The skinny on stain

I think there is an underlying fear of wood stain. For Halloween, I'm thinking of dressing up as a can of Minwax Antique Walnut and terrorizing all the local flea markets/boutique vendors/furniture restorers I can find.

Kidding...obviously. :) But seriously how often do we see a stained piece on a link party? 

Like almost never.

I know that painting furniture is popular right now and I admit I enjoy how much easier it can be.   

But when I walk into PB or Ethan Allen or any other established furniture store I don't see a ton of painted pieces. 

Eventually the trend of painting furniture will end...maybe soon, maybe in 50 years, but I think it's good to know how to satin so we can create a variety of pieces. 

When restoring a piece with the intent to stain, it does require more work to prep and stain can be a little more unpredictable with the look of the final product. Stain requires patience, but the outcome can be stunning.

Via

Via

Via

Before I started 551 East, most of the work I did was wedding presents for friends and most of it was stained. In no way do I consider myself an expert on the subject but I have learned a few things that I want to share with you to help take some of the stigma away from staining.

For me, one of the greatest frustrations of learning to stain was that I felt like every step was trial and error. I'd try it one way and then another and another till somewhere along the way I got it right.

And then found this AMAZING article- "How to Stain Wood Furniture" from TLC. I recommend this 100%. It takes you step by step through the refinishing process with great tips, tutorials and advice.

I highly advise you to take a look at it even if you don't do or plan on doing a lot of work with stain. It's got great tips on sanding a prepping a piece for any kind of finish you're planning on using.

And here are a few of my personal tips. :) 

1. How to remove stain from your skin -

Stain is nasty stuff sometimes if you get in on your hands. As it dries, it becomes stickier and stickier. Soap doesn't do a great job of cleaning it off, but canola oil does. Use it like soap and when once the stain is removed use regular soap to wash the excess oil away.

2. Applying stain - 

If you want to use a brush, buy a quality brush. Cheap brushes leave a trail of lose hair and if you leave a hair on the surface while it dries it can be almost impossible to remove it without sanding. If you try to go back and pick them out while the stain is still damp, you will probably need to do some touch ups which can lead to an inconsistant color on your surface. With stain, you don't want to do repeat coats until the previous coat is 100% dry. I recommend using foam brushes. They do absorb stain, so you might end up wasting a little of it, but I've always gotten better results. Or a clean, lint free cloth can also work really well.

3. Less is more- 

It is SO much easier to add another coat of stain to deepen the color than to take a layer off if the color is too bold. You may end up doing coats (upward of 4 or 5) to get the color you want, but by applying the stain in thin even coats you run less of a chance messing up.

4. Stains come in LOTS of colors- 

I think there is a myth that if you choose to stain a piece you are stuck with a shade of brown. FALSE! Minwax (and other brands) have a lot  of color options.

5. It's a little easier to go darker than lighter- 

If you don't remove all of the existing stain from a piece and then stain over it, the result can be splotchy. That's why if you chose a stain a shade darker than the original it can help mitigate for any traces of the existing stain left behind.

Hope this helps! Happy almost weekend! 

PS If I show up at your door on Halloween actually dressed as a can of Minwax Antique Walnut please pretend to be scared. 

Humor me just a little OK? :) 

One and 1/2 men

Do you want to know a secret?  I love Mondays.

Gasp!
Someone call TMZ. :) 

I don't love losing Jake to work, but I love thinking of all the possibilites of the week ahead.

Do you love Mondays?

This is how we spent most of our weekend.

I love each of these guys so much some times my heart hurts. :)

Happy Monday friends! 

Guest Posting at the Emerald Cidade

Friends I am guest posting this weekend over at the Emerald Cidade this weekend! Sweet Stephanie, the writer of the blog and I sat down for a little online interview and had a great time. She and I lived across from each other at college, randomly reconnected through Craigslist and now here we are!

Here's the intro to our interview and you can finish it on her blog!

Which you really need to check out if you want to add a TON of ideas to your Pinterest.

She's got great taste.

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I'm thrilled that Stephanie asked me to guest post today!

I LOVE all of her fabulous pictures and inspiration. 

Her ideas are all over my Pinterest. :) 

She sent me a series of questions that I'm excited to answer.

I restore furniture and I LOVE it! 

So here we go! 

Q: How long have you been refinishing furniture and how did you get started? 

I started restoring furniture a couple years ago as presents to give to friends who were getting married. It's kind of hard to start married life with no kitchen table. :) It was a sporadic hobby, but I LOVED it. Sadly, despite my best matchmaking efforts not enough friends were getting married to sustain my restoration addiction. So when my son was born and I needed a hobby beside watching Desperate Housewives. I officially started 551 East about 4 months ago and it''s become one of my favorite things. 

