Time Worn Style

Making garden steps - Red Brick and Wood

 

This is a renovation to Greystanes that I've been meaning to share for a while..

Our new outdoor steps

 

 

Greystanes is situated on what is considered a "flat" block for the hills

Which means there is some slope to it

Some areas more so than others..

This particular area had a very bad set of stairs

that were quite dangerous - slippery and uneven

and some risers higher than others

(bad when carrying stuff - particularly furniture)

 

So here's the trick that our clever chippy came up with

You know those premade steps you can buy at Bunnings etc??

Put it in place but UPSIDE DOWN

so the risers are facing the wrong way...

 Then fill the spaces in with rubble etc

 

 

Fix the banisters to the sides

 

 

 

and fill in with stone..

or in our case matching vintage red clinker bricks

because our other paths are clinker bricks too...

 

 

  

 

Sprinkle sand in between the bricks..

 

 Simple idea...

lots of work putting in the bricks..

but we are really happy with the end result..

 

 

 

 now what colour to paint...

Inspirations for 2012

If you are anything like me

you may be feeling the end of year weariness 

that comes along 

after a busy time of getting things done for 12 months previously..

Its nice to have a little time off 

but I have to say I am itching to get started again

on some new and wonderful projects 

here at Greystanes

and within my Time Worn Style business too..

So I thought I would share with you my inspiration board at Pinterest..

 

Source: sminspiration.tumblr.com via Alicia on Pinterest

 

I love that place

its like flicking through an enormous and endless magazine..

I grab sparks of wonder from all over the place and put them in my own little file of ideas..

Inspriations that get me thinking and planning..

You can follow me here if you like..

 

 

I'm always adding to my boards

with pictures from around Greystanes and our renovations

to ideas that just catch my eye..

My Home Inspirations...

I'd love to see you over there..

Camera settings and HIGH RES

I'm dying for a new schmansey camera..

You know the ones I mean

the cooool professional looking ones that you can put those fancy handmade Etsy camera straps on.

Yeah you know what I mean..

 

So you can take a bloggy photo with a camera in front of your face..

and look like you know what you are doing..

even if you dont..

but you might.

cause you have a bigg a** camera and a fancy etsy camera strap

I want that super dooper cool camera look oh yeah

I reckon I could carry that look ;0)

however...

For now I'm using something a bit more basic

Not as basic as my Box Brownie..

although sometimes it doesnt feel far off..

But today as I picked up my Canon Powershot

I thought about this "High Res" thing that magazines, web sites etc all talk about..

Its required for publication of photos..

Did you know what that is?

I'll admit it I didnt really know, I'm not ashamed to admit it ~ here ~ on my blog

High resolution basically means that an image is reproduced with a high level of detail.

Digital camera resolution is usually measured by mega pixel. 1 Mega pixel (MP) means that there are one million pixels or one million tiny dots that can be one of various colors creating an image. Digital cameras that can record digital images of either 1 mega pixel 1MP all the way up to 10MP or more. The more mega pixels in an image, usually means a higher quality resolution.

So there

Now both you and I know..

Anyhow, I thought I would take the old Canon Powershot off AUTO and try a "high RES"

 

One of the first things you might notice

(besides that lovely table and dome chandelier in the photo above which are available for purchase in my ebay store...)

is that it takes longer to load on ones screen..

(wing back chair above now available for purchase in my ebay store..)

BUT

its a lot clearer too..

I still need to practice more with the focus point..

but you know what?

these smaller digital cameras really do pack a bit of a punch

if you are brave enough to take it off AUTO

give it a go

I dare you ...

Alicia

 

 

Vintage Linoleum & French Roses

I mentioned on my facebook page a while back

that I was very VERY happy to find an amount of vintage linoleum

whilst treasure hunting out in Country Victoria..

Vintage linoleum is very hard to find these days..

as people like to renovate their kitchens

as often as possible

to have the latest mod con..

and sadly ye olde Linoleum didnt fit that sparkly new chrome look

so it was either tiled over

or ripped up and thrown out..

 

 

 

 

 

 

These old designs are so lovely..

I just had to see it used again..

but the trouble is that like any lovely thing in old age..

it becomes a bit frail and brittle

so to have this linoleum on the floor again just wouldnt have worked

 

and then  I came across this old Queen Anne coffee table..

I instantly thought of my vintage linoleum

This old brown table ...

 was given a coat of my favourite French Grey

over which I washed a light coat of white to catch in the design of the wood..

and then on the top I cut a piece of my lovely vintage lino to fit..

 

 I think the colours in the lino match the table perfectly..

in all its vintage glory..

 

A French Grey table with Vintage Rose Lino on top..

what a mix!

will be off to my ebay store very soon!

Alicia

 and in my ebay store now..

 
  

Old Doors antique and vintage

If you have a bare wall

and you need to cover it up

or if you are renting a house

and you are not allowed to put nails in the wall to hang that picture

Then try this trick...

Lean a door against it

This old time worn blue French Door is sitting outside our back door..

 

I simply hung an ornate Sconce in front of it for some instant art work..

