Sleigh Bed Gypsy Barn style!

The most YOU-Nique Sleigh Bed we could think of!

Well, here goes Blog attempt #2!

This beauty was discovered at an Estate Sale we just happened to stumble across.
There were quite a few sleighs there, in excellent condition, however, at the very end sat this little girl giving me the puppy dog eyes.

This particular one was from William Gray and Sons Carriage Company

circa 1903 - Chattham Ontario

Yup. She was looking pretty beat up.

Here is a nice shot of the boards that used to be the inner base.

Complete Rot.

The boards just crumbled away if you looked at them wrong ...
I tore the entire thing apart right down to the bare minimum that I could handle for a
repurposing project.
I then replaced them with some barn boards from a demolition we helped with.
Might as well try and keep the aged woods somewhat similar.
 I added some Elmers Wood Rot Stabilizer and some wood conditioner to the frame underneath the boards.

 Multiple layers of treatments left to soak it in for a few days.

Then, I tried the best I could to re-use some nails from the beams and boards we salvaged from this old barn that we were fortunate enough to pick from before it was flattened.

So FUN!
The sleigh threw me a little attitude and decided to eat my hammer.

After the boards were all replaced and everything was treated
I called in my dear friends Mother.

She likes to sew.
I do not.

It requires my having to sit still for along period of time, and well, that doesn't happen.
Ever.

She was cussin' me to make sure I didn't get her face in any of the photos haha

So here's a little compilation.
Sorry Judy, it made the cut!
You look fabulous!

She did the entire process by hand. I love it! I think it adds to the integrity of it all.

It took quite some time to choose this fabric. I think it was the right choice.
It still holds the antique look but it is ohhhhhhh so soft!

After all was said and done, I used Min Waxes PolyShades -Black Satin

and as fast I could, rubbed it on and wiped it right back off.
It really pulled that dull sunfaded pink back to red and really made it pop!

Here my dear friends are the after shots!

Lexy and I decided that it needed to be put to the comfort test! So we took a minute to enjoy it. My darling Hubby grabbed the camera and started shooting..... then I hear him say - " I'm assuming you want me to make sure the camera is angled enough so no double chins are showing?" THAT is why he is MINE! HA!!!

The final before and after

On to the next creation!

EDIT - AUGUST 2 - 2012

WOW! What an honour! The lounger was chosen by Minwax for the project of the month! Given all the entries that were out of this world, that is VERY flattering!!!