Read the rest here :)



A Pottery Barn Desk Reveal and $50 cash GIVEAWAY!!

Rhett and I have become mall rats. 

Arizona is still 95 degrees or above and that's better than 117 degrees, but still too hot to spend a lot of time outside. 

So we go play at the mall. Rhett has his play place and I have mine...Pottery Barn. 

I love sitting on their chairs and ogling over their lampshades and pillows and, well everything. 

One thing I love most about their furniture is how natural it is with its stains and finishes.

So when we picked up this piece it was so obvious that no paint would touch it. 

The desk was weather beaten, dirty and kind of crusty. 

But as we started sanding we discovered a diamond in the rough. 

After some wood oil and a little stain we saw this. 

It is probably one of my favorite pieces. 

I seriously feel smarter when I sit in front of her. 

Ahh the power of beautiful furniture. :)

Staining can be more difficult than painting, but the outcome is usually stunning and timeless. 

PS I'll be doing a post next week on some tips for working with stain. 

For more info look under the For Sale tab at the top of the page. 

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And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

$50 CASH 

Yes, seriously cash. For you! 

Why? Because we love you! 

For each of the following, you get one entry. 

( Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry }

1. Follow 551 East

2. Put our button on your blog for 2 EXTRA entries.

3.  Post about the giveaway on your Facebook

4. Post about the giveaway on your blog

5. Like us on Facebook

And that's all! 

The giveaway will run until Monday October 3rd with a winner announced that evening.

Good luck!! 

An ode (and tips) to working with Milk Paint

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An Ode to Milk Paint


Milk paint, milk paint

you are incredibly GREAT.

Even though I don't like cows milk I'll give you an 8!

You are probably my new favorite and you've earned my love,

and the fact that you're cheaper than ASCP means I think you're sent from above. 

Milk paint, milk paint,

let work together again soon! 

And restore enough furniture to fill a big room. :) 

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I know, I know, you are all probably rolling your eyes.

My husband is. 

But SERIOUSLY, I can't say enough good things about Milk Paint.

I used it on the secretary and the organ desk (which will be revealed soon) and the results were perfect.

So here is the low down on Milk Paint!

What is Milk Paint?

Milk paint is not a latex or oil based paint...it's water based. That means that it won't give you a totally uniform color on the piece you're painting. It's really incredible the depth it adds. (Go here for more info.) 

How is Milk Paint packaged?

Milk paint comes in 2 forms, powder or pre mixed. There are pros and cons to using both. In powder form you are adding the water to create the consistency you want. Obviously this can be great because you can experiment with different looks. However if you're a first time user I suggest using the pre mixed Milk Paint. Because it is so different from latex and oil it simplifies the use if you can take mixing it out of the equation.

What about priming or sanding?

This is one of the best parts of using milk paint! You need minimal, and I mean minimal, of both. I suggest roughing up the piece if it already has a stain on it and if you are using any of the shades of white you might want to prime a little if you are using it on a piece with a really dark stain. I did have some problems with the stain bleeding through the white milk paint, but after about 4 coats the bleeding wasn't a problem.

What other products do they offer?

There is a bonding agent that you can brush on before applying the paint which will help the paint adhere to the sufrace. If you buy the powder version, buy the bonding agent as well. However the premixed paint has some of the bonding agent in it. I had no problems with the premixed paint adhering to the surface without the bonding agent.

They also have products to give your piece a crackled look, they have amazing glazes and sealers as well.

What color options do they have?

Here is one of their color cards. They have about 40 colors and wil the glazes they offer you can create tons of looks. The paint also mixes really well to help you create custom colors.

How much does Milk Paint cost?

If you buy the powder form it's $11. The premixed Milk Paint is $13 for a pint. Obviously depending on how thin/thick you mix the powder form equates to how much paint you get from the package, but it should equal a pint. Glazes, crackle, and bonding agents etc around $10 to $15.

How far does the paint go?

I was impressed. You will probably need at least 2 coats, I used 3, and I still have just under have a pint left. The glaze goes REALLY far.

Does it distress well?
Yes! It was super easy and it is fantastic for giving an aged look.

This is a really basic overview of the product and if you want more info here is a link to their website. (You can also find distributors there.)

All opinions are mine and I was not compensated in anyway for this post. 

Going to Market

Tomorrow is the Vintage Market in Scottsdale and we're trying to tie up our lose ends and get this show on the road.

Easier said than done.

