Hand-built rustic "barnboard" queen-sized headboard

Here's a project I worked on for my own home the month before.  My guest room desperately needed some help as it had been on my project back-burner for several years.  After our bathroom renovation wrapped up - wherein our contractor had used our guest room for his tools and storage! - I decided to tackle the guest room and make it livable again.  I tore out the old 1960's built-in plywood shelves, painted the entire room, including the 55 year old trim that had never been painted, and I changed up the bedding.  Then I decided I wanted a nice headboard for the bed, but after a big bathroom reno, I didn't want to spend a fortune.  So I built my own and saved lots of time and money!  In 2.5 hours start to finish, one could say I "threw" this headboard together!  But I assure you that it is made well and that I am just very efficient at working! I've made this style of headboard a few times, so making it again was a breeze, and once I custom mixed my stain, it was easy to get together and stain to look like older wood.  Looking for a headboard like this for your space?   :)

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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I have no before picture!  I was overzealous to start this room's makeover and completely forgot.  A before picture of the headboard would just be a picture of a pile of wood!

After: a country-chic headboard, fit for a rustic queen! 

*** photos taken at two different times in different lighting***

Converted farmhouse dark-stained planked cedar table with white base & matching bench!

Here is a project requested by "L" who had a wedding set table and chairs from 15 years ago.  The table was in good shape, but had definitely seen some love - including the wear and tear that children can inflict!  So "L" asked if I could makeover her existing table into one that was not only durable, but refreshed and ready for the next decade of love!  We talked colours and finishes and settled on planking the table out with cedar (lots of character, and lays more flush at a price-point that is more feasible than hardwoods) and staining it very dark and keeping a moderate glossiness to the finish.  Then the bottom would be painted out with my "faux dark wood", painted out ivory, distressed to see pops of dark wood underneath, and sealed for protection.  Then she asked could I make a matching bench to go with the table - and of course I agreed that would look great!  We picked out a style that she liked and made the bench to match with the table as if it were an existing set.  

Now the table and bench look like a whole new set - one would never know it was a blond-wood number from the early 2000's full of dings and damage!  Enjoy your new table and bench, "L"!  

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Before - dated and ready for a makeover!

After!  An almost unrecognizable "new" table and a matching bench!

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Antique white & dark-waxed vintage secretary desk with copper fixtures (painted in-home)

Here is another in-home custom order I did for my friends "G & A".  A secretary desk was on G's radar for awhile, but she wasn't having any luck hunting down one that fit her style and budget after getting married and moving into a new home while having to buy lots of new furnishings!  But she knew exactly what she wanted; and after sighting an unfinished desk in her sister's home, she asked her sister if she could have it and then asked if I could refinish it for her.  

After discussing colours and finishes, we went with a classic, creamy off-white colour and finished it with clear and dark wax to give it a natural patina.  The old wooden fixtures were replaced with gleaming copper ones which complemented the white colour, yet still gave the desk an old-world feel.  Now, it's sitting happily in her office, where G can enjoy her pretty new work-space (and so can her cat!)  

Recognize the chair in the photos?  That's from another custom order I did for G & A - see it here!

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Before - drab and dated (and...dusty!)

After!  A beautiful & classic secretary 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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Robin's egg blue & pink vintage "Princess" dresser with mirror

Here is a project from the month before - a pretty robin's egg blue, 9-drawer dresser with a gorgeous mirror and pretty woodwork.  This one was waiting in the workshop for a while, until "S" was searching for something for her darling girls' room.  The theme of their room could only be described as "princess" - it is lovely and full of great toys, pretty colours, lots of nice furniture, and...a chandelier! I would have loved this room when I was little (who am I kidding - I'd love it now)!

 So of course, the dresser needed to fit right in with that theme.  "S" decided that this dresser was the right size, style, and had all the practical necessities for storing things for two growing girls; so after settling on colours and finishing styles, this dresser felt right at home in its new space!  With soft pink drawer interiors, stunning original fixtures, and a dark-waxed patina, it is sweet enough to charm a pair of cute little princesses, but also mature enough to grow older with them!  

Enjoy, girls!

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Before - I had only snapped one before picture, unfortunately!

After:  A beautiful dresser for two beautiful young ladies!

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Whimsical mid-century dandelion buffet

Here is a fun piece that I did the year before, but never got around to putting up for sale.  When I was working on this piece and doing the hand-painting on it, I asked my neighbour and friend over to get his opinion on it (he was an artist who painted a lot, so I respected his opinion).  He loved it, but suggested I add the little peach-coloured dots inside the dandelions as we had both decided it "needed something".  I did that, and the whole piece suddenly brightened!  We talked about it back and forth a few times, and after that I was happy with it.  Some time passed, and other projects started to take priority and I left it for a while.  Half a year passed, and it was still in the shop, waiting for final touch-ups.  Then my phone rang: my neighbour had been killed by a train.  He was only 33; and just like that, his fun-loving, artful spirit was gone.

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After that incident, the buffet sat in the shop and I blatantly ignored it.  I let items sit on it.  I scratched the top by accident moving things around.  I let dust accumulate, and I had let the dandelion motif get marked up by my busy toddler.  Then "S" walked into my shop one day inquiring about a dresser (that's for another post), and she loved the dandelion dresser!  She asked if it was available, and I said yes!!  But I would need to work on it again to bring it back to life.  I was so excited that she could see past the dust and neglect that had worn away the lustre and enjoy the buffet for the light and happy piece that it was underneath.  Needless to say, I brought the buffet out of its dishabille and reflected upon my friend's life while I worked.  It was strange to suddenly find myself tearfully, and painfully aware of how grief, when ignored, can lead to beautiful things like letting go, and cherishing relationships, instead of pushing them away.  

