art deco Archives - Prodigal Pieces

In Furniture, Giveaways, Home Decor, Project Gallery, Thrifted

Vintage Art Deco Buffet gets Modern Update

Do you know what time it is? It’s Furniture Fixer Uppers time! What fun it is to not only get to work on another project for you, but to be able to do it alongside some of the most awesome DIY gals I know. This vintage Art Deco buffet is my subject for this month’s fun. You’ll see the rest of the awesome projects in a bit.

The functional use of a buffet can’t be denied. They fit easily into almost any room of your home as either a server as intended, or entertainment center, or even retrofitted into a bathroom vanity. This particular one appealed to me for the Read more

Larissa

85 Comments

In DIY / Tutorials, Furniture, Giveaways, Home Decor, Project Gallery, Thrifted

Waterfall Hope Chest Restored & Renewed

You know it’s a good day when you head out to an old building that has been bought and renovated and they just, “want the stuff outta here”. Musical words to my ears. I couldn’t resist taking a peek at all they had to offer. Of course, this vintage Art Deco waterfall hope chest caught my eye and I had to bring it home.

To say I’m excited for the young couple I got the chest from is an understatement. They purchased a downtown building in my city that has seen many days and ugly updates. However, they are renovating it back to the original glory it once was. We’re talking uncovering the pressed tin ceiling hiding behind a drop ceiling, old wood Read more

Larissa

233 Comments

In Furniture, Giveaways, Home Decor, Project Gallery, Thrifted

Art Deco Vanity Meets Boho Style

I don’t wonder if I should rename myself the hot mess mama. Not because I myself am a hot mess (though I can be at times – aren’t we all?), but because of these crazy pieces I bring home then ask my self…why did you do this?! hahaha!! Being a sucker for the worn down, dilapidated pieces is my calling and this Art Deco vanity is one that gave me a run for my money.

You see in the before picture here I’m smiling like a kid in a candy store. However, during the middle of working on it I don’t know if I was smiling quite so big…still smiling, but the fun wore off a bit. Why, you ask? Well, it was a whole lotta work that was totally doable, but I was running out of Read more

Larissa

114 Comments

In DIY / Tutorials, Furniture, Home Decor, Kids, Project Gallery

Updated Art Deco Chest of Drawers by a Teen

Nothing makes me happier that to share a new project with you. However, when it’s a project that is done by one of my kids, I get beyond excited, even giddy. My proud mama heart takes over and I it amazes me how hard they work to get the job done. Take my oldest daughter’s latest project, an ugly painted beast in the before. Miss C is going to tame this brown beast and show you how it became an updated Art Deco chest of drawers. You go girl!

Many of you know that I have sworn off bringing home awfully painted furniture. I have had my fun messing with them, but apparently my husband keeps forgetting my promise to self, so when I send him out to retrieve project pieces he brings Read more

Larissa

2 Comments

In DIY / Tutorials, Family, Furniture, Giveaways, Project Gallery, Thrifted

Art Deco Buffet Revived with Paint & Stain

Time for round two! Are you ready? If you missed the first installment of our Battle of the Buffets, be sure to see the first makeover of an antique in this post. You’ll want to take a peek so you can vote at the end of today’s fun and enter to win this week’s giveaway (I love to share!). Today, the entrant is this vintage Art Deco buffet that has seen better days.

Let me tell you why…first, it has damage to the top with chemical/burn stains, it is sagging badly in the middle, veneer missing, and the doors won’t stay shut. Nothing we can’t fix, right?! Read more

Larissa

65 Comments

In DIY / Tutorials, Furniture, Giveaways, Home Decor, Project Gallery, Repurposed

Decoupage Furniture to Add Flair

Do you ever have a piece of furniture that is lacking some pep? Sometimes it can just need a little updating and although painting will suffice, you can also decoupage furniture. What’s that you say? Let me show you what I’m talking about using this Art Deco waterfall chest as an example. AND… I have an awesome surprise for you at the end of this post!

