Welcome to Wednesday and drumroll, please...BLOG POST #300! Funny thing is, had I not taken that super long break I'd be way past 300 now. Oh, well. I'm excited about today's furniture flip and I think you will be, too.
Today, we are heading to the Starved Rock area in the Illinois Valley. We're going to Utica! Why Utica? Because that's where we will find my buddy Michelle. She's the very lovely proprietor of Harmony Paintings & Home Decor. One of my favorite shops. Look at how cute that street is! You've met Michelle here before. Her flips that have been featured in the past are still big draws to the blog. I check the stats and see how people make their way to the blog, and her furniture brings 'em in! Here's a look at what we've featured in the past...
Aren't they pretty? You should have seen the really rough shape the one on the left was in. It would have scared most people away. If you click on them, they'll take you right to their write-ups and you can see just how awful they looked before. (No offense furniture. You don't look that way now, of course. Hey, I look awful before I'm made up, too. Trust me. And even after I'm made up depending on the day.) Now today's piece is a solidly built buffet. Michelle wasted no time transforming it. Whereas it would have taken yours truly, days of whining, a couple of Bloody Mary's and tons of breaks, Michelle completed this one and it's on the floor waiting for it's forever home.
There's a lot I like about this piece. The handles for one are awesome! That top drawer is well, top shelf! The storage I can always appreciate. More places for someone to stash stuff and forget where they put it.
Michelle recognized the details that stood out on this piece and decided to accentuate their beauty by painting the other areas in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint's Graphite with Clear Wax.
Michelle
is a Stockist for Annie Sloan. She also offers workshops at her
store so you can learn the proper techniques to transform your own
items!
Let's check out the entire piece now...
Beautiful. In addition to her fabulous furniture, she carries a wide variety of items including, Swan Creek Candles & Melts, scarves, wine glasses, antique and vintage items, and so much more. One of my most favorite gifts this past Christmas was from a friend of mine. The minute I saw the bag I knew where it came from! Harmony Paintings & Home Decor. (Hint, if you are buying me something, go there. I'll be happy with whatever you get me!)
You can visit with Michelle at her store or head on over to her Harmony Paintings & Home Decor Facebook page. Let her know you saw her on Furniture Flippin'.
Thanks Michelle for being blog post #300 today and for being my go-to door lady. Of the five interior doors in our house, Michelle found three of them for me!
Did you get YOUR flip submitted yet? Two more to come this week and I haven't picked them yet. It could be you!
I'm being left behind! I know I am not the only chicken when it comes to fun colors but the members of my group are dwindling...as one by one...others are stepping out of their comfort zone and stretching their color wings. Say hello to Dena Billingsley and her husband Mick of Richmond, Texas. They recently acquired some of Dena's great-grandmother's old furniture including this buffet.
Dena was really wanting to add color to this piece and after searching for some inspiration on the internet (including our blog - Thanks so much Dena!) she threw caution to the wind and just went for it. As you can see this piece was sturdy but it had some veneer issues.
So, they removed the offending veneer. Then before they painted it, they applied some Kilz Primer.
After the entire piece was primed, they stood back and admired it in white. Did they stop there? No! Would I have stopped there? I don't know. It's at this point that I would have chickened out and grabbed a neutral color. Or at least I would have before I saw what comes next. What comes next is really good...
They applied Rustoleum's "Eden" in a satin finish. They weren't finished yet. The final step was to apply a glaze to the buffet.
What a gorgeous choice that was.
Check it out now...
Stunning! I love how the dark glaze settles into the details and really makes the whole piece come together. Beautiful job!
Dena has since completed even more furniture and though she currently just does the flips for herself, she does admit to being hooked.
Thanks so much Dena & Mick for sharing your furniture flips. Keep 'em coming!
Dear readers, that concludes one more week of Furniture Flippin'. This week went by fast, too! Don't forget to get your flips in if you have them. Email me before/after pictures and a lot of details to furnitureflippin@yahoo.com .
