Treasure Box Wednesday: Forgotten Furnishings and Painted Putti

The last few days have been full of surprises for me. Things I've put away years ago, to decorate the blue bedroom my friend was using, have suddenly been unearthed and brought to light.

It almost feels like one of those time travel films, where Past Me leaps into the future and plants the seeds of things Present Me might need now.

Let's hear it for Past Me!

One of my favorite finds was this trio of cherubs I'd painted a good long while ago...

No masterpieces by any means, these whimsical and ornery-looking putti (based on the cherubs at the bottom of the throw I'm using on the couch) have certainly made me smile. I have vague memories of giving them irreverent-- yet appropriate-- names...

Like Buster...
Butch...
And, something like Bud...
Perhaps they'll serve my decorating needs yet as I continue to pull that blue room together!

I also have been dusting off some flea marketed lyre furniture. I have two endtables like this, and a coffeetable, all with about the same level of poor finish...

But I'm thinking a lick of off-white paint will both brighten them up and hide all of the dings and scratches in that veneer.
Don't worry, they're not priceless Chippendale or anything. They're probably from the Depression era.

I thought you'd also like to see that framed tapestry now that the frame has been gold-leafed...

It's much cleaner from the chipped dark brown it was, and in the daylight in that room, gives off a nice inviting glow.

Lastly, I forgot all about this thrifted needlepoint stool I got to go with my thrifted chair. This was just a few bucks from the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Monroeville a few years ago...

So, I feel like things are really coming together. I need to make some decisions about what goes where, and I need to invest in a tin of cream paint. But I'm excited about the way it's turning out.

At the very least, it's keeping me out of trouble.

The same, however, cannot necessarily be said for those mischievous cherubs.

• If you missed the first post on decorating the blue room in a day, you can check that out here.

Otherwise, I'll see you Sunday, perhaps, for our next post and hopefully a bit more progress!

From Empty to French and Shabbily Romantic in a Day

Those of us thrifty folks do ourselves a serious service by planning ahead. I knew there would come a day when the friend who was renting from me would be able to purchase a home of her own and the extra bedroom she occupied would be a blank canvas once more.

Well, almost blank, anyway...
With just a few remaining things to pick up and take to her nifty new digs, boy was I glad I had developed a plan for the blue room long ago! And even gladder was I that I'd tucked some things aside as I'd found them, to decorate it.

The theme? A shabby chic old world French feel.. A bit pastoral, a bit faded, soft and lush and relaxing... A place a person could come sit and read a book, play some music, or paint.

Here you see a last framed artwork that needs to find its way to my former housemate, and a ladder waiting for me to hang some drapes...
The stack of prints below are from my own hallway. I'd taken them down so the movers could get through easily. They'll go back to their places shortly. They won't live here.

Here is my old black Ikea couch, brought up from the livingroom when the red velvet vintage-style sofa I'd thrifted recently took its place. This black sofa's going to get cover-up job done to it shortly. (Apologies for the photographed spheres... too much dust there for a second!)
The cover you see below was one I bought from the Salvation Army thrift store years ago and tucked away for just this occasion. It's got an elaborate pastoral scene on it, chock filled with minstrels and courting couples. I hadn't seen anything quite like it, but thought it would come in handy...

You can se the figures up close better here, with this romantic couple...

And here, with these instrumentalists...To cover the arms, I had a vintage pink burnout velvet futon cover I'd also thrifted some time ago...
It looks a lot pinker here in the photos, for some reason. It's actually a rather faded soft pink, like the dresses in the pastoral cover.

Here you can see I put up some curtains. I'd gotten these two years ago from TJ Maxx, at $16.00 a set, valences and tasseled tie-backs included!...

Here you can see the cherub and lady painting, which had been in my entrway downstairs, got moved to an appropriate placement between the windows, against the flow of light...

The music cabinet underneath it had had an unfortunate mishap when I'd moved it. The momentum of the cabinet door swung the door right off its hinges, pulling the screws away from the soft pine piece. A sad thing, naturally, and I cursed myself a bit over it. But I think I can fix it. It's really the right height and size for the area.

This French tapestry chair was a Salvation Army find too, about four years ago. It was just waiting to come into the blue room!

And you can see it coming together so far...
This large Italian tapestry will soon hang over the couch. This was-- probably not surprising to you-- a Salvation Army find, as well!...

The frame is quite scratched, so I think I'll gold leaf it so it will match the other frames in the room.

I also have some small lyre endtables, a desk, and a couple of vintage lamps that will find a home here.

I hope you folks enjoyed the little preliminary tour. Knowing your taste, developing a plan, and having a lot of patience is a great way to decorate a room with interesting items-- and not a lot of money.

• If you missed last week's Treasure Box Wednesday, Rainy Days and Roses, click here.

If not, I should have some other goodies to share with you this coming Wednesday. I hope you'll pop by to see what awaits.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Rainy Days and Roses

On Saturday, the sky was a relentless gray and rain fell in a straight, half-hearted drizzle... but the insides of the thrift stores and antique malls were warmly lit and dry.

It would have been pleasure enough just to wander around the various aisles. But it turns out some great sales were on, and Lady Luck was in a giddy mood.

My favorite find for this week was this 1960s still-life rose painting from the L&L Fleatique-- which, in a fortunate half-off sale, was $20, framed...
The painting was originally from a gallery in southern Florida, where I rather doubt the painting sold for 20 clams the first time around!...

I'm particularly pleased the way the artist did the glossiness of that vase.

And speaking of vases, how about a little jadite?

Fans of jadite know it doesn't come especially cheap, given it's popularity. But at $9, I thought I could afford this one.

Speaking of both roses and vases, I found a Victorian transferware jug at the Salvation Army Thrift Store...
Okay, so, yes, they aren't roses printed on there... But you get the gist.

At fifty-cents a piece I got these framed tapestries at the Goodwill...

And last, a couple of collector's books on some American pottery of interest...

What's the price of knowledge? Well, apparently a fiver will do ya. :)

• And speaking of American Pottery, if you missed Sunday's post on McCoy pottery and how pricing has changed since the 80s, click here.

For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy a little sunshine this week, even if it's only the warm glow of a pleasant day.