Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds – Country Design Home

Oct 15, 2013

Fancy Fringed Footstool

This past weekend was a whirlwind of events including a surprise birthday fiesta for our beautiful daughter,

followed the next day by a “leftover” enchilada party featuring our favorite legendary local sports heroes,

Illustration by
Larry Johnson

followed by yet another birthday party (we do have a lot of family birthdays in October!) PLUS the 4 day Vintage Thymes Monthly Market-whew! Didn’t leave any time for DIY’ing or blogging, but I am slowly cleaning up the final messes and getting back on the blogging bus. Sort of. This was the actual party bus we hired to move the party to Boston- fun!

Today I am featuring this little project, a before and after of a footstool that I picked up in a thrift shop for a couple of bucks. It was very outdated but pretty sturdy, even though the middle was sort of sunken in.

Here’s the how-I-did-it: Pulled off the old, tattered dirty fringe, but left the rest intact, since I was just going to cover it anyway. Piled some batting on top of the sunken middle, as I wanted it to have more of a “poof” appearance than a flat top.

I recently heard the name “gout stool” for the first time, which was apparently a term used in the Victorian era regarding footstools for people to rest their feet on while suffering from gout. So I thought that a poufier cushion might be a bit more comfy for any sore feet-this poor guy has two!

Cut the top fabric to fit over the new poufy top.

Stapled it all the way around,

folding the corners down, but leaving the rest kind of casually creased.

Measured the height of the bottom fabric- there was already a dividing line in the stool where the seam was, so I just used that. I had already finished off the top edge with a buttonhole stitch on my sewing machine, but you can just fold it over and press if you don’t have a machine.

I glued it around the edges overlapping the floral fabric, then flipped it over and stapled it to the bottom.

Since it just looked like a big lumpy pouf, I decided to add the covered button, with one large stitch that pulled through all the foam and batting into the bottom, which tucked the middle down to create a tufting effect.

The feet were just simple cylinders, but they had the nice metal sliders on the bottoms, so I simply painted them.

The easiest way to paint anything mounted on a screw is to stand it up, so I put them into place in their existing corner brackets, but screwed them in just enough to hold them upright, then added some wax paper to mask the fabric.

Painted two coats of Behr Stealth Gray,

allowed to dry and then pulled away the wax paper. Before I securely tightened the feet, I glued down a piece of burlap I had handy just to finish the base.

Added the fringe with a hot glue gun.

This is the finished “gout stool” that co-ordinates with an antique oak chair that I had already recovered with the matching Waverly Fabric. Which creates a lovely fireside vignette.

Both will be available at next month’s Vintage Thymes Market. In the meantime, I think I might use that stool to rest my weary feet while I watch the game today. Go Sox! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: Fringed Footstool, gout stool, recovered vintage footstool, Recovering a footstool, VIntage Thymes Montly Market, Waverly Fabric Red

Oct 11, 2013

Party Time at Vintage Thymes

By countrydesignhome · 4 Comments

Last night I participated in the one-year anniversary celebration at the Vintage Thymes Monthly Market -what a blast from the past!

There was delicious food and drink, great live music and sooo many shoppers (the line to get in started forming at 4:30!) I have been involved in this vintage market for a few months now, and have been continuously impressed by the owners, Robin and Nancy,

as well as the many talented vendors,

who pull out all the stops to create breath-taking vignettes within the confines of their booth spaces. (this is my space : )

This month, in particular, was more fabulous than ever, IMHO!

The range of vintage items available, from rustic tin pigs

to gorgeous florals

to ingeniously funky remade home wares-whoooo would think that two old saws could be so adorable?!

was overwhelming, and I noticed that many shoppers stayed for hours trying to take it all in and find some perfect pieces for their homes and shops.

I had a chance to take a few pics before the mayhem began

to give you an idea of the breadth of talent that is showcased in this monthly event.

(Disclaimer: some of the items in these pics were sold last night, but I assure you there is so much more to see and purchase over this long weekend!)

So, if you have a chance to get down (or up) to the south shore this weekend, make sure you head on over to the WinSmith Mill Market to take it all in.

