Mark Roberts Christmas Fairies Arrive at The Whistling Elk!!

adorable mark roberts fairies
Mark Roberts 2013 Christmas Fairies at The Whistling Elk

Yep Mark Roberts has been at it again.  Every year they just get cuter.  These two fellas are sitting on the bookcase with about 20 of their friends…all part of the Mark Roberts 2013 Christmas Collection at The Whistling Elk.

The Whistling Elk carries Mark Roberts Fairies
Northwoods 2013 Mark Roberts Fairy

As usual these guys are just soo cute.  We just got in our Christmas stock so right now there are over 200 fairies hanging around here!!!!  I have to start memorizing all their names.

Mark Roberts fairies at the Whistling Elk
Candy Shoppe Fairy

I haven’t finished unpacking them all yet – but I must hurry because we are going to run our special Christmas in July Event this weekend.

Mark Roberts Fairies 2013
Enchanted Forest Fairy at The Whistling Elk

Do It Yourself Drapes at The Whistling Elk Oh My!

The Whistling Elk designs beautiful drapes
Rod Pocket Drapes

For many years the 1st floor of my home was bathed in jewel tones…very rich.  In January I had the 1st floor painted Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray which I am loving.  But it is a whole new ballgame now!  Fortunately for me all the furniture works (and that’s good because I love every piece I have and would not give any of it up!!!).  The  drapes  in my Breakfast Room had to go though.  I didn’t want to spend a fortune on replacing them right now…so I confess I made them.  Now I am a girl with a workroom and a taste for very beautiful expensive fabric and trim so this is a real departure for me to admit that I did this…Oh my!  and worse yet I can sew beautifully!  Oh oh my!

I bought some very inexpensive fabric in a soft gray slubby solid that drapes beautifully.   I measured then cut four panels from the fabric, got out my trusty iron and used glue tape to hem all around…then turned over the top to form a pocket and glued that down with the tape…Oh my!  It took me about 3 hours to make all four and cost me about $100.  Oh my!

They are simple rod pocket drapes, unlined and will not last like the ones that I could have had my workroom make for me…but that’s ok cause if I get tired of them I can throw them away without guilt.  Oh my!  They are quite elegant draping nicely with a couple inches of break on the floor.  I am loving them!

This is a Do It Yourself success.   I am thinking of having a workshop on this…no kidding!  Oh my!

Paint Couture! Covers a Ceramic Urn Very Nicely Indeed

Paint Couture and Glaze Couture
Paint Couture on a ceramic urn at The Whistling Elk

This used to be a shiny black ceramic urn…I gave it 2 coats of Italian Ivory Paint Couture and then glazed it with Light Brown Sugar and Champagne.

It’s much prettier now than it used to be !!!

The Whistling Elk Redesigns the Paris Boudoir

Pine Cone Hill Bedding and Bedford Cottage Throws
The Whistling Elk Paris Boudoir

Just rearranged our Paris Boudoir at The Whistling Elk. I changed the floorplan so that I had more room to showcase all the great merchandise that we are showcasing in this room…including our Pine Cone Hill Bedding and our Bedford Cottage Throw Blankets. This is something you should think about at home…changing the floorplan in a room can make the difference between hohum and spectacular. Everything in its right place!!!!

I also made a little more wall space available for our artwork. Loving this new set up!

Lampe Berger Creates Mood at The Whistling Elk

fragrance lamps
The Whistliing Elk New Lampe Berger Display

If you shop at The Whistling Elk then you know how much we love Lampe Berger. When you enter the shop the first thing you will often notice is the great scent that wafts thru the air…mmmmm Of course its our Lampe Berger! Three things can really improve a design space – beauty for the eye, good music for the ear and scent for the nose – pleasing the eyes, ears and nose will create a design mood that makes you happy!

Lampe Berger Air Purifier System
Lampe Berger at The Whistling Elk

Check out our beautiful new display for this fabulous product. Lampe Berger was kind enough to send this new fixture to showcase their product…It’s amazing how the lampes sparkle under the lighting – the only thing better than how beautiful the lampes look is the fact that they purify the air and scent it!!!!

Vintage Book Stack at The Whistling Elk

Paris vintage
vintage book stack at The Whistling Elk

Just looking at this stack of vintage books makes me smile!

I love to use groupings like this when decorating. They look great on a table or in a bookcase although this stack happens to be sitting on a mantel.

