Furniture produced after the Second World War shows a definite shift from darker heavier woods and colours to those that are light, less bulky and even whimsical. Heywood Wakefield is credited with bringing this shift in American tastes by introducing a line of blonde furniture that became very popular in the 1950’s. There is a definite revival of interest in this furniture because it is retro looking and it is very well-made. You can read about this revival here.

Blonde furniture was usually birch or maple with a golden or pale stain. The set that I bought is blonde mahogany which was achieved by bleaching the wood before staining it. It is made by Gibbard, a well-known manufacturer of fine furniture in Canada. It came with a frameless mirror but that look is too dated for most people.

gibbard desk 1 gibbard nighstand

It is mahogany veneer over solid wood. The original owner had kept a glass top on both pieces and they were in near perfect condition. The brass knobs are distinctive and original.

I refinished the tops and painted the bodies in Pure White with a bit of French Linen mixed in. It is still white but has a grey tone. Pure White has no pigment and needs many coats; by adding some colour to it, you get a lot better coverage. Because the wood had been bleached originally, it would not take a dark stain so I opted for a chestnut colour which was close to the original but richer in tone.

mcmdesk1A

mcmdesk3

I cleaned the beautiful brass knobs then added some gilding paste to make them brighter. It makes a great desk or could still be used as a dressing table in a bedroom.

mcmdesk2A

mcmnight stand6

mcmdesk5

mcmdesk top 7

mcmdesk6

mcmdesk4

It definitely has a glam look to it.

Linking up with:

http://www.findingsilverpennies.com/2016/07/silver-pennies-sundays-link-party-176.html

http://www.sadieseasongoods.com/talk-town-27/

The Creative Circle Week 73

http://www.mccallmanor.com/link-party/your-inspired-design-43/

http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.ca/

Painting furniture has been the perfect hobby/obsession for me. I retired from teaching at the end of January 2013 and plunged right into painting. I had first read about Annie Sloan chalk paint in a newspaper article that featured Katrina Barclay who owns Malenka Originals. Here is a look back, more or less in order, at the things that I have painted. It’s pretty obvious that I like colour.

Mahogany dresser painted in Provence with dark wax:

French Provincial coffee table painted in French Linen with a blue wash and gilding:

Pine dresser in a lightened Napoleon Blue and stained top:

Waterfall Dressers: The first one is Barcelona Orange, the second is a peacock blue that was a mix of Napoleon Blue and Aubusson. I later repainted it in the 3rd photo.

Mahogany end tables painted in a lightened Provence with Old White and German Silver gilding:

Mahogany End tables.

Art Deco mahogany dresser in Provence with an Aubusson wash:

Mahogany Desk in Old White and Emile in the drawers:

Smaller Mahogany desk in French Linen, Old White and copper gilding:

Small dresser in Chateau Grey and Old White:

Two incarnations of a Mid-Century table:

Miss Mustard Seed Typewriter and Old White:

Coffee table in Graphite and Old White:

End table in Graphite and Silver Craft paint:

Drum table in Old White, with Graphite, Paloma and Gilding on the edges:

French Provincial Dresser in Pure White with Old Violet and Gilding:

French Provincial dresser with Old Violet and gilding

Teak coffee table in Graphite and Florence:

Washstand in MMS Tricycle and dark wax:

End table that was painted first in Tricycle then changed to a Provence/Florence mix:

Provence mixed with Florence to make a true turquoise.

Pine dining table refinished top and Pure White:

Round table with Provence and Old White base:

French Provincial table in Old White with walnut top:

Antique table in Chateau Grey with a white wash:

Table painted with Chateau Grey and a white wash

Vintage rocking chair in a Provence/Florence mix:

Maple dresser in Emperor’s Silk, Tricycle and Old White:

Antique mahogany dresser in Cream:

Oak desk in Graphite:

Antique dresser in Emperor’s Silk:

Antique dresser painted with Emperor’s Silk

Mid-century table in Provence/ Florence mix with MMS Typewriter and Emperor’s Silk feet:

Nesting tables in lightened Provence with Graphite and gilding on the edges:

I have also done a few custom pieces and various chairs and small tables which I haven’t included in this post. It has been a very busy retirement so far.

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