And this old door with glass inserts..

I found one day on the side of the road ready for a dump truck..

So I gave it a lick of white paint

and framed the chandelier in front of it..

 

There is just so much you can do with old doors

 

 

(this picture from the world wide web ~ author unknown~ thanks to Kirstie for finding it ♥)

Now I just need some more walls to lean them on...

Alicia

Gorgeous goodies as always at my ebay store

Delicious Axminster rug all vintage and yummy..

Swiss Voile Prom Dress

and turned wood Standard Lamp..

Blackboard message boards and easels

As we head into Autumn here on our Mountain

Our hydrangeas are cheering out their last hoorah...

So I picked you a bunch..

I hope you like them

all in white..

 

As I've been busy trying to get this house organised

between phone calls to insurance companies

and quotes for repairs...

I thought it was time to get a better messaging system going for this family

but of course it had to look good

and fit in with our houses aesthetic...

What ever that means, but it sounds impressive like I know what I'm doing don't you think?

I hope you are impressed.

Anyway, I didnt have a door that I could paint like Sarah at the Beach cottage  as basically there is no where to lean it where it could be read

And I sure do love that door she has rockin' that cottage...

But I had to think of something else...

My friends already know this, but I am actually an artist by trade, studied at Uni for three years so needless to say I have a bit of a collection of artists bits and bobs around the house...

Including this easel

which had been sitting in a corner

not doing much

because I havent been doing a lot of art work lately..

So I thought I would put it to use and add this very old School chalkboard to it..

I gave it a couple of coats of blackboard paint first to freshen it up..

and it was ready to go..

 

Tried to think of something clever to write on it but that was all I could come up with sorry..

Its the best I could do..

I'm tired from cleaning up flood damage..

Anyway I want you to be impressed with the chalkboard not the message :0)

Currently it has "Buy Rabbit Food" on it

Which we have

So job done, its a great message board me thinks.

And just to be super efficient I added this old wicker trolley in the space next to it..

Which is now our new recycle bin,

the kids can wheel it out to the big recycle bin.

I'm so glad I didnt listen to those people who told me to paint it white.

I love the old worn French Provincial look about it, just as it is...

So there you have it,

efficiency with no huge effort, just using what I had around the house

Next time I will think of a more impressive comment to put on the chalk board..

I promise

Alicia

 

Linky linking with..

super dooper treasures all the way over here in the land of Australia and my ebay store

 

The sweetest Murano lamp in pink and gold...

 

The sweetest little chippy white ballerina pictures...

can you not feel the shabby sweetness ooozing through this photo?

I sure can..

 

 

 

 

Restoring a scrolly iron chair...

A little about this...

But first...........

Thanks so much everyone for your helpful comments regarding the dark coffee table in the last post.

Still deciding what I am going to do, my latest is whitewashing the table and the setting behind it.

Havent tried to paint an upholstered piece so am still thinking about what I am going to do

aaaah the decisions!!

Pink upholstery wouldnt be my first choice, would love to reupholster to a more neutral colour but thats not going to happen any time soon so will just have to sit down with a cuppa and pour through some more magazines (and cull a few more mags whilst I'm at it)...

One very pleasing thing I did find this week at the op shop was this sweet little Regency stripe chair for the TV room.

We always seem to be "one down" on a chair in that room so snapped this one up very quickly when I found it, especially at the super cheap thrift store price they had on it (yes they were clearing their furniture out on a sale that day).

It has feather filled cushions and is just the right size. Now I'm deciding about a slip cover for it or not. Might be a good idea with kids sitting on it all the time!

I just need to clip off a few threads where the previous owners cat decided to sharpen its claws.

That is why I don't have a cat....

I also finished another project this week that I have been meaning to get around to for a while.

The main reason I did was because I finally found a Clark Rubber store on my travels so was able to go and get some cushion inserts cut to size...

To finish this..

These old wrought iron chairs are from an outdoor setting originally I believe.

One I found on the side of the road, amazing how fast one can get a chair in ones hatchback, sometimes I think I set new world records..

The other from a friend who didnt want it.

In the beginning...

Some new seat bases were cut using the old one as a template

Took the template to a Clark Rubber (Australia) store and they cut some high quality seating foam to size. Not as expensive as you would think ~ only $9.95 each!

Next is the covering.

Now if you are anything like me, you like to change your fabrics around on a reasonably often basis SO what I always do when covering seat pads is to put a CALICO base over the foam first.

This not only allows you to change the top fabric easily but gives a nicer feel to the chair pad.

So I used some old artist canvas I had lying around which is quite thick but normal calico will do too.

Staple it on working from the centre outwards and turning it to another side each side you staple.

I actually fold a little hem under as I like it to look neat but you don't have to!

Trim the corner fabric when you get to it so its not so bulky to staple on..

Calico base fabric done!

Now to decide the fabric to the top.

I love florals but wanted a more subdued colourway...

So decided on an old SANDERSON ENGLAND print on an upholstery grade fabric..

I was going to do both chairs at once but have decided that one of them really needs a freshen up with some paint first as it looks much rustier than the other so have just completed the one for now.