Well, this Blog's 1st Birthday party is over. Easter is over and all of the eggs have been found. Now it's time to get back to Furniture Flippin'. When we last checked in with Jacqui of Porta Verde Studio she had worked her magic on a beautiful buffet and here she is with a whole new look for another one. This one had originally been stained dark brown with a natural maple top and knobs.
Jacqui mixed her own oil paint with tints to get a red and then did a custom
oil glaze in black. She switched out the hardware to black arts and
crafts hardware from D. Lawless Hardware and this took that buffet from ordinary and dull to DROP. DEAD. GORGEOUS. Check it out now...
Jacqui hits it out of the ballpark with every flip she does. Remember these two I've showed you in the past?
I've given you all an insight into how I operate this blog in the past. I usually don't know what piece of furniture I am going to feature until I sit down to write the next day's blog post. I have no plan. No Furniture Flippin' plan in place that is. However, a zombie apocalypse plan I do have! Lucky Dylon from The Upcycled Cupboard just earned himself a spot in our survival group, too! That's right young man, YOU are the next member of our group. You better study up with your dad before you meet up with us should the day ever come to put the plan in action or else you run the risk of becoming a tripper. I'd hate to see that happen when you are so full of talent. Let's take a look at what 20 year old Dylon did to this buffet. Check it out in the before picture. That's the picture that Dylon was sent by the seller along with an asking price of $30.00. Well, Dylon didn't hesitate to buy that. (Just like you can not hesitate to take down a walker Dylon. They are not your friends! Don't pull a Lizzie on me or I will go all Carol on you!)
Let's take a look at the beautiful after of this buffet...
That is gorgeous. It's quite the statement piece. I love how the glaze brings out the details and the color combination is perfect. (That jar in the picture looks familiar...Dylon do you know where Beth is?) Alas, this piece is not available for sale because it already sold! You can see more of Dylon's work on The Upcycled Cupboard's Facebook page. He is located in Windsor, Virginia. Head on over there and let him know you saw him on Furniture Flippin'!
Thanks so much Dylon for sharing your awesome furniture flip and for talking The Walking Dead with me! We'll catch up next Monday and go over the next episode. It's a gettin' good!!
Dear readers, you've been slacking on your "What Would You Do?" pictures! Send them in! What are you waiting for? Email me at furnitureflippin@yahoo.com with a picture of a piece of furniture you want to flip. I'll show our group of furniture flippers and they'll make their suggestions. You can take their advice or ignore them. What you HAVE to do though is follow up with me later and send me a pic of what you DID end up doing. That sounds easy enough, right? All except the having to do the actual work, huh?
It was missing a front leg so the remaining one was removed. Luckily, the piece is sturdy enough that four legs suits it just fine.
The top of the buffet was in such horrible condition that the only thing they could do is break out the tools and remove all
the damaged wood. They pulled the veneer off and Susan liked the boards
underneath so she decided to leave them exposed and stain them.
After all of the woodworking was complete, Susan chose Old Town Paints in the colors Sterling for the body and Vintage White on the details. Look! It's a furniture selfie! Remind me to put that pic on Twitter. We'll see if we can't beat out Ellen's Oscar pic for most retweets.
This gorgeous buffet was quickly sold and here it is pictured in it's new home...
I love that top. Great choice in staining it Susan! The colors she chose really bring out the details in it, too.
Shoppe La La is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and they are a proud distributor of Old Town Paints. You can meet Susan and check out more of her work on her Shoppe La La Facebook page. Let her know you saw her on Furniture Flippin'. Thanks so much Susan for sharing your fantastic furniture flip! Dear readers, do you have a piece of furniture you want to make over but don't quite know what you want to do to it, email me photos of it to furnitureflippin@yahoo.com . I'll share it with our super talented group of Furniture Flippers and they'll give you their advice. Then once you are finished with your flip, contact me and we'll do a follow up feature on it right here.
