Sunday, July 21, 2013
One of the fastest and most satisfying ways to change the look and feel of an old, creaky dresser into a piece of wonder without the hassle of paint, primer, tape, sanding, layers of work and time is simply to replace outdated or ill fitting hardware.
This lovely vintage highboy had already been updated a number of years ago with a bright teal coat of paint, but the knobs fit a different décor. The modern wood ones had simple, clean Scandinavian lines, but in a more cottage style room the simple modern lines of the knobs didn’t gel. And the smaller, older knobs on the accessory drawers, one of which was missing, were of another vintage era entirely.
New knobs, in a simple, classic, yet detailed style in an antique pewter finish were ordered online on eBay for $1.80 each plus $5.95 flat shipping. It took less 10 minutes to swap them out all the pulls and for the dresser to take on a more cohesive, classic, yet still custom and charismatic look.
In this project we went with a more traditional style, but it's definitely worth it to be creative. You can go on Etsy shops like Kimberly Maston Art & Design and find custom made one of a kind knobs or find original vintage knobs from any era on eBay.
COST:
$21.60 for 12 knobs
$5.95 shipping
$27.55 Total
TIME:
10 minutes plus shopping time
Friday, July 13, 2012
In progress...
Just a quick hello to let everyone know that this blog has *not* been abandoned...but it is in transition. I'm actually in the process of setting it up separately as a more online magazine format...it's a bit slow going but hope to have it up in the next couple months.
The site will be http://www.restore-restyle.com. Only a placeholder there for now...
So please bookmark the new page...and/or this one....and stay tuned for further Restore Restyle adventures!!
Kirstie
The site will be http://www.restore-restyle.com. Only a placeholder there for now...
So please bookmark the new page...and/or this one....and stay tuned for further Restore Restyle adventures!!
Kirstie
Monday, March 26, 2012
Favorite Junk: Victorian Copies of Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake and Marmion
When I was 14 I became a bibliophile.
One afternoon my parents took us to a book sale at the local public library and in among the paperbacks and other ex-libris stamped hardbacks were some vintage books that had been donated to help raise funds for the library. And among this pile were two of the most beautiful books I'd ever seen - copies of Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake and Marmion. I had already loved reading, but these books started a passion that has never waned.
Oh, and they were only $5. At 14, I was already an accomplished garage saler and junk store junkie and bargain hunter. Even then, I knew a deal when I saw one. And couldn't resist.
My parents have always been great readers and encouraged us from a young age as well, allowing us to stay up and read instead of turning our light out. Bedtime was at 8, but we could read until 8:30. What a great privilege.
But this was different. The glossy brown covers and shiny gold leaf on the edging were elegant and fancy and as I was at that age obsessed with Victoriana of all sorts, they were the perfect starting point for what at times is really just a compulsion to collect....possibly even hoard...books. I later received a copy of A Gentle Madness a history of book collecting and it talked about how being a bibliophile is a lifelong "problem." While I now have to temper my "madness" by avoiding picking up antique books at boot sales, every once in a while I get weak. It's not about reading them. Sometimes. But in many ways books our our companions, our friends and having a room filled with them....well, I long for a library like Henry Higgins' in My Fair Lady. Just to sit all day in the company of books is a lovely thing.
These two elegant ladies started my gentle madness and were one of the first things put into the box of "must takes" when I moved to the U.K. I look at them and they still make me smile and I love them just as much as I did that day in the library 25 years ago...
Favorite Junk: The Lady of the Lake and Marmion |
Oh, and they were only $5. At 14, I was already an accomplished garage saler and junk store junkie and bargain hunter. Even then, I knew a deal when I saw one. And couldn't resist.
My parents have always been great readers and encouraged us from a young age as well, allowing us to stay up and read instead of turning our light out. Bedtime was at 8, but we could read until 8:30. What a great privilege.
Ah, moody poetry (from Lady of the Lake) |
These two elegant ladies started my gentle madness and were one of the first things put into the box of "must takes" when I moved to the U.K. I look at them and they still make me smile and I love them just as much as I did that day in the library 25 years ago...
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Food Features: Experimental Cooking: Feta and Pepper Stuffed Chicken
Creative Cooking: Feta & Pepper Stuffed Chicken Thighs |
The ingredients were 6 chicken thigh filets, about 1/2 cup of feta cheese (1/2 a pack), one red pepper, chopped finely, half an onion, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, juice from half a lemon and about 2 tablespoons of pre-chopped garlic (yes, I'm that lazy). Everything got mixed together in a bowl and I added salt, pepper and about 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley and basil.
"Filling" the Chicken With the Mixture |
THE RESULT
This was FANTASTIC. The tanginess of the feta and lemon juice really came through, setting off the savory meat and the sweetness of the pepper. The chicken was juicy and moist still. In serving I topped the chicken with the bits of pepper and feta that had fallen out in cooking as well as a little of the juice. I was mopping up the sauce with my bits of broccoli. Definitely a winner!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Repurposed & Renewed: 1920s/30s Deco Style Oak Dining Chair
This '20s/'30s dining chair has good bones, but needs a little love... |
While that is still at this point a junker's future dream, I have gotten quite adept at basic dining chair seat reupholstery. I've done a couple more complicated ones that wrapped around the wood, but really love best the simple dining chair seats that you pop out, recover and presto, the chair starts to sing again!
