My Deconstructed Chaise

Are you a fan of perfectly imperfect?  I am.  I think it describes my fascination with deconstructed furniture.  What am I talking about???  Well, basically furniture with its underthings exposed.  I already had a deconstructed chair in my upstairs hallway.

My Deconstructed Chair

Of course when I came upon a chaise with the same construction exposure, I purchased it and plopped it in my living room.

My Deconstructed Chaise

A Closer Look At Her Undergarments

Foot of Chaise

I also had a footstool base.  Instead of reupholstering it,  I added a vintage ledger and used it as a side table.  My copper demijohn traveled from another room to be part of this vignette.

Footstool, Ledger, and Demijohn

On the table you'll find an oversized candlestick, a wooden compote filled with floats and animal horns, and some shabby leather books supported by faux marbleized book ends.

I have a framed map of Italy layered over one of my favorite finds, a large garden gate, that fills the wall space.

Framed Map of Italy Layered Over A Garden Gate

I placed a oval metal tray at the foot of the chaise and filled it with another book and a Fornasetti paper weight.  Next to the book are some chippy gold finials.

Large Tray At The Foot Of The Chaise

I draped a leopard throw over the chaise.

Leopard Throw

I'm always a sucker for sunburst mirrors.  This one was missing its mirror, so I just layered it over the throw and a framed architectural print.  I tossed a gold bullion tassel over it too.

Sunburst "Mirror" and Architectural Print

You can actually lounge on the chaise without falling through.  (After you remove all the stuff.)  It's in my living room, the most unused room in the house.  We're always in the family room.  

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Finds--Vintage and New Plus Shells for Summer @ The CoOp

We girls have been very busy pulling our sale together for this weekend at Buckeystown Design CoOp.  I always have a mix of new and vintage finds.  Since summer is here with all thoughts of the beach, I added some seashore decor as well.  

I think my favorite vintage find is this day bed.  It originally had pink and white ticking.  I used a dry brush technique to give it a weathered look and had it upholstered in a gray linen.

DAY BED IN GREY LINEN WITH WEATHERED FINISH

I also added a bolster pillow.

DAY BED WITH BOLSTER

Behind the day bed is an MCM buffet that's a perfect TV stand.  The top was chippy and crackled.  Since the paint on the base was in good condition, I was going to strip the top and then paint the whole piece.  I really liked the natural weathering, so I randomly applied stripper to the base and removed the paint in sections with no real pattern in mind.  After I felt it was mottled enough, I applied a gray wash and then waxed it to seal it.  It looks good with the day bed.

MCM BUFFET

I placed a paper mache vase on the top of the buffet and filled it with rolled up prints of shells.  It's from the 1920's and the pattern looks like something you'd find on a salt glazed pot.

1920's MACHE VASE

A few months ago I purchased large European bread boards. Fabulous patina.

EUROPEAN BREAD BOARDS

Some of them actually had repairs.  You can see the repair on the base of the one in this image.

BREADBOARD WITH REPAIR

I always collect empty frames.  I actually removed the mirror from the black and gold one.

EMPTY FRAMES

ELEPHANT BOOK END AND MAP OF PARIS

Here come the shells.

OCTOPUS PILLOW

SHELL PRINT ON BURLAP

This is the companion shell print.  I rested it on a vintage cupboard.

VINTAGE CUPBOARD AND SHELL PRINT ON BURLAP

These framed shell prints complement the vintage chest with its original color.

VINTAGE CHEST AND SHELL PRINTS

LARGE DOUGH BOWL, MIRROR, TRAY WITH CORAL

If you're in the DC area, please join us for our sale July 15-17.

Details here.

Finds--Vintage and New Plus Shells for Summer @ The CoOp

We girls have been very busy pulling our sale together for this weekend at Buckeystown Design CoOp.  I always have a mix of new and vintage finds.  Since summer is here with all thoughts of the beach, I added some seashore decor as well.  

I think my favorite vintage find is this day bed.  It originally had pink and white ticking.  I used a dry brush technique to give it a weathered look and had it upholstered in a gray linen.

DAY BED IN GREY LINEN WITH WEATHERED FINISH

I also added a bolster pillow.

DAY BED WITH BOLSTER

Behind the day bed is an MCM buffet that's a perfect TV stand.  The top was chippy and crackled.  Since the paint on the base was in good condition, I was going to strip the top and then paint the whole piece.  I really liked the natural weathering, so I randomly applied stripper to the base and removed the paint in sections with no real pattern in mind.  After I felt it was mottled enough, I applied a gray wash and then waxed it to seal it.  It looks good with the day bed.

MCM BUFFET

I placed a paper mache vase on the top of the buffet and filled it with rolled up prints of shells.  It's from the 1920's and the pattern looks like something you'd find on a salt glazed pot.

1920's MACHE VASE

A few months ago I purchased large European bread boards. Fabulous patina.

EUROPEAN BREAD BOARDS

Some of them actually had repairs.  You can see the repair on the base of the one in this image.

BREADBOARD WITH REPAIR

I always collect empty frames.  I actually removed the mirror from the black and gold one.

EMPTY FRAMES

ELEPHANT BOOK END AND MAP OF PARIS

Here come the shells.

OCTOPUS PILLOW

SHELL PRINT ON BURLAP

This is the companion shell print.  I rested it on a vintage cupboard.

VINTAGE CUPBOARD AND SHELL PRINT ON BURLAP

These framed shell prints complement the vintage chest with its original color.

VINTAGE CHEST AND SHELL PRINTS

LARGE DOUGH BOWL, MIRROR, TRAY WITH CORAL

If you're in the DC area, please join us for our sale July 15-17.

Details here.

EMPTY FRAMES

I've written about empty frames many times and always seem to find more ways to use them.  I've even been known to remove a mirror from a particularly nice frame and let its beauty stand alone.  I did just that with the large mirror/empty frame in the image below.  I layered it with another vintage gold mirror and used a canvas chinoiserie panel as a back drop.  This vignette peek also includes a beaded pendant chandelier and a turned candlestick.  You can see the top of a crown on a Virgin Mary statue too.  All is available at our next sale at the CoOp.

Vintage Frames

What about layering an empty frame over an unframed oil on board?

Vintage Frame Over Oil On Board

You can join empty frames with a garland of driftwood.

Empty Frames and Driftwood Garland

What about using a plaster ram's head inside a frame with a chippy door 

and a burlap garland as a back drop?

Plaster  Ram's Head Inside a Frame

Or, add a lion's head wall shelf inside an empty frame.

Lion's Head Shelf Inside a Frame

A faux deer head inside frames was for sale at The Design House Artist's Loft.

Frames at The Design House

I created a layered gallery wall with frames, metallic trays, sunburst mirrors, and canvas prints.

Layered Gallery Wall

I was very sad when this long sectioned frame sold at the Design House.  It's one of many of my "seller's remorse" pieces.  Oh how I hope to find another and keep it.

Empty Frames at The Design House

I even hung empty frames on my stairwell for Christmas.

Empty Frames for Holiday Decor

Do you use empty frames?  How do you display them?