Sidewalk Sale

Good morning, friends!

As many of you know, we have been working hard to put together a "sidewalk" sale for Saturday (tomorrow!). So before that happens, I wanted to write a little on what you can expect to find there and all the details. And a slight disclaimer of sorts before I get started: the sale is in fact not taking place on a sidewalk, however it will be on a very large parking pad with a beautiful backdrop. There will be plenty of parking (just don't come in swarms! ;) Sarcasm...). I specifically did not call this a "garage sale" for several reasons. First namely being that we are not selling out of a garage, and second, I did not want the pricing or quality of what's being offered to be jeopardized by that name. Don't get me wrong, I loooooove to shop garage sales, I do, I do! But our purpose here is to not have a massive purge of stuff (although that'd be fun, huh?), the real reason is that I love to meet and greet customers, people who have purchased our work in the past can come back and see what we have available now, or someone who hasn't had a chance to shop our furniture yet an opportunity to do just that and at lower prices. That is one of the biggest things I miss about being an active part in a retail shop. It was so fun to mingle and chat with the shoppers! I love and appreciate knowing who takes home one of our babies, it really means the world and gives me immense gratitude.

Ok, Jilly, get on with it already!

Tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous, I'm talkin high 70s to 80s! I could do a happy dance just thinking about it. (don't worry, the furniture will be covered under awnings to protect it) There will be refreshments and nibbles served, hydration is key! Show up anytime between 10 and 3. There has been talk of a special guest appearance too and I'll give you a hint....  it may or may not be my momma's vintage trailer!!! I'm thinking we will do a fun little game of "name that trailer!" too...because, well, it doesn't have a name yet and it needs one! Maybe there will be a prize given to the one my momma chooses...hmmm....

Now on to the really good stuff----- Pictures!

 

 

 

 

Would you believe me if I told you that's not even half of it? Ok, well maybe half. I was really hoping to have pictures of "as is"/ project pieces on include but you know how it goes, there are never enough hours in a day to get it all done. There will be a pretty dining set, console table, an upholstered accent chair, long coffee table, small tables, etc. at great prices for all you DIYers! There are also going to be lots of smalls (vases, pillows, décor, trays, trunks, and more).

*We will be accepting cards as form of payment in addition to cash. Please note there is a small usage fee for that.

 

I think that's it! I'm going now. Check back later because I'm planning to get some close up pictures of the smalls that I mentioned as well as the backdrop of the sale. Fun stuff, people!

 

Let me just say this, I am so excited. I look forward to reconnecting with past customers and also meeting fresh faces. And I also really want you to meet my momma (she doesn't know I'm saying any of this but will soon when she reads it..), she is such a big part of IF although she hates taking any credit, and I want her to feel the LOVE people! So bring your friends, I promise you this will be fun (music, bevies, maybe a little dancing..who knows.)!

 

Alright alright, since you asked I'll share a little bit about my last experience doing something like this. Trust me when I say I have grown and learned a lot since then!! I had only been officially painting as a full timer for a few months and I decide to throw together a yard sale extravaganza. I had it all set up (with the help of many) in our yard (we are talking awnings, lemonade and cookies, the whole bit!), had the garage all cleaned and organized looking like a showroom of a beginner, it looked nice! And while I had many shoppers (who I think I disappointed because they weren't finding $1 deals :/ ) I only had one sale on something I actually painted. And it was from my Nana. If you don't know her, you need to. She is an angel on earth. BUT this isn't a sob story, oh no way! That day I had SO much fun. My family and friends were there and we just made a day out of it, lounging and laughing in the sun. At the end of the day, I only allowed myself to be bummed for a few minutes because even though I didn't sell much, I had the pleasure of looking at all our hard work, and enjoying it with some of my favorite people. And that is what I plan to do tomorrow. So even if you don't plan on purchasing anything come anyways and hang out! I am totally cool with that.

 

And before I really go this time, a side note. I just realized how much I like to use parenthesis in my writing. Here's why: when I write, especially blogs like this, I really do think of it as dialogue. This is how I really talk and those words I put in parenthesis are what I would be adding in real life. I can't help it! Am I weird? I use commas a lot too.

 

See all you lovelies tomorrow! (Because I am not posting the address publicly, please feel free to email me at if.inspiredfurnishings@yahoo.com and I will be happy to get you set up with directions!)

Jill

--Edit--

Here is where you will find us tomorrow at 10am!

 There will be pillows (hand sewn and one embroidered by this fabulous Nana I speak of) and trunks, candles, chalkboards....

 Be on the lookout for bright neon signs to help get you to the right destination! See you tomorrow!