So I thank "S" for seeing the beauty in the buffet and liking it enough to put it in her home.  She helped me to breathe new life into the buffet; and I was able to remember a life well-lived and as whimsical and fun-loving as the piece itself.  And with that, I'd like to dedicate this piece to his memory. 

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I have no before picture of this buffet that I can locate. Picture it all dark brown, but with a very worn finish.

After: A breath of fresh air and at home in "S's" loft!

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Vintage red bench with chevron planks

This is a piece I've had in the workshop for ages, but never settled on what I wanted to do with it.  I can't locate the before photo, so picture this in a shabby maroon colour with twin seat cushions, covered in very dated floral tapestry.  It was hideous.  So I thought after having it for so long and being as undecided as I was, why not just make a fun piece that is more whimsical?  Here is my final reveal, after building and staining the plank chevron seat and painting the frame out in a gorgeous cherry red with clear and dark wax!

Enjoy!

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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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Modern-rustic dining table and chairs

A good friend of mine asked me a while ago to refurbish her existing dining set to make the transition to a new home.  I agreed, of course, and after seeing the new house in person and discussing what would look good in her new space, the refinishing began!  "A" wanted the table and chairs to be much more kid-resistant (with four kids, that was a good idea!), but also a blend of something shabby/rustic, and something sleek.  That's not easy to do, but I think we pulled it off!

The table was painted out a soft charcoal grey to ground the planked top and white chairs, and the planked top was constructed to look less rustic and more modern with a beautiful dark walnut stain and glossy finish.  Since the original chair-covers were so beaten up by children (bless them), they were repaired, then we decided to scrap the idea of fabric and swap the seat covers out for some rustic planks which were stained to match the table top.  Hopefully "A" and her kids will love the new table and chairs and that they will last as long as the memories they'll make at the dinner table! 

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Before: worn down and in need of help!

After!  A rustic-modern dining set perfectly at home in its new space!

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Twin antique side tables

Here is a custom order for "L" who brought these lovely and really unique side tables my way.  They were a bit of a hot mess (as "L" will confess!) after a few years of abuse and neglect, and lots and lots of time hanging around just being old!  The leather insets were destroyed by toothpaste stains and watermarks, the finish was wearing and one table base was completely broken.  "L" asked if the scroll-work bases could be chopped off to make the tables sleeker and easier to care for, and we consulted on colours and styles to match her living space.  We went with a creamy white linen colour and thought that the ornate tables would look great with lots of dark wax to bring out their true character.  Since the scroll-work bases were actually bracing those spindly legs, I went about repairing them rather than chopping them off to preserve the tables' stability (and it was a challenge to fix a huge wooden gap, I must say).  Then everything - including the leather insets - was covered with many generous coats of shellac to prevent the mahogany and leather tannins from leaching into the beautiful cream paint.  After painting, waxing and dark-waxing, the tables were ready for their debut!  Enjoy, "L"!

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Before: broken and stained!

After: lovingly revived!

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Vintage & rustic spool clock

Yes, yes.....another spool clock!  People seem to enjoy these clocks, so I've had lots of orders for them.  Here is a slightly different version of my white rustic spool clock, all lovingly made from old cable reels.  This particular clock was requested by "N" who wanted the numerals "raised" as opposed to stenciled on.  Here it is, once finished!  

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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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Cream & beige vintage vanity with swing mirror

This darling vanity was a personal find through a lovely family in Elora (antiquesville!).  The beautiful woodwork and pretty drop-down vanity top charmed me right away!  Since I can't seem to keep my paws off of pretty vintage and antique pieces, I snapped it up in the hopes of transforming it from its state of dishabille into something bright and more fitting with its shape.  Its old finish was very damaged, and the work of reviving it to its original state was a tad overwhelming (it's not a custom order piece), so in keeping with paint colours in its era, I went about making it look its pretty self again.  I wanted the vanity to seem as though I had never refinished it and that it had old paint that was naturally crackling over time and with a really creamy, old feel to it.  I think it turned out well and along with all its other fun features (deep drawers, original fixtures, folding mirrors and fold-away jewelry storage) this vanity will be a beautiful addition to any home.

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Before - quite beautiful, but really in need of TLC!

After!  A dreamy vanity ready to be loved again!

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Repurposed bench from 2 chairs

I had a bunch of old chairs with no seat covers kicking around, and rather than do the usual chair refinishing, I wanted to try making a bench from them for something different to do.  So I built the centre panel and the seat out of wood planks and once it was all secure, everything was prepped with shellac and stained/painted.  I love the look of a dark walnut stain with dusty robin's egg blue, so after the bench was stained, painted, and distressed it all got a few coats of varnish and wax to finish.  Now the two lonely chairs have melded together to make a fun statement piece that is also quite functional!

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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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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Teak-stained Oversized rustic spool clock

I am still catching up on posting custom orders as I've had many since April.  Here is one that I did the month before - a beautifully rustic oversized clock for "S" who lives on a farm and needed a big clock for telling time at a distance.  She requested something ultra-rustic looking to match her style, and after seeing the spools I have on hand, decided that a 3-foot wide spool top would do just fine!  She also requested that since the clock would be hung beneath her porch roof, that it closely match the wood tones in her rafters.  I went about ordering clock parts with beautiful, long hands and after lots of prep to the spool, the clock was stained in multiple layers with a lovely deep brown-red colonial colour.  I made a circular face-plate to fit the clock mechanism; and once everything was sealed against the elements and installed, the clock was left to run to ensure the mechanism worked well and told time properly.  Now that the clock is installed on "S's" porch, I hope she can enjoy it for many years to come!

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Before: a 3-foot diameter spool

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 and at sageandbalm.com.

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