as a sink skirt, so I tried to match the paint to that.  I made up a custom mix that was a combo of Lucketts Green, Boxwood and Mustard Seed Yellow.

It took a couple of tries, but I got the color right.  I also realized a couple of antique grain buckets I had on my prop shelf would look great on a shelf or hung on the wall.

So that’s the plan I’m going with now and we’ll see how it develops (or changes entirely!)

If you want a refresher on the plan for the upstairs bathroom, you can find that HERE.  Now, the weather needs to cooperate, so we can get the tiling done!

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    33 Comments

    1. Ashley

      I’d definitely go with a neutral on that table! Love the legs

      xo Ashley
      pennypickedrevival.com

    2. Paige

      I love that fabric! It looks very soft, like velvet. When you refer to to your fabric stash, you always make me think of my Mama. She was a quilter and she had this bumper sticker that read, “She who dies with the most fabric wins!”. I can not wait for the bathroom reveal!

    3. Monica

      I would leave the table legs unpainted – I love it just the way it is. Your bathroom colors are lovely – can’t wait to see the pics!

    4. beck campbell

      I usually catch all your posts…but must have missed the one about the bathroom. LOVE the plan for the bathroom.
      So…..WORD OF WARNING about the toilet. The older toilets were around 3.5 or even 5/7 gallons…newer toilets are around 1.6 gallons. Saving water (and money) is GREAT…HOWEVER, be warned that the newer toilets “clog” much easier and with two growing boys that needs to be a consideration!!! I know the color is wrong and I know you are like me…HUGE issue. But just a warning.
      I own apartments and when I bought them I changed out many of the “old” toilets for newer, nicer ones…big mistake. They constantly clog.
      I have “newer” toilets in my house, and it is normally not a problem…until it is in the kid’s upstairs bath. Suffice it to say, I have had to repaint my kitchen ceiling due to “issues” with the upstairs toilet.
      At the very least, have a conversation with the boys about what to do and how to shut off the water to the toilet if it is “clogging.” My adult son didn’t even know…which is why I had to paint my kitchen ceilings!!!!

      • Kathy

        Beck, you make a great point. And when I updated my bathrooms it was a concern. I did my research and talked with the people in the plumbing department and took their recommendation. I ended up with a Kohler. I do not remember which one it was maybe Cimmeron? My point is I bought 2 of them and installed both, after 3 years they have handled everything thrown at them! The flush is louder but well worth it for the extra boost. Finally a toilet better than the old ball floats and long running times. A small detail that certainly is a luxury in my book.

    5. the uncommon pearl

      Good morning!

      The table is great! I like how the wood beautifully ties in with your highboy, chairs, and countertops. It gives a nice balance to the room. I think if it was me, I would go with the Linen on the legs with heavy distressing and hemp oil, then Linen over Shutter Gray, then finally Linen over the Lucketts Green.

      Someone encouraging once told me, “If you don’t like it, you can always paint over it.” 😉

      I love how you adapted with the surprise about the mirror. We have to do that sometimes, don’t we? I think it will freshen up the space beautifully. What are you planning for the shower curtain?

      I am interested in seeing how you do your sink skirt. I have a large wall sink in my laundry room that I have been toying with putting a sink on. I am just not sure about attachment. The sink is a Kholer and only 4 years old. I’m not sure I want to put an adhesive velcro on there in case I want to take it off someday then have a gooey mess. I sure like the look though.

      If you have time ( on a snow day 😉 ) maybe you could give us a tutorial about the skirt making.

      Thanks for sharing all your inspiration!

    6. Elizabeth @ Pineapples and Polka Dots

      Marian, I love that wooden side table! We inherited a pair of circle-top, mahogany end tables from my grandparents’ house, and they are a very similar shape. Keeping them wooden (as opposed to painting) is the only way to go for us, and I really love the dark finish in our living room. I think yours looks great in your space!

    7. Wendy@OldLakeGeorge.com

      I bought a similar table this past weekend. Can’t wait to see your table legs painted..might be an upgrade my table needs. Hmmm….

    8. Heather

      Please don’t paint the legs!!!

    9. debbie ruiz

      Love the idea of painting the legs a neutral. I would not have thought of painting just the legs. Beautiful table.

    10. Margie

      Every time you write about working on something with your mom (or dad) it reminds me of how much my parents help me with DIYs and home reno projects…and it makes me smile. We are so blessed to have parents involved and sharing in our passions.

    11. Quandie

      Linen over Luckett’s gets my vote! That little pop of green peeking through here and there will be perfect to add just a tad more green to your space. I painted a wooden folding chair with that very same combo using a hemp oil resist to get the Linen layer nice and chippy and loved the way it turned out. I’m sure whatever you do, it will be gorgeous!

    12. Elena

      Please do a tutorial on how you did the non-wood mirror. Pretty please 😉

    13. Amy Morgan

      I wouldn’t paint the legs. The darker wood of the legs visually pulls in any other darks you have in the room. I think it would make the top look disjointed instead of being one eye catching piece against all your lovely painted pieces.

    14. Vivian

      I can’t wait to see the finish. I love the green….very good choice!

    15. Jackie Beardsley

      Put me down for a vote to leave the table legs as they are too. I like how they tie in with the wood throughout the room. I realize I’m only looking at a picture and not your whole room, but the table ties in with the front of the dresser under the cow painting, the legs of your sofa, the curtain rods, even your chairs. Just an opinion to add to the mix!