And, on Sunday, a special treat-there will be an outdoor anniversary fair as well, with music and food trucks and more vintage goodies with over 30 dealers! Have a happy harvest weekend, everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: pop up vintage market, Vintage Market, Vintage Market Boston, vintage market Norwood Mass, Vintage Thymes Market, Vintage Thymes Monthly Market, WinSmith Mill Market

Oct 8, 2013

Cabbage Roses to Country Charm

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

The 80’s called and they wanted their dusty rose cabbage roses back. So I obliged. And our downstairs 1/2 bath, that used to look like this

now looks like this! (I need to apologize for the not-so-great-pics. Do you know how difficult it was to squeeze into a 5 x 8 bathroom to take these?!)

Many of the DIY projects in this tiny bath have been featured on my blog, including the vanity transformation, from boring beige

to rustic navy

the American flag art piece

and of course, my Oh Deer Buck Towel Rack.

So what was once pink and beige with roses and LLadro dolls and shiny brass fixtures

is now all dolled up with the new color palette of navy and green and polished nickel fixtures. The inspiration came from the fabulous wallpaper.

This paper, that I scooped out of a clearance bin over a year ago for $10, has the appearance of old barn walls with textured crackled vertical striping. The woodwork, once Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, is now Benjamin Moore Snowfall White.

The floor, previously smoky pale blue tiles (many of which were broken or cracked)

is now a stunning slate subway tile I picked up in a clearance bin at Lowes for $1.12 per s/f!

Love our new faucet from Home Depot, which resembles an old well pump.

The sconces used to be shiny brass and hung next to an ornate, floral gold mirror.

but when I (my daughter found these, actually, but as soon as I saw them I had to have them! She and I installed them together, so thanks Kate!)

found these at Home Depot I knew they would be the perfect complement to the rustic old mirror Coach had picked up at a yard sale. I just cleaned it and added some Annie Sloan Soft Wax for a glowing finish.

This cute little tin shelf came from a downtown shop, and its the perfect size for holding tissues, soaps and some reading material.

Love this feature wall. Well, this was the feature wall until I was blow-drying my hair the other morning and the needlepoint picture ($1 at a flea market, oak frame from AC Moore with a coupon) that was resting on the shelf got blown off the shelf, taking the brown wood vase with it, smashing them onto the new slate floor. Luckily, the floor was spared any damage.

So now this is the feature wall.

This was a budget makeover, with the only major changes being a new toilet, new faucet and the sconces, all from Home Depot. The towels, candle holders, soap dispenser, toilet paper holder and scatter rug were from Home Goods, of course. Everything else is reclaimed, refashioned and repurposed, like these beautiful Mason Jars, once filled with preserves, now preserving the past while serving as functional containers.

The only thing I am still on the fence about is the sink. It is old, and has lost most of its shine, but it is granite. And blue.

My original intent was to paint it white using epoxy paint. But, after reading the scary warning label (my nervous system has taken enough hits lately…)

and knowing that there is virtually no ventilation in the tiny space, I decided to pass for now. So blue it stays, but it does look like a sink you might find in an old farm bathroom, so I’m OK with it. This, by far, has been one of my all-time favorite transformation projects in our home. It captures the essence and stays true to our country design home style, don’t you think? Stay true to your Tuesday style! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Color Class, My Little Red House, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: Annie Sloan Soft Wax, Benjamin Moore, Country Style Bathroom, Home Depot, Lowes, recycling for decorating in bathroom, Rustic Bathroom Remodel

Sep 30, 2013

Rustic Rolling Bar Cart

By countrydesignhome · 6 Comments

DIY Tutorial- Rescuing and Restoring and Reloving an old cabinet into a Rustic Rolling Bar Cart.

This antique, beat up yellow cupboard has been sitting patiently in the barn since the spring, when I scored it on my way out of Todd Farm on a sunny Sunday.

The vendor let it go for cheap because he didn’t want to load it back into his car. It was next up on my DIM(Do It Myself) list this past weekend, so I finally had to decide out what to do with it. The inside writing indicates that it was removed from an old hardware store in Haverhill,

so my first instinct was to return it to its former nuts and bolts glory. But it really is too awesome to be hidden away in a workshop or storeroom, so now it’s a rolling bar cart! Better to be holding Jack Daniels than jackhammers, am I right?

