Saturday, November 24, 2012

Lee's latest DIY

Since I was a little girl, I've wanted a dressing table, the kind with a little bench that slides underneath and a big mirror, so I was thrilled to recently find a set online. It's from the '40s so I'm not sure it qualifies as an antique, but it's definitely vintage.

The dressing table itself is in excellent condition, hardly a scratch, but the bench needed some work. It had been painted brown so it no longer matched and I knew that if I stripped it, I would never get new stain to match the table.


The upholstery was worn and stained so I removed that and discovered two more equally grim seat covers underneath.


When I look at how dirty that top layer was, about the only thing that comes to mind is "ick"!

For paint, I decided white was the safest bet, and I went with chalk paint. If you've never used it, I encourage you to give it a try. Annie Sloan is a good brand. The surface being painted needs to be clean but otherwise very little prep is needed. It has no fumes, dries quickly, and a couple of coats will cover anything! After the final coat is dry, the painted surface needs a light coating with wax, Annie Sloan makes that, too, and you're done. Oh, and this paint is completely water soluble, so clean up is a breeze!


For upholstery I used a remnant that coordinates with the bedroom drapes and bedspread, and I added extra layers of padding so the seat is nice and cushy.

An easy project completed in an afternoon! It still doesn't match the dressing table, but now they go together better.

If you enjoy DIY and other decorating projects as much as I do, then I hope you'll enjoy my next book, The Daddy Project, which will be out on Tuesday. RT Book Reviews describes it as well as I can:
THE DADDY PROJECT (4) by Lee McKenzie: Single mom Kristi Callahan has been hired to redecorate single dad Nate McTavish's house - not to fall in love with him. But Kristi and Nate have more in common than just being single parents; they are both feeling family pressure to start dating again. Pretending to be with each other seems the simplest way to quell the complaints, but they do not anticipate the very real feelings that spark between them. When Nate's house is complete, they wonder if the relationship is over as well - and hope it isn't. McKenzie's characters are clever, with a captivating warmth that readers will love.


To celebrate the release, I'll be doing a series of guest blogs and giveaways, and will be posting details of those on my website. The next issue of my newsletter goes out next week and there'll be even more giveaways for subscribers. If you'd like to be added to my mailing list, there's a sign-up form on my website.

Happy reading!

Until next time,
Lee
www.LeeMcKenzie.com
The Daddy Project (Dec 2012)
Daddy, Unexpectedly (May 2012)
Maggie's Way (Harlequin Heartwarming, May 2012)

8 comments:

BW said...

Congradulations on your book and your DIY project. I've never been real good about DIY projects and I envy those who have talent.

Lee McKenzie said...

Thanks, BW! You're so sweet. I'm not sure about talent, but I did inherit the thrifty gene so I love a good bargain!

linda s said...

I have to go back looking... I didn't know you wrote a heartwarming...
I am such a klutz that I couldn't even think about how to start such a project. Stool looks great though.

Lee McKenzie said...

Thanks, Linda! Crafts and DYIs are not everyone's cup of tea :)

My upcoming Heartwarming is actually a reissue of one of my old American Romances. There will be changes to the story, though, and it will have a new cover, too. I'm really looking forward to seeing the cover!

bas1chs said...

Excellent project. I remember recovering some seats a while back and was glad that I didn't just recover the upholstery like those before me did - yuck! LOL

Amanda Renee said...

You did a great job on the bench! I love it :) The Daddy Project is next on my "to read" list. It's on my end table and everyone keeps commenting on the cute cover :)

Lee McKenzie said...

LOL, yes! The "ick factor" of dirty old upholstery is icky for sure. Plus you never know what might be living in it!

Lee McKenzie said...

Thank you, Amanda!

And yes, we're very lucky here at American Romance. Harlequin's art department consistently produces wonderful covers, and I have to say they captured the twins in THE DADDY PROJECT to perfection. I adore this cover!