What a Difference a Glaze Makes

I know this is not an exciting post packed with photos of gorgeous interiors, but I'm redoing my bedroom and decided to paint and glaze my bedside tables and wanted to share my triumph.  Mind you, these are made of inexpensive pine and were purchased years ago at an unfinished furniture store.  They have been painted two or three times before, but are handy since the draws hold the flotsam of my bedtime preparations--hand cream, lip balm,  television remote control.  You get the idea.

(Phew, no dust bunnies).  My long history of painting furniture has not been fruitful.  Everything ends up looking like, well, a piece of furniture with a fresh coat of paint on it.  Better than it was perhaps and yes, smooth, perfect and even. But too even and too one dimensional.  Behold the power of glaze.

Both tables have been painted a light gray and the one of the right has been treated to a dark brown glaze, achieved by tinting the glaze with artists acrylics.  I applied the glaze and after a few minutes, wiped it off with a rag.  The intended effect was a Swedish-antique look and I think they turned out pretty well.  Glazing is messy, but water soluble so easy to clean up.

So there you have it.  Special thanks to Stephanie at Mrs. Jones Painted Finishes for the tips and encouragement.  If you haven't seen Stephanie's blog be sure to visit for DIY inspiration.  Her skill with a paint brush is remarkable.

Congratulations!

Kellie of the blog "Running the Race" is the winner, chosen randomly, of a Ramsign house number or address sign of her choice.

Thanks to all for participating in the giveaway!

Last Day for the Giveaway

Just a reminder that the Ramsign giveaway with your choice of either a house number or a name sign ends tonight at 10:00 pm EST.  To enter, visit Ramsign and then leave a comment about your favorite house number or name sign in the original post below.  The name of the winner will be posted here.

Good luck!

A Giveaway: French Style House Numbers

While many of us reading and writing design blogs are focused on interiors, sometimes the outside of our homes (including mine) could use a special touch too. Changing or updating your exterior house or apartment number is an easy solution. Ramsign, a Danish company manufacturing enameled house numbers and name plates, is sponsoring a give away. Their products remind me of the charming building numbers seen throughout Paris.  Here's an opportunity to enhance the entry of your home or apartment with little time and effort.

Ramsign will give away either a custom house number or a name plate of the winner's choice. Here are some options from Ramsign's website.

The house numbers look great on contemporary-style homes too.

Gorgeous blue and white enamel.

You can even attach house numbers to a fence post.

These would be great for an apartment door.

Or, you can chose a name sign.

To enter the give away, visit Ramsign's website and then leave a comment here with your choice by Tuesday, November 9, 10:00 pm EST and I will randomly choose a winner.

Please be sure to include your email address in your comment so I can contact the winner.

Good luck and happy browsing!

And thank you Ramsign, for the generous give away.

The Highlight of My Week

We went to Ina Garten's book signing at Williams Sonoma yesterday for How Easy is That?, her latest cookbook.  We cheerfully waited in line for two hours to see Ina and let me tell you, I've never waited two hours in line for anything.  Ina Garten was just as I imagined. She was genuine and gracious, even after signing about 900 books with another 400 to go.

 I was a little star struck so all I could say was thank you as she signed my book, smiled warmly, thanked me for waiting and said she hoped I'd enjoy the book.  I couldn't muster the courage to say that her mushroom lasagna is one of my favorites and that her show is the best.  If you gave the nice people at Williams Sonoma your camera, they would snap a photo while you stood at the table and Ina signed your book. Unfortunately, the photo on my Blackberry didn't do Ina or me justice, so I've posted her book cover instead. 

If you're an Ina fan, visit her website  for details about the book tour.  It was a fun (and easy!) experience. 

How Easy is That? published by Clarkson Potter.  Photo by Quentin Bacon.

A Perfect Match

When it comes to interiors, there is nothing better than thoughtful design highlighting beautiful art and the Museums of Old York Show House this summer provided a fine example.  The living room below by Boston interior designer Frank Hodge features an ethereal landscape painting by Seattle-area artist Victoria Adams. You may remember my posts about the work of both Frank Hodge and Victoria Adams (click for links to post).  

 

I discovered Victoria's art in Veranda magazine.  John Saladino had included one of her paintings in a show house room he designed at Soho Mews.  A few google searches later and I got up my nerve to email Victoria and ask her about the painting.  An email later, I connected with Frank who also admired Victoria's paintings.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Or a living room.  Victoria created the painting above the fireplace especially for Frank's room and I was delighted to see both this summer at the show house in York, Maine, thanks to Frank's very kind invitation. 

 

The afternoon would have passed quite nicely for me, sitting on the sofa and lingering over the details in the room, but you know show house rules.  No sitting on the furniture and best to keep moving so all visitors can admire the space.

The room was so stunning, I walked through it three times. Frank included more art and details like flowers and unique accessories, but nothing was cluttered or overdone. The room perfectly enhanced the painting and the painting perfectly enhanced the room.  Traditional Home Magazine will include the room in an upcoming issue, about a year from now.  Fortunately, we don't have to wait that long to see some photos. 

Visit Frank Hodge's website (F.D. Hodge Interiors) here and the website of Victoria Adams here.

All photos courtesy of F.D. Hodge Interiors