Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Make-Over That Didn't Go As Planned

You may remember seeing a small shelf in my kitchen or you may not have noticed it as it looks so innocent...

Vous vous souvenez peut-être avoir aperçu un petit bibus dans ma cuisine ou peut-être pas, car il a l'air si discret et innocent...


I don't actually have a kitchen, so I use furniture my parents gave me to store a few  many things.

Je n'ai pas réellement de cuisine, mais mes parents m'ont prêté plein de petits meubles dans lesquels je range quelques beaucoup de choses.


The way I'm wired makes it easy for me to live with a few things I don't love because I know it's only temporary during the renovation phase and in my head I can already see the wonderful "after". Until one day, I have the urge to prettify something.

On an impulse, I called my mom (yes, again): "Can I paint that shelf with the shell you're lending me?"

Et puis, un jour, j'ai saisi le téléphone pour demander à ma mère si elle m'autorisait à peindre le petit bibus.


She said OK if it was white.

Now, I haven't painted a lot of things, but I have painted a few. Never was it the mess it was with this tiny shelf.

Ayant déjà peint quelques petits meubles, j'y suis allée de toute ma confiance et patatras! A l'intérieur du meuble, le contreplaqué avait toutes ses veines qui ressortaient ORANGE. Même après trois couches!


For some reason, the inside, which was made of cheap mdf with a wood tint, came out with orange veins. My mother said it looked very "Provence"... Perfect... except when it's not the look you're looking for.


After three coats, it was still awful and I didn't want to add an other coat for fear my shelf would look like an old woman with too much make up.


Du coup, je suis allée chercher un rouleau de papier peint pour cacher le désastre... J'aurai peut-être dû vous faire croire que c'était mon idée depuis le début, cela aurait fait plus sérieux!

Sorry about the cat's litter showing - but it has to be somewhere...
I bought some pretty wall paper and wall-papered the inside... which was very difficult, but I think it was worth it.


Now, that I think about it, forget everything you read. It was my idea from the beginning to have that stunning toile inside!


Some baskets hide a few of the stuff that were making such a mess before.

Des paniers cachent un peu le bazar d'avant et les bocaux Le Parfait sont un peu mieux que les sacs papiers pour stocker le sucre et les farines.


And the "Le Parfait" jars are so much better than my brown paper bags!


Bon, ai-je bien fait de m'accrocher ou aurais-je dû laisser tomber et ne pas y sacrifier deux week-ends? Et vous, des histoires de peinture qui tournent mal, vous en avez? Me dites pas que je suis toute seule!

So, was I right to spend two weekends on the project rather than the afternoon that was planned? Do you have painting project that went wrong? Please don't tell me I'm alone...

News from the cottage's renovation. I can't feel my legs, arms or neck anymore as I did the part that was left to me this weekend (it's a surprise for later), but the electricians put all the electricity back...


Côté rénovation du cottage, le tableau électrique a été déposé et reposé (gros ouf de soulagement) et moi, je ne sens plus mes mollets, mes bras ni mon cou à cause d'une petite partie du projet qui m'incombait et dont je me suis occupée ce week-end.

A bientôt,

See you soon,

I'm sharing with:

         PJH Designs                    
Join Me on Tuesday for    Brag About It | Tuesday Linky Party | No. 6                                                        
      Lavender Garden Cottage          Domestically Speaking 
Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home                                       
                                                      

46 comments:

  1. The difference in your shelf is amazing. I would never have thought of the wallpaper. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to reach perfection.

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  2. Great progrees in the kitchen, electricity is a truly great invention. I do like that toile, it makes all the difference. I am not a big fan of all white, coming from the monochrome land where everything is white, white, white, but that piece with all its details really worked in white and toile. What a great place to put flowers on! Such a pretty little installation, i am sure it draws the eye from the messier parts of the kitchen!

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  3. I do like the toile wallpaper - it looks terrific. Yes we have all had problems painting different things but the end results is what counts and you did a terrific job. Glad you got your electricity.
    Don't work to hard.
    Cheers
    Mary

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  4. Now that could go straight on to a page inn Country Living. It's beautiful. I wouldn't change it for a smart kitchen unit!

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  5. C'est magnifique, quelques fois une faute est la cause d'un grand succes.

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  6. I love the wallpaper - what a transformation! So inspirational - I'm already looking around the house to see what piece of furniture I can transform.
    Cx

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  7. Gorgeous! It was worth every second spent,lol!

    S
    xo

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  8. The shelf looks incredible - love the toile paper inside! Great idea!

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  9. Il est magnifique. Je vais essayer de faire le même... mais je ne sais pas si j'aurai la patience. En tout cas, bravo !

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  10. Hi Magali,
    Thanks for your visit. I LOVE your shelf! White with a bit of toile is perfect! Fabulous job! Thank you for sharing another cute project and have a beautiful day.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  11. Oh bien sûr que oui , j'ai eu des couacs en peinture & de nombreux , il y a des fois où les bras m'en sont tombés de voir de drôles de couleurs dégorger sur du bois .
    J'ai résolu le problème à ma façon , j'ai passé un vernis mat , je l'ai égréné avec du papier de verre & j'ai repeint par dessus , ça l'a fait.
    Bises . Babette

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    1. Ah, les bras m'en tombent souvent, surtout après les courbatures dues au ponçage! Enfin, on trouve toujours une solution. Je vais garder en mémoire le coup du vernis, ça peut servir.