Here is the How-I-Did-It:
1. Washed the whole thing down-inside and out-with disinfectant cleaner-who knows where this thing was before I acquired it?!

2. It was a bit wobbly and was missing the top, so I cut up some old pieces of scrap and glued and nailed it all back together so it’s nice and solid.

3. No painting necessary, pretty awesome the way it is with all of the old chipped and splattered paint. But I did matte poly the inside to seal up any odors or dust.

This thing is very old and rustic, so I wanted to make sure it stayed clean inside for storage purposes.
4. Added wheels to the bottom, so it can be easily moved-have bar, will party!

5. The new top was salvaged from an aged piece of wood-a yard sale find.

Washed it, sanded it, stained it and then waxed it to keep the old weathered appearance.
6. Attached the top to the base with some “L” brackets.

You simply flip the top over, attach one half of the L to that, then place it onto the cupboard and screw it into place, for a nice secure surface.
7. The hardware we had in some bins in the barn. Who knows where this stuff comes from?! But whenever I seem to be looking for something specific, it magically appears. In this case, a towel hook for one side…

and a bottle opener holder for the other.

8. The front panel needed some sort of embellishment, and I found this old rusted window lock. Perfect!

9. Here is the finished cupboard filled with bar stuff. Pretty cool, huh?

I’m really happy with the final results. Looks great in my country styled kitchen! Stayed tuned for more exciting junque transformations. In the meantime, its Monday, so make it a marvelous, magnificent, magical one. Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: Bob Vila Nation, bobvila, country design bar, country style bar cart, country style cupboard, Making a bar cart, making a bar from an old cupboard, making a rolling bar cart, using a trunk as a bar cart, Varathane Polyurethane

Sep 26, 2013

Grand (Af)Fair at the Farm

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

Despite the dire forecasts, this past weekend’s weather turned out to be gloriously sunny, with a hint of fall air-perfect for the vendors and guests of the Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm!

This fair appeared to be bigger (judging from the amount of traffic streaming into the parking lot-we ended up in hog heaven)

and better than ever. Each time I have ventured up to the fair I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the creativity and artistry of the vendors who are there to showcase their wares. This fall’s talented group was no exception. Since I cannot possibly showcase them all in this blog, you can go to MyBazaarLife and check out the full listing. But here are a few of my personal favs…
This is the interior sleeping area of the adorable vintage trailer from Good JuJu. Oh, my…

So perfectly pretty in cool aqua blues. Can you imagine catching some (much-needed) R&R in this little haven? Well, someone did, because it was SOLD!Cowgirl Emporium teamed up with Sage & Twine to create a rustic, colorful spot filled with cowgirl find and accessories.

I did have a pair of cowboy boots once. Spent a fortune for them in Wyoming. Wore them once. Sold them on Ebay. Could have done this…

Great way for a cowgirl to store her vintage jewelry. Once again, The Greeley Girls were offering their gorgeous line of vintage clothing, jewelry & accessories.

This vintage necklace pretty much sums up my day as I am strolling through the fields, enjoying the blue grass music and taking in all of the sights and sounds of a country fair.

Pretty little succulent plants in vintage containers from Fleurish Home and Garden. I don’t have a green thumb, but I am fairly certain I could keep these alive, at least for awhile…

Petite Michelle Louise & Evelyn And Rose had combined to bring this lovely neutral French Flea Market palette to the fair.

Inspired French, romantic, homemade decor. I adored this vintage suitcase filled with Parisian goodies, both old and new. C’est Magnifique!

The Linens Lady’s tent was sooo bright and cheerful, filled with aprons and quilts and colorful tableware. Imagine wearing one of these beauties while prepping your Thanksgiving dinner!

Soap confections by French Country Chick Soaps that looked yummy enough to eat.

Red Tractor Vintage was featuring awesome light fixtures made from re-purposed, recycled anything. Loved this copper sunbowl.

Someday I am going to get me one of these. Meet Ruby the gorgeous vintage truck at Barnstormers.

At last year’s fair I featured a pic of a large planter filled with glass flowers by Creative Glass Works Boston. It became one of my most re-pinned pics on Pinterest. Apparently glass flower gardens are a thing. A very popular thing. And rightly so. Can you imagine this one perfect flower-no watering needed?

Piano Keys as art.

