True Blue

{Weathered Blue Shelf}

*SOLD*

It is starting to feel like spring here in the shadow of the Rockies ~ not time to break out the flip flops, but at least the grass is starting to poke through the melting snow. I am thinking about my tulip bulbs sleeping away in the frozen ground and wondering when they will start to wake up. In Alberta, it will probably be June...

Anyway, this beautiful turquoise colour is everywhere right now and I really love it. It would be a big commitment in a large space, but as a little pop here and there, it feels so fresh and trendy while giving a nod to the 50s.

I found this sweet shelf last week in a thrift store in a very small town into which I dragged my poor 10 with me. I was ready to leave it there but he talked me into it and now I am so glad he did. It came home with us looking like this:

Not bad, but it lacked the whimsical note that I love so much. I removed the wooden hooks and gave it a stern sanding. The original paint was oil based and very glossy so I wanted to take that shine down. I gave it a few coats of Benjamin Moore's Tropicana Cabana (how can you resist a name like that?) and then a serious distressing using my trusty sanding sponge. It still looked a little vibrant for me ~ I wanted a more beachy and aged feel. I rubbed a coat of walnut stain over the whole piece, leaving it a little heavy in the nooks and crannies. I replaced the wood hooks with pretty little glass knobs and gave the whole unit a rub down with a layer of wax and polished her up. I am so pleased with the results...

The exposed wood picks up the stain so well.

Pretty glass knobs!

I think this would look so cute in a bathroom or a little nook in a bedroom. The new hardware would hold necklaces or a purse very nicely.

It is 23 1/2"L x 5 1/4"D x 8"H.

If you are interested in this little cutie, you can pick it up HERE. 

The Stage...

Last week my friend Janice and I had the opportunity to try something new. We have a friend in town who has decided to pull up stakes out of the 'burbs and move to the big city of Calgary. Erin is a busy professional and did not have the time to buff up her adorable town home in time to list it this past weekend. Janice has an amazing eye for decorating and I like to help her (I am sort of the Tommy to her Sarah Richardson, although we often argue about who gets to be Sarah...). Erin gave us a key and a budget to get things fresh.


We painted a few strategic walls, bought some new and fun artwork and went shopping for a few of the accessories that make it all fun.

We rearranged a lot of the great stuff that she already had and painted the walls this great Pale Avocado green from Benjamin Moore. Doesn't it look fresh and springy?


I was excited to do a little DIY project as well. I found these awesome plates at Homesense that I am coveting for my own house. I glued little hangers on the back and presto! art work for the wall:

This is where my camera's shortcomings become obvious, but if you want to see the whole staging and the listing, Erin's realtor did a fantastic job of taking pictures and you can see the whole place HERE.


It was a lot of fun and I hope that she gets a quick sale ~ if you know anyone looking to move to Airdrie and buy a fantastic little place ~ send them over!

Sofa to Go.... (get it?)

{Shabby Sofa Table}

*SOLD*

Wow! The last 2 items have been snapped up in no time! Thanks so much to the hardy souls who have been willing to make the effort to go out in all this snow and ice. My intention has also been to spend some time buffing up the look of this page, and get to know how to add a few more features, but it will have to wait for now....

Today I have this beautiful sofa table that I picked up about a month ago. I felt this was a big score ~ even the clerk at the store had her eye on it. So here is how it looked when I brought it home:

It was in pretty rough shape, but with a little lovin', it has been transformed into something so pretty:

The painting above it was done by a very talented artist here in Alberta ~ Valerie Thomas Speer. I can't get to her website for some reason, but I will try to get it later. I just love this painting! [The link to more of her beautiful work is here]

I primed and painted the table a white cotton using latex paint. I distressed the edges and curves and gave the whole piece a serious rub down with a layer of wax. The wax gives it a beautiful finish and feels so smooth. The bonus with this is that for years to come, the lustre can be easily restored with a little polishing.

It is a very manageable size, measuring 

45"L x 32"H x 13 1/4"D.

If you are interested in purchasing this piece, click right HERE to link to Kijiji.

A New View

{Rustic Window}

*SOLD*

This is another old window that I have just essentially cleaned up. It was in pretty rough condition and had been stored outside for many years. This has added a distinct weathered look to the wood, which I love. I think that this rustic stuff looks so great next to some glam. I may be part magpie as I love anything that sparkles right now, but the juxtaposition between rough and sparkly is very appealing to me.

Once I took out the old glass and putty (a lesson in patience), I replaced it with some poultry netting (also known as chicken wire ~ a hardware store guy once called it poultry netting and it has stuck with me) to add some function.