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  12. I love how pretty your little cabinet turned out! The toile is the perfect touch! I have gotten too far into a project before and thought- what have I gotten my self into?! Those are the pieces you really love later. I love a post with lots of photos like this.

    Have a very blessed day.
    Linda at The French Hens Nest

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  13. Your cabinet turned out beautifully, Magali--I love it! Love the solution you came up with the wallpaper on the inside, and I love how you styled the shelves with the pretty baskets and jars.

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  14. The cabinet came out very pretty. I love the toile! My daughter has toile sheets in pink and white. I'm looking for new ones now and I've a couple picked out.

    I feel the same about a renovation. I don't mind the mess or ugliness, because I can envision how it is going to come out.
    It just takes a long time and a lot of hard work, but it is rewarding as projects get completed.

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  15. Very nice transformation. I've painted pieces before that didn't turn out like I expected so I can relate. The toile wallpaper was a great solution. Very pretty!

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  16. Magali:

    I like how looks your shelf in white. It get a french style with the wall paper.

    Be well,

    Cecilia

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  17. Your cabinet is beautiful! I love how you papered the inside with toile. Just gorgeous. :-)

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  18. I am constantly amazed at how do-overs that seem to go awry end up some of the most beautiful! LOVE that toile!

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  19. Wow! The Toile looks fabulous. I love when "mistakes" take us in a whole new direction. Turned out lovely. :)

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  20. I love it! It turned out great even if it is different than your original vision. The toile is gorgeous and adds the perfect touch! The baskets and jars look nice against it as well...:)

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

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  21. haha! Are you kidding me??? It looks merveilleux!!! I love how you were afraid it would look like an old woman with too much makeup though. =D LOVE it!!
    -andi

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  22. Magali, your cabinet turned out lovely. I usually use chalk paint, because you don't have to prime, it saves alot of time. Your house is looking great.
    Jeannie

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  23. Toile makes everything better! It looks soooo pretty.

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  24. It turned out gorgeous Magali - just gorgeous!!!
    It's a shame actually that you have to hide it all with essentials lol
    An old lady with too much makeup made me laugh out loud ;)
    XOX

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  25. Magali, it is just beautiful. I want to do one just like it :)
    Hugs,
    Laura

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  26. It's so pretty! And your comparison of more paint to an old lady with too much makeup really made me laugh. I'll remember that next time I'm painting something.

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  27. Oh, and many of my painting projects have gone wrong. But I don't think I was able to make them even cuter in the end like you did with this shelf!

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  28. Your shelf came out adorable at the end! Many years ago I did an Italian orange on my old dining room and it was the worst I've seen...had to wait a while to paint it over in white, as I was so scared of any color, LOL!!! Your remark about the old lady with to much make up, really ammused me, lol..
    FABBY

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  29. I love the way the little shelf turned out. The baskets with their narrow black band and bow are just the right touch.

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  30. I think the wall paper is perfect! It looks so much better!!! You gotta be happy even though it may not have gone perfect from the start!

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  31. I don't think any of my furniture makeovers have ever went as planned!! haha! I love the outcome! Fabulous job! Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof

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  32. Your blog is terrific!

    The cabinet turned out beautiful - lots of work, but worth it!

    We just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for sharing this post on the BeBetsy BRAG ABOUT IT Tuesday Link and Hop.

    Hope to see you next week BeBetsy Link and Hop -perhaps with another great project-we'd love to see what else you've done!

    The best to you,
    Sharon and Denise

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    1. Thank you very much for taking the time to visit. I'll link up as soon as I have new projects completed.
      Magali

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  33. Oh Magali I LOVE IT. I love it so much I am pinning it. Listen, I will ship you over an extra "cabinet" and feel free to do what you need to make it work during the reno and then just ship it back to me....I really will not mind if it is covered in toile on the inside...nope,no problem at all!!!
    PINNED to my board, Project &

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  34. WOW !!! Its just to gorgeous now. The baskets and your other pretties are an added touch...Perfect.And yes...I know I've had my share of mess ups.But they usually come out alright.
    You did a great job Hon,
    Marie Antoinette

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much. It's so very comforting to read that others have had some problems when it comes to decorating projects!

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  35. Wow I absolutely loooove it Magali!!!

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  36. Love it...the color and wallpaper...perfect! The bottles and blooms are such a nice accent too! Hope to see you my way to share this little beauty...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  37. Yes! There always seems to be something that doesn't work out as planned - but in the end with persistence you can make it probably more wonderful than you expected! Love this - the wallpaper addition is an inspired idea! I am Delighted that you shared with A Return to Loveliness,
    Kathy

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to visit and for that sweet comment. I'm always happy to join your party!

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  38. So beautiful... love the wallpapered inside. I'm featuring it in this week's Power of Paint Party!

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  39. yes sometimes an afternoon project turns into a day or 6 day project lol but omg yours was so worth it it looks simply stunning now I think your mom will love it if she ever gets it back lol great job

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  40. I very seldom take on a furniture makeover project. I don't have patience and I just want it to be done, but if you rush thru it it's not gonna look great.
    On the other hand, that shelf looks fantastic. I LOVE it. I love the addition of the wallpaper. How smart! Maybe I should practice patience.

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