European Treasures

Submit entries embellished with lustrous finish adornments of any kind, including gold/silver wax, or any gilding or metallic finishes on the body of the piece. This category is reserved for Mainland UK, Mainland Ireland and Mainland Europe. Requires the use of 1 GF Product.


Moroccan Musings

By Emporium K, IE

Winning Category

The structure of this piece was good but visually dark and outdated. I painted the entire piece in Driftwood milkpaint and then to add some Bling I used gold gilding with a Moroccan trellis stencil over the entire front of all the drawers. I also added a circular Rose moulding to the bureau's drop down and gilded this also. The interior was stained using a Walnut stain. The whole piece was then sealed with High Performance Top Coat. 

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A Buffet Dream

By Emporium K, IE

Winning Category

When an old piece like this has some fabulous carvings you have to do it justice and highlight them . The original grain on the top and cabinet doors was so beautiful I decided to highlight them by restaining in a dark oak stain. The rest of the piece was painted using Coastal Blue and sealed with High Performance Top Coat. Then the fun bit, I gilded the central carvings and the balcony back in gold, to match the re coloured handles, and added some mouldings, also gilded, to finish the piece. This beautiful old buffet now has its new life. 

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The Writing Blues

By Emporium K, IE

Winning Category

For this lovely Oak writing bureau I decided to use Coastal Blue over the whole piece and seal with High Performance Top Coat to give it an overall deep blue sheen. The interior was restained with a light oak stain to contrast with the exteriors deep blue. This piece was heavily carved on the exterior so it would have been easy to get carried away with the gilding, but I decided to focus only on the central carving running across the centre, and also gild the edging of the pull down. 

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The Petite Blues

By Emporium K, IE

Winning Category

A small but mighty beauty. This Petite writing bureau needed some help to bring out her beauty. I used Coastal Blue over the entire exterior, and Oak woodstain on the interior. I sealed the piece with High Performance Top Coat. The beautiful central wood carvings were then gold gilded to enhance their features and tie in with the stunning original handles which I re coloured in rich gold. 

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Golden Grey Love

By Emporium K, IE

Winning Category

This petite chest of drawers was fairly plain but I saw the potential in her. I painted the whole piece in Driftwood and sealed with High Performance Top Coat. To add some bling and beauty to her, I added Efex mouldings bead trim all around the top and mouldings to the centre of each drawer. I painted these in Pearl Effects and then  I gilded all of these in gold and re coloured the beautiful drawer pulls in gold to match. 

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Old Gold Sideboard

By Kate Clowes Holt

Winning Category

Vintage bow fronted sideboard - changes colour in the light. 

 

Method - base coat of FMP Bedford, FMP bronze sponged on in a random method.  Top coat of FMP antique glaze applied with crunched up newspaper.  Dark wax and rub and buff to age and highlight the details.

General Finishes Gel Stain in the colour Java used on the top to bring out the natural grain of the wood and varnished to give a beautiful but practical surface. 

The inside of the top drawer has been recovered in black felt and the rest of the inside was cleaned and waxed. 

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Ginkgo Biloba elegance

By Wanda McKenna, Mrs at Monkey Décor in Navan, MH, IE

Winning Category

This Ginkgo Biloba inspired bureau was build around contrasts: matt & shine, dark & bright, classic & modern. 

I've chosen black and dark shades of greys as a canvas for sparkling copper accents. I used copper leafs and some metallic paint to achieve the look. 

I love leaving the best parts of the original woodwork so i left old intarsia around the edges and i refreshed the top of the piece by applying general finishes maple woodstain.

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Sideboard

By Chris Kwalski, Owner at Alex Vintage Furniture in Reading, Berkshire, GB

Winning Category

This sideboard has been painted with Annie Sloan Paris Grey and Java Gel on the top.It has been coated with Annie Sloan Black Wax to give a beautiful finish.

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Antionette

By Antionette, Patricia Devlin in Dungannon, Tyrone BT717TQ, GB

Winning Category

My journey for my inspiration began with a newspaper article I read about Louis XVI King of France, but more interestingly his wife Marie Antionette the Queen of exquisite taste.  She amassed artworks of extraordinary opulence and beauty.  Particularly her furniture collection, the extravagant life of Queen Marie is surrounded by elegant French furniture and fabrics, very beautiful designs that are still prevalent today. 

So I dedicate my entry piece to one of the most trend setting ladies of the 18th Century Marie Antoinette, Dauphine of France.

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Antique Louis

By Vika Viola Krzyżaniak at LTD Vika AstrolabiumArt, PL

Winning Category

 Wardrobe arrived badly damaged, more than expected. It had plenty cracks, and scratches. It required massive amount of work including filing the deep cracks and sanding. Priming the wardrobe for next steps took a significant amount of time. Finally I could start with varnishing and styling. I knew form the start I wanted it in red, while the top will be checkered, but in a subtle way. I was always fascinated by contrast in art, so I decided to combine red with black and gold. The base colour I chose was Tuscan Red GF. It seemed too dark, so I've added a small amount of Holiday Red GF.

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Secession Mirror

By Jolanta Tomaszewska designer/owner at Joly Thomas Home in Konstancin-Jeziorna, PL

Winning Category

SECCESION MIRROR- DARK and LIGHT Reflactions 

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A Petite French Fancy

By Emporium K, IE

Winning Category

This was a really sweet writing bureau to work, its shape very feminine. After stripping and priming, I used General Finishes Linen over the whole piece, and then on the front drawers I stencilled with gold gilding to make the bureau even more unique. The inside was restained in Walnut and then all was sealed with General Finishes Flat out. Some new handles added and she was ready to go. 

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Copper and Blue Foils Bedside Cabinets

By Tessa at Room Thirteen, Brighton, UK, Owner at Room Thirteen in Brighton, GB

Winning Category

I love layering, creating texture and a bit of bling! I want my finished pieces to be tactile and look different at every angle and in different lighting states and these bedside cabinets really tick all those boxes.

 

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Georgian Splendour

By Tessa at Room Thirteen, Brighton, UK, Owner at Room Thirteen in Brighton, GB

Winning Category

This wonderful Georgian cabinet came to me in a sorry state.  The top was complety warped and needed replacing. It must have been a beautiful piece in it's day but was now negleted and in need of some love.

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MARQUETRY COMMODE

By Agnieszka Hołodniak, Mrs. at HagArt in Gorzów Wielkopolski, PL

Winning Category

MARQUETRY COMMODE I have been so mesmerized by beautiful intarsia on this commode drawers that I have created identical stensil to replicate the motif so inside of the drawers and on Top of the commode.

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