It's 2017, Y'all! Adventures Await!

It has been an amazing year. And I'm not one of those people that set New Year's Resolutions, because the truth is that a new year can start any day, any moment. Each breath is the opportunity to begin again. But I will set a new intention - to live more fully in the present, and to appreciate each moment a little more. Reflecting on last year, I started to dig into photos and review some of the projects I'd worked on. I was blown away!!

 

My husband always tells me I'm doing plenty, even when I feel like I'm two steps behind schedule. And I sometimes believe him ;) . But looking back, I can't even believe the number of pieces I had the opportunity to work on, and the amazing clients that I was able to collaborate with! I am so honored and humbled. The pieces above aren't even all the refinishes we did last year - they wouldn't all fit in the picture! Plus, we are finally starting to make updates to our own home - hip, hip, hooray!

So this year I *might* get caught up on my Before and Afters. I *might* get to that amazing lift-top vintage desk I've been planning to paint gray with a gold map silhouette. I *might* even teach a few classes! But I *will* appreciate each moment, treasure every memory, build tiny clay dragons for my son, go to Girl Scout camp with my daughter, and laugh with my husband. 2017 is here, y'all! Adventures await!

Lots of love,

Becky

Before and After : Rustic Whitewashed Chest of Drawers *With Tutorial*

I'm a little behind on my website, so you'll see a lot of "Before and Afters" popping up here in the next few days (well, fingers crossed!). This beauty was a stunning vintage oak dresser that had small dings, dents, and character marks in the surface that I absolutely adored and hated to patch and cover up. So instead, I used a transparent white wash with a custom Off White Gel Stain made by Pure Earth Paint that I was able to purchase from one of my friends - you may remember the custom rustic china cabinet refinish that we did with this same color. It was the perfect accent to all that fabulous vintage texture and character!!

 

 I also sanded the top to promote adhesion and used General Finishes gel stains in first Java and then Antique Walnut to update the 70's color finish. You can use various top coats on this - I ended up using a wipe-on satin polyurethane to minimize bubbling / brush strokes; the GF Arm R Seal is a great, super durable choice as well.

More tips after the break!

Before and After : French Provincial End Table in General Finishes Coral Crush

I have been absolutely obsessed with the idea of painting something in coral! It is super chic and totally on trend, and I *love* gorgeous, vibrant colors! For this piece I used General Finishes Milk Paint in Coral Crush. The Before and After is such a HUGE change, it almost doesn't look like the same piece! 

 

 Isn't that transformation dramatic?? It always had clean, classic lines, but they have been given a revamp for the 21st century, and I couldn't be more pleased! Read on for more on how we got this look!

Before and After : Vintage Drexel 4 Drawer Lowboy Dresser / Chest in Onyx

I will be the first to admit that I had a hard time getting started with black furniture, because I always seemed to gravitate toward bold, bright colors. I have had several requests and done custom work with black paint over the last year or two and have grown to really embrace this gorgeous, chic and always classic. It's like a little black dress for furniture! Lately I have been using Pure Earth Paint in Onyx as my go-to black.

I am pretty much beside myself with happiness on this transformation!! It is amazing what a few coats of paint, a small amount of distressing, and some gilding wax on the hardware can do to turn a (not so ugly) duckling into a swan!

Are there colors you shy away from, but would love to give a try? Or techniques that seem daunting? Let me know about it! I'd love to explore those also!

Before and After : 5 Drawer Farmhouse Style Pine Dresser in Louis Blue

One of the first chalk paints I tried when I was first starting out was Annie Sloan Louis Blue, and I confess I had a lot of difficulty with it! I would always end up with darkish blotches in my wax application, whether I used a rag or a brush to apply, whether I used straight strokes or small circles, and whether I applied a tiny amount or a moderate amount at a time. (This is before I realized there were options other than wax!!) Finally I managed to find a technique that worked for me, which was to mix a small amount of paint into the wax to tint it, and I came out with a much smoother, more refined look.

Fast forward to this week, and this sweet classic pine 5-drawer dresser. It is the perfect size for any space, but needed an update from the 60's / 70's wood color. I adore a good textured wood surface, with little grain, nicks, dings, whorls, and generally just a lot of personality!

How did we get there? Read on for the techniques!