It looks so great with little clothespins to hang pictures or cards. I also love it with other seasonal embellishments:

I gave it a good sanding so the wood won't give any slivers and the layers of paint show through nicely. The sanding revealed a pale green and a white coat of paint.

This window measures 20"W x 25 1/4"H. If you are interested in it, please go HERE to purchase.

Steeple Side Tables

*SOLD*

Thanks to Traci for driving out in the snow to pick up her new Messages and Magazine Table! It now has a happy new home...

This has been a crazy week ~ and it is only Tuesday! I have had these tables for a little while and have been working hard to get them finished. This blog is named hour25 for a reason!

These were also found on my extremely successful Edmonton trip in February. I am not sure what they were used for, but they had signs of an active life before they came to me. The sides remind me of church architecture ~ I am sure they are one of a kind.

Here is what they looked like when they came into my workshop:

I wonder if they were made for a specific purpose? They are so unique....

I worked on them for awhile and was very aggressive with the distressing. I generally like to use a gentle hand when distressing my pieces, but these kept looking better and better with more of the wood showing through. I primed and then painted them with a cotton white latex. After a vigorous sanding, I applied a layer of wax and buffed the surface to a nice smooth finish. I am so happy with the results:

Each table measures

14 1/2"W x 21"H x 11"D.

As an added feature, they actually stack together and look so cool while saving space:

How great is that?

If you are interested in these guys, you can purchase them right here.

I have created a page on Facebook as well, if you would like to check that out for updates and other fun stuff. Easy to link to here.

If you have an item collecting dust at home that you would like to see brought back to a new life, feel free to contact me with and we can talk about a makeover.

Messages and Magazines

Adele's Message and Magazine Table

*SOLD*

I have been away for what seems like a looooong time. Our family took a week off from school and work and went for a little ski vacation in BC. It was so cold here in AB when we left and it was such a treat to find spring in Kelowna and an unbelievable amount of snow at Big White and Silver Star. I had high hopes to get right back into things here when we got back, but was set back a bit by a virus that has made me feel miserable for a few days.

Enough of the excuses! This little table was a unique score that I found in Edmonton a few weeks ago while treasure hunting with a friend. It started life like this:

Well, this was after a sanding (I forgot to take the "before" picture earlier). I am calling it the Adele Message and Magazine Table because I was listening to a great interview with Adele on CBC while I was working on it. She is so young and talented! I am in fact listening to her new album "21" while writing this very post. If you do not know what I am talking about, take a listen to "Rolling in the Deep" and see if you don't fall in love with her a little bit. 

I had been lamenting the discontinued melamine paint that I love so much at a Benjamin Moore store recently due to environmental concerns and was so pleased to find out that they have a new environmentally friendly product to replace it. It is an oil based product that is water soluble and is so beautiful to use. It goes on like a dream and dries so smoothly. That is the big problem with latex paint ~ unless you spray it, it is difficult to get a smooth finish. Anyway, I bought a litre of it in a very pale creamy grey and gave it a try with this piece. It needed something to make it special so I added a little bit of a message board with chalkboard paint:

I very lightly distressed the edges to add a little more character and highlight some of the bumps and edges.

As you can see, it is a fairly big piece for a magazine holder. It measures 25"W x 11"D x 22 1/4"H.

I was taking the pictures while the kids were at home so they were pleased that I thought of them in the messages I was trying out....

Sadly, this did not actually result in the books getting back to the library, but you get the idea. Incidentally, that issue of Fine Cooking has quite a few winning recipes in it. My husband has tried several the past few weekends and they have all been amazing!

I am looking forward to posting more regularly and I have a few pieces that are *this* close to being ready to offer.

You can buy it here.

Spring Inspired End Table

Commissioned End Table

I am pretty excited about my first official commissioned piece! There was nothing really wrong with this table, but it there was nothing special about it either. It needed to be special as it will start its new life in a very sweet 10 year old's bedroom.

This end table started life here:

I had been given full artistic license, thanks to a very trusting Mom. The weather here has been miserable and incredibly cold. All the spring and easter merchandise in the stores must have been influencing me (or maybe just the easter M&Ms). This is the table now:

I painted it a very soft yellow green. It is so feminine and pretty. I tried to keep the distressing  light ~ just to highlight some of the curves and edges.

I replaced the knob with another one from Anthropologie and rubbed the entire piece with a layer of wax for a nice, smooth finish.

This was so fun to do and I have my fingers crossed that the new owner will be happy with it too!

I have created a page on Facebook for Hour25. Look for me there for updates!