DIY Bar Cart! From Mid-Century Modern table to Mad Men-tastic bar cart

I love the look of those two tier mid-century side tables, however they are too low to function with modern furniture. So, I choose to remake one into a bar cart because I love the idea of the two levels, one for storage of bar items and one for glasses and mixing. And since you know how much I was in love with the Russian Figure ladies skater's costume as evident of my post on inspiring images in that color palette, I choose to use dark grey and bronze.


The key to the table is getting the right height and scale. The mixing surface was moved up to 26 inch high and the storage is about 34 inches high. This cart is styled for mixing alcoholic drinks, but would be super cute as a coffee bar, tea cart, or even as a small desk! I plan to use it for coffee.


This is a simple project of cutting off the legs, adding a little lumber, and a nice paint job. The nice paint job includes using a pattern. I have included the pattern at the bottom. You can enlarge it to the size you need! The instructions can be printed with the title of the project at the top.










SUPPLIES:
For this project you will need the following supplies to complete a table similar this one.

BASICS:
A table to alter- if using a table like this pick your cutting zone carefully and with consideration to the size of your lumber! I chose a spot that was not tapered to make adding the legs back easier.
lumber- I used 2"x 2" which is nominal measurement of 1.5" x 1.5". This scale worked for my project.
8 dowel screws
wood putty
paint
liquid sanding/ deglosser- I clean the table with this type product for better paint adhesion
Hack saw
drill and drill bits
locking pliers- plain pliers might work, but locking pliers make the work easier
pencil
ruler
straight-edge

EXTRAS:
tracing paper
gold paint
circular saw
painters tape

Leaf pattern for the top of the table.

Color inspiration- the Grey and Bronze of Adelina Sotnikova's costume

I love the combination of color on the Gold medal winner, in Ladies Figure Skating, free skate costume. Rich dark grey and warm bronze.... Matte grey and sparkle bronze... Pretty silk drapes and bronze hardware... Dark grey linen pouf with bronze nail heads... Soapstone counter tops with copper sink... I cannot decide how best to apply the combo!

Some inspirational riffs on that combo-

Here

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Going public- the store

As I have mentioned about three weeks ago, I was working on a project of opening a space in an antique types shop. I feel like I am ready to make it official and invite you to my grand opening!

You can find me at space 6 at Interiors and Antiques in Vestavia Hills! Here are some shots I took today of the space. I'd love to hear what you thought and, as always, I am available for interior design services from small projects like paint and upholstery to total makeovers!

The store- coming together

The store... which is really a booth in Interiors and Antiques, but I like to call it a store... is really coming together. Today I will be adding things to the walls in the store and I will be finishing the re-finishing of some pretty chairs to go in the store. More on the chairs later.

Here are are pics inside "the store" one day one!

Downton Abbey influences in home design

I love predicting trends. I always have, it's a hobby of my sister and I... that and speaking French to each other. We are not very good at French, so it is best that we only speak French to each other. But design trends, we are excellent at predicting.

If you are missing Downton as I am, here's your fix. My top 3 design trends from Downton that I have watched emerge and are still coming into mainstream design. The wallpaper trend is in high design world and is trickling down into mainstream home designs. The rich colors from Sherwin-Williams are chosen from as palette I recently saw presented at a seminar for interior designers. Lastly, the rugs, which are always in still , offer a fresh look when viewed through the lens of Downton!

Graham and Brown Damask wallpapers found HERE.

New colors from Sherman-Williams.

3. Traditional rugs.

Image source- Nazmiyal

   
                                                                        Ralph Lauren Vintage inspired area rug




Pretty and light rug from David E Adler


What design trends are you seeing from Downton Abbey?

Emerald Green- the Pantone color of the year

Emerald green will be everywhere this year with being the Pantone color of the year and the new Wizard of Oz movie coming out- Oz the Great and Powerful.

Green is a great color for the home because the colors in nature are so easy to bring inside and you simply have to open a drapes to duplicate the color!

Here are some great Emerald green accessories for your Emerald City home!

Hand dyed and printed lumbar pillow from Giardino on Etsy

Vintage pointing finger from juxtapositionsc on Etsy

Whimsical vintage green lamp base, could be fun with a burlap or linen shade from theandsuchshop on Etsy

 

Vintage inspired letter from CompulsiveCollection on Etsy

 



 

Paper butterflies for the wall from HipandClavicle on Etsy

Aluminium of the 1960's- in full color

Vintage aluminium clothespins from
LittleBeach Designs on Etsy- already sold. See more below.

       Though the buzz word with the business men was "plastic" in the 1960's, the hot item for women was anodized aluminum.  The home was still the woman's domain and she was exercising her rights to choose. She choose color, crisp primary colors like only anodized aluminium can offer! Anodizing is an electro-chemical process that took the light weight silvery material and transformed it into vivid color. And because of the shine of the aluminum the colors were metallic in a way. And, though not as strong as steel, stronger than ceramic and much liht weight than both. It was the perfect material for partyware and came if an array of party colors.

These vintage clothes pins reminded me of my childhood and going to a neighbor Eva Mae's house, who has grandchildren my age, to play and she would pull out her multi-colored tumblers and fill them with liquid that seemed exotic in those glasses, but was probably just Kool-aid.

Here are some great 1960's anodized aluminum item from Etsy. Please click on the link in the caption to take you to the item.

clothes pins from Avericia

buttons for Fagin's Daughter

Mid Century Modern tumbers from Glamour Girl Antiques

Bowls from Soogees

expanding files from HabitusVA

Coasters from Four Proffitts Vintage

The color loft- lighting

I am so excited about my current loft project! When a client says things like, "think contemporary bohemian" and "I have decided pink is an empowering color" I am in heaven. My current design focus is on a contemporary loft space with a focus on contemporary white with bohemian pink, orange and turquoise! The accents are designed to support the contemporary attitude without creating a cold space. I am achieving this through line and pattern. Here are of the lighting ideas I am considering!

laurl designs- the website

I am working on building my new site. Building online portfolios and trying to connect the variety of things that I do into one cohesive concept is difficult. Artist, creator, designer. Color, pattern, line. Concepts, ideas, actions. Here are some of my new images on the site.

Grey and yellow. Sparkle and ikat. Recycled and wearable.

Pink and green is always a great combo. I love recycling fabrics into new things.
 

Rich reds, ochers, greens make this pretty necklace

I love the turquoise chaise with the houndstooth cabinet and clear tables.

Handbags can be made more interesting as a collection.

Visually rich image on my hand painted lamps.