*sidenote: While I understand some people are wood purists and chastise me for painting, I too love wood. I only paint things that won’t lose value when painted. This chest is not a high-end Art Deco piece and I know that by experience. This is a copy and thus I can change it as it suits me. PLUS, it’s mine! (end of rant – thank you. 😀 )

I found this chest on Craigslist (gotta love CL!) and in the past I have done several different things to these waterfall chests. My most popular is my BEEP. This dude was a freebie for good reason – he was a hot mess!

Larissa

129 Comments

In DIY / Tutorials, Furniture, Home Decor, Project Gallery

Shabby Chic Details

It’s been a while since I’ve done my own furniture makeover since I just recently helped my son and both of my daughters with their furniture makeovers. It’s not like I haven’t been busy or anything. tsk. One piece that I have finished for a custom order is this Art Deco chest of drawers that has gotten a shabby chic detailing. Yup, it’s not a BEEP, but very similar to my Dumpster Diva.

This lovely piece came from a client, Ruby, who allowed me to share the story of her chest of drawers. Back in 1954, Ruby’s parents bought the entire set for her. It had weathered a small flood, and this is the remaining piece left. She used it in her parent’s house until she married, and then her mother continued to use it until her death in 1991. So, in reality, it has been hers for 61 years. Ruby has decided to give it new life to suit her shabby chic love. How fun is that?!

The chest is in great shape, but has a few cosmetic problems, as well as some structural issues – all totally repairable with Read more

Larissa

14 Comments

In Furniture, Home Decor, Project Gallery, Thrifted

Modern Chic Makeover for Art Deco Nightstand

My kids are with me in my daily grind and I love to include them in my projects as well as giving them projects of their own. One day that won’t be with me and I want them to have wings to fly. I feel that learning a trade, along with a scholarly education in homeschool, is crucial. My efforts to broaden their horizons includes working alongside me as the eagerly request to learn. Today, my oldest daughter, Miss C, is getting to work on this Art Deco nightstand by giving it a modern chic makeover.

Whenever I receive a piece of furniture for free, I let one of my six kids have at it. Both of my parents have generously given various items for them to work on, and this time my father gave us this piece to revive along with a dressing table. I am working on the dressing table and my daughter gets to revive this rough-looking nightstand.

Turns out this is a piece made by Virginia House Furniture right here in the U.S. and this company is still making handmade furniture today. Isn’t that cool?

*this post includes affiliate links so you can find the products I love to use too!

Miss C isn’t a foundling when working on furniture Read more

Larissa

22 Comments

In Furniture, Home Decor, Project Gallery

Art Deco Chest with a French Twist

Do you ever make a vow or promise to yourself and then for some reason decide to break it? sigh… I just did and I always ask myself…”Why did I do that??” Enter in this Art Deco chest…

My vow was this: to never, EVER, under any circumstances will I buy another piece of furniture to work on THAT IS PAINTED.

Look at what I bought (yes, actually paid for) off of Craigslist.

Isn’t it cute? You know I’m a sucker for these waterfall pieces, especially since the first vanity I did had me hooked. I only spent a bit for this Art Deco chest. However, keep in mind, free and cheap mean work. nuff said.

Many on Instagram saw this and said, “I like the blue!” So do I (cause you know I’m all about blue), but someone else painted this and there are flaws. For instance, the top of the chest has cracked veneer underneath, the paint job was so-so, and more was wrong like the broken casters, etc.

Otherwise though, this is a solid piece with not only dove-tailed drawer face joints, but also those dove tails at the back.

*affiliate links are included in this post so you can find the products I love too! (see full disclosure)

They just don’t make them like this anymore – which is why I had a regression in my vow. Do you blame me? These are the sort of things that make my heart go pitter-pat.

Sooo…I started out using my sander to see how those veneer cracks would hold up. Low and behold what I figured would happen did. Read more

Larissa

21 Comments

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