Honey Fest photos & mission statement revisited...

As you know, the annual Beeton Honey & Garden Festival has passed us by, and I had my first taste of the vending life!  It was very labour-intensive, but we had a great day.  The weather was perfect, my minions were such good helpers, and the furniture really made an impact on some customers (and looky-loos too!)  I met so many lovely people and received many accolades over my work, which I must say, completely made my year!

Thank you to everyone for your support and assistance over the last 3 months to make this such a great experience!  And thank you to everyone who supported a small, local business with your purchasing power.  I hope to do it again next year!

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For anyone new to this blog or my Facebook site, a big WELCOME!  Here is a quick description of what Sage & Balm is all about, just in case you're not able to find my mission statement:

Sage & Balm is a small, local business serving the Guelph and surrounding area (and beyond in some cases!).  I spend time scouring the area for one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture that are in need of a facelift, repair, or re-purposing; and I give those pieces a second chance at being both beautiful and useful once again. I also accept custom order requests for a make-over of your choice!  Up-cycling furniture that may be destined for the trash heap is a great way to reduce, re-use, or recycle what we already have!  Oftentimes I stumble across good modern, vintage, or antique furniture that can be rescued from the trash and turned back into treasure, and...

 Sage & Balm uses 95% eco-friendly products of the highest quality to make sure both you and the environment are happy.

Contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com or follow Sage & Balm on Facebook for updates, news, and photos of furniture or fine art photography available for purchase.

Pretty & beachy French Provincial side table

Here is another beauty that will be available at the Beeton Honey Festival this May 23rd (next Saturday!)  

This is a somewhat common side-table find at thrift stores, but the French Provincial shape has made these tables more sought after lately.  Once this table had been chalk-painted with white and a taupey grey, it started looking pretty again!  I added some whitewashing to the double drawer-fronts and the table top to give it a beachy patina; then a beautiful hand-painted damask detail was added to make the whole table come together.  Even the inside of the drawers received some attention and got a much needed facelift.  Of course, as always, the entire piece is sealed for protection and ready to grace someone else's home! :)

Here is a before picture...and I started work on it before I took the photo, oops!

And here it is after many hours at the salon:

Inside the drawers:

 To place a custom refinishing order, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also "like" and follow Sage & Balm on Facebook!

Rustic farm-house table

Here is a new piece ready to go to the Beeton Honey Fest this May 23rd - it's just around the corner! 

 This is a really fun table that has a pretty charcoal-painted base and the entire top is rough-cut, reclaimed oak and pine boards (I scrounged them out of my parents' barn last weekend).  The boards were cleaned and cut to fit the table base (which had long since lost it's top - sorry I didn't take a before picture), and after a little more TLC, the top was ready to be fastened to the base.  My dad had some great antique nails he'd been collecting, and he graciously parted with them as we thought they would lend a nice touch to the very time-worn wood and the overall feel of the table. 

 I think it turned out well, and it would look great not just in a country kitchen, but as a sideboard, dining table, entryway console - anywhere you'd like a rustic touch.

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Here is the finished farm-house table!

Beautiful reclaimed oak and pine.

If you look closely at the table base, there is a "hole" - this table base was meant for a harvest table drop-leaf set up, but I kind of liked the simplicity of a plain top and no drop-leaves.

If you would like to place a custom order for hand-refinished furniture or photography prints, contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com, or like Sage & Balm on Facebook!

Feeling summery: some warm-weather photos

Today is really hot out and I thought I'd put a summer spin on tonight's photo prints!  Enjoy :)

Youths dam-jumping on a hot summer's day.

The lashing of the sea leaves a piece of driftwood time-worn and full of character.

A pier knot sits peacefully on a dock bathed in the light of a July sunrise.

 Two canoes sit beached on an outcropping of the Canadian Shield.

And for a pop of colour (what's summer without colour?!): 

Black-eyed Susans reach for the hot sun mid-summer.

1930's cream vanity & scripted drawers

This is a lovely example of a 1930's waterfall-styled vanity, although it would make a great desk or entry-way console.  I removed the heavy and hulking mirror as it didn't suit the new colour and tone of the vanity.  So whoever adopts this pretty number can hang something above it (maybe a mirror, picture frame, chalkboard or calendar) to kind of "cheat" that vanity look.  

The vanity is chalk-painted a gorgeous linen colour with a warm grey accent colour, and the drawer-fronts got covered in a beautiful scripted paper with musical notes and butterflies to lend some character.  The original fixtures are subtle and the entire piece has an interesting shape that is not overtly feminine.  

This piece and many more will be available for purchase at the Beeton Honey Fest this May 23rd!

Here is a before shot...

And here is the make-over result!

Details of the drawer-fronts:

To place a custom order, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com or like Sage & Balm on Facebook