MY NEW PIECE

Because I have been busy with customer projects, I have been neglectful of things I've been wanting to do around my own house. We have been using an old dresser in my kitchen as a "catch all" and "junk drawer" space (YES, I do need 9 drawers::)), but finally got around to refinishing it!  Although I like the mini update we did to our kitchen to get us by when we moved in, it was pretty bland, definitely needed some color.  Coral, being my favorite color right now was my obvious choice.  I really like how it turned out and love the fact that it's a little unexpected for a kitchen, or any room in the house for that matter!

I wasn't sure at first if I should highlight with white or gold, but because I am on a gold kick too, I decided to with it.  It looks really nice with the hardware that has some of the same shade of gold in it as well.

Here is the before, not so cool!

UPDATED ROCKER

I was so happy to refinish this antique rocking chair for my friend Jackie who was ready for a change and update in her home.  

I love how the high gloss black lacquer turned out on this piece.  She even wanted me to sign the bottom of the chair...so sweet:)

DRESSER TURNED BUFFET

Here is a perfect example of where a dresser doesn't just belong in a bedroom holding tee-shirts and undies...it can make an awesome piece in any room!

My friend Karla was in the market for a buffet type piece for her beautiful dining room.  She wanted something modern, a little funky and functional.  We played with ideas for a while, going back and forth on color, stain, mixing and blending.  She likes both neutral colors and natural wood, but really wanted something that would make a statement without being a huge pop of color....  I do believe we got it right!

As much as I LOVE my customers who know exactly what they want, I also love to work with those  who really have no idea at first but after shooting ideas back and forth, we figure it out:)

before...yucky!

WHO KNEW?

Like the last one picked in gym class, I kind of felt sorry for these 2 guys!  But I didn't give up on em.  I knew they had potential and that with some TLC, could be awesome pieces for someone.  I even think my client, Jennifer wasn't 100% sure at first, but deep down...she knew too!

She is an awesome mom who's letting who 2 boys, that share a bedroom, decorate it with their favorite sports themes.  One loves U of M and the other Detroit.  We found a perfect blue that will work for both team colors and will be adding a yellow "M" sticker and white "D" sticker on each top drawer.  

SHE IS LETTING THEM DO WHAT THEY WANT! I really wish I could be more like that!  After she left, my kids, who had been hanging out and listened in on our conversation were all over me...

"mom!  She is letting them do whatever they want".  "Why can't you be more like that"!  

And I was like, "well, I let you put any posters you want up, don't I"? 

And they are like "yeah, but only in the closet"!  

True story... But I'm working on my "control over the kids decor in the bedroom" problem.

Here is a before of the the sad little guys

The Blue is a BM color called Van Duesen Blue.  I sprayed the original hardware.

The after is much better!

THE BORING PART OF MY JOB AND WHY I ALMOST CRIED (THIS TIME:)

Here is one part of my refinishing jobs that although boring, tedious and takes a lot of time but is SUPER important!  You want a nice, clean line when you open the drawers.

On a positive note, I get to catch up on what's happening around the world:)  Sometimes I find myself spending way too much time reading articles, but for someone who spends most her day in a basement and doesn't even know which remote turns on the TV, I have to get my world news somehow! (OK, I do know how to turn on the TV)

Already sanded, vacuumed, wiped down with my "special" deglosser and ready to prime.  I try to get a few pieces primed at ones, the least amount of times I have to clean out my spray gun, the better.

Like the graffiti?  Bet you didn't know I was such a bad a**!  Did ya?:)

Speaking of special Deglosser...I was really REALLY close to crying, but I didn't (that much).

So, I'm just minding my own business, cleaning my new sanded pieces off, spraying them with this deglosser concoction I made up, which is almost like a light stripper...to really get these pieces ready to take the primer, and look what happened::((  I guess a few drops got onto one of my brand new finished pieces!  GRRRRRR!  Can you see the little whitish dull spots??  Well I can and if it's not PERFECT I will go nuts!   Now I have to redo the top.  Oh well, lesson learned! This stuff really works!

MAKE A STATEMENT

So, my new friend Jill contacts me about this entertainment center she has in her family room that she wants to use to bring some serious color to the room.

She stops over with the color she wants, all confident like.

"I want this color" she says.

I'm like... "are you SURE"?

She is like "yes, I like this one"

And I am like "are you totally sure?  Don't you want to go home and obsess about it for a week or two and bug the heck out of your husband?"  (Because that's what I would do)

But she is like "nope, definitely this one!"

Seriously, how does she do that!  Knows exactly what she wants AND is pretty!  I'm jealous!

Didn't this turn out great:)

Here is the before...Nice, but not nearly as nice as the after!