Lit `a la Polonaise

I love a bed or piece of furniture with a canopy above it. I love the term "lit `a la polonaise" which as far as i can tell refers to an iron bed that supports a canopy atop an arch or round frame. I do not have an iron frame and my topper is not domed, as many lit `a la polonaise seem to be but I decided to make my own simpler version to sit atop my settee in the living room. Yes, it is primitive and simple but I think effective. I hope to make silk dupioni curtains this next year for each LR window and at that time I will make my lit `a la polonaise out of the silk to match and maybe a bit fancier with braided trims and tassels. For now it remains simply scalloped with blue piping out of a cotton toile I use in my LR and BR called "Musee Toile Blue". I liked how it turned out - used IKEA sheer curtains for $4.99 a pair. They will eventually line the silk curtains. I get emails from a place in L.A. called the Silk Barons. They sell silk dupioni for $10.99 a yard! They have many colors that might work for me...

I also found some other lit `a la Polonaise online which I am head-over-heels for.
See if you can pick mine out of the line up...hahaha

Update on Painting project

I haven't had much time to finish and post updates of some projects I have been working on. With most my coworkers now laid off and myself taking over several jobs, glad to still be employed but also down in the dumps about all my friends and their uncertain fates, (and mine as well) has kind of zapped my energy for awhile. Rain and cooler weather has moved into Seattle - fall is here. I am happy about that because I love to nest and nothing is more comforting to me then a warm fire, hot tea and a good book or decorating magazine in the evening. But that meant my work canopy outside has had to come down until next spring.
I have been continuing work on my painted furniture. I had posted my round breakfast table earlier in the summer season. It was pretty unexciting and drab, although the perfect size for where I wanted to use it. It had to have a make-over in order to live in Elinor Cottage.
It's not quite there yet but here it is, mid-stage. I base coated it "Cottage Linen White" by Waverly and then added some color with "Atmosphere Blue" by Restoration Hardware.

Here it is, sitting atop my work table in the corner of the LR where it will eventually sit once done. I do not have a garage to work in and my art studio is up a narrow 30" stair so taking the table up there is not an option. It will have to be finished in place, I'm afraid!
Now the time consuming part begins - gold leaf detailing.

I have red arrowed the areas that will receive gold leaf. The beaded detail is a flexible plastic accent you can find at doityourselfchic.com The architectural accents just glue on and are ready to be primed/painted. In this case I am priming the trim with an ochre tinted base and will then gold leaf over that.
The gold leaf is actually a composite because it's more affordable at $7 per pack of 5" sheets then real gold leaf at $38 per 3" pack. As long as I lacquer over it, it will not tarnish. I use a water-based lacquer called "Crystalfin" which I buy at Dalys here in Seattle. It wears hard as nails. I already base coated most of the table with it except for the areas I have to add gold leaf. They will get a coat after I'm done with them. "Crystalfin" comes in matte, satin, semi-gloss or hi-gloss. It's a wonderful product. I first saw it used to protect a hardwood floor.

Stay tuned later on for the finished project!