British Retro

I love all things British. {Did you know that you can call me an Anglophile and still be politically correct?}.

I wouldn't say I'm a Royal Watcher. I just love the highly decorous English culture and style. My favorite downtime activity is to watch British Mysteries on Netflix. Anyway, after pondering how to appropriately describe our personal style, I decided to identify it as English farmhouse. English farmhouse and Texas farmhouse antiques are comfortably side-by-side in our little cottage.

Not long ago I grabbed a set of 1950's TV Tables at an estate sale. Dang it all! I forgot to take a photo. But I found an almost identical match on the internet~

 

Please excuse that mess... remember, this is an internet photo. 

This is not my house.

I grabbed a set of 4 for $4. I was super excited until I got them to the car and realized that only the top tray was in good shape. I was robbed! The others were pretty worn out. I'm not sure why that bothered me because I only paid $4 and I was intending to paint them anyway. Sometimes I just fall into a thrift mindset.

Well~ my idea of painting them was to get Larry to do it.  What a nice guy. We used flat black Rustoleum spray, and here is a sample of how they looked after 2 coats~

Much better. I like the sleek black surface. 

But it's lacking character.

I really wanted to give my tables some interest. It occurred to me that British decals might look sharp. 

I did a search and it wasn't too hard to find some great ideas on Cafe Press. What a great place for

a person with a sense of humor.

I was really excited when my choices arrived in the mail. I applied one to each table.

Union Jack~ A Must Have

Great Britain

Love the Colors!

And To Complete the Set~

My Motto 

I can just imagine using my tables at a little dinner party. Some English ale and some pub foods are in order.

Retro glasses are an imperative!

Maybe Some Mixed Nuts In My Little 60's Bowl?

And finally I'd  like to showcase the little rubber feet on my set of tables. All are present and in great condition.

The last step in the process was to spray the tables with a light coat of matte urethane to protect the stickers.

I probably was eating my dinner on a TV table when I watched The Beatles for the first time on

The Ed Sullivan Show. I was in elementary school. {Most of you won't even know who Ed Sullivan is.} But the point is, I love having a little nostalgia in the decor mix.

I can't wait to have a little get together and showcase my makeover efforts. Tray bien! {Get it?}

I noticed on a vintage online store that a seller was asking $20 for one table! In my opinion that is clearly overpriced. Even if my tables are of no value on a resale market, I am thrilled with my little 'trash to treasure' endeavor.

Partying today with Kim at Savvy Southern Style. Remember, today is Wow Us Wednesday. Head on over for some really inspiring decor ideas!

Have a groovy day!

     Dana