Tuesday, August 2, 2016

To Paint....or NOT to Paint? That is the Question....



We often get inquiries asking us if a particular piece of furniture should be painted.  
For those who have never painted a piece of furniture, the task can seem daunting, overwhelming, and downright scary!  People are worried they will ruin a piece of furniture or decrease it's value by adding paint.  I guess in some cases this could be true, and I totally understand the fear of the unknown when you haven't taken on a project like this before. 

To be completely honest and up front, 
I don't know that I have the perfect {or right} answer to this question.  
But let me tell you what I have learned over the years through various furniture makeovers....

The most important thing to remember when asking the question of whether or not you should paint a piece is to think about what YOU want!
***
Don't worry about what the trends are.
***
Don't worry about what the magazines say.
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Don't worry about what other people think.
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If it is something YOU like and YOU want......DO IT!!

I'm not much for following the rules....I'm kind of a "just go with it" and "march to the beat of my own drum" type of gal.  If I get an idea in my head sometimes I will mull it around awhile but if the idea sticks, I know that is my cue to give it a go!  

Some people struggle with change, some people struggle with trying something new...so just think of it as a fun new adventure to learn about talents you didn't even realize you had!  You might have to take a little leap to get started, but if it's what YOU want then what's stopping you?

For me it's just that simple.  
YOU have to live in your house and love it.  YOU have to walk through you doors every day to the place you call home.  YOU are the only one who can make your space happy for YOU.

So here are a few questions I encourage people to ask when they are trying to decide whether or not to paint something:

1.  Is it a piece that has sentimental value, but something you are unable to incorporate into your current decor because it doesn't "fit" or "match"?

2.  Is it a piece you can't part with?

3.  Is it a piece that you proudly display in a visible area of your home or have you tucked it away in a basement or other low traffic area of the house?

4.  If outdated, is it still a solid piece of furniture with good bones and structure?

5.  Are you willing to think of a way to display it that is "outside the box" of your normal decor style?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, I would say
GO FOR IT!!

One of the things that breaks my heart is when people have fun and unique items that have sentimental value or good bones, but because it doesn't "fit" with your decor, it is hidden away from anyone to see.  In my humble opinion, the reason we keep these items is to use them and share them with others who come into our homes.  So what better way to incorporate those types of pieces than to give them a pretty face lift!

For instance, check out this piano:

It was a piece handed down to our client by her mother.  In it's original condition it resided in her basement but after a clean, crisp white makeover it is now proudly displayed in the main living area of her home!


Or what about this nursery set:
 It was a set that had been used before but needed a cute makeover for a darling little girl.  And this time the client wanted fun shelving from her grandmother's home incorporated.


We love how the set turned out.....looks like it was all just meant to be together from the very beginning!

Or this beautiful dresser that belonged to our client's grandfather:


 Before it's makeover it resided in the garage.



But after it found it's way back into the main living are of the house to provide sweet memories each time my client walked into the room and saw beautiful makeover with years of history peeking through.

I know, I know....there are some who think it is blasphemy to paint over wood furniture or to paint a hand-me-down piece of furniture in a new bright color.  Some even worry that those whose namesake they keep the furniture for would be distraught if the furniture was given a makeover.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this topic and I don't fault those who choose to keep their pieces in their original state.

But for me, I know that items get more "face time" in my home if they can somehow be incorporated into my decor, which often includes a bright and fun color update!  By doing this, not only can pieces be incorporated more easily into my decor, but they instantly become focal or conversation pieces when I have guests.  And I find that by giving an item a simple makeover, I can get years of use out of just one item, because it then becomes transferable to multiple areas of my home and decor.



I LOVE adding colorful touches throughout my house, and I can think of no better way to really make a statement then to incorporate color into the furniture.  

Now I know that not everyone loves color as much as I do, but even if you just have 1-2 statement pieces in a room, it can go a long way to update your look and brighten you decor. 







Another factor that seems to come into play when people are inquiring about painting furniture is that they are incredibly worried they will "ruin" the item.  Well I'm here to tell you that in all of my experience, you can't "ruin" anything!  If you don't like it you just start over!  If it doesn't look the way you want try it again.  Practice makes perfect....believe me!  I've had my fair share of oops and what the crap did I do moments....but there is pretty much nothing that cannot be fixed!   

So ultimately, my answer to the question of 
To paint or not to paint?
As you've probably figured out by now....for me the answer is ALWAYS YES!
It might be scary the first time, but once you do it I promise you'll be hooked!!  

If you're worried, start with something small.  
Test out your skills.  
Buy something from a yard sale or a consignment store and practice on that.  
Once you feel more confident you're ready to move on to something bigger and more involved and before you know it you'll be designing entire rooms around colorful decor!

Good luck taking your leap!  It's a little scary at first sometimes but I promise if you'll just do it, you won't be sorry!!

Monday, July 18, 2016

Creative Shelving

I'm so excited to announce that we'll be teaming up with a very talented friend to create some fun, unique, and truly "upcycled" furniture pieces!  With her building skills and our painting skills we're pretty sure this is a match made in heaven that all of our customers will benefit from!

Here is one of our first collaborations!

We created this shelving unit using recycled cupboard doors and stair railing spindles.  Added some cute trim to finish it off and you have this darling, one-of-a-kind shelving that is perfect for small spaces like hallways and bathrooms.





The possibilities for this piece are endless!

Available for just $65.00.
Email us with inquiries.

Thanks for looking!

Monday, June 27, 2016

Custom Order Piano Refinish


I finally got the opportunity to do a makeover that I've been wanting to do forever!!
A Piano!!!
Can I just tell you.....
it was ALL that I dreamed of and MORE!!

