Old Furniture, New Life
I was so happy when I came across a lovely article in Boston Magazine today featuring the New Hampshire summer home of my friend and interior designer, Fernanda Bourlet, from Simplemente Blanco. You have to click here to read and see the many photos of her white-washed interiors, but a favorite photo had to be shared below... And in a moment I'll tell you why I love it so much.
Why I love it: Okay, aside from the fact that it's white and I love a few white pieces of wooden furniture in my home... I really like that the piece is old and was painted to give it a fresh, new life. I imagine it was once very dark brown and for me, it wouldn't be the same piece and would look a bit granny in brown. But in white, it looks current and fresh and fits perfectly in Fernanda's country farmhouse. I like the combination of both straight and curvy lines along with the glass front so one can show off prized treasures inside... The rugged leather suitcase on top and the dainty vintage lamp top it off so nicely - understated yet charming. And the birch in the corner, how lovely is that? Here's another great example from Fernanda's home...
I know lots of people see cabinets painted white and right away think Shabby Chic or Country Style but I look at them and think of how unique these pieces can become when given a few coats of paint. For instance, imagine this in glossy black? Or lacquered canary yellow? Maybe a matte gray? There are so many options, you could even wallpaper the interior of the glass cabinet for a little ka-pow! While I wouldn't paint a prized antique - most of the stuff I see that's been painted and/or restored genuinely needed love and new paint saved them from abandonment in the attic.
Now that I'm moving, all I can think about is changing up my interiors, painting walls and furniture, and making everything more interesting. I badly needed to freshen my space and purge of stuff I'd grown tired of so moving gives me the perfect chance to do precisely that. And though I sprained my ankle last night (great timing, right?) and will be limping around for 6-8 weeks, and my baby is due in 11 weeks, I'm surprisingly optimistic and excited about this move. The wood flooring will be installed this week - so things are moving along. I honestly can't wait - I keep going upstairs (we have the keys now) to look around and measure and just BE in the space so it slowly becomes more familiar to me. It's such a luxury to have this property while we still live two floors down - so we have several weeks to get everything together. With winter coming, and the Christmas markets beginning here November 25th, I have to stick to my spreadsheet and keep ticking things off because it's so easy to get distracted by the holidays and the many fests here. And my mom will be visiting for a few months after our son is born, so I also have to prep the guest bedroom for her! Busy times people. Let's hope I can manage all of this!
Do you have a piece of furniture that you've painted and given new life too? Please share a photo and tell us what you did in the comments section below. I'd love to peek!
(images: Nat Rea for boston magazine)