From Drab to Absolutely Fab

Well, I think so anyway!

A few days ago, I posted a photo of the varnished drop-leaf oak table that P and I had found at the antiques market. After much hard work i.e. sanding, priming, painting and distressing, we are almost finished with it. It just needs a coat of wax on the underside of the table top and we are good to go.

Some people might consider it sacrilege to paint over such great quality wood, but the fact is that so called 'brown furniture' is really out of fashion at the moment. While we paid about £22 for the table and materials, it can now sell for at least double that online and considerably more in a retail shop. There is a huge market for shabby chic in Brrrringland and beyond.

As we are not delivering the table to our friends for a few more weeks, here are some photos of it looking quite at home in our 'kopi' corner.

With the leaves closed:

With the leaves open:

I also found this fabulous set of vintage enamel scales online for our kitchen:

I just adore the whole quaint kitchenalia thingy!

A New Love of Old Things

Over the last few months, I have found a wonderful new way to fuel my passion for all things vintage: the Brrringlish antique market. There are so many decorating shows on telly now that show how good quality antiques can furnish a modern home for a fraction of buying new off the high street. There are lots of fairs all over the country and you can just about go to one every week.

By far the biggest and longest running is the antiques market near us at a racecourse a short drive away. Yesterday, we set off bright and early:


When we got to the venue at 7am, the parking lot was already full and we had to leave our car in a non-parking spot at the end of one of the rows of vehicles.

The sun was just coming up and the morning mist bathed the racecourse beautifully:

There are 350 stalls inside the building:

And another 350 stalls outside:

Dealers as far as the eye can see:

All in all, it took us four hours to do one circuit of the fair. The back of my knees really ached but it was a wonderful morning. We walked around with a hot cuppa in hand while browsing all the bits and bobs on offer. The weather was fantastic and my favourite sight was of this wee Jack Russell sitting on a vintage tub chair enjoying a spot of sunbathing:

We bought a few old photo frames:

As well as an easel frame which is very pretty all on its own:

The glass candlesticks on top of the cabinet were a bargain at £10:

And best of all, we got this heavy 1960's oak drop leaf coffee table for a song:

We actually bought it for our good friends. When we went to see them late last year, I promised to help them find one to fit their small but beautifully furnished lounge. She likes shabby chic like me and has a fantastic china cabinet that I wish was mine ha ha.

I am in the midst of re-painting the table for them. It is very heavy and solid but the dark varnish was old fashioned and in bad shape. P helped me to sand it down and I've already painted on two coats of primer. It still needs to another two coats of paint, which hopefully will be done by the weekend. P will then distress it as he has that all important quality when it comes to sandpapering i.e. brute strength.

We are bringing the table to them at the end of month, a two hour drive away. In exchange, she has agreed to make P one of his favourite dishes...cottage pie!

In my next blog, I will post a photo of the finished table in their living room. Hopefully I will remember to take one! :-)