Don't shoot the messenger! Estate it like I see it and I'm imagining that's what Cassondra of Redefined Decor's client thought of this buffet when she bought it from an estate sale. Cassondra's client had been looking for the perfect piece for her cottage and thought this would fit the bill once it was given an update.
First up was the task of sanding, and sanding, and sanding. Followed by staining.
Cassondra's not one to shy away from work though. She's a mom to four! She is the definition of a hard worker as any mother would attest.
Cassondra happily took on the challenge of mixing up a custom shade of light orange paint for the project and kumquat may, she nailed it!
New hardware was added and the job was complete.
Check it out...
It. Is. Perfect. Love the oil rubbed bronze hardware and I adore that color. So did Cassondra's client. She whisked it off to her cottage where it is now living happily ever after. Here it is in it's home.
Orange you jealous that you aren't hanging out right now in a vacation cottage? I know I am! I'd even settle for being snowed in if it meant being in a cottage somewhere on vacation.
You can see more of Cassondra's work on her Redefined Decor Facebook page. She is based in Michigan and loves doing custom orders. Let her know you saw her on Furniture Flippin'. Thanks so much Cassondra for sharing your peachy keen furniture flip! Wow! Where has this week gone? We have one more flip tomorrow and then it's the weekend. Is it your flip I'll be showing? Can't say for sure. Did you submit one yet? Here's your invite. Get it in. Email me before/after pictures and details to furnitureflippin@yahoo.com . Hurry. This offer expires at midnight. Not really.
...and I, Stephanie, found myself held captive indoors by an old man and his shrew of a wife. That's right. The notorious duo of Old Man Winter and Mother Nature had their cold icy grip on me and they weren't letting go. Days and days passed. I can't tell you how many days because I was making tally marks on the ice covered windows only to have the heater kick on and melt my markings. I decided to make a break for the door. I slowly turned the handle and opened the door, only to be forced back inside by their son Gus T. Wind. I considered sneaking out another exit but the threat of their dog Frost's bite kept me inside. I was beginning to feel like a guest at the Overlook Hotel. I could feel myself losing my grip on my normally good natured personality. My snarkiness was developing a meaner snarkiness which set in motion my fear of never being able to top that level of snarkiness and feeling that I HAVE PEAKED!! There is no where else to go!! What's after the top level of snarkiness? I wasn't sure. I didn't want to wait around to find out. I fervently typed out an SOS message hoping that someone would hear my call of distress and come to my aid. I prayed that it wouldn't be a set of creepy twins or a kid on a big wheel.
Suddenly, a message appeared. I was not alone. For Heather was there. Perfectly Flawed 13's Heather. Heather slipped me a picture, showing me the way out of this fortress.
She confided to me that a man had brought her this buffet. He had rescued it from a barn where it, too, had been exposed to the fury of Mother Nature. As Heather listened, he spoke of how this piece must have looked in it's glory days. He recalled that there were some decorative details missing and it bothered him that it had been so carelessly left out to rot. He asked simply that Heather "do her magic". Heather never said if the man resembled Jack Nicholson or not, but I'm assuming he did not.
So, Heather did work her magic. The buffet was in serious need of repair. It had a veneer-ial disease of some sort. The veneer that wasn't broken off already was chipped. The whole top was ruined so Heather had to rip it all off & put
on a new one. (That a girl!) Her client loved stained wood so that was a no-brainer. Heather incorporated it choosing Kona by Rustoleum. The paint she used is Churchill Hotel Wheat which she followed up with dark brown glaze and a clear coat of Minwax polyurethane.
For the missing decorative wood carvings, Heather chose to replace them with metal art.
Her client loved it. This piece remains one of Heather's favorite makeovers.
Let's take another look at it...