This line of vintage, decorated books is new to The Whistling Elk – a few strategically placed will start a conversation and add a little inspiration to your interior design!

The Whistling Elk Introduces Paint Couture

Paint Couture at The Whistling Elk
Paint Couture lines the shelves of an antique hutch
Paint Couture is now stocked on our shelves at The Whistling Elk!

We introduced our new Paint Workshops for furniture and accessories about a month ago…and now we will be teaching those classes with Paint Couture. Its a great line of Paint, Glazes and Finish Coats. We love it!

Paint Couture Paints and Glazes
Paint Couture at The Whistling Elk
The Whistling Elk - Paint Couture
Paint Couture

The glazes are amazing – I am especially loving the metallics!

Paint Couture Glazes
Glaze Couture Metallics

Next time you are looking to change your decor or room design – think Paint Couture!

Paint Couture! at The Whistling Elk

Paint Couture Furniture and Cabinet Paint, Glaze & Finish
Paint Couture! at The Whistling Elk
The Whistling Elk is a distributor of Paint Couture! a fabulous new line of paints, glazes and finishes. Woohoo!

I just picked up my new sign last night…it’s very elegant! It’s all very exciting! This is a great paint – its a low VOC, water-based paint, available in 32 colors. Paint Couture! is a self priming, décor, furniture and cabinet paint. It has a great adhesion capability to existing painted or varnished surfaces. With Paint Couture! there is usually no sanding and no priming (though there are exceptions). It lays on very flat with little to no brush marks. The dry finish look is a matt finish. A Glaze, Finish Topcoat, or Wax is recommended after the paint has cured – and the glazes in this line are spectacular!! Not kidding here i am in love with the Champagne and the new Verdi.

We will be painting with some of the Paint Couture! paints and glazes tonight at the DIY Paint Workshop at The Whistling Elk. If you like painted furniture you will love this paint for your home decor projects!!

Finishing Up a Few Paint Details Before the Chester Craft Show

painted furniture, diy, chalk paint, acrylic paint, architecture
painting architectural details to stand out

I am working on a table right now with nice architectural details…cant wait to see it finished!
Tomorrow is the spring Chester Craft Show…We are going to showcase some of our painted furniture during the show. You can also sign up for our Paint Workshops…the next one is June 13th at 5:30 pm. Call for more information 908-879-2425. Space is limited so you must register and leave a $50 deposit.

These are fun informal workshops! The June 13th class will cover chalk paint paint finishes and introduce Paint Couture! our new acrylic paints…in total you will learn 5 different finishes and leave thinking about all the great things you are going to do with furniture you have in the garage or basement. You will be creating masterpieces…

painted furniture, diy

The top of this piece is actually going to be black…and i have a lot more gold to apply. Its going to be stunning! And to think it was stashed in the basement…

painted furniture, diy, furniture, Paint Couture!
painted and gilded table in the works

Finishing Up a Few Paint Details Before the Chester Craft Show

painted furniture, diy, chalk paint, acrylic paint, architecture
painting architectural details to stand out

I am working on a table right now with nice architectural details…cant wait to see it finished!
Tomorrow is the spring Chester Craft Show…We are going to showcase some of our painted furniture during the show. You can also sign up for our Paint Workshops…the next one is June 13th at 5:30 pm. Call for more information 908-879-2425. Space is limited so you must register and leave a $50 deposit.

These are fun informal workshops! The June 13th class will cover chalk paint paint finishes and introduce Paint Couture! our new acrylic paints…in total you will learn 5 different finishes and leave thinking about all the great things you are going to do with furniture you have in the garage or basement. You will be creating masterpieces…

painted furniture, diy

The top of this piece is actually going to be black…and i have a lot more gold to apply. Its going to be stunning! And to think it was stashed in the basement…

painted furniture, diy, furniture, Paint Couture!
painted and gilded table in the works

I have a can of Paint Couture!® Italian Ivory

So i am trying it out on my pretty french commode. I used it on the body and the top of the commode – Liking very much! It paints on nicely and distresses easily…

 

Paint Couture, The Whistling Elk

Looking around The Whistling Elk now to see what else i can paint!