 

 

Layers on layers on layers...

You guys.

I. Can't. Stop. Layering.

Ever since I got a wild hair the other week to try a new painting technique [the magical layered dresser] I couldn't wait to try it again. I decided to mix things up a bit with this project by adding a new element. Spackling paste. Just wait.

The secretary about to undergo operation was in pretty rough shape when I got my hands on her, terrible stain job, bumps and bruises, you name it, she had it. BUT, that is our quest as painters and restorers, see through to the beauty on the other side! I wanted to play up the old worn vibe and give this baby lots of texture and make it appear as though it had a ride through the color spectrum over the years. I added good ol' spackling paste straight to my paint, about 3 parts paste to 1 part paint. It was a thick, creamy mixture that I knew would be great for adding texture. [try not to laugh at my terrible action shots]

 

Here are a few pictures I got during the painting/layering stage. I just grabbed an assortment of blues/greens and an orange to play with. And then I used a putty knife to apply each batch (in increments, allowing dry time in between) in random spots. Sort of looks like a patchwork design.

Although I wanted the secretary to appear textured, I didn't actually want it to feel textured. I used my orbital sander and went at it. The original wood started popping out in various places and I LOVED that! It really gave it an old world finish. And now it was soft to the touch, thank goodness!

What do you think? I know I've been doing more taste specific pieces lately, but every once in a while it pays off to be bold and go for it. At least that's what I'm hoping for! I picture a young boy working diligently on his school work at this desk... wishful thinking? ;)

*In case you were curious, all paints used on this project were Annie Sloan Chalk Paint products, including [my favorite] clear soft wax!

 Thanks for stopping by!
Jill

The desk that stole my heart

Happy Friday, friends!

What a wonderful week it was for us here at Inspired Furnishings. We were B U S Y painting and enjoying the beautiful weather!

I'm here to share one of our projects: the most beautiful desk you ever did see. This was a CL find and as soon as I spotted it I knew I had to jump on it QUICK as it wouldn't last long. When I went to pick it up, I noticed that it was in less than perfect shape, quite a few deep scratches were on the top, which meant there'd be some intense sanding involved. However, I couldn't help but be swept away with how stunning the lines were on this desk and how solid it was!

After the prep work was done, we got to painting. Each step we got more and more excited with how it was turning out. That was until we started the "wash" technique on top. I wanted this piece to have texture and depth to give it an even more elegant look. So after applying a heavy and criss-cross like painting technique, I mixed up an H20 diluted paint color that was lighter than the all-over one we used. It took me several tries before I loved the way it looked. I didn't want it to look contrived or obvious, I wanted it subtle and soft. The good news is, eventually we got there! You just have to stick with it and remember you can wipe it off with a damp cloth and try again. ;)

 

 

I am so pleased with the response this piece received on Facebook. It was our fastest sale to date, selling within a matter of less than two hours it was paid for and off the market. Sometimes, you just never know how long it will take for the right person to fall in love with your work, so this one was a pleasant surprise. :)

 

 

Have a great weekend!



A layered look

Ever heard of the most addicting website, a little thing called Pinterest? Ok, silly question. Well I was browsing around and stumbled upon the most awesome layered antique chest, I mean it was SO COOL! It had several Annie Sloan paint colors that I would have never dreamed to put together. That being said, this next project was inspired by this pin. It uses the same colors and while I was aiming to achieve a similar look, every artist knows that we all interpret and manipulate the brush differently, so naturally each person will get a unique end result. {link to Pin can be found at the bottom of this post} Enough of that disclaimer now, let's get to the good stuff!

Here are the colors I used. Talk about an interesting combo! And here is the blank canvas, an antique dresser with a crackle-like varnish. My source of inspiration did not include a "how to", so it didn't explain the steps to follow in order to get a similar look. That's where I feel our own creativity came in to play. I will share a bit of what we did to get this look and hopefully help you get inspired to try it out! {another disclaimer, I by no means think I am a "pro" at this, or even at explaining the process, so please take my words lightly! I'm simply just trying to spread the love <3 }

 

This is what the antique dresser looked like after the first round of paint. I used English Yellow{mixed with GF Snow White to help tone it down} sporadically and sparingly in addition to Greek Blue and Duck Egg. The fun part was being able to use a completely random application, there was no rhyme or reason. Liberating! Let's real quickly talk about how unnerving this experience was too... Have you ever gotten half way through a project and thought, "what was I thinking?!" or "what am I doing?!" It was hard not to feel like that when I stepped back and got a good look at this. Yikes! ;)

Next up: Adding splashes of Henrietta {mostly on the drawers and insets on the sides}. An important thing to note: after getting started, I began to experiment with incorporating the various colors while the first and second coats were still wet. It worked nicely to meld the colors together and create a blended look. I am going to bypass sharing the next step (sanding, gasp!) because, let's face it, it's down right messy and not very attractive during the process.