Now, I insist, yes INSIST, that you head over to Heather's Perfectly Flawed 13's Facebook page. She is hilarious. If you are in a winter funk her style of writing is like you are having a conversation with a fun friend and like Cher said to Nicholas Cage, you'll "Snap out of it!". Plus, you can see some more of the fun furniture flips she is working on. Perfectly Flawed 13 is based in Choctaw, Oklahoma. So, if you live in her area you are lucky. But, you better learn to drive the right way. Thanks so much Heather for sharing your fabulous furniture flip and for handing me the map to get out of the maze that is this winter. I'm forever indebted. There you have it dear readers!! One more week of Furniture Flippin' is down. Just around 9 more weeks until we hit our one year anniversary with this blog. I can't thank you enough for being along with me on this venture. It has been fun! The numbers are beyond what I thought they'd be for our first year and I am thrilled to have gotten to know so many wonderful people along the way. Don't forget to submit your flip! Email me at furnitureflippin@yahoo.com . I'll be watching for it!
Today's flip has been a long time in the making. It's one of our own. I acquired our dining room furniture from my maternal grandmother Avery. She and my grandfather J.D. purchased it new shortly after they were married in 1938. By the time I got it, grandma had done some flippin' of her own to it. In 1968, she had my Uncle Larry apply a faux woodgrain finish to the table, hutch and buffet. The hutch and buffet are a matched set. However, the table that now shares the room with them, didn't originally belong with them.
The original matching table was damaged in a fire in 1944. During that period of time, my grandparents lived above their grocery store in downtown Crestview, Florida. My mother Annette was a few years old. One night my mom woke up her mom (Grandma) to take her to the bathroom. As she entered the hallway in that upstairs apartment my mom pointed out smoke coming in under the door from the store below. Grandma hurriedly woke up Grandpa and visiting sister-in-law Effie. Grandpa ran to a window and yelled to some airmen heading to the bus station on their way back to Eglin Air Force Base. The men noticed the fire in the store below and ran to assist them. The family climbed out onto the porch roof and the servicemen helped them down to safety. The family was safe and everything else that was lost could be replaced. The dining room set survived. The table had damage to it. Grandma kept the hutch and buffet, but gave the table and chairs to her parents (my great grandparents) who repaired it and kept it for their own use.
Flash forward to 1955. My grandmother relocated to Illinois with her husband and family. The table stayed in Florida, the hutch and buffet came with them. Grandma located a Tiger Oak table to purchase. She bought it from a farmer who had it stored in a barn. Here's a picture of my grandma that year with the table. Funny story about that picture...it was staged. My grandmother wanted to send pictures of their new home in Illinois back to her relatives in Florida. So, she dressed up, pretended she was setting the table for a party and had my mom snap that picture. (The apple which is me did not fall far from that tree.)
The beautiful woodgrain on that table was covered in that same faux finish. Ugh. I know. What was she thinking? Well, at that time it was all the rage to faux finish furniture. (Sound familiar Furniture Flippers?) In the late 1990's, I paid someone to strip the table and chairs back to the beautiful wood. The hutch and buffet's time didn't come until this year. (We knew those two pieces weren't gorgeous Tiger Oak. We learned during this makeover, they were built with whatever wood the builder had on hand.) I really began the makeover on them the week of Thanksgiving 2012. I painted the hutch and didn't like how it was looking. I stopped midway through and decided to strip it and the buffet. Well, if you know me, and I think you might, you won't be surprised that I quickly became bored with it. They were pushed aside for cooler projects. Like the Pottery Barn Inspired Entertainment Center and the Dumpster Dresser. Then the Park Ridge Project. The Lion's Head buffet. The Bird Dresser. The Chair from Hell makeover. And the Triple Rocker. Plus, a myriad of home improvement projects. Patiently they waited. Finally we got to them. We had a deadline of Thanksgiving 2013. We did not meet that deadline. While it may seem that I was purposely avoiding these two pieces, I assure you there was a reason. My grandmother had "flipped" them and that makeover lasted for 45 years. She had no way of knowing then that so many decades later her granddaughter would be "flipping" them again. I, however, imagine that in 40 years my future grandchild will be making them over again. And I wanted to make sure she (or he) didn't call into question what her (or his) grandma and grandpa was thinking when they did this flip. So, I took my time deciding how I wanted them to look. Triple H was on me the whole time, telling me we had to get them done. Finally, I decided I wanted to repurpose the beadboard that we had from our last 100+ year old cabinet. You might recall we had two of those cabinets. They originally were owned by my stepdad's aunt. We worked one of them into our kitchen makeover.