When I happened upon this work by Naturally Unique, I was so impressed with the creativity and ingenuity using my three “r”s principle-recycle, refurbish, relove-music to my ears! These piano keys, which could have ended up in a dump are now restyled into works of art.

Simplicity, new to the Vintage Bazaar, where I discovered this so very cute hanging light fixture made from an old tin milk can. Linda has a shop-in-a-shop at Flukes and Finds in Newburyport. I may just have to go there to rescue this light, if it wasn’t sold at the fair…

And then, for me the show-shopper by The Yellow Zebra. This baby grand piano restyled into a spectacular rolling bookcase. The background was pasted with old sheet music and the piano was painted black. Amazing. Did I say that loudly enough? AMAZING.

And, continuing to restore and reuse, they transformed the piano top into this sign. Words cannot accurately depict the coolness factor here.

If you missed the fair this time around, you’ll be excited to know that The Vintage Bazaar is hitting the road and taking its show to the next level! You will have a chance to see some of the vendors at the upcoming Boston Antiques & Design Show and Sale in Wilmington, Ma this October. More info to follow. In the meantime, have a terrific Thursday everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Inspiration, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: Boston Antiques and Design Show, country fair in New England, Fall Fair, My Bizaar Life, Pettengill Farm, Vintage Bazaar, vintage fair in New england

Sep 17, 2013

Drawer Pull Puppets

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

Did you ever decide that you wanted to paint some drawer pulls, but the pulling part that is hinged to the face plate keeps swinging back and forth while you are trying to hold it still to apply the paint? So frustrating! Simple solution: drawer pull puppets!

All you need is a place to hang the pulls while you paint, some thread, (you can use string, but the thinner the better so you don’t see the lines),

scissors, painters tape and some newspaper, and of course, the paint. In this case I used Rustoleum Hammered Silver paint purchased at The Home Depot.

to give the old pitted brass a new old distressed look. Cut the thread and loop it over the wire. I used our cable wires in the basement that are attached to the beams in the ceiling over my work space.

Now, obviously, if you have a nice, decorated basement, you would not be spray-painting in there anyway. I, on the other hand, have become a basement dweller surrounded by old pipes and cobwebs, concrete floors, hanging exposed wires and gray stone walls. No worries about ruining anything. So, I hung the hinges to just above the work table top, then taped them underneath to the table to stop them from swinging-uggh!

(if I ever tell you I want to add a puppeteer to my bucket list, remind me of this post, please).

Spray painted them, one coat needed. This paint adds a cool textured finish to the metal.

Now, I wanted to add a little more interest to them, so I dry-brushed some of the Behr Stealth Jet Gray on top, the same color as the desk I had painted.

Then I wiped most of it away, leaving just a hint of the darker gray to match the desk. Allowed to dry, then cut them down.

This is the point where I typically show you the finished piece. Sadly, I forgot to take that pic! (sigh, I really need a camera crew to follow me around to take pics. Too many things to remember!!) Happily, I sold the desk at the Vintage Thymes Market this past weekend : ) But it did look pretty awesome, and that’s my unbiased opinion.

Have a non-distressing Tuesday everyone- stop hanging around and go do something today!! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Behr Paint, Home Depot, how to paint drawer pulls, Painting drawer pulls, painting hinges, Rustoleum Hammered Silver Paint, Stealth Grey

Sep 11, 2013

A Global Intervention

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

It’s Wanderlust Wednesday, and as much as I would like to be jetting to some fab location on the globe, this week I have to settle for repurposing a couple of globes instead. My shop in this weekend’s Vintage Thymes Market is all about back to school, and I have so many maps and globes, it’s a bit ridiculous. So a couple of them got a little makeover. A plain Jane, run-of-the-mill globe is now a chalkboard- thanks to some Benjamin Moore Chalkboard paint.

Super easy to do: literally take a globe (we found all of ours at yard and estate sales for just a couple of bucks), paint on a coat of chalkboard paint to cover. Wait a day. Add a second coat.

Wait a couple of days. Now you want to “size” the surface so when you write on it, you can change it easily by wiping with a damp cloth.

You literally take the side of the chalk and paint the entire surface until it looks like an inverted snow globe…then wipe it with a damp rag.

