If you'd like to simplify your life and home, try cleaning out a closet this weekend. The clutter that you hide behind closed doors is still clutter. Just because you can't see it in plain site, doesn't mean it's not there in the back of your mind, complicating your life.
(I know, I know - it's really Day 10! So I owe you two today.)
I'm not going to lecture you about how I'm CHALLENGING YOU to get the closets cleaned out! That doesn't work for me and I don't' expect it to work for ...
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Latest from the Blog
Choosing the Right Dining Chairs
Choosing the right chairs for a dining or kitchen table can change the entire atmosphere of a room.
I've had a chair fetish lately. I find chairs, paint and recover them, and love the result so much I want to keep them! Now I'm stuck with the dilemma of choosing which set of dining chairs to actually keep. Please help!
I'm supposed to be Simplifying Life & Home this month, but it seems the more projects I complete, the more mess I'm creating! Once I refinish a set a chairs, I bring ...
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Discarding & Sorting Daily Mail
Let's talk junk mail. This one little thing, that left untouched for a few days, can wreak havoc on your state of mind. Discarding and sorting the mail is one of those mundane tasks that that left undone can turn into a mountain of stress.
One piece of mail is easy to deal with - ten pieces suddenly becomes a "pile" you put aside to "deal with later". Does this sound familiar? Do you dread opening your mailbox or email inbox? How long does it take you to get through the mail every ...
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Wire Chairs Inspired by Crate & Barrel Tig Chairs
Today's feature is about a Crate & Barrel knock-off. Flipping through C&B's Fall/Winter 2015 furniture catalog, I came across their black metal Tig chairs. The catalog photo just happened to feature these chairs with their Big Sur table which was what initially grabbed my attention. The Big Sur table is one I've loved for years and one that resembles my own dining room table obtained on clearance at Arhaus Furniture.
These chairs were originally white, but in glossy black they ...
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Purple MCM Dresser in Benjamin Moore’s Aura Paint
Today's reveal is a tall mid-century modern dresser that's been sitting in my garage awaiting it's makeover for almost a year. Here she is in all her fancy pants glory… Fancy Pants by Benjamin Moore that is… and her lighter accent of Pressed Violet.
Here's how this dresser looked in its original form. When I brought it home, it actually got buried behind a mountain of other furniture projects. A client who walked into my workshop explained her style. This dresser happened to be a perfect ...
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Black Executive Desk
It was time. Time to uncover the enormous, double-sided, executive desk that's been taking up almost a quarter of my two-bay garage space. Yes, it was time.
This is the time of year I'm in overload mode. I'm torn between building up my inventory for the winter and getting as many furniture pieces painted and cleared out of my garage.
Part of the deal of my taking over our garage to paint furniture this past year was that I guaranteed my very patient husband that by the time the New England ...
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Burgundy Wine Rack – Black Glaze Over Red
Earlier this week I revealed a TV console refinished in a black glaze over red finish. You can see that post here.
I loved the finish so much, I used it again on this maple wine rack.
The result…
A gorgeous burgundy.
The finish has just the right amount of depth to the color to make you stop and look twice. The black may be over the red color, but the finish resembles a black wood grain showing through the paint.
When the light hits the color the red shines through.
This wine rack is for ...
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Black Glaze Over Red Latex Paint
It's very rare that I find a homemade piece of furniture; but it's great when I do because all of the ones I've found have been solid wood and very well constructed. This media console was no exception.
The shape may be basic with some very basic trim moulding along the underside of the top, but the clean lines and quality are both classic.
Here's how the console looked when I found it. Overall I had to do very little repair. There were a few holes that needed some wood filler and the bottom ...
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White & Lemon Yellow Ombre Chairs
It's been a while since I shared a furniture makeover post. It's not that I haven't been working my tail off in the workshop. It's more that my workshop is so overflowing with furniture that I haven't had the space to set up a proper photo shoot in there to show you all of the finished pieces. So today I brought a few chairs into the dining room to show them off.
Introducing the white & lemon yellow ombre dining chairs...
I fell in love with Crate & Barrel's Folio dining chairs ...
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Small End Table in Annie Sloan Old Violet & Graphite – Before & After
A client wasn't quite sure what to do with this small side table. She knew she wanted to change the color and take it in a new direction so we did a complete 180 degree turn and it turned out incredible.
Here's the "before" photo. The prior owner had covered it in a tan chalk paint with light blue accents. Not my favorite color combination and the coverage was lacking (or the distressing was over done) so we opted for a more unique, striking duo.
The table was refinished in Annie Sloan's Old ...
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Old World Pottery Barn & Arhaus – Inspired Sideboard
Every time I walk into a Pottery Barn or Arhaus furniture store I swoon over the dark reclaimed wood plank farm tables. The wide, worn planks tell a story of hundreds of family dinners.
When I found this sideboard, the size and shape reminded me of those sideboards that sell alongside the farm tables I love so much.
I'm usually modernizing furniture pieces by painting them, but my goal with this piece was to send it from 1970's country back in time to the 1800's.
Here's how the cabinet looked ...
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Paint a Brown Metal Bed Frame Gold
I was just reading a note over on Jeanne Oliver's blog that said:
"I was told that I needed to find that one thing, but I don't like listening to directions,
so I embrace many loves and that has given me a sweet mash up of family, art, decorating, and fashion."
- jeanne oliver
This is exactly how I feel!
Jeanne embraces the fact that she works on many different things and I love that.
It's not that we're unfocussed. It's that we've chosen a "sweet mash up".
I may be totally engrossed in ...
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