We took apart that cabinet. Discovering that the wood used for it was purchased locally. In very old fashioned handwritten penmanship is written "J.C. Ames Lumber Co." They were well known in my town beginning in 1868. They closed in 1987.
It has since been torn down. I always loved that building. This building was built in 1923. I'm not sure what the original building looked like.
We then set to work sanding and sanding and sanding and sanding. Then repairing the repairwork on the buffet that I would guess my Uncle Larry might have performed.
Along the way we found some fingerprints that must have belonged to the original builder of the buffet. We kept those. They are still inside the buffet.
We removed the shelves so they could be sanded and stained.
Triple H was a super smartie when it came time to sand the original knobs.
I worked hard trying to match the stain to the century old finish on the beadboard. I even turned to my carpenter friends for their opinions on the finish. We then set about prettying it all up and pulling it all together. Paint, paint, paint. Stain, stain, stain. Finish, finish, finish. Once that was done, then it was onto the beadboard.
Finally, the end of this makeover was in sight. We cut the beadboard down to size and attached it.
We also replaced the wood backing on each piece.
Then it was picture taking time...
The buffet looks beautiful with its stained top and knobs against the black.
My china pops against the old beadboard. I love that such an old cabinet was able to be incorporated into this piece. It gives it another layer of history to the hutch. As if surviving a fire and making the trek from Florida to Illinois wasn't enough of a history for it.
I really love that wood/paint combination. I like to move my furniture around from room to room, so it'll look just as nice in the kitchen as it does the dining room. I wish I could show you a good picture of all of the pieces (the hutch, buffet and table/chairs) inside of the house. However my house with all of its windows and bad lighting just doesn't do them justice. Here is a picture of the table waiting for them to return. The poor table was without his partners for over a year. So, there you have it. The cobbler's kids finally have shoes! I really love my dining room furniture. I look at those pieces and I see so many memories when I look at them. My grandmother had a beautiful home in a small town 12 miles from where I live now. Her dining room was my favorite room. She & I had a special relationship. She was my runnin' buddy. We'd get into all kinds of mischief together. I think that she would be proud of how we are taking care of her furniture. That's it for today's flip. It was a long read, I know. So, if you didn't read it word for word, I won't hold it against you. It was more of a way for me to chronicle this for the next generation of my family.
I would like to add that the next time you find yourself participating in the "great paint debate", think of this flip. Think of how my grandmother applied a faux finish over beautiful Tiger Oak. Then recall that I stripped it off to reveal that woodgrain again. What is painted can be stripped. Or if you feel like painting over wood, do it. You do what you want to the furniture that you own. This is the last flip for this year. I'm taking the rest of the year off and will return on Thursday, January 2, 2014. Thank you all so much for being a part of Furniture Flippin' this year. It has been an incredibly fun experience for me. I've met a lot of wonderful people along the way and have been inspired by all of you.
Today, we are heading to the Starved Rock area in the Illinois Valley. We're going to Utica! Why Utica? Because that's where we will find my buddy Michelle. She's the very lovely proprietor of Harmony Paintings & Home Decor. One of my favorite shops. Look at how cute that street is! 
Now today's piece is a solidly built buffet. Michelle wasted no time transforming it. Whereas it would have taken yours truly, days of whining, a couple of Bloody Mary's and tons of breaks, Michelle completed this one and it's on the floor waiting for it's forever home. 
Michelle
is a Stockist for Annie Sloan. She also offers workshops at her
store so you can learn the proper techniques to transform your own
items! 