The finished globe-guess this is what earth looks like at night when viewed from Mars. Kinda cool, right?

The other great find was a standing, light-up globe-awesome! The base was an old, scratched and scraped cherry wood.

So I hit it will some steel wool and Liquid Sander. A little goes a long way. I think I’ve had this can since 1999!

It cleans and preps the surface and creates a solid bond for the paint to adhere. I use this when I don’t want to use a white primer or chalk paint. The paint is Behr’s Enduring. I used two coats and then, to finish, I mixed some Annie Sloan Soft Wax with a bit of Behr Stealth Jet (my newest color obsession-it’s dark charcoal with a hint of chocolate)

and painted that into the crevices and molding edges to highlight the details.

Wiped most of it away,

allowed to dry, then finished the whole thing with a light coat of wax.

The results are out of this world!

Both will be available this weekend at the market, so if you happen to be wandering about on the south shore, stop by and say hello! I will be there on Friday, and would love to meet you all! Happy wandering…Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love · Tagged: Behr, Behr Stealth Jet, chalk painting a globe, globe chalkboard, Klean Strip Liquid Sander, lightup globe repainted, painting a globe

Aug 14, 2013

Big Rack Attack Towel Rack!

By countrydesignhome · 7 Comments

A few weeks ago, I started a mini-reno on our downstairs half-bath. Well, it started out as a mini-reno…

While that project is still ongoing and will be unveiled shortly, my Big Rack Attack Towel Rack project is ready to share with the world! Having seen them used for decorating, both in print and on TV, I had been searching endlessly online and in stores for a white porcelain deer head to add to an old tabletop (you’ll see…) without much luck. Everything was either too big, too small or too pricey to use for a budget bathroom remodel. It didn’t make sense to spend more on an decorative accessory than we did on the new toilet. So, while in Maine a few weeks ago, I grabbed this one in a flea market for three bucks and thought “perfect!”

Apparently this is intended to be stuck to the outside of your car window so that it appears he is busting through the glass. Is this 6 inch buck head with the super cute face supposed to be scary?! And who would be driving around with a deer crashing through the window anyway? But instead of hanging him outside the window, this little guy enjoyed the ride home on the dashboard in the blazing sun to soften him up so I could reform his antlers, because they were a little smooshed together.

So while he was basking in the sun, I stuck a hair clip between the antlers, then allowed them to cool and we were good to go. So here’s the how-I-did-it:

Making a Big Rack Attack! Towel Rack From An Old Tabletop and a Plastic Deer Head

1.Used a decorative piece of wood for the base. In this case, it was a small cherry tea table top without any legs. I cleaned it, then taped off the center for a decorative painting technique.

2. I wanted an aged, colorful middle, so I grabbed my folkart crackle medium. To create a crackled finish, you paint the surface using an undercoat, whatever color you want to appear through the cracks, in this case white. Then you paint on a layer of the folk art crackle paint medium,

then add the top coat. The crackle medium makes the top coat crack apart, instantly aging it like 100 years easily.

This top color is Behr Midnight Dream , a color I chose to co-ordinate with the new bathroom color scheme.

3. Waxed the frame edges to bring back the original cherry luster. Used my Annie Sloan Soft Wax for that. Really brings back that glow in the wood.

4. Propped the buck on something to allow spray painting on all sides. I placed it in an old mason jar, impaled on a screwdriver surrounded by a plastic bag (that’s even worse than crashing through a car window!) Poor deer…

5. Primed first. Since this was plastic, I wanted to make sure the paint adhered well. Used Rustoelum Speciality Plastic Primer.

5. Painted with gloss white paint to give the appearance of porcelain. Used Rustoleum Gloss White which made it super shiny!!

6. A friend had suggested that I use a little brass plaque to give the deer a name or tell the date of his capture. I went with some old scrabble letters that spelled out “Oh, Deer” but use your imagination. The letters were too blonde (is there such a thing?), so I used this furniture scratch touch up marker to give them a little color. Love those pens!!

7. Adhered the deer head to the center of the plaque with hot glue. Now, unbeknownst to me, while all of this had been going on, my amazing children surprised me with a beautiful large white deer head from West Elm for my birthday!! Even David Bromstad said it was a really nice deer. So there’s that.

