~VINTAGE ANTIQUE WHITE CHAIRS - A SHABBY COTTAGE MAKEOVER~

A few weeks ago my Mr. AGPMan found two of the neatest vintage fold-up chairs I've seen in a long time.  Snagged at a garage sale while on business in another state he loaded up the chairs and hauled them home.

 What a guy!

Just by looking at the chairs they were a little hard to date.  They definitely were handmade and when found were pretty dusty and dirty, too.  No doubt they'd been in a garage or storage shed for many, many years...probably decades.  They had never been painted or even sanded.  Only the metal folding hardware brackets gave a clue to their age.  From what we could find they were made sometime in the 1940's.  

How cool is that?

Originally they each had three holes in the center back that, in my opinion, were very distracting to the look of the chairs.  So, I had my guy attach four pieces of wood (one on each of the fronts and backs) and then painted them out in my favorite soft white paint.  Can't tell they aren't original!  Yeah!

I have several ideas for the chairs, but truthfully can't decide which way I want to go!

 I think the chairs would look awesome with hand painted florals across the front, center and maybe a wee little bit on the back...but then I'm not sure!

 

Equally they would look charming with something less limiting.  Maybe something French...like this chair from a couple months ago...

 

But then~some sweet roses like those painted on Miss Ginger's Fireplace Screen would look yummy, too!

What do you think???  I'd love to have some other opinions!  Both are destined for my booth space (although because they lay flat they CAN be shipped!) UNLESS I decide they are a must-have for my own front porch!  I hate selling stuff I love...

Today I'm linking up with Kathleen from

FADED CHARM

for

WHITE WEDNESDAY

Hope you'll check out all the other fresh whites when you find time!

Thanks for stopping by...  It's already hump-day.  Can't believe it!

Love to you...

~SIMPLY LOVING WHITE~

 ~INCREDIBLE VINTAGE HOTEL CABINET~

Most of us who love a softer color pallet know that as a neutral, white flourishes with any color.

 ~PERFECT FOR HOLDING VINTAGE LACE~

I've loved decorating with whites for a very long time now and for the past couple of months have been working behind the scenes on my own studio.  More and more I'm scaling back my pink (don't freak...I STILL love it and always will!), opting instead to continue using it as primarily an accent color!

 

~GREAT FIND FOR $25.00~

I painted my studio walls out from their pale muted pink to my favorite Cottage White (Behr Paint from Home Depot) and I'm loving how the change has transformed the space.

 ~WALLS COTTAGE WHITE by BEHR PAINT~

Everything is lighter and brighter and full of calm. 

 ~BEFORE A 'LIGHT' RE-PAINT JOB~

Although much of the room remains the same, I've also changed out a few other key things.  I've DRASTICALLY DOWNSIZED the amount of fabric I have as I no longer have the desire to make those huge cottage style pillows or transform really large, bulkier finds...not for resale anyway (too expensive to ship!).  I've decided I only want to spend my time making things I absolutely love (Cottage Pillows, Sachets, Gathering (Train) Cases, Painted Pretties, Decorative Bottles, Cards, etc.)...

I finally got around to working on a tiny little project that first drew me in last summer...

~TREASURED FINDS WITH A NEW PURPOSE~

Last July I blogged about some of the amazing finds I discovered while tag sale shopping here in Oklahoma.  In that post I showed you a fabulous antique mail/key cubby I stumbled upon during one of my jaunts.  Over the weekend I finished the second of two LIGHT coats of paint (skipped painting the inside!) and my Mr. AGPMan lovingly hung her in place!

Didn't it turn out wonderful?

The cubby is perfect for holding antique, vintage and older laces and I'm not even close to cramming her to capacity!  Can't wait to show you what else I've changed in the room....that's coming soon!

Hope you are having a great Tuesday....more white transformations to show you later this week!

Love to you...

~STILL LOVING VICTORIA MAGAZINE and my Journey with White~

AT HOME WITH WHITE
VICTORIA BOOK - 1996

Many years ago, long before any of us saw the words "shabby" and "chic" used side by side, or even recognized the name "Rachel Ashwell", there was VICTORIA! When the gorgeous, high-end MAGAZINE hit the stands in the late 1980's most of us 'die-hard romantics' were in heaven. We had never seen such a thing...

Had we?

In 2002 while browsing at our local Tuesday Morning I came across several books published by the Hearst Corporation. This first one I found was the book shown above called "AT HOME WITH WHITE". It was published in 1996 and quite simply, both the writings and the photographs took my breath away!

(I loved the ORIGINAL VICTORIA BEST when Nancy Lindemeyer was her Editor. Sadly, when she left the Old VICTORIA was never quite the same. Do you love the NEW VICTORIA? If so, why? I'd love for you to SHARE!)

DOES THIS "LOOK" LOOK FAMILIAR?
(Photo Credit: At Home with White - Victoria)

Layering white on white, collecting vintage china, many with pretty florals and pink roses, catapulted Ms. Rachel to the front of a very short line. This LOOK of pure femininity has been around for a years and thankfully Ashwell's vision for beautiful fabrics combined with her love of repurposing the forgotten has helped the 'VINTAGE WHITE LOVERS OF THE WORLD' stand up and audibly beg for more.

VISIONS OF SOFT WHITE AND PURE LINEN

(Photo Credit: At Home With White - Victoria)

As a result, those of us who adore romantic decor with a white-based theme no longer feel so neglected...

I've spent a lot of time this past week planning the major decorative overhaul of my Formal Dining Room. Once used as our front living area, my Mr. AGPMan and I have discovered the growth of our little family has gently demanded MORE SPACE...

My wintertime project is beginning to take flight! Change is indeed coming! The dark cherry wood pieces I once dearly loved have got to go.

Am I a bit nervous?

You bet!

Still, I can't wait to begin sharing with you my journey and just how my love for the ever fresh, ever changing WHITE will continue to fill my home with beauty, warmth and comfort.

More soon...

Blessings to you as your heart and home welcome the new season...Rebecca