Lastly: wax on, wax off. Both clear and dark wax were used to help deepen and tone down the vibrant colors, aka Easter Sunday.

And there you have it! It took me a while, but once all the waxing was done, I fell pretty hard for this piece. I can just imagine it in a nursery, so playful and cheery.

Trying new things and branching out is exciting, even if it takes being inspired by someone else to get you there! Perhaps maybe even I'll do that for you? ;) I look forward to continue playing with other layering techniques and color schemes real soon.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Jill

Link to Pin:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/526921225124450929/

 

 

Salmon music cabinet

Now this is a piece worth singing for!

 

Remind me next time to take a before photo? It is one of my worst habits as a painter... I suppose it's because I get so excited to start a project that I can't help but dive right in before thinking twice. But who really cares about the before any way, right? The after is way more fun! ;)

This darling antique music cabinet posed as certainly an interesting transformation. My radar has been out to find one for quite some time so despite it's imperfections, I decided to go for it! The previous owner started to refinish it by stripping off the textured lacquered finish on the top. It appeared as though they then put a red stain over it and then gave up on ever finishing the project because the rest of the body still had the rigid texture.

Instead of stripping the remainder of the lacquer off, I kept it and hoped it would add to it's charm once the milk paint was applied (which I think it did, especially once it was distressed). I started with Miss Mustard Seed Luckett's Green.... which did. not. work. It is such a lovely shade of green, but putting it over the top of a red wood, with some sort of red stain wasn't happenin. The colors melded together too much to the point where the green didn't quite look green anymore. So that plan got scrapped and I went ahead with a color with a reddish pigment already in it, Apron Strings. Hands down, this is one of my favorite Miss Mustard Seed colors to paint with. I love love the color variation you get with it. Sometimes it turns out peachy and others it looks more pinky. It is just such an energetic color that speaks volumes, even on smaller pieces such as this one.

The drawer is painted in MMS Linen and after much debate on which knobs to use, seriously...had 6 people's opinions hard at work deciding between two different options, and ended up going in a completely new direction (thanks to my mama's helpful input, glad that dilemma was solved!). None of us could resist these classic vintage knobs, it was just meant to be!

I could see this cabinet used in an entryway to hold keys, mail, odds and ends. OR it would be a  useful place to store scrapbook paper for the crafter's at heart. OR for linen storage in a small bathroom. Ok, one more. How about a unique bedside table? Set a lamp on it and tuck away your books inside and call it good :)

 

What have you painted lately?

Do you have a favorite Miss Mustard Seed color?

I'd love to hear some of your experiences or feedback with milk paint!

 

 

Have a fantastic weekend, friends!

 

Jill

Painted upholstery

One of our favorite transformations to do is painted upholstery. Although a little more tedious than wood furniture, it is a great (and inexpensive!) way to update the look of an old chair, ottoman, and if you're brave enough... a sofa.

Anything with fabric is fair game! (Think lampshades, pillows, curtains...)

Here is a sweet tufted chair I scored on a thrifting adventure. Although it looked pretty rough at the time, I just couldn't pass it up! The cain siding, curvy legs and the overall French appeal had me hooked. I knew that instead of having it reupholstered I was going to tackle this project with paint (why not?!). I started with the fabric, using a mixture of half paint (APC Momma's Lipstick) and half water, it needs to be thin for ease of application and to ensure you get solid coverage. It took several coats so don't be alarmed at first if you aren't getting the look you're after right away. I then sealed it with APC's Clear Top Coat, a zero-VOC, eco-friendly finishing product (I have also used soft wax to seal and it works great as well). Let it dry completely. After that step is complete, I went ahead and taped off the pink piping and painted the wood and caining as normal.

*Sidenote: although it does alter the feel of the fabric, it does not affect the comfort or durability of the chair and is still soft to the touch. Keep in mind it really helps to seal it with either a top coat or wax to secure the color and longevity. If you do this, you are golden!

 

These darling accent chairs are another example of upholstery that we have painted. What a big statement a little bit of paint can make! The fabric was painted in Annie Sloan Louis Blue and the wood trim in Old White. This pair can be found at The Design Cottage in Tacoma, WA for purchase.

Happy painting,

Jill

Looking for paint? Check out Persnickety's in Sumner, WA (an American Paint Company stockist)
and The Design Cottage in Tacoma, WA (a retailer for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint).