Thursday, May 15, 2008

My Handy Man

My hubby, Jason, is a pretty handy guy to have around. He's just not an old, worn out, distressed furniture kind of guy, but I have to admit, he's been a good sport about going along with my primitive craze. He's more of a nice crisp, smooth, shiny wood kind of guy. I know it must be hard for him to build a really nice piece of furniture for me and then see it transformed into.....well...."old".















I've wanted a sideboard/buffet for my dining room bay window area for a long time. He kept promising to build me one every time I'd see something similiar to what I was wanting. So....finally this past March, he built my sideboard/buffet! We painted it navy and distressed it. I'm so proud of it. That's it in the first picture.














One thing called for another in the dining room. I had already purchased the shutters about a year ago to frame the pass through window between the kitchen and the dining area. Then Liz, of Brown & Hopkins, suggested a pegboard above the window. Why didn't I think of that? When I suggested it to Jason, he went to work and built this one for me. (In the second picture) I'd love to say I thought of the star cutouts, to repeat the pattern in the shutters, but the truth is....he surprised me with the stars added. The pegboard added even more character to that space.













Jason's newest creations were for my sunporch that we've been remodeling recently. Here's the potting bench/cabinet he made from an $18 door from Lowe's (3rd picture). I saw something similiar in an issue of Country Sampler from an old door. Since we couldn't locate an old one at the time (did I mention that I a bit impatient?) and within our budget, he suggested this. I knew it would work if we were careful to paint it in a manner to make it appear older. It's definitely the focal point of the sunporch (which is quickly becoming our family's favorite room to hang out)!














And then in the 4th picture (directly below), here's the shutters he made to frame my old window that's on the cedar wall next to the potting bench. And I didn't even have to ask this time......he came in with these "perfectly distressed" all on his own......grinning all the while! He's such a trooper!














Well.....he's "almost" a trooper. I'm still working on him about his latest creation. I brought another old window home from Alabama a couple of weeks ago and asked him to add some legs to it for a coffee table for the sunporch. He rolled his eyes when he saw yet another old window and grinned....but he agreed. Well, he worked on it last Saturday when I was gone all day. I came home to a "NOT distressed" coffee table......it was all framed around and all new paint. It really is beautiful.......but I would have been just as happy with legs nailed on and the old chipped white paint. I do love it...but it's just bugging me that it's so perfect. I really am glad he's such a great carpenter, but.......I asked for him to either distress it a little to his liking or I'd do it myself "some". I think he's hid the sandpaper from me! (That's it below).














I promise to post pictures of the sunporch when we're done......we're almost there, thanks to...........................My handy man.

9 comments:

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Thanks for visting my blog Tammy and I'm thrilled that you now have one too. I'll list you on my favs. tonight or tomorrow, right now we are going out to eat. Congradulations!!!

Rondell

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Forgot to mention your wonderful pics, I have a really distressed window that I would love to redo for a coffee table on the back porch.

Rondell

Farmhouse Blessings said...

Well your husband certainly is talented. How wonderful that he make your dreams some true!

Smiles,
Lea

Wendy/TheCozyYellowHouse said...

Very nice!! Your hubby is very talented!! I love your buffet. Its funny I showed my hubby a garden bench like yours with the door!! I have a door downstairs just waiting to be made into my bench!!lol....Take care!!~Wendy

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

I'm just drooling over every piece I see here!!!! Just wonderful! So glad I found you here!!!!! Please visit my blog sometime! Cora

Julie said...

How incredibly creative. I love the door and the window. I think we have a very common spirit. Notice, the name of my blog--country girl at heart. I will add you to my favorites. My door is done--for now. Come visit!!

Leslie said...

Tammy,
I found you through someone's blog...maybe Rondell? Anyway, I just have to say that your handy man does an awesome job! My hubby can make things but the problem is convincing him to start! LOL Most of the time he gives me that look like I'm losing my mind or he rolls his eyes and I know he's thinking "not again"! LOL If I can just give him enough of a push, he does an awesome job, though!

I also read your first post and just have to say I'm a Little House fan, too! During the winter, I was watching at least an hour of Little House. It's on the Hallmark channel for 4 hours a day! LOL I tried to catch it either in the morning or afternoon. They start one from the beginning and then the other is usually the later years. I couldn't watch for 4 hours, though! LOL I know it's just a TV show but I love watching it and seeing their Prims :D

Leslie

Cathy Cobblestone said...

Tammy, thanks so much for stopping by - I'm definitely a country girl too. I so enjoyed looking at all your projects - your hubby does a fantastic job. I love the door/table combination. I've made one of these before, but yours definitely "out does" mine. BEAUTIFUL!! I'll check back again. Have a blessed day! Cathy

Anonymous said...

Tammy, Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. The farm is my parents, wish it was mine. lol I spend a lot of time there though.
Wow on your salt dough map, that is just to cool.
I enjoyed looking through your blog. Your hubby is a very talented man, love all of the things he has built. Your dining room is fabulous too. Thanks again and I hope you have a great day!