Furniture Refresh

I am currently working on a set of furniture that has been in my clients family for generations! I started with 2 bedside tables… the dresser, bookcase, and desk are to come! I love using Mineral Fusion paint on furniture pieces. You have to order it on Etsy as it is a Canadian product but it goes on very smooth, need very little product, and does not chip off.

For this project, my client chose the color Midnight Blue with a clear wax over top. After sanding off the stain and finish on top, I suggested that we stain and seal the top with polyacrylic instead of painting the piece all one color. I chose dark walnut stain to cut the orange and bring in more brown undertones. The finished product required 3 applications of stain and 3 applications of polyacrylic.

Stay tuned to see the final result of the full set!

Study

I cannot take full credit for the construction of this project! Although I WISH I had all the necessary tools to construct the shelves, cabinets, and drawers… my dad was the artist behind these pieces - complete with soft-closed drawers. With the help of my mom, he was kind enough to construct these pieces in his workshop in FL and then load it all in his Expedition to drive to PA to deliver them!

Our family was in need of a workspace and a place to store mail, files, etc. We had a “dead space” in a room that connected our Family Room to the Kitchen and was a viewpoint from our entry way - it was the perfect spot to spruce up this regularly viewed room by showcasing the vaulted ceilings with 7 inch tongue & groove pine board. This wall is rather long - almost 11 feet; it was EXTREMELY difficult to find a butcher block long enough to fit the space but I finally came across a 12 foot butcher block at Lumber Liquidators. It came at a big discount - $350 compared to $1200 - $1600 quotes by Lowes & local woodworking shops. The caveat was that it came unfinished… BUT it was totally worth the savings. It just needed a little wood putty and palm sanding (which only took 10-15 min.) and one coat of stain (5 min.). Using a stain brush, I finished it with 6 layers of satin polyacrylic. I needed it to hold up since I knew it would be a heavily used counter and I wanted to be able to easily wipe it clean.

Cabinet paint color: Valspar Summer Grey

Wall plank stain color: Miniwax Stain Weathered Oak

Wall paint color: Collingwood

Butcher block stain color: Miniwax Stain True Black

"Victory" Complete Home Renovation

From outdated and dark to updated and bright! My husband and I decided on doing a complete home renovation on our second home purchase! With a 2 year old and 9 month old in toe, we were a little crazy for thinking we could take it all on at once! I knew when we walked through the home for the very first time that it had SOOOO much potential. I couldn’t wait to get to back home and start DESIGNING! We hired out most of the work that needed to be done - almost every corner of the house had to be touched in some way! It was A LOT of work but I am so pleased with how it all turned out!

Check out some of my favorite before and after pictures below!

Wall paint color: Collingwood

Kitchen cabinet paint: Benjamin Moore ADVANCED

Hardwood flooring: Cali Bamboo - Antique Java

Guest Room Refresh

This guest bedroom was in need of a refresh! Previously this room had peach colored walls and a blue wallpaper border that must have been super-glued to the wall - it took me hours to remove the border from 2 walls. I finally gave up! After placing a quick SOS call to my mom, I decided to install a wood boarder over top of the wallpaper boarder and call it a day! In the end, I am glad I went that route - I just wish I had not wasted all that time battling the wallpaper and made that decision sooner!

I would love to refinish the dresser, at some point - I’m thinking of painting it white followed by a grey/brown antique wax to match the refinished headboard! We will eventually rip up the carpet and replace it with hardwood.

Wall paint color: Collingwood
Duvet cover: Martha Stewart