Helen Nichole Designs

November 03, 2013

Accidental Tourist

If you follow my furniture projects, you know I'm a fan of using "oops" paint. Not only is it cheap but this time it gave me a chance to get help from all of you!

"Oops" paint rarely has a name printed on the label.

This time I asked the followers on my facebook page to help me name this color.

The paint was a Valspar paint. I painted the dresser and added black glaze to bring out all of the imperfections in the wood.

It looked a different shade to different people.

I thought it was a bluish-gray color.

Friends thought it was sage.

Other people saw it as plain blue.

I needed help!

The names that were suggested on my facebook page were great.

A few of my favorites were: Algonquin Moon (it's an inside joke between myself and my brother-in-law), stormy seas, luvy duvy grey, gone gray.....I could go on! There were so many great name suggestions.

The name I liked the best was accidental tourist by Amy Kitchen.

Her meaning behind the name is creative. Since the paint was an "oops" color it was an accident and I may not be able to get this exact color again, therefore, it's visiting.

Perfect!

It makes me want to be a tourist in a far away country. Shoot, I'll take being a tourist in another state!

Thank you Amy for such a unique and dreamy name.

linking up:

diy showoff

mms

October 21, 2013

Stenciled Sweetheart Table

I had the pleasure of working with Cutting Edge Stencils on a project that I am so proud to share with you guys. They have so many great stencils. It was way too hard to choose just one!

The one I picked is the Charlotte Allover Stencil.

I had an old table sitting in the garage that was becoming a dust collector. The table had potential but I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. When I started talking with Cutting Edge Stencil about doing a project I knew I could make good use of the table.

I immediately thought of a sweetheart table

The pattern of the Charlotte stencil reminded me of a lace tablecloth and I wanted to reflect that look on the table.

Let's look at what I was working with, shall we?

This is the what the table looked like before paint and stencil.

After I sanded and cleaned the top I was ready to stencil.

Cutting Edge Stencils are very easy to use and they have videos on their website to show you exactly how to use them properly.

I placed the stencil diagonally, taped it down and painted.

I used black paint for the stencil because I wanted a neutral look. I wanted to distress and whitewash the top to give the table a worn look. It looked great but after I distressed the top you could barley see the stencil.

I had to come up with a Plan B. I decided to use a little color this time. I taped the stencil again and repainted with a custom mixed yellow. After the paint dried I sanded to give it a distressed look.

I also added some stenciling around the edge of the table.

Adding the stencil detail around the outside of the table made a huge difference.

Are you ready for a million pictures? Okay, maybe not that many but it's pretty close!

I love how this sweetheart table turned out. From the pretty yellow stencil on the top to the chipped milk paint legs on the bottom. It's beautiful!

I hope this inspires you to think outside of the box when it comes to your next stencil project.

The stencil was so easy to use on this project and I would recommend a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencil to anyone who wants to add a little something extra to their next project.

Here are all the details:

The milk paint color on the table is light cream by Old Fashion Milk Paint Co.

The chairs are also painted in milk paint. The chair on the left is bayberry green and the other chair is a mixture of bayberry green and soldier blue.

The stencil is from Cutting Edge Stencil

The "happily ever after" is a free printable from tater tots & jello

I'd love it if you liked me on facebook!! Stop by and say HI : )

I worked with Cutting Edge Stencil on this project and was given the stencil and supplies that accompany the stencil. I was not paid for this post or for my opinion or idea. All opinions and ideas are my own.

linking up to:
silver pennies
craft-o-maniac

alderberry hill
stroll through life
mod vintage life

under the table & dreaming
be inspired
coastal charm
twirl and take a bow
tuesdays with a twist
diy by design
someday crafts
centerpiece wednesday
start at home
savvy southern style
finding fabulous
mms
redoux interiors
french country cottage
liz marie
the 36th ave
chic on a shoestring budget
remodelaholic

October 16, 2013

Dresser in Navajo White & Giveaway Winner

Last year I posted this empire dresser on Craigslist. A sweet lady named Sara bought it and asked if I could paint another dresser she bought.

She wasn't sure if I could do anything with it because veneer was missing and the top was pretty rough.

Little did she know, I know my way around a piece of furniture with missing veneer. If you wanna see my past experience with removing veneer click here, here, and here. I need to update you guys on my technique to get it all off !!

Before I took this picture I started to remove the veneer on the middle drawer.

Before

After

Looking at these pictures I realize I need to repaint my wall and scrape paint off the floor.

We kept the original hardware and didn't do anything to it. It was so pretty!

The color is Navajo White by Behr and the top was re-stained with dark walnut by Minwax. This color was the perfect cream. This is going on my "Favorite White's" list.

I lightly distressed the legs and around the edges of the drawers.

Now to announce the winner of the $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway!!

The winner is Michele Moede.

Michele check your email for all the info.

The winner was randomly selected by Rafflecopter.

Congrats Michele!!