It’s much, much larger than my daughter’s little guy Bartlet, but he wasn’t scared, so much as just a wee bit worried, perhaps?

Unfortunately, the big buck was so big it didn’t fit in the middle of the plaque! So he has to go back to whence he came, West Elm, and since they don’t have any more of the small ones, we are going to shop for another beast instead. A rhino, perhaps? Who else would have a rhino in their bathroom? So, I didn’t permanently fixate my little deer head to the plaque, just hot-glued it for now, in the event that he needs to move on to greener pastures.

8. I needed to add a bit more rustic glam to my piece, so these metal stars were perfect. Again, used the stain marker pens to change the stars from silver to bronze. The result was kind of a mottled look, which was perfect.

9. Attached the hook at the bottom. This is going to be the guest towel rack in the new bathroom so it needed a hook or two.

10. Stood back to admire my new Big Rack Attack Towel Rack!!

So, next time you stop by for a visit, you’ll be hard-pressed not to notice the big rack (insert joke here) Sometimes we just have to take things a little less seriously, folks. Now I just have to finish the rest of the room, seriously. Have a wicked awesome Wednesday, everyone and just remember: If a big rack attacks, turn him into a towel rack! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Inspiration, My Little Red House, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: big rack attack, deer head towel rack, faux porcelain deer head, making a towel rack with a deer head, towel rack, towel rack with deer head

Aug 11, 2013

Copper Cleaning Accomplished!

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

After much trial and tribulation and multiple attempts utilizing all sorts of natural and chemical cleaning formulas, my copper coffee pot is now perfect!

Since my last blog, I have received multiple suggestions from several sources on how to get my copper pot clean and shiny. After posting the question on my “Antiques Are Green” LinkedIn group, the cleaning options were endless from the many dealers and collectors of all things copper! Among the home remedies mentioned were vinegar, salt, lemon, ketchup (yup, ketchup-apparently not just for hotdogs anymore…), 0000 steel wool pads, Brillo pads, Chore Boy pads, Never Dull wadding or just put the damn thing in the dishwasher.

I also tried my Magic Eraser sponge and my Cape Cod Metal Polish with some luck, but still not perfect.

Also mentioned on LinkedIn were lacquer thinner or acetone (nail polish remover) and kerosene (really?!?), or having it dipped. Not sure what that means, but it conjured up images of my helpless coffee pot being immersed in a boiling, bubbling hot vat, and that made me sad. Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble…

Among the commercial polishes I could try were Siege, Wrights, MAAS, Liberty, Brasso, Twinkle, Silvo and Bar Keeper’s Friend. But I was hoping to keep it “green” clean, so I started out with the natural method, utilizing heated vinegar in a large pot.

Once I placed the pot in there, the bits of bubbling lacquer appeared floating on the surface. Yuck.

But it was working!

Or so I thought. Flipped it over and immersed the other end. This was the end result. Double Yuck.

I finally decided to go for the commercial products, and the one that was mentioned more than once was Bar Keeper’s Friend, which I found on the shelf of my local Home Depot for $1.48. I got some Brasso, too, just in case that didn’t work.

Make a soft paste of BKF and started wiping the pot with a sponge, instantly removing years of tarnish and varnish and dirt! In about 3 minutes time, my copper coffee pot, and even the brass handle, was gleaming and shiny and pretty! So the Bar Keeper’s Friend is now my friend as well! As a disclaimer, I am sure the other products mentioned would have worked just as well. But this is the one I saw first, and the Brasso was at the hearty recommendation of the Home Depot clerk. Who, BTW, could not have been more that 17- I am curious as to just how many copper pots he has cleaned?!? Since my Barkeeper’s Friend worked so well on the coffee pot, I grabbed a copper sconce I was planning on painting, but now it’s got a whole new shiny life as well! Then this plaque, which was so dark and tarnished, I couldn’t even tell what the picture was until I started cleaning it. As I was rubbing the bunny, I noticed a signature at the bottom and the date was 1502. So I stopped. Did a Google search and discovered that the Young Hare was painted by Albrecht Durer in 1502. You know when you’re watching “Antiques Roadshow” and the expert says “gee, it’s too bad you cleaned this. It would have been worth a million dollars but now it’s ruined and worth about twenty bucks”? I’m pretty certain that this copper engraving by Albrecht Durer isn’t the real deal because it’s mounted on a backing that appears to be a more modern substance than what would have been available in the 1500’s, but the tag says made in Germany, so I’d better check it out before I ruin it! So there you have it, 2 weeks of work on a $1 copper pot that finally came clean with Bar Keeper’s Friend. Have a super sunshiny Sunday everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Barkeeper's Friend Metal Cleaner, Brasso, Cape Cod Metal Polish, cleaning copper with natural products, copper cleaner, copper cleaning, copper pot cleaning