We are locked out of our garage, all we've eaten today is a box of vanilla wafers and Rhett has watched an embarrassing amount of Sesame Street.

Since I'm running out of time to do full posts on the last 2 items we finished here is just a sneak peak and if you want to see the finished product come see us at the market tomorrow! (Shameless plug it's true. :))

Click here for more info on the market! 

I REALLY love this one!

Last night, in a slightly desperate attempt to make new friends, we went to play a pick up game of soccer with some people from church. 

We don't play soccer. 

But we really need to be social. 

We're social butterflies, we need to spread our wings and fly.

OK that was super cheesy, but it has been a little hard moving and leaving a great group of friends. 

Anyway, I'm sitting here, very aware that I have a bum because it is SO sore, and I am really excited to show you the secretary. 

I LOVE HER! 

I love her curves, I love her storage, I love her little compartments, I love how bright she is.
And for being so classy, I think she's even kind of sexy. :)

We used General Finishes Milk Paint in Basil, glazed her with snow white and distressed her along the edges of the drawers and frame. The hardware is original legs are new. 

I was really impressed with the milk paint and I'll share some tips next week. :)

She'll be at the Vintage Market this Saturday in Scottsdale. 

Look under the For Sale tab at the top of the page for more info.

Linking to these parties


Be sure to check out our $50 GIVEAWAY!!

Starting Out: Not your average advice

Over the past 2 weeks I've gotten several emails asking how to start a business/blog. I'm flattered because I haven't been doing this for very long. Sometimes though, I think that when you're first starting out everything is fresh in your mind. Some of the best advice I've gotten is from those who were in the same positon I was.

So here are some things I've learned. Most aren't traditional bits of advice, but things that I still think are important to consider.

1. You'll have to let some things go. If you are serious about starting a sustainable business, some parts of your life are going to have fall to the back burner. Decide what your priorities are. With that said, even your biggest priorities can quickly move to second place. This might sound bad, but there are some days when I really have to make an effort to remove myself from sanding, blogging, emailing, etc to go play with Rhett- even though I adore him. I promise you your house will be dirtier, you will probably lose a few pounds because meal time becomes more sporadic, and you won't sleep as much. With that said, you will find a rhythm and even though you'll just keep getting busier, you will find a way to manage it.    

2. You're going to need $$$, no matter what kind of business you're starting. It doesn't need to be a ton, but if you are serious about becoming big, you'll need some. We started out investing $350 of our own money into 551 East. We bought some furniture, paint, sander paper, a paint sprayer, sanding block etc. Now when we sell a piece the profit goes into one account and the cost money goes into another. That way we always have that $350 to keep investing in 551 East.  If you are also trying to build a blog you'll need money to either use for sponsorships on other blogs to get your name out there, or you'll want to host giveaways to build your readership. Most likely you'll need to host your first couple giveaways so you'll need to provide something to give away. A side note about this. Make sure what you are giving away will attract the most types of readers. We did a $25 dollar cash giveaway at the beginning and it produced a great increase in following. I'm not saying that this is the best way to do anything, but it worked for us. If you don't have cash to invest, DON'T GO INTO DEBT. Because there is absolutely no guarantee that your blog/business will work, you don't want a credit card debt. Start with what you have. Talk to family or friends if you need a little cash, but if others are going to invest in you, be worth investing in.

3. Plan to spend a decent amount of time in front of a computer. When I started 551 East, one reason was  because I felt like I was spending too much time on the computer and I wanted a hobby/outlet. Ha! You'll spend a lot of time trying to create the look of your blog, commenting on other blogs to get your name out, posting, researching, editing, responding to emails, sending thank yous, etc etc etc.

4. You won't be able to do it alone. Have the support of your spouse or a great friend. You have a lot of work ahead of you. You probably will be giving up some social time, conversation on subjects other than your business, and you'll need someone to bounce ideas off of. A supportive influence is worth so so much.

5. You're going to need to become proficient in more ways than you're anticipating. Probably the biggest shock to me was how tech savvy I was going to become. You'll need to be able to see ahead and anticipate what you need to be doing, before you need to create it/post it/ say it. You'll need to to learn how to take quality pictures, how to market, how to budget, how to produce quality products, etc. It's still a sharp learning curve for me, but you learn quickly from your mistakes.

6. Be relatable and personal. I don't necessarily mean that you have to tell your life story, but let people get to know you. I personally think it's OK to occasionally combine business and family. Show people that you have a life outside your business. And this will also help you keep your life from being overtaken by starting a business. Help people feel something and you can make some real friends through it.

7. Find what makes you different. We chose to put a picture of me on our masthead because almost no other blogs in our sphere had anything like that. Don't copy other people. Use them for inspiration, but create your own style.

