Refurbishing an ancient oak dresser and other things.

I rescued an ancient oak dresser, which had clearly seen better days,  from the auction room a couple of weeks ago and  wanted to preserve its ancient look -  while making it more saleable of course.

Some massive TLC and imagination was called for which demanded the attention of both hubby (to make it sound and functional) and me to give it some wow factor. Some of the joints were loose and there were splits and bubbling to the top, though its saving grace was that it had no woodworm.

I decided I would paint it in Annie Sloan's Antibes Green and finish it with dark wax, which made a dramatic contrast to the original dark oak backboard. I wanted to retain this as the grain was beautiful on the backboard, not having had so much wear. Unfortunately, while most of the dresser was made from solid oak, the top was veneered. The veneer had bubbled and chipped so, with the aid of a hot air gun, we removed this, to reveal a light pine beneath.

Uh oh! The challenge was now to stain it dark to match the oak backboard.

Clearly, this dresser was not going to be finished today. I had already spent 2 days painting and waxing it. While hubby continued with the woodwork and staining, I decided to tackle a job I have been putting off for months.

It was a dull rainy day and I felt drawn to painting in primary colours to brighten up my day. I fished out 4 Victorian scullery chairs that had been languishing for months and spent the afternoon transforming them into a harlequin set of 4. Voila! Ready to go into our shop to accompany a pine table already there.

Thats enough work for today. Now to catch up on Channel 4 French Collection, to get some inspiration. 

The Olde Watermill Barton le Clay

250-year old Water Mill

We met up with the Proprietor to finalise the space we will be taking at The Olde Watermill, Barton le Clay where a new Antiques and Collectables Emporium will be opening on 28th July 2012.

We will be selling antique and shabby chic furniture and, as we get a feel of the market in that area, will adapt accordingly.

Being at the start of such a project is particularly exciting. We feel this beautiful Dickensian style shopping village offering restaurant and coffee shop in the old mill, as well as independent shops, garden centre and Christmas village from October will be the perfect setting for our products.

Couple this with competitive introductory prices, this is going to  be a hot spot for Christmas shopping for all lovers of antiques, vintage and collectables.

Olde Curiosity Shop style frontage

Entrance to the Emporium

The Ducks take a stroll

Just as we were about to leave, the ducks from the mill pond wandered in for a quick browse. Delightful!

In the meantime, please visit our Ebay store by clicking on the following link, where we can offer Nationwide Delivery from £55 for England & Wales Mainland

Owl Cottage Collectables and Furniture

Racing against Time - Thank goodness for Annie Sloan Paint

Friday is listing day because I like auction listings to end on a Monday evening. This is based on the premise that the weekend is when people decide to make a new purchase. They then hit the shops and Ebay on Monday to fulfil that quest. Monday evenings are when those who return from a day's work can get online to search.  So, we aim to meet that demand by listing for 10 days on Friday evening. That provides us with a deadline to aim for by having items ready for listing on Friday.

So with that in mind, having started to paint a 1930s bureau yesterday, I was keen to finish it today. I also wanted to re-vamp a modern waxed pine settle that lacked character.

Thanks to Annie Sloan's wonderful chalk paint which eliminates the need for excessive preparation, I was able to complete both projects.

I painted the bureau in her shade of Country Grey. We replaced the tatty rexine skiver with a soft faux leather inset panel in blue/grey which complimented the neutral tone of the Country Grey. I lightly distressed the paintwork and finished with Clear Wax already for listing this evening. Having sold a bureau this week which was collected by our customer today, it is nice to have a replacement to go on straight away, as these bureaux are always popular. With more and more people now using smartphones and ipads, bureaux are the ideal space-saving alternative to full-sized desks for a home office environment.

I decided to paint the settle in one coat of Old White from the Annie Sloan paint range and then heavily rub this back to create a limed pine effect. Again, this was finished with clear wax.  This settle is the perfect solution to a cluttered porch to store shoes, school bags etc.

The little bedside chests listed only yesterday, were sold today. Of 1950s utility construction, these were transformed thanks to Annie Sloan Duck Egg and new oak handles. As a result, they made an attractive and affordable pair of bedsides that were snapped up by someone locally who came to collect.

Finally, the Andy Murray match provided a great end to the day. Amazing - the first man from the UK to play in a Wimbledon Final since 1938.  I can remember when Virginia Wade won her Final. The country could do with some Feel Good Factor that his win would generate after all this rain. Fingers Crossed!


Please click on this link if you would like to browse our Ebay Store. Thanks for popping by

First Entry - 4th July 2012

I'm taking my very first baby step into the world of blogging, motivated by some of the fine blogs Ive stumbled across on my world wide web travels.

Described by some as a silver surfer, though I prefer to think of myself as a savvy surfer, I embraced the internet about 10 years ago and soon went from making the odd purchase on Ebay to becoming a full-time seller with the invaluable help of my husband, Mike.

Our Ebay Store

Now with over 3,700 positive feedbacks, accumulated over the past few years - with not one negative, I'm rather proud to claim,  I have found that, for all its faults, Ebay has provided our business, Owl Cottage Collectables,  with a worldwide clientele from all walks of life and cultures.

What they, and we, share in common is a love of all things vintage.  

Whether it be a high end antique or an upcycled preloved piece of furniture, it is not only far more environmentally friendly than something bought new on the high street, but has an individuality and charm that simply cant be replicated - offering the new owner something which is unique to them.

From our cottage in Cambridgeshire, we enjoy foraging at antique fairs, auction houses and sometimes the odd car boot sale in order to rescue and restore vintage finds to their resplendent best.

I love transforming the odd piece thanks to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and am fast discovering my favourite shades and effects, though would never dream of painting anything which would be devalued as a result.  Here are a few of my past projects and, with the aid of this blog, will add future finds and restorations as and when, as well as a daily journal.