Case in point: this lovely '20s/'30's dining chair that I got for a bargain £10 at the charity shop. Tucked away, lonely in the corner of the tiny men's section, it didn't have a price tag on it, but when I asked they said, yes, it was for sale. It was £15 but if I wanted it I could have it for £10.
Yes please!
The chair is of sturdy, traditional oak, but has some really lovely deco details like the curved carving of the back panel and the rolled edges of the legs in the front. Also the side rails of the seat frame have a slight, purposeful bow to them, bending a little as if to blend with the contour of its human sitter. Not necessary for functionality but a lovely touch.
The only problem? The nasty pleather seat covering. Ugh.
Handy canine "helper" optional. |
First, the seat came out easily. Sometimes they're screwed in, but in this case the seat was snugly fitted sans screws into the frame.
Next up is deciding whether to keep on the existing fabric or not. If the original fabric is just threadbare and of nicer quality, I do sometimes leave it on the chair to give it an extra layer and to help hold the padding together. In this case, as its current fake leather covering was slippery and could cause the new fabric to wear strangely, it had to come off.
Yanking the fabric off with the nails still in the wood...remove as many as possible before continuing |
Once that's done, lay the seat down face up and drape your new fabric over the padding. Take the time to place the fabric on the seat exactly as you want the pattern to fall on the chair when finished. Then carefully turn everything over so the fabric is face down.
Pull the fabric taut before stapling to make sure you keep out any bunches or wrinkles |
At this point, pick up the frame and do a quick check on the "front" to make sure the fabric looks like it's laying well and there are no buckles or loose bits. This is your chance to pick out a couple staples and start over if you're not happy, but if all looks good, turn the frame back over.
Knowing that everything looks good on the front, I now usually trim excess fabric from around the edges. I leave a couple inches still for safety, but I cut off anything more than that in order to keep the bulk out of the way. Continue stapling the sides. Each you staple, first pull the fabric taut to make sure you're keeping everything smooth. Not too hard, but keep it nice and firm. Staple all the edges until about 3" from each corner.
The corners can be tricky and each chair seat varies based on its shape. I've done varying folds depending on the chair, but each time I do a corner they end up slightly different. I can't offer a great professional technique here as I tend to just wing it, but do decide ahead of time where you want the corner seam to be and then start folding, again like a package or origami, until you get it nice, clean corner.
Step 1: Pull taut and staple |
That said, generally I do what I would call a two fold corner.
First, pull one side out and flat and staple the inside securely (step 1).
Second, fold back the other side halfway and staple (step 2).
Step 2: Fold halfway and staple |
Finally fold the second side all the way over and staple (step 3). It should give you a nice, relatively clean corner.
Some chairs you might want to use decorative upholstery tacks if the corners will be visible, but for an inset chair seat like this, a basic neat corner stapling will do nicely.
Step 3: The final fold and staple |
A use for your orphan socks! |
Think of beeswax as shoe polish for furniture...you don't want to cover it with big glops of goo, but you do want to give it all a nice, even layer. Let it dry for a little bit - I usually leave it about 30 minutes - then with another clean sock buff the beeswax off. Beeswax is great because it's not tinted and leaves just the smallest of shines. It's not intended to make the wood seem highly polished or sparkly, but simply to protect it and make the wood look healthier.
Finally, pop the seat back in and see your "new" old chair sparkle!
Now that's a beauty! |
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Treasure Hunt: Vintage Arabia of Finland Dinner Plates
Treasure Hunt: A pair of vintage Arabia of Finland dinner plates |
As the daughter of a native Finn, I grew up around various Finnish brands, all well known in Finland but some more obscure elsewhere than others. Iittala, Hackman, Marimekko, Aarikka, Fiskars and Arabia were both the wares of the everyman and also the fine glass, kitchenware, cloth and clothing, jewelry, scissors and cutlery, and dishware (respectively) that you collected and coveted. Not to mention Nokia. I had Nokia rubber boots as a child - yes, that Nokia...it started off as a rubber factory. But I digress...
To me those brands are second nature and I know their collectable value, but to many people in old Blighty, Arabia plates are no more special than the ones you get at Sainsbury's or Target.
And because of that, I nabbed a bargain!
These two vintage Arabia plates were at the local charity shop for £0.99 each! That's right, folks. £1.98 for the two, the equivalent of about $3.50!!
So what?
Well, most Arabia plates, even modern ones in the junk shops in Finland, rarely get sold for less than few euros each. If you look on eBay, most vintage ones sell at least in the £10-£20 range for a single plate. Obviously they go for more depending on the pattern and the style. Arabia made both basic, work horse plates for daily use and fine china, so the prices will significantly vary.
Arabia of Finland maker's mark - used from 1964-1971 |
In recent years, some of the main Finnish brands, including Fiskars, Hackman, Iittala and Arabia, have joined forces and become part of the Fiskars Group conglomerate. The lines that used to define the brands have somewhat blurred - you'll now find Iittala cutlery as well as glass and Arabia glassware as well as dishes, but the group's quality is maintained. For someone who's into modern, Scandinavian design, all of these brands are worth a second look.
And definitely worth my £2!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Favorite Junk: Traditional British Pudding Bowls
Favorite Junk: Pudding Bowls |
A ginger syrup steamed pudding |
There are a number of traditional makers of pudding bowls, two best known being T.G. Green and Mason Cash. While you can get modern ones....and in my collection are a number of each, the largest one in particular being a Mason Cash....I do prefer the ones that show a little aging and quirkiness.
A medium T.G. Green stacked inside a larger Mason Cash paired with some old wooden sieves... |
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