an oldie revisited

While visiting my crafty companion in DC (featured in ‘feed me seymore!’ article), I got to spend a moment with one of my early refinishing projects.  This bureau was actually being thrown away on what we Alexandrian’s refer to as “Big Trash Day,”  a mecca for cheapskates and do-it-yourselfers.  We would find everything from bicycles to swings, benches, couches, and anything else you might want to sit on.  I even once found a knock-off Eames office lounge chair!  Well-to-do doctors, lawyers and politicians would use the city’s yearly front yard oversized trash pickup offer to unload their half-finished projects by simply dragging them to the curb.  It was a great tradition for the people with more time than money to gather in cars, trucks and vans in the dark with flashlights in hand and patrol the streets of Del Ray for goodies.  We used to do the stroll in my old mustang with the top down, heat blasting and hot chocolates in hand.  We’d nod knowingly at fellow scourers and sometimes share some hot spots.  We would fill my ride until it was bursting with furniture and we looked like some urban Santa Claus in our modern sleigh.  We’d spend the next few weeks restoring what we could.  Great memories.

This bureau was a fun project.  It was painted with three different color cans of leftover spray paint which meant I didn’t have enough of any one color to paint the whole thing.  I love the sea-loving shades.  I was worried how the painted metal pulls would hold up, but they looked great.

It was actually this object that brought Audrey Anne and I together.  I put it out at a yard sale and she bought it, after lavishing me in compliments (no bigger compliment than buying the thing).  It kicked off a wonderful relationship started from love of crafting and growing into a truly meaningful friendship.  She uses it as a catch all, but has a secret compartment that holds an old record player and records that she will, upon request, play for guests who are in the know.

Anyway, I love this idea, to use the natural breaks of the furniture and use it to play with color.   It’s hard to go wrong with the colors.  Just stay away from anything that could be mistaken for a football fan color set.  ~Sean