French shabby-chic cream and grey distressed lady's secretary desk with lock and key

This darling little desk caught my eye as I was hunting down an item for a custom order.  I jumped on it, knowing I could make it quite the beauty again, although it had been kept in good repair.  It is a reproduction piece, so I was happy to paint it out a gorgeous creamy linen colour with a pale grey glaze.  I also added some onlay details and changed out the old hardware for something fancier.  The interior is pretty too: I liked the original wood on the inside, so I just did some stencil work to give it a little "je ne sais pas" and add some personality to the sea of brown wood.  Now it is ready for a new home!  Check it out on Etsy - just click the shop link on the right!

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Before: nice, but not as alluring as I'd like!

After: a gorgeous and perfectly shabby-chic desk!

To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook, on  Etsy, on Pinterest,and at sageandbalm.com.

Gustavian style pale grey/taupe and whitewashed antique dresser with mirror

Here is a gorgeously shaped antique dresser that I had acquired as part of a set.  The vanity has since sold (see it here), and the beautiful 3/4 bed is now my daughter's (I converted it into a daybed: stay tuned, as I'll post about it in a while)!  

This piece has such a classically beautiful shape and lovely woodwork; but as it was in really rough shape when I got it, I decided to paint it a light colour to brighten it up, rather than strip and re-stain it.  I find that big looming pieces with nice woodwork can take on a softer, more curvy appearance when painted out.  This piece required lots of repairs to the drawers, and after finally getting it in working order, I had an idea for what I wanted its finish to be.  Since I love the Swedish Gustavian style, I thought it would be a nice way to bring out the pretty lines of this dresser, without getting overtly shabby-chic, which I thought may distract from the woodwork.  After painting out the dresser with a creamy-beige taupe colour for a base, I finished it by hand-painting to get that quintessential Gustavian look, layering shades of the same taupe and ivory colour family to bring out the details and give a sense of patina.  I even happened to remember that I had a lovely wallpaper stashed away with matching colour tones, and that was cut to fit as pretty drawer-liners.

If you or someone you know would love to adopt this lovely piece, it is looking for a new home!  Click on the "Etsy shop" button and you'll find it listed there!

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Before: very worn, chipped, and damaged with broken drawers on the interior!

After: A beautifully subtle "Gustavian" dresser!

To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook, on  Etsy, on Pinterest,and at sageandbalm.com.