    16. Jelena

      I a green kind of gal, so needless to say, I love the green for the mirror, and that fabric looks so pretty, too!

      As for the table legs, I agree: MMSP Linen would look great. Maybe over Lucketts Green or over that new European blue-green color you recently introduced (was it Mora?).

    17. Kathy

      I would not paint the table legs either, the top is so beautiful, but it’s not mine,
      I thought the mirror looked good when you stripped it to. to each there own,
      They always look good when you get finished with them.

    18. Tracy@www.bluridgevintage.com

      I love your Craigslist table find. My vote is don’t paint the legs either. This is a great looking table all on its own ( just my opinion). I had the same thing happen to me with a mirror and it was very disappointing. I think the green was a good choice, but green is my favorite color.

    19. Theresa

      Love your refinished table… I don’t know if I’d paint the legs… they look great as is. Although I love the look of wood top mixed with paint on furniture.

    20. Carol Herter

      Hi Marian, I am loving everything you do! I know you use hemp oil occasionally but where do you get it? What I Have seen are smaller bottles at health stores. Thanks, I would love to try it on my wood pieces.

    21. Alicia

      Hello Marion, Your choice of adding green gradually to your white/blue theme is so refreshing! I love what it does to your home. The color you created for the plastered mirror (sounds like a drunk mirror) is perfect. Nothing like a little challenge to bring out more creativity! I’ll wait and see what you do with that beautiful table but you are right “wood lovers eat your heart out!” It would look wonderful in my bedroom, in between my two wing back chairs in the living room or in between the sofa and love seat in the corner by the white plantation shuttered windows. Too bad I live on the other side of the States.

      Lately it sounds like you’ve gotten your “flow” back after the rush of excitement with the studio and settling into it and managing your business AND being a wife and mother and DE (domestic engineer). Through it all you’ve continued to inspire and teach us how creativity and faith moves mountains!!!

      God bless,

    22. Elise

      I like how the green chair brings out the green in Eulalie, but I feel like putting green legs on the table would be too matchy matchy. I, too, have old photos galore. Thanks for your inspiration to motivate ☺️

      Did I somehow overlook the last upholstery post about gluing on the gimp?

      • Jared

        “Matchy, Matchy. Green squared!” Name that movie.

    23. Sharon Bates

      Go Green! Green has been my favorite color my whole life…not something I can often about myself. 🙂 The green grain cups would look great with some colorful promise in them. They be available soon as a late winter/early spring flower.

    24. Liz M

      I am a wood lover- I cried when you painted the beautiful oak cabinet in your shop, but I vote for painting the legs on the table- paint will definitely accentuate their pretty curves. With your wonderful empire dresser in the background and the green chair next to the table, I would leave the top wood and paint the legs in your Luckett’s Green and whatever you painted your dresser- I’m guessing a combo of Kitchen Scale and French Enamel/Flow Blue??? I would love to see green pop out under the tealy blue of the empire!! ( I am guessing that your green chair may not be a permanent fixture next to the table…)

    25. Addie

      Miss Marion,
      I have 2 questions for you:
      1. Did you put a stain on the end table, before the hemp oil? Or is that the natural color brought out from the hemp oil.
      2. How do you care for the hemp sealed tabletop in the future? Is it okay to use spray furniture polish?
      Love all your ideas and work…You were born to be doing what you do!!!!
      Addie

      • Miss Mustard Seed

        No, I didn’t have to stain the table. That’s what the wood looked like when I stripped off the old poly. When it comes to caring for the table, I just do dry dusting and if/when it starts looking tired, I rub in a little more hemp oil.

    26. April

      Bargain on that beautiful table! Anything you do will be gorgeous as always. Those grain buckets are so adorable. Really looking forward to watching the bathroom come together, seeing the pictures on and the wall and so happy you will do a tutorial on mat cutting!!!

    27. Naomi S.

      The little round table is charming, but have you tallied up the comments for and against painting the legs?! I’m curious to know if the yeses outnumber the nos, or vice versa! I myself always hesitate to paint anything that is nice wood, but since I’ve been following your blog I’ve learned that sometimes it can be very charming. As for the table, I kind of like how the dark color repeats the dark drawers on the chest, but I can also see them being a nice accent painted in a neutral shade of white/off-white. (I haven’t learned all the MMM colors and their names yet!) My suggestion is to live with the legs unpainted for a while, then if they are bugging you, paint them.

      Just to let you know, I am softening a little in my feelings toward that bathroom mural. ha, ha. I would never have chosen it but I think that you think “outside the box” so much better than I do. I am anxious to see it installed and the finished product.

      You know, I was thinking about the issue of the toilet. That is, the fact that the newer toilets clog so much easier because of the small amount of water used to flush them. If you can’t stand looking at that “mushroom”-colored fixture you might go to a place like the Habitat for Humanity Restore place where they have all kinds of fixtures that have been donated to support their work. I imagine you must have one in your area. I actually replaced my toilet with a nice white one when my original broke. That way, you might be able to have your white potty and no clogging, too. Plus probably a pretty cheap price.

    28. Paige

      I’m dying to know how you get those colored tiles out without wrecking the tiles around them. I’ve got 90s green “accent” tiles.

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