I graced my cabriole leg French Louis XV style end table with gilding and appliqués to give it an antique European flair!
Table 'before'
I bought it in 1988 for $50 at a secondhand store near Wheaton College’s campus and walked all the way back to my dorm with it. No plastic milk crate tables for me!
Table 'after'
It’s probably from the 1930s, and there’s lovely marquetry on the top, and I hope the paint naturally flakes back to show it again someday. I’ve actually left it on the porch to get it to peel, but it only made the wood delaminate. It’s probably five different shades of green and aqua from all my experimenting.
Another 'before' picture, musing over appliques.
This is the first time I’ve ever used appliqués to ‘hang’ below something, as well as ‘gilding’. The ‘gilding’ is Rub‘N Buff in Antique Gold from Michael’s applied with my finger tip, not gold leaf. The 4” wreath is from The Bella Cottage bought about 5 years ago. The swags are from Do It Yourself Chic.
Neither wanted to stay where I needed them to without breaking in my chilly studio, so I glued them onto custom cut pieces of scrap cardboard first, and then I fastened them with epoxy.
It’s good to see The Bella Cottage slashed appliqué prices in half, because I quickly learned they were astronomical (in some cases double) compared to Do It Yourself Chic for the same exact appliqué. (How could I rationalize an appliqué on a bed that cost more than the bed?)
While they have some designs Do It Yourself Chic doesn’t, I’m hesitant to buy their appliqués any longer because the pair I have are made out of something like clay, and they get mushy in humid weather and can break. They also support the growth of this sort of scaly, yellowish mineral deposit. Well, that does look shabby, after all!
The Bella Cottage is a well-known high-end shabby chic style retailer, so if you ever want to spend time gawking at great beauty, navigate there sometime!
Until next time, stay shabby!
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