Adoro la Fiat 500

I've noticed these Fiats out on the roads everywhere especially the white ones and think they look really dinky. After some research I discovered why they are becoming so much in demand. Designed to be a cheap running small car it is environmentally friendly with no need for road tax so I can understand why it is the new 'in' car to have. I really like the green coloured ones as it really gives a vintage feel to it and although I'd love to have one to drive I think it might just be a little to small for me!

Pick’n’mix

Empty food jars are a really good way of storing lots of different types of objects. I use old honey jars to store things like buttons, coins, needles and threads, pins and ribbons etc. Using them in this way makes it easier to find the things that you need so much quicker than having to hunt around in boxes and draws. 

Hat box laundry

I inherited an old faded hat box after my grandfather died and decided to rework it into a laundry box.

Wallpapered hat box.

By simply gluing a large sample piece of wallpaper to the outside of the faded box and putting a laundry bag with a pull cord inside of it, I created a fresh new use for the box. 

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness......

Autumn is here and for my family this signals the start of the apple pie season. To them I am the pastry queen so it is my job to create the pies! Every year the family gather at my parent's house to harvest the apple tree and get the apples ready for storage.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to show off not just my pie making skills but my Lazy Susan potter's wheel.

 

I found the potter's wheel and had the idea of rehashing it into a Lazy Susan. I feel it has an industrial look and by painting it in black metal paint it really smartens it up. Unlike the usual Lazy Susan the potter's wheel also stands higher than most table objects which can be useful if a space is over crowded.

Getting into rehashing

Part 2

After rehashing the first chair I decided to find some more to build up a set. It didn't take me long as my parents were still storing both my sisters childhood desk chairs. Being that my sisters are twins as children they would always get the same things but with slight differences. When it comes to the chairs, I love that they are the same shape and size but with different back detail that just makes them more individual (just like my sisters!). Originally painted white, when it came to rehashing the chairs I had a head start with one of the them as one of my sisters had made a start removing the paint but had clearly just given up half way. By painting them the same as the first chair it makes them look part of a set even with different shapes. My mission is to find more chairs just like these bistro ones, hopefully with the slightly different backs, so I can build up my set. I do have another one that I am just about to start rehashing, luckily a family member was generous enough to donate it to me.

Getting into rehashing

Part 1

As a child this chair belonged to my brother but over the years it has come into my possession. While using it to work at my desk I noticed that the original white paint was starting to flake away and couldn't help but start chipping it off myself. Before I knew it there were flakes all over the floor and enough was enough something had to be done. I decided that I could rehash it to my own taste and started the long process of removing the paint with varnish remover, followed by lots of scraping and sanding. Once the chair was ready for its new cover I chose to go with B&Q's Quick Dry Rosewood Varnish. I love this shade of brown, it actually reminds me of dark chocolate and it does actually smell a bit like chocolate too! It took about 8 coats to get a solid colour so I was grateful that I had chosen quick drying varnish otherwise it would have taken even longer to finish! I would like to add that the bottom half of the chair legs had originally been painted white again (an idea I had seen in a magazine!) but after one of my sisters remarked about them looking like Mikado chocolate sticks I decided to change them to completely brown!

In the beginning....

...there was my chest of draws.

This was one of the first pieces of furniture I rehashed. I can't quite remember exactly how old I was when I created this piece (possibly early teens) but I do remember the time it took me to cut each individual sea creature out of the wrapping paper I was using before gluing them onto the draws. Unlike my friends who had stickers randomly all over their bedroom furniture I opted to go for a more stylish look! I continued this design but on a smaller scale on my wardrobe draws and doors as well as a mirror which happens to be the only item I still have. (pictured below)

Although you can't tell from the picture I always like the way the glue against the mirrored surface is blurry making the fish look like they are swimming in moving water. Great imagination I have! 

I had no idea back then that I would continue to enjoy rehashing all sorts of interior decors.