Aug 9, 2013

Mainely Antique Attractions

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

Recently, Coach and I spent a few days in Maine at the Bethel Inn and Resort for a little R & R. On our way there, we stopped at the Undercover Flea Market in Oxford Maine

(they don’t appear to have an internet presence, so no direct link. Ah, so maybe they are really undercover…) Thought long and hard about this table, but decided against it-too pricy to paint and flip.

While in Bethel, we discovered not much going on downtown, so we ventured out to find some antique shops in the area that were listed in several brochures he had picked up at the visitors center. The Steam Mill Antiques

was right around the corner from our hotel. Looked promising, with a vast array of junk and stuff all around the property. We visited, several times, but it was never open! Will definitely have to return another time…Next stop, the Picker’s Paradise in Welchville (again, no links here).

We were drawn in by the beautiful Great Canadian wood canoe in the parking lot.

Inside was a variety of antiques and collectibles. Wishing I had grabbed this chubby old cow doorstop. I often experience what I refer to as “non-buyer’s remorse.” I see something that I love, hem and haw about it, because I don’t need ONE MORE THING, so I leave it, then lust for it when I am back home. Oh, well.

This shop featured several pieces that were reclaimed and repurposed, like this LOVE sign, created from old frame pieces and lace. LOVE.

On our shopping expeditions, I noticed quite a few “Boston” items,

which made me feel very nostalgic for the place we call home. Across the street was this shell of an old building, now being dismantled and sold for parts.

In year’s gone by it was the Welchville Methodist Church turned antique shop.

But after being on the market for quite some time with no bites, the owner decided he could no longer afford the upkeep. So everything, including the bell tower,

is for sale. If you are in the market for some architectural salvage, this might be your place! Next up, Pa’s Tradin Company in Oxford, Maine.

…a huge co-op shop that was neatly organized into departments like furniture & outdoor gear-snowshoes, anyone?

and more Boston collectibles.

I did score a couple of great items, like this gorgeous cupboard (the vendor literally was loading it in the back door when I spotted it, and he and Coach moved it right back out the back door into my CRV!)

and my little buck (projects in progress : )

Drove by this place, Pic-N-Paw in Norway, Maine a couple of times, but again, it never was open! What’s up, Maine?!?

On our way home, we discovered Bridgton, Maine, a country town with some fun shops- again, many not open. But we did find Harry Barker’s Emporium and Harry Barker’s Two, antiques co-operative shops, with some donated items being sold to raise funds for the local Harvest Hills Animal Shelter.

There I found Exit, stage left.

Nearby was Flowerbed Farm Antiques in Bridgton. True to its name, there were exquisite, colorful flower beds surrounding the property. There are so many massive white homes in Maine with attached barns! Can you say barn envy?!

Outside and in, an array of restored, repurposed and reclaimed items for your shopping pleasure.

Beautiful minty green bedroom set. Sooo country pretty!!

Adorable rustic antique horse cart.

Following Rte 302 South to Portland on our way home, we happened upon Naples, a picturesque resort town. And there we discovered Antique Revival. Again, no media presence, but this guy doesn’t need it. Sprawling property loaded with anything and everything you could possibly want or imagine you need!

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Enormous, three story barn,

packed to the rafters-literally

Greeted by the human-sized roosters at the entrance,

once you step inside, you are transported back in time.

Room after room of antiques and collectibles and junk,

an overwhelming assortment of furnishings, goods and finds.

For the serious collector (may the Force be with you)

or the casual collectibles shopper,

this is one spot that’s worth the trip! So I’m adding a few more pins to my map, and we’ll be heading out again soon. But for now, it’s good to be back home.