Tobacco Cabinet Reveal

Now that this little tobacco cabinet is finished, I look at the before photos and I can hardly believe it started out in such rough condition.

I knew it had potential to be beautiful, but I have to admit that I didn't believe it would turn out SO well! I was thrilled with the results and even now, a few weeks after completing it, I stop and admire it every time I walk by. It is one of my favorite pieces in our home now . . . and it started out looking so shabby.

I sanded the veneer away and applied a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain just to tone down the orange wood. I topped it off with a coat of hemp oil from Miss Mustard Seed. You can see it still absorbing into the wood in the photo below but even so, what a dramatic difference!

For the rest of the cabinet I applied Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in typewriter and gave it a light sanding. I topped it off with two coats of Miss Mustard Seed's furniture wax for a protective finish; the black paint looks amazing and buttery once the wax is applied!

I am so happy with how this piece turned out - I love that it has family history attached to it, and that I was able to make it "me" without compromising it's natural beauty.

The wood top has such amazing detail that I don't want to put anything on it that will cover it up! I am sure it will be loved in our home for a long time and I hope to pass it down to my own girls one day. Pieces with a story  like this are too special not to share!

Sharing at Miss Mustard Seed

Custom Barnboard Sign

At a craft fair this winter, I had a customer who really liked my barnboard signs but wanted something custom.

She wanted a piece to hang over her fireplace, but had a pesky thermostat to deal with which made it hard for her to hang anything without blocking access to the thermostat. She came up with a clever idea and asked me to build it for her.

Well, I'm not much of a builder so my husband actually did most of the "building." We both had fun working together on this project and I loved how it turned out!

I handpainted their last name in black, and added several coats of poly on top to give it durability and a nice satin finish. The client found some beautiful hooks at Benjamin Moore so I added those for her; I think she plans to hang stockings from them at Christmas!

What makes this piece so clever is the back! A thin box was added to the back, also made out of barnwood and attached with hinges. It lifts up so that once the sign is hung over the thermostat, she can still have easy access to it whenever she needs. A brilliant idea from a creative customer! I hope she likes it as much as I do!