One of our very sweet client's entrusted us with this gorgeous piano, a piece she inherited from her mother.  She wanted an update so this piano could become a real show stopper in her home.  And we were more than happy to help her out with this transformation!

Here are some of the BEFORE pictures:

I have to admit I was a little nervous at the thought of taking a ENTIRE piano apart, but I realized as I went that it really wasn't that difficult.  I thought I would share a couple of helpful hints I found along the way with this project though, just in case you are contemplating taking on a project like this.  It might seem intimidating, but it really isn't as scary as it looks! :-)


For me, I found it was best to start at the top and work my way down to the base of the piano.  Each piece came off relatively easily and I made sure to keep all of the hardware (screws and other items) in separate plastic baggies marked with a brief description of where they came from.


As I got to the keys I found that all of them were numbered.  However, not all of them were in chronological order and so in order to avoid any confusion I placed the keys in order on a table until I was ready to replace them.  That saved a ton of time, not to mention anxiety and confusion, when it was time to put them all back into place.  There was no worry that I was putting the keys in the right order and it went very quickly as I was putting the finished piece back together!


I was surprised at how quickly it went to remove all the pieces so I could begin the prep process!  And I was mesmerized how how beautiful and intricate the inside of a piano really is!  


At this point I covered all the keys and cords inside the piano with paper, made sure I protected the pedals and wheels with taping and got to work!

I cleaned the piano with soap and water and then used a liquid sander deglosser to prep the piece.  If you haven't ever used this product it is a definite must!  I love that it maintains the integrity of a piece and allows you to prep the piece without sanding.  After that step all nicks, dings and holes were filled.  

Once those were dry and lightly sanded, it was time to start priming.  I used approximately 3 cans of spray primer to prime the entire piece.

After the primer coats dried and were lightly sanded, I began the painting process using a semi-gloss white.  Again, I used Rustoleum spray paint, which I absolutely LOVE!  The durability is amazing, the coverage is beautiful, and you absolutely cannot go wrong with this product!!

I sealed the entire piece with multiple coats of Minwax polycrylic clear finish and this beautiful makeover was complete!





I love how this piece turned out and I can't wait to do my next piano!!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Custom Order Blessed Signs


We are so excited to offer custom order 
"Blessed" 
signs that will now be available.  
There will be 3 sizes available in different styles and fonts.  

26" wide x 10.5" tall
(flush)
$45.00

32 3/4" wide x 15 1/4" tall
(pallets, blue "Blessed" pictured above)
$70.00

32" wide x 16.5" tall
(flush, green "Blessed" pictured above)
$70.00

All signs are personalized.  You an choose your font and color combo.
Please contact us if you would like to get started!

Thanks for looking!

Monday, April 4, 2016

Custom Order Dresser




We just refinished this darling dresser for a sweet family who is starting a new adventure in a new home and wanted to make sure this piece went with them.  

This piece has been in the family for over 100 years, truly a family heirloom!  We just gave it an updated look that would fit into the family's decor style and plans for their new house.  We just love how it turned out and love the multifunction of this piece!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Custom Order Dresser

 One of our sweet clients brought us this cute dresser to refinish.  It functions as both storage and a nightstand in a master bedroom.  The room is very neutral so she just wanted a clean new look to match the rest of her room.

So we got to work painting the entire piece in Rustoleum Blossom White and then sealed it off with several coats of polycrylic before finishing off the look with some brand new simple pulls.  We think it turned out fabulous...don't you?





Can't wait to see this piece back in it's original space and watch how it will look like a completely new piece of furniture with it's brand new makeover!

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Burlap Easter Banner

This pretty little thing sold not long after we posted it on Facebook, but it's so cute that we wanted to at least share it here!




How perfect is this for your spring decor?!?!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Cute Bunny Banner



Check out this darling bunny banner, which is the perfect and oh so easy way to add a little spring to your decor!

Available for only $15.00
Email with inquiries

Thanks for looking!

Friday, March 4, 2016

Easy Spring Decor

Do you ever want to change up your spring decor a bit, but aren't quite sure how or feel like you don't have the extra cash to buy anything new? 

Here are some fun examples of low and no cost spring decorating that are quick, easy, painless and price savvy!


This pretty little grapevine wreath has been hanging in my kitchen all winter long.  I wanted to keep it out for Spring too, but it needed something.  Now I'm not a very good seamstress so I needed something easy and fast.  I found some scraps of fabric, tore it into small strips and tied it in a knot around a piece of yarn.  Then I gathered all the fabric together, added a few pieces of baker's twine for a hint of color and texture and there you have it.....the wreath has now transitioned from winter to spring!


This little setting was super easy and created just from items I had laying around the house.  I used a white wooden tray for the base, added some twine and a metal basket, incorporated some color with some fake green apples, and used some branches I'd taken from a tree in my yard and spray painted white.  Then I topped it all off with this cute sign that always reminds me of my grandma because that is something she would always say.  This is so great because it's neutral, fresh and fun!


With me there are rarely rules to decorating and I say anything goes.  I love my little disco ball and the way it lights up the whole room when the sun hits it just right.  It had been part of my winter decor, so I was contemplating whether or not to pack it away.  But I just couldn't bring myself to do that.  And besides, you're always hearing the term "Spring Bling," I thought what the heck.  So my cute little disco ball joined my cute little chicks and now there is a party every day at my house!


And lastly, one of the easiest ways I've found to "springify" your home is to just add anything yellow!  Yellow is the color of spring and a perfect way to make things bright and cheery.  It can really be anything.  And if you don't have anything yellow, a can of spraypaint or a bottle of craft paint can do the trick in no time at all.

So there you have it....easy, fast, and cost friendly spring decorating at its best!!
Happy Spring!