simply vintageous...by Suzan: Home decorating Montreal

Sometimes ( if you're lucky - and I was ) out of the blue another one definitely opens - much much wider................
So as some of you know I was asked to go to a customers house as a favor to work the whole day Friday helping someone paint furniture - and I RAN because of the potential business this could lead me to -
Well this is huge folks -
First of all the house I arrived at is ( literally ) like one of the houses I showcase on I WANNA live there Wednesdays - the most beautiful home you can imagine - my photography skills are not the greatest as you know - but I promise to post photos of the house as I go - BECAUSE I ( little ole me ) have been asked to help with the interior decorating - plus all the furniture - plus this woman owns a store on a very expensive la di da street here in Montreal and wants to start showcasing my furniture in the Summer of 2013...................
( she currently sells designer clothing - but has a space she's thinking of using for furniture )
She told me just before I left - " Suzan - you are going places - I am going to make sure of that - I know talent when I see it "
OMG - OMG - OMG -
Someone pinch me - go ahead - pinch me until I have a big fat black and blue bruise on my arm!!!

First item I worked on was this -

This customer just found out about chalk paint - and was over the top excited after seeing a show on it -
And the colors she purchased happened to be my favorite 2 colors to combine( Paris Grey and Pure White )
Almost forgot to take a before - so this is the best you get, sorry about that!

and then I staged it for her - she's never changing it, she says, lol
but a pretty easy thing to do when all around you there are the most gorgeous things to choose from, really.

Omg - she says - Who taught you how to do that?
Nobody, I laughed -
She was over the top excited about it - dancing - literally dancing around her kitchen - so I started dancing with her
She grabbed me and hugged me
I hugged her back
She told me she loved me
I said - Whoa Evita - so soon?
YES - she screamed - Yes - it's true - you never heard of love at first sight?

Then she danced into the dining room - and said I want this painted too!

So here's where the story gets interesting - I've been cropping out what sits on top of this piece - but here it is

The most spectacular looking piece you can imagine -
PAINT IT she says
Oh Evita - I don't know if I should
What will your husband ( who was somewhere on one of the 5 floors ) say?
Oh he doesn't care what I do - the house is my department

and then I got to the back of this beauty - are you freaking kidding me Evita?
can all of you see what this says ?
I've never painted a piece of furniture this old Evita - I'm really uncomfortable
I want it painted - please Suzan please..................
Vintage? This piece was vintage by 1900!!!

And just as I finished the top - her husband walks downstairs - takes one look at what I'm doing - turns around whispers something to his wife - quite furiously - and storms out of the house - I felt sick to my stomach.....................really sick to my stomach.

Don't worry about him - she says - he'll back and forget all about it -
AND HE DID - he came back - told me it looked beautiful - go figure
( please please no negative comments about this particular project - it's her house - her furniture and at the
end of the day, only HER business )

Standing there looking at the alcove where it fits into - I said "what would you think of painting your alcove a dark gray to make the white pop" - and I swear to you the ladder was out and she painted it in 15 minutes!

Also in her living room she had these 3 gorgeous mirrors -

Evita - can I make a suggestion?
Yes - please do!
Can we take those mirrors and put them in your dining room?

and at the end of the day - this was the " new look for the nook " in her dining room

the rest of the walls are going to be painted as white as possible -

those mirrors look so perfect on either side of the niche/nook - and are almost the same color as the grey wall.

Her drapes are gorgeous - this photo does not do them justice at all! Evita made them -
( hmm - we may have to barter a little for my services if she can do things like this )
The fireplace will be painted white -my suggestion - but shhh - don't tell her husband - the brass trim around it will go black - the mantel will be gray to go with the niche.....................
Do you see that ceiling peaking through the mirror? That will most definitely stay wood -
Oh My God - I was just swooning over it all

but that may have been due to the bottle of red wine she opened as we were finishing off....................

I'm back at her house on the 27th - much more work to do - more photos to follow -
You're going to help me with the whole house right Suzan?
Yes Evita - with more pleasure than I can tell you !!!

Shopped this morning - wrapped 32 gifts this afternoon - more shopping tomorrow - more wrapping tomorrow.
Now I have to run and finish off the pallet trees I'm giving as gifts - and bake bake bake.

I just went in the kitchen to take photos to do a tutorial for the Pallet trees and John surprised me by making all of them - all sitting pretty and waiting for me to stencil

Suzan says - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
Suzan says - OMG - I was supposed to take photos for a tutorital
John says - I can't win - can I - I just can't win
Suzan says - You know what? You're the best - absolutely John - but after the holidays we'll have to make one more so I can do a step by step
John says - yeah yeah - sure - anything for the blog..........................

Love to all