Estate Sale Finds . Amazing . Everyday

Estate Sale Purchase $40

Starting to scare myself with the hoard of vintage furniture I have collected. Heading out this morning to rent a storage unit to house the collection. I can only work on one piece at at time and the hoard is crowding my creative energy. 

I frequently remind myself....re-purposing is a true form of "green living". My hoard would otherwise end up in a land fill. The furniture was made by Americans! How patriotic is that...

Creating mood boards for my pieces on Olioboard helps me to visualize the end result and this chair screams Vintage Beach House.

Now I can see my vision come to life...wood trim will be painted with Benjamin Moore Sea Salt and slightly distressed. Fabric selection is from Robert Allen's Tropical Collection. Skipping the buttons on back cushion. Can you see it now....sitting in the chair watching the surf roll in from the huge window. Of course there is a cup of coffee in your hand.

Being a female I have the right to change my mind a few times. What would it look like in a city finish or suburbia look?

Right? Same chair refinished in Benjamin Moore Black Beauty in a high gloss finish and Marrekesh Ikat Dusk fabric. Sans the buttons.  Fabulous!!!!  Serve me a martini now!

Before I tackle this project...I am off to rent a storage space! Then a few decisions! 

Which look is your favorite? City or Beach? I would love to hear.

One this I am sure of is.....

I will make my upholsterer very happy!

Red, White & Blue . Amazing . Everyday

Summer's here and the red, white and blue season begins. It happens every summer mostly impart because of our patriotic holidays. The colors represent American to many of us. 

It makes me feel proud when I see our country's flag on display. You know... freedom, mom's apple pie and simpler times. Aside from that, the color combination fascinates me with rich navy blue (a fav of mine), crisp white and the pop of red.

I am not alone in this since designers, product developers, brand enthusiastic use RW&B all the time. Think of the most memorable logo's and what color are they? FaceBook, Twitter, Dell, Sears are blue and Comcast, Bank of America, ESPN and YouTube are red.

Ralph Lauren built his brand based on it...

Interior designers know how to use the rich color combination without it screaming USA!

I mean look at this chair.  Adore it!

Really, how chic is this outfit? 

Not sure why....but find a group of bikers and you are sure to see RW&B on their leather jackets, head scarfs and pants.

Promise not to laugh but my fascination began in the 70's when I first married. It was shortly before the Bi-Centennial and RW&B was completely the rage in fashion and decor.

You may think I lost my mind! My couch was RW&B along with the floor lamp currently hidden stored the attic along with it's cousin the Betsy Ross lamp. I swear I was so hip!

Thank goodness my taste has matured like fine wine. Now a days, I rather be at the beach relaxing on a lounger with crisp red cushions and blue accent pillows. After, I will head out for a little dinner...

in this sweet boat with the escort included.

Wisteria Cleaning Company would like to thank the brave men and women serving our country. It is such an unselfish thing to do.

Happy Memorial Day!

Betty

Brimfield Tweet Up . Amazing . Everyday

Whew...I am exhausted after an exciting trip to Brimfield, Massachusetts to attend the Brimfield Antique Show. It is one of the largest antique and vintage shows in the Northeast and easily hosts thousands of vendors. I have blogged about my love for finding vintage furniture and putting my mark on it. But I had another reason for taking the 4 1/2 hour drive.

YEP! The Brimfield Tweet Up! The brain child of Gretchen Aubuchon, Fashion and Decor, and Cynthia Bogart, The Daily Basics. They bring together interior designers. bloggers, design enthusiasts and vintage hounds  with sponsors such as Benjamin Moore Paint, Aubuchon Hardware, Kathryn Markel Fine Art, Company C and media partner Style at Home. It is a three day networking event with shopping involved. The ultimate! Introduce yourself by your twitter handle and more than likely you end up in an embrace because these are the tweet friends you talk to most days but never met in real life.