Let the furniture speak

painted table annie sloan chalk paint

Just painted and stencilled this little magazine table. It was a solid silver/gold/black mix of color all over – rather a dark look to it. I decided to paint the top first and then see if the rest needed to be touched. It’s so funny how furniture talks to you and tells you what it wants.

painted table top

Stencilling with metallic silver is a departure for me since i am such a “gold” girl. But with this piece i thought it would work so i used it over annie sloan’s old white chalk paint. I am very happy with it! The old white really lightened up the piece and i am thinking that i am done…we’ll see what the client thinks!

pretty medallion in center of painted table

I guess my desk will never by the same

I havent been here for awhile…but it wasnt that i didnt want to be!
I have been crazy BUSY…
my desk looks like this almost every day now!
Ive been painting everything!

The first two paint workshops that we had here in early May only served to inspire me more…everyone was so creative. It was fun…so i have scheduled two more workshops one on June 13 and one on June 20th. Both will run from 5:30 to 8:30 pm…

Heres a little table that started out just plain white. Its wearing a coat of Versailles with some metallic gold trim. What a beautiful color. I crackled the top and clear/dark waxed the whole thing…LOVING.
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I am awaiting a package from a new paint company…cant wait to get it to experiment. Its pretty cool and i am hoping to add it to the mix here. Stay tuned.

Pine Cone Hill Bedding


While it was raining yesterday i worked in the Paris Boudoir…arranging the beautiful Pine Cone Hill Bedding…

I love this bedding because it is both beautiful and affordable.
It’s perfect for our Paris Boudoir here at The Whistling Elk

Stenciled Table Top is Shaping Up Nicely

chester, nj
painted table at the Whistling Elk

Just finished stenciling this tabletop…yep, used a ceiling medallion and made it fit by using only certain parts of it.
In the picture it doesnt look centered but it is and i have the perfect stencil rosette (at home) to put in the middle.
Its going to be fantastic! I can hardly wait to work on it again tomorrow – soon it will look like an antique table.

Gotta Love Those Good Bones


Today i started working on this round table. It has what i call “good bones” – that is architecture that sings! (to me anyway).
it was completely black with an oak grain to it. I covered the whole table with Old Oche Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. When it dries, i am going to hit it again with another coat.
I want to make sure i cover the black with a good solid coat of paint!
Tomorrow i am going to give it yet another coat…but of pure white. The Whistling Elk is turning into my own private paint workshop where it seems every day now something is being newly designed…
I just found a great ceiling medallion stencil that i am going to tailor to fit the top of this table. Ooh la la! This table is going to go in our Paris Boudoir when complete and will feel so soft and elegant that it will be unrecognizable. Can’t wait til the next step tomorrow!
Do you feel like painting yet?

I like to live dangerously while painting

It is not unusual for me to live dangerously and just start painting on a piece at home without actually clearing it off…lucky for me that i am a neat painter!

I have owned this beautiful bookcase for many years. It is pine and was imported from Europe and just brie waxed and left in its natural state. Up for a change in my home decor I decided that i would paint the outside shell of the piece and give it a new design. The Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray paint on the wall was my inspiration. So here it is with its first coat of Annie Sloan Paris Grey. I painted the sides and the front facing edges.
After this dried, I painted Olde White on the parts that i considered trim. You cant see them in the picture but at the bottom of the bookcase there are 2 drawers…these i painted as trim also.

The piece remained like this for several days as i had to wait for another day off. But actually i could have stopped here – it was simple and pretty and looked great in the room.
Meanwhile i was rummaging in my stencil collection and found one that i could run down the front side edges…so i kept going.
I clear waxed the piece then dark waxed it, rubbed off the excess and sanded it down to distress it.

I also gilded the beaded trim and the stenciled trim on the front sides and the crown.

I thought i was done but I think i will do some trim work on the drawers…but that will have to wait for another day off from The Whistling Elk.


There is an old hole about the wood knob and i am thinking that i can paint a fabulous “lock” above the knob. This too will have to wait for another day.

Yesterday i was on a painting rampage

While i worked on painting the little stool I was also painting on some small boxes…then as i had the Annie Sloan paints open i decided to experiment with the inside of my pantry closet. I am working up to painting all my kitchen cabinets but that will have to wait for another day off from The Whistling Elk.

On the back and side walls of the closet i used provence and then on the shelves used duck egg. Love the subtle contrast! (I think my kitchen chandelier is throwing an interesting pattern on the shelves for a little play on light and shadows.)
I only did one section because i only had a very little Provence…but i will have to get more because i love the way it turned out. The room is Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray so these two colors work wonderfully well as an accent.

I still have plenty of the duck egg so i guess i will finish this project after i go shopping for more paint. Meanwhile i was also working on my old pine bookcase. More pix on that later!