Sneek Peek: Guest Bathroom in the Country

We got the second bathroom done 

and it's a cutie

 I did a post a few weeks back and you can read more here...but the main feature of the bathroom is this old little farm house table, with the green knob and the wonderful chippy paint

All 100% original, to the piece.

  I used Bree Wax to finish it off for a bit of protection and sheen but thats pretty much it.

 The tile is similar to the Master bathroom 

only the mosaics are used, playing with scale 

to make the pattern more interesting

 The floor is done in solid 12x12 carrera 

with a mosaic inset border of 1 1/4 by 5/8 " tiles

 I carried the border around the entire room and into the shower stall

The floor is the same type of rectangular mosaic but in a much smaller scale  of  

1 1/8 by 1/2 inch mosaic tiles

The walls are 3x6 inch white subway from Home Depot

 I used a really contemporary fixtures throughout...

the shower fixture is from Delta

 Remember that these bathroom don't have any windows  so lighting is really important. 

I had the doors made with an opaque milk glass window to let in more light from the main house.  You actually can see into this bathroom when you walk in the front room....

gotta keep this bath really clean and pretty

Here is  a quick peek....

More details to follow!

Doug Strickland: Artist

I'm not actually sure how I stumbled onto this amazing artist

but his work is simply wonderful.  I have a framed print of the work above and it is stunning...even as a print!

 His name is Doug Strickland 

and he lives in North Carolina.  

He is a portrait, landscape and still life painter 

who is deeply in touch with rural America

 He paints primarily the every day comings and goings 

of small communities...which are probably not far from where he lives.

 There is a really magical touch to his work 

and he draws you into the location 

 When I look at these, I get a true sense of the moment in time 

that the painting is capturing.

You can almost hear those little chickens clucking....

 The simplicity of the subject matter is what I really love 

 He does commissions of family members and pets as well!

 You can view his web site and more of his work here

Hope you have enjoyed a little sample of Doug's work.

Have a wonderful and simple weekend!

&

Thanks for stopping in....

kelley

Got Milk Paint?

What an interesting product

and really timely

 given our current fascination with all natural products 

and "going green"

 I have loved this product ever since I first began 

collecting primitives 

 years ago.

When I found an inexpensive little chest 

or something sort of interesting that just needed some TLC, 

I tried everything I could think of 

to get that dry, chalky finish found in real antique primitives.

And then I found Milk Paint.  

I purchased my first little bag from an antique store in 

Old Town, 

Orange, California.

Orange is one of THE BEST destinations 

for antiquing 

in Southern California. 

If you go, make a day of it...

you won't be disappointed

The Real Milk Paint company began in 1974 

and has been manufacturing the product much the same since then.  

A bag, which will make up about a pint, 

costs around $11 dollars.

Using only natural ingredients of milk proteins, 

lime and natural pigments, 

milk paint is sold only in powder form. 

The 20 colors are based on historical milk paint  

but, it can be mixed and re-worked to achieve any color you can think up.

Here is a link to their face book page which shows the amazing variety of colors that they have thought up....

and it includes the recipes!

If you are interested in the history of this type of paint

you can read the entire story here

What an amazing finish on this cabinetry...hummm should I try this?

These photos are the work of contemporary cabinet makers 

using milk paint to achieve the wonderful patina of a primitive, from the 1800s

 It fits perfectly with swedish furniture in patina and color 

or 

new re-edition furniture 

Decorative painters seem to love this paint, 

probably because of the simple raw quality it has, is so charming 

Interesting, that you can't really strip it off once it has been applied.  

Most artisans finish their work with linseed oil and then use wax or danish oil for that beautiful soft hand rubbed sheen...

There are so many ways to produce an interesting color and finish...

layering, sanding, burnishing,

it's really just your imagination 

and a bit of elbow grease

Have you used this paint?

Please share your ideas....if you have!

&

Thanks for taking a peek today

~kelley~

*all photos courtesy 

The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company