Before and After : Vintage French Provincial Nightstand in Emile and Pure White - with Tutorial!

First of all, a huge THANK YOU to everyone for  all of your support! Finished pieces have been flying off the shelves at Red Door Lane, and I have a steady flow of custom orders for which I am so honored to have been selected! Thank you for letting me be a part of your homes and lives.

We have had such an influx of work that I have begun to group projects together to maximize my efficiency. It still takes a number of hours to hand-paint each and every piece, but this way I can get just a little more done in a day. For instance, I am working on a beautiful antique French end table refinish with the top painted in Annie Sloan Emile Chalk Paint. (Update: see that finished project HERE). My daughter also needed a nightstand in her bedroom, and absolutely loves all colors (she comes by this honestly). So while the paint can was open, I worked on the two side by side - you will probably see many more of these "project pairs" in the future! I will also be adding more DIY and home projects as they come to fruition.

I found a fantastic French Provincial set a few weeks ago, and realized that the nightstand was perfect for my daughter's room! (The other pieces are still available!) So what better to surprise her with than her very own custom painted big girl furniture?

 Want to see how I got this look? Click below to continue reading!

New Logo in the Works AND Red Door Lane in the paper!

I'm thrilled to share this gorgeous new logo by Kerry Ward Design! Kerry was fantastic to collaborate with, and I love the new restyle! For now, I placed it over my favorite green background, but that may change as I get acclimated to the new shape :)

PLUS if you are in the Leander / Cedar Park area, keep your eyes out for your Community Impact paper this week!! There will be an article featuring the artisans at Red Door Lane : LoveFifty50, Interesthings, Barn Dance Vintage, and of course For Love of the Paint! Hope you enjoy reading more about us, and come out to see us in person!!!

Before and After : Claw Foot Sofa or Hall Table in Emperor's Silk

I was so excited to find this claw foot or Chippendale / Queen Ann style sofa table / hall table / entry table for a great price, and originally envisioned it being green like my favorite Bombay demi-lune console table refinish. However, I was so busy with custom orders that I wasn't able to work on this one for a while, and had the opportunity to mentally envision this table in a whole host of other colors. So I decided I'd take a flash Facebook poll!

When one reader suggested it be bright red, "Like a fabulous pair of heels!!!!" I was sold. Let's just say it appealed to the girly girl inside of me (somewhere, probably covered in paint!). I was also thrilled to get to pull out the can of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Emperor's Silk that hasn't gotten to stretch its legs in far too long.

This color goes on super bright - almost a fire engine red - but does darken a bit when it dries. I also lightly distressed, which can be.. well.. distressing, because the areas that you kiss with the sanding block will pull up a fine light pink powder. The key is not thinking this is the final color! When you apply the clear wax it not only gets a beautiful rich sheen, but also a deeper color. This is beautiful on its own, but I have a great love for these bold colors with some antiquing, so I also followed with dark wax as well.

Isn't she lovely?? I adore this bold red look, especially with the slightly greenish hue to the beveled glass insets. What a gorgeous contrast! Bold colors on traditional styles can really blend well into both a more classic decor, or pop in a modern home!

Do you have any questions about how I achieved this refinish? Add a comment and I'll be happy to detail my process further. Or tell me what color YOU would like to see next!

Before and After : Antique Spool Leg Vanity Refinish with Upholstery Tutorial

I'm so excited to share this refinish!! I had a bit of Annie Sloan Florence Chalk Paint left over, not enough for a whole project, and decided to blend it out with some Aubusson for a custom shade. It created this *perfect* jade or peacock blue that I am simply in love with! I recently picked up a gorgeous antique bedroom set with stunning spool leg details, and had previously seen a peacock feather upholstery fabric that was just made for this project. You'll see!

I gently distressed the edges and details, then sealed the whole thing with a matte Diamond Coat by Pure Earth Paint. The knobs were an unusual size / shape, so instead of changing them out I sprayed them with a hammered metal look Rustoleum paint.

Here is the Before and After. Isn't it stunning?

The caning on the bench seat had worn through and been previously covered with a board, but the upholstery foam was thin, and the material fraying. So we decided to build a new top seat that would be much more comfortable! Read on for the full tutorial:

Before and After : Thomasville French Provincial Chest of Drawers in French Linen and Old White

I'm always so thrilled when clients return to get just the perfect piece to "tie it all in" for their space! It is so heartwarming to be able to share that creative process and experience with them. In this case, the clients had purchased this French Provincial side table set in layers of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Olive, Greek Blue, and French Linen, and also had other neutral creams / "greige" pieces / French Linen / some distressed looks that they are fitting together. They sent me photos of these gorgeous items they have already incorporated, and it was such a pleasure to get to research and collaborate on the various different styles that were available to help blend in with those existent pieces!

They decided on French Linen for the body of the chest, with Old White on the drawers.
 

How did I get this look? Read more (plus see the Before and After!) by clicking below!