Roadside finds and the unsalvageable table

 I tried very hard to save it

 

  but unfortunately it could not be done.

 

 It was the sweetest wooden coffee table, charming in size and on so many levels already super shabby and chic!

I thought, that I could simply peel back a few layers of wood and then maybe I would find a layer of unaffected dry wood and then it would look super fabulous. As you do! Unfortunately... each layer that I pulled back looked as water affected as the next, it was also a tad smelly and I had to let it go. Do you think it was a case of wishful thinking?

I have to admit, that I was quite attached to the idea of resurrecting this table and I wanted to salvage it instead of a life of dumpster rot.

 The silver lining is that I have managed to salvage these cigar legs.

 I am thinking, that with a good sanding and a new paint job these legs could look quite rad paired with a lil something else maybe. So whilst this table itself is no success story for The suburban stylist maybe these legs soon will be!

Rach xx

Sharing at the very fabulous Scandi Coast Home.

Revamps in Suburbia

I did not intend for things to be so quiet around here this week. So on that note, let me show you how productive I have been. I started off the week with a quick vintage lamp revamp. This lamp was all kinds of $3 ugly, seriously! It had a coffee- cream light shade with pink puffy lace and the base was a nasty shade of maroon. No, for obvious reasons I do not do before shots on this blog ;-O! Having said that, I still think it was quite a thrifty bargain and $3 well spent! Here is my vamp. I chose this lovely neutral grey linen fabric to recover it and then sprayed the base a light grey (it looks purple-ish in the above snap but it is actually more of a soft grey). Sprayed ceramics do come up a treat!

 

Then on a more beachy- vintage kind of note, I also revamped this roadside stool find. This one needed screws, a thorough sanding and paint and restyle to save it. It would have been literally reduced to dust during a scheduled council kerb/ shrub clean up... I do hate to see things just disregarded!

 

This particular re-style turned out a tad more coastal looking than I am actually used to, it's amazing how a simple change in paint colour can do that. I do love a simple white wash! Would you too have saved this one?? I have also registered an ebay user name: TheSuburbanStylist. It is a tongue and cheek name but also very deliberate; I do want my listings to stand out from the rest. No I am not selling up, it's just that I physically cannot house everything that I lovingly save, revamp or restore; we just do not have the room. Its a good idea in theory but shall we see whether I can actually part with these treasures or not?? Rach x

Linking up at Ivy and Elephants and Scandi Coast Home.

Re-styled fusions and mini tango's

Hello,

Sharing a table with you that my hubby made over the weekend... I know, he is rather clever isn't he. He whipped it up using wood he found from underneath our house. I love how it’s very country- industrial without overly trying! As you can see I gave it a quick vintage re-style because I do think fusions between these particular styles work really well together! He made it for our kitchen to house my handbag; just between you and I, I think my handbag kind of annoys him ;-0. I am not sure that we are in full agreeance on the finer styling details for this table just yet. It's an ongoing tango that we are having right now.

I am thinking, if I find a simple housing solution for my handbag then maybe we can find a suitable styling purpose for this table that would please us both… I can see this table working in our work space as a inspiration table to house those ever changing, everyday items that often inspire me in some way. That would be fun right? 

Or alternatively as my husband suggested I too can also see it working in our kitchen especially if we popped some wheels on it and made it into a Kitchen/ Tea trolley. Then it too could house everyday items/ things that inspire myself and my husband! That would be fun too, right??

Rach xx

Will be sharing this post over at Ivy and Elephants

and Scandi Coast Home

Old stuff and the magic of re-styling

Do you like old vintage things handed down through the generations? I do. As some of you already know, these old scales are a favourite of mine. I love them because they were my mums and she used them allot. I use them too and they are the source of much inspiration. Just when I think I have them styled exactly how I feel suits them and my kitchen, I find another way to enjoy them.

This was my Day 5- "Old" entry for Jen Bishops #7vignettes on Instagram. I do think old things look great paired with bright contrasting colours just to liven them up a little.

I love green "matchy matched" on green. It is so very calming!

I also think they look very happy themed with all this vintage goodness too!

Which is your favorite?

Rach xx

Popping over to Tanya's scandi coast linky party; you simply must come with! xx

Weekend Snap's and Hip Brown Wall Pendant

Hello,

I have been busy getting a new Hip Brown design off the ground. It actually takes a while to release a new product; many aspects need to be absolutely perfect before you go into full promotion mode. Prototypes need perfecting and then they also need to undergo their own form of testing. Photo's in particular take a great deal of perfecting and resizing for online shops. I do enjoy it though! You can see a sneaky peek of the Hip Brown number wall- pendant's which have been hand screen- printed in the picture below.

Hip Brown Wall Pendant
also Day 2- Texture
"Texture(d) wall hanging decoration"
 
I have also been participating in Jen Bishops- The Interior's Addict #7vignettes in 7 days on Instagram. It's a great deal of styling fun! There are so many inspirational and talented lovelies out there! I am really enjoying the creativity of the IG community, such a vibrant pool of wonderful Interior stylists, artists, designers and enthusiasts. Here are my weekend snaps thus far... 

 Day 1- Books
"Blue and beachy green vintage books"

Day 3- Love
"Love my boys, having more time to work on my business (finally!), heart shaped rocks, meaningful numbers, rustic jugs (yes def going through a thang), exercise, Instagram, vintage books and dried lavender."
 

Hope you all have a great week! Rach xx