Most attendees are women who own and manage their own business. It was refreshing to listen to women exchange ideas on how to attract clients, readers and how they could help each other grow their businesses. What kept running through my mind was...this is the 2012 version of "the good old boy's club" and we are brain storming in our own unique way. One thing I learned is...large retail companies ask bloggers to blog about a product or service but are not always paying the bloggers. As women and business owners we should not give our work away. This is just my casual business observation and not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. I will admit to being a little bit of rebel and my "protesting days from the 70's" surface every now and then...but all companies regardless of their size have budgets for advertising.

Business getting done! Look at the happy faces of these women....I think a lamp just found a shade but you will have to visit @Casualinterior  or @Doovah to find out. 

I met some wonderful vendors like Rebecca Brawn  who strips antique chairs down to the frames...

and works her magic. After chatting with her I learned she started her business after raising 5 children. She wanted to do something for herself and never expected she would grow large enough to employee a staff.  Most of her clients are designers and she now buys the chairs in bulk to keep up with the demand. I am a sucker for this type of success story. She is working on getting a website and did not know anything about social media. So I made an introduction to a social media expert and finger's crossed maybe business will get done.

Gotta love Randy! One of the few vendors I met at Brimfield who uses social media. If you look at the bottom of the sign you will see his blog address jerseypicker.tumblr.com.  Brilliant tactic!

The message on this sign says it all....because if you read my bio I said I might slip in a blog about sales. 

At the end of my two days at Brimfield, I was tired from walking miles but left with a huge smile on my face. I made new friends, built new relationships and had an amazing experience. Sign Me Up for September!

Betty

Paint it Black . Amazing . Everyday

I See A Red Door and I want it Painted Black No Colors Anymore I want them to turn Black"

Rolling Stones 1966

Just like the Stones rocked it out..."Paint it Black" is my standard answer whenever my daughter, sisters and I are chatting about refinishing a piece of furniture. It is has become a family joke with only my daughter agreeing with me. My sisters roll their eyes...knowing full well I will paint it black and eventually they will like the finished piece. But come to think of it they have never asked me to finish a piece for them...hmm! 

My preference in decor and decorating is casual elegance. Shabby chic, while popular, isn't the look I want when refinishing a piece of furniture. Maybe why I have an addiction to black paint. Black is a strong color and makes a statement. More my style! No one would every describe me as a sunshine yellow or feminine pink.

I am always on the look out for my "next score" at flea markets and the local Goodwill Store. Over the winter I purchased several pieces and was forced to wait for warmer weather. Living in a townhouse has it advantages but not having a garage to work in is not one of them. 

Warmer weather arrived and I could not wait to start this bench i picked up a Goodwill for $5.00.  It quickly became my Saturday project.

Any sign of varnish was worn off long before purchasing the bench so only a light sanding was necessary. The seat had two layers of fabric to remove. Here is were I day dream wondering who owned the piece? Was it part of a vanity set where a young girl watched herself grow into a lovely young women?  Did the owner pass away and no one in the family saw the beauty? 

Once down to the batting...EEK! It was in pretty bad shape and imagine full of dust mites. So, I replaced with 4 layers of new batting. 

Since working with a small piece, I decided to go with Valspar Spray Paint Satin Finish in black, of course.This is were my project move outdoors.  I sprayed the base of the bench with 2 light coats of paint to avoid dripping. While it goes against my nature ,I have learned not to hurry this step. Several light coats gives the piece a beautiful finish.

While the paint was drying I quickly covered the seat with a cream and beige silk fabric, I had used on another project. Covering a seat is just like wrapping a package. Only...use a staple gun instead of tape to secure the fabric to the wood. Bing, Bang, Done! 

Close up of the finished bench...

And where it will live.

 My passion for re-finishing furniture is not about saving money or decorating on a budget. I like the romance of it all! The story behind the piece and transforming something old into beauty again.

I hope I inspired you to take a trip to your local Goodwill Store or flea market and find the piece just waiting to be Painted Black.

Betty