Not-so Paltry Hall-Tree

So, the kids are back in school and the sun is shining and I have had a few weeks of holidays with my husband and kids. It has been a great way to end a very nice summer. I made a point to try and stay relaxed ~ my motto with the kids was, "Try to say YES". This meant that I made an effort to not say "NO" as my first response. I think it went pretty well for the most part. On a very sad note, we had to say a heartbreaking good bye to our much loved pup of 15 years. He was my constant companion and for anyone who has come to my house to pick up a piece, you know he loved to come and say hello. When the house is empty like it is today, I feel his absence even more.

Good bye to my sweet Scona.


On a happier note, I love to meet some of the great people who bring me their furniture to make over. In August Owen and Cindy brought me this super hall tree with that good old 80's vibe.

The curves and mouldings are fantastic on this but it did not fit with this fun couple's vision for their home. They inherited it from his parents and could definitely see the potential here. They wanted a fresh and unique version of this great piece.


First I painted it with the famous blue:

It actually looked pretty cool, but would probably be a little overwhelming in most homes. I did this in my garage with the door open and I had people stopping to come in and see what I was doing ~ this colour catches people's attention!


I gave it a few coats of a very creamy white and then distressed it pretty aggressively to have the blue and the original wood break through the white.

It gave it that vintage and cottage feel that Owen and Cindy were going for as well as making this piece a funky and fun addition to a hip house. I could not resist adding a little bit of glam though:

Just a little hit of pretty wallpaper to line the storage area. I just like knowing that it is there... I am running out of my wallpaper scraps ~ if anyone is doing a wallpaper project and would like to donate the leftovers, let me know!


This was a great project and a fun way to kick off fall. I have some interesting pieces that I will be listing this week as I get back on a regular blogging schedule. I also plan to add a few other features in the next few weeks now that I am back into my routine for the fall/winter.

Thanks again to Owen and Cindy for letting me work on this unique project!