Cushion pad screwed back onto the base..

Here is the.......

BEFORE

And

AFTER..

Always nice to tick another project off the list isnt it?

Some sweet items in my ebay store this week

Shipping is from Australia but I do send world wide!

 

And I've joined Coastal Charms....

Winter blossoms and layered mirrors..

Its a beautiful look to layer old linens on a bed, or even a few antique white cloths on a table. Or several different layers of curtains on a rod...

But have you considered layering old mirrors??

Beautiful day here on the mountain, a good excuse to get out in the garden even if it was still a bit chilly.

Took my old flower trug and found some Camellias to bring inside

I was surprised to see so much colour in the garden considering we are in the depths of winter...

A nice place to rest them on my Roadside find Wicker chair whilst I wrestle with the old front door. Seems the door likes to change shape with the weather, one day that leadlight is going to pop right out..

 

Found one of my favourite 1940's vases to pop them in..

Then it was time to start layering the mirrors....

there is a large oval wardrobe mirror at the base

on top of a large etched Murano mirror

and on top of this an Art Deco pie crust boudoir mirror...

The mirrors catch the light and push it up highlighting the flowers and vase...

I sorta like it

Its a focal point to the room...

My eldest came home today and said "gee the house looks tidy"

Seems like the layering may have worked!

(well I'll tell myself that)

Of couse I do have some yummy mirrors in my ebay store

Victorian RUBY GLASS table centrepiece

Or for some lovely little floral delights to display on a mirror, try these..

 

Wanted ~ The Cloche...

I read on a blog the other day (have just realised it was the lovely Kym over at Kyandra Rose, sorry Kym!) about cloches being quite hard to find here in Australia.

Looking at all the wonderful blogs, there seem to be a plethora of them in the USA and Europe (you lucky ducks)

But here ~ not so much

Unless you want to pay big $$$$

So whats a girl to do?

Well make do of course!

ok the one at the back is actually an Antique Wedding dome and there isnt many of those around I'll give you that

BUT

the one in the front is a dome off one of those cheapy anniversary clocks. You know, the made in China type ones, you see them at the opp (thrift) shops reasonably often.

Buy the clock, throw away the clock, keep the dome (cloche)

Cost of old clock dome above ~ $2

This etched glass cloche above has the most gorgeous scrolled design on it.

When I found it at the opp shop it was hanging upside down in an ugly metal holder

Yes thats right, its actually an outdoor candle holder.

Throw away the metal handle and place it the wrong way up on an old mirror

Cost of cloche (outdoor candle holder) ~ $5

These tall and thin cloches I actually was lucky to find in a box lot at auction.

I'm not sure what they originally were used for as they do not have bases..

But they do make great cloches!

Tall thin cloches (thingamajiggies) ~ $10 for box lot

So you see, they dont have to cost much, you just gotta use some imagination...

And do plenty of treasure hunting and thats never a chore is it??

oh...

and dont forget those glass cheese domes, they work a treat, just throw away the wooden board underneath!

Do check out my ebay store this week too, have just listed a few treasures..

My favourite this week..

Silver Erpegne Candlestick holders, very oooh la la..

Table makeover completed...

Remember in the last blog post I showed you this?

Well we finally finished it ready for its new home in the family room...

This table which has been sitting out back with paint cans all over it for the last 12 months two years is now being used as a craft / study / drawing / hobby table inside for everyday use by the three cherubs (but mostly the littlest one)...

 

And you know whats really special about this table?

If you need more space you can make it bigger....

Otherwise it sits nice and sweet under the window...

And how about those gorgeous legs?...

Yes there sure is some table love goin' on at the moment, you know when you cant stop staring at your favourite piece of furniture (come on admit it!)...

of course the kids wonder what their whacky mum is staring at this time (visualise eye rolls and head shaking)....

But it sure is nice when it all comes together isnt it?...

~ How to ~

Heavy duty belt sand to top of table by ever patient and wonderful husband to remove glue, gunk and most of the holes and dents (quite a few remain as they were deep!)

Two coats of Sealer / Primer ~ I love to use Zissar as goes on and covers like a glove that wont come off.

Three coats of Acrylic Semi Gloss Enamel to Table top ~ Antique White USA by DULUX

Two coats of Acrylic Semi Gloss Enamel to base ~ Shell Grey by PORTERS PAINTS

(my new favourite colour)

Normally I would seal the table top with a non yellowing acrylic varnish but honestly this top is already so damaged there wasnt much point as I expect the kids will add to it time worn style over the years..

TIP: You dont have to go to Porters Paints to get their colours, you can use one of the other brands ie. Dulux, British Paints, etc and they can mix the same colour for you. Bunnings has all the PORTER PAINTS 'recipies' just tell them what colour you want from the Porters range and they will mix it for you.

Mind you the real PORTERS PAINTS are damn fine and worth every cent!

 

Oh and did you notice the door?

It used to look like this....

I do love a little architectural salvage in the mix...

but not that water bottle on the small table ~ which naughty girl didnt put that away?

Ok back to staring at my table aaaahhh...

>

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