Do you ever find a piece of furniture that you would love to have at a flea market, thrift store or garage sale, but it's missing something? I mean like you find a desk, but want a vanity, or a vanity without a chair? Don't let that stop you because I'm going to give you some tips on how to make your very own custom furniture by mixing and matching. Ooh...let the fun begin!
For instance, I had a client, Shelly, contact me who had always wanted a trifold dressing table like this one I did a year or so ago for
my online shop. You wouldn't know that the bench wasn't original to it, but I found them on different occasions. (story
HERE)
As I began my search for a dressing table like this one, I always find dressing tables (or vanities) without a chair or bench. Here is the one I found and she liked.
The vanity had some missing veneer, and had some chemical and highlighter stains, but was solid as a rock, not to mention that gorgeous mirror!
Notice there is no bench or chair, but that's okay. I begin my search in thrift stores, Craigslist, etc. and know that something will pop up. Although I had hoped to find a Queen Anne style chair like the vanity legs, there was none to be found. However, I did find an antique chair that had legs and back spindles that would compliment the style.
A HISTORY
This is no different that
this desk I paired with a curbside chair,
or this desk I did as a
Blogiversary giveaway (yes, I actually gave this set away!),
and
this farmhouse style set matched together,
or
this gorgeous desk my son refinished.
I could show you more examples, but you get the idea. There may also be times you want a vanity, but not sure how to find the right one. In this instance I found a vanity base and needed a mirror, so I added one, and even found a chair.
My ugly duckling vanity.
There's also this vanity that was missing drawers and had no mirror, so we built them. This I called
my Rustic Chic finish.
My whole point in sharing these ideas and examples of custom furniture is to help you think outside of what you see while out thrifting and fleatiquing.
DIY TIME
Now, what happened to the vanity I was working on for my client? I took out back old-school style and gave it a fresh coat with my sprayer, just like the
credenza I recently finished.
Once all was painted and cured, I added some gilding to bring it all together and add a touch of glam. To top it all off I used
my handmade furniture wax to give an aged appeal.
Upholstery can also make a huge improvement on making a set jive together. Shelly had fallen in love with the upholstery I used on
my curbside settee and I had just enough left to cover the chair.
THE REVEAL
Ready for the reveal? I am!
I must admit, I think the vanity should have stayed in
my bedroom. One day I will have one!
Finally, the gilding give it that extra soft touch. And, I even added it to the chair spindles and legs to tie it all in.
I hope that you've not only enjoyed this makeover, but also found that you can make yourself your own very unique home. Searching and finding ways to blend the pieces you find all together makes it fun! It's all about creating a style that suits you. Thank you, Shelly, for giving me the honor of working on your vanity set.
In addition, pin and share to inspire others to do take on something new! ♥
Up next, it's
Trash to Treasure time and I can't wait to show you what I do with these. eep! Come on and see
HERE.
While you're at it, here's more of my custom furniture:
As I began my search for a dressing table like this one, I always find dressing tables (or vanities) without a chair or bench. Here is the one I found and she liked.
The vanity had some missing veneer, and had some chemical and highlighter stains, but was solid as a rock, not to mention that gorgeous mirror!
Notice there is no bench or chair, but that's okay. I begin my search in thrift stores, Craigslist, etc. and know that something will pop up. Although I had hoped to find a Queen Anne style chair like the vanity legs, there was none to be found. However, I did find an antique chair that had legs and back spindles that would compliment the style.
or this desk I did as a Blogiversary giveaway (yes, I actually gave this set away!),
and this farmhouse style set matched together,
or this gorgeous desk my son refinished.
I could show you more examples, but you get the idea. There may also be times you want a vanity, but not sure how to find the right one. In this instance I found a vanity base and needed a mirror, so I added one, and even found a chair. My ugly duckling vanity.
There's also this vanity that was missing drawers and had no mirror, so we built them. This I called my Rustic Chic finish.
My whole point in sharing these ideas and examples of custom furniture is to help you think outside of what you see while out thrifting and fleatiquing.
Once all was painted and cured, I added some gilding to bring it all together and add a touch of glam. To top it all off I used my handmade furniture wax to give an aged appeal.
Upholstery can also make a huge improvement on making a set jive together. Shelly had fallen in love with the upholstery I used on my curbside settee and I had just enough left to cover the chair.
I must admit, I think the vanity should have stayed in my bedroom. One day I will have one!
Finally, the gilding give it that extra soft touch. And, I even added it to the chair spindles and legs to tie it all in.
I hope that you've not only enjoyed this makeover, but also found that you can make yourself your own very unique home. Searching and finding ways to blend the pieces you find all together makes it fun! It's all about creating a style that suits you. Thank you, Shelly, for giving me the honor of working on your vanity set.
In addition, pin and share to inspire others to do take on something new! ♥
Up next, it's Trash to Treasure time and I can't wait to show you what I do with these. eep! Come on and see HERE.
