shabby /cottage/ rehabb projects

[greenoak]

this month we are still having fun with a new great shabby color....florida...it looks like a crab shack, driftwoody, pale....we have put it on harvest tables, our big porchpost cabinets, and anything else that we want to look beachy and casual and a little rugged...... its grey, beige, pale green and pale blue...one at a time..

good projects for us seem to be buffets,so many uses,, then about any bookshelf or big cupboard,

but our newest thing this spring, and its so easy, is those big dark cabinets from the 20s, probably part of a dining room set, we have gotten some with door damage and scrapped the door , added pretty iron corner brackets, white paint, glass knobs and walla.a pretty shabby china cabinet...another good thing is our couch tables, with big fat legs and nice white paint....


hoping to make some tin top coffee tables... and i know i should be making a big framed tin headboard...it wouldnt be that hard but i just cant get there.and we have a pile of great old ceiling tin right now......also have tons of cool doors so im hoping for some action there too....
well happy rehabbing...
would love to hear your projects.....and whats selling
....ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

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[sararose]

What do you do with buffets to make them sell?

There are a lot of buffets around here that are inexpensive. They are pretty, but they take up a lot of space and don't hold very much. I want to reinvent them, but I'm not sure what I can do.

[greenoak]

we paint ours....black or white... they do sell well for us... lots get t urned into sinks , which i think is not a good idea , because of water issues....
i never really know what they do with them... but a pretty white one sure fits into a lot of spaces of a cottage type house.......bedroom, dining room, foyer, sink, tv stand..... its kind of endless.... then you can get mirrors to hang above.... good luck......ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[pacificstar]

I have a large buffet handed down from my husband's grandparents. I love it but it does take up a whole wall in the living room. I use it for my phone, a turtle lamp, lots of family pictures and the right end of it is for all my hubby's stuff. His wallet, keys, glasses etc. I have lots of memorabilia in the drawer and in the shelf part I have candle sticks and vases and the like.


Greenoak thanks for sharing what is in with your shop. So tell us about your fall specials.

[greenoak]

you can see our fall ideas in our newsletter on our website ;under newsletters..on the left hand side...we sell tons of tables and furniture this time of year but mostly its fall florals...vines, wreaths, berry garland, pumpkins.......


... right now we are decorating like crazy making centerpieces and wreaths and they are selling pretty well....

we went to the big flea market in ohio last weekend and bought lots of archetectural parts .... so i have lots of neat stuff to work with....i have lots of door ideas and lots of window ideas.....and a big pile of old ceiling tin...so i will have plenty to do
fall is so short because in retail you have to go christmas so early... on our trip i saw that crackerbarrel had their christmas out already..... we do fall until nearly november then its all christmas....
ann
www.greenoakantiques.com

[Fisherman]

We found one that fit our bathroom. Disassembled the top, screwed in simple wood braces at corners & in center brackets and then topped it with marble (discounted remnant piece) that we had precut for a sink and edges rounded. The orignal top we used a jig saw on and created a 3 sided frame for a top backsplash. Again more mable to go into that frame with two cut outs to insert another jigsawed shelf. Shelf had two outcrop slots for insertion with Liquid Nails (found at any bldg supply). Liquid Nails to attach backsplash to top and then T brackets to secure the backsplash to the original cabinet. Used satin clear marine varnish on all wood surfaces over entire cabinet. Sink was one of those designer bowl models with the fountain looking faucet (found open box at at home expo store - I buddied with salespeople to get notified at final reduction - chancing it would still be there). Drilled a section of the back with an electrical cut out attachment to install plumbing. With cabinet door open drilled cabinet into the wall. Backsplash also drilled into the wall - screws covered with a purchased tube of colored mortar mix. Got the idea from the pricey set ups at the Expo. One similar was listed for over $6k. Our cost - under $800. You can go even simpler. Also toying with creating a table top model barbeque insertion if we find a big enough buffet. One with a side door for the propane or coal storage. Another side door could house a mini fridge - or maybe another sink!

[Jilliebean]

Who makes the Florida paint you refer to? It sounds like it would be perfect for a few projects I have around the house.

[greenoak]

i just call it florida..because it looks beachy and driftwoody.....its my custom paint job....basically white or grey and then the dry brushing with tan, pale green, pale blue, sand a little, etc etc...its a lot of colors on top of each other and showing thru..... i mainly use walmart latex....
ann
www.greenoakantiques.com