8. Dream BIG. Do I want my own show on HGTV showing people how to thrift and repurpose furniture? Heck yes! Am I a tiny little blog in a world full of people more talented and knowledgeable than me? Heck yes! And that's OK. One day I want to be as talented as Miss Mustard Seed or Made by Girl or Miss James at Bleubird Vintage. And one day I will be. :) But if I'm not, I'm Ok with that.

9. Know why you want to do this. Write it down so you remember. Be determined.

10. Don't be afraid, but know you'll make mistakes. It's OK. Everyone will do it. It's frustrating to know you've lost resources and time, so learn and move on.

11. Get your name out there. This is an ongoing process. Follow other peoples blogs, leave LOTS of comments, join link parties, start a Facebook page, ask people to guest post for you and if you can guest post for them, have giveaways, create a button for your blog, and ask you friends and family to put your posts etc on their Facebook page, email, blog whatever. 

12. Always say thank you. This is SO important. If someone leaves you a comment, send an email or comment on their blog. Kindness goes along way.

I hope this helps! I love doing this and I'm so grateful for those who have supported us. :) 

P.S. Here's a sneak peak on a piece I'll post this evening. 

It's not always black and white

But wouldn't it be nice if it was?

Clean, chic, and simply elegant. 

PS We found out yesterday that we lost the house that we completely loved. 

The bank (despite our offer) decided to go into foreclosure, so it's off the market for now. 

Total bummer.

I keep giving myself a pep talk, something, along the lines off, "Everything happens for a reason, it's probably a blessing is disguise, we'll find something better." and it's kind of working. 

Back to square one.

A Pineapple Headboard

I've wanted to find a pineapple headboard for a long time.

I wanted one so bad I might have become a pineapple stalker, calling local thrift stores, pulling over at every garage sale, looking in peoples bedroom windows to see if I could buy theirs. 

OK not the last one, but if I hadn't found this one when I did I might have started peeping. :)

Here's the before. 

And here she is now.  

The original headboard had a beautiful stain- a deep mahogany. I didn't want to completely lose it so I tried something a little different. I sanded the headboard enough for the paint to hold to, but I left most of the deep color. When I was painting some of the stain would peep through the red, usually on edges and the curves. I LOVE the aged look it added.   

She's a twin headboard, painted in Forbidden Red by Behr and waxed with Howard's Citrus Shield. 

For more info, look at the For Sale tab at the top of the page. 

P.S. She'll be at by booth at the Vintage Market THIS Saturday.

And keep checking back, I'm staging several other pieces today and I'll post them over the next few days.  

My first hate mail

Yesterday I got a rather unkind comment on one of the pieces we recently finished. And to some extent that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you don't have to love or even like everything we create. 

(And honestly I was a little excited for this to happen. I felt like it would mean I had officially entered the blogging world.)

I'm choosing not to remove that unkind comment, or any others that may follow. If the language in them is offensive then I'll take it off, but if you are simply rude it will remain on here for everyone to see how ungracious you were. I'm choosing to do this because I want to remain real, honest and I understand that not everything in life is kind or pleasant. 

I would like to say this though. You did hurt my feelings with your choice of words. I'm fine with the fact that you did not like that piece and advice is always appreciated, but what you said was unladylike and uncalled for.  I hope that you will not continue to spread your meanness to others who work hard to create and cultivate things of beauty.  I would hate to see another nasty comment from you on a friends blog and I hope you will think twice before leaving such a comment again.  

This thought summarizes what I am saying- 

    

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

                                                                                                                             - Leo Buscaglia

On the flip side, I want to sincerely thank each of you who leaves kind, thoughtful and uplifting comments.

 They make my day. :) 

Staged to Sell

Staging is one of my favorite steps of the furniture refinishing process. Maybe this will sound funny, but even though I'm the one working on the piece, I am still surprised at the final product.  And when we go to stage, I feel like it's the first time I see the piece in its full element.

Staging can be so frustrating in some ways. You could have a fantastic vision in your head, set it up, take the picture, and then look at the photo...and it looks like poo. Or in other words not like what you you had envisioned.

I usually delete the poo pictures so I don't have any of those to share. But I promise they were poo.

Here are some personal tips on how to stage to sell a piece or just to show it off.

1. Lighting! This might be the most important tip to making a piece stand out. Photoshop can really help lighten and soften your image, but it carries a hefty price tag and still can't compete with natural light. If you feel comfortable using freeware there is a program called Gimp which is similar to Photoshop.  

If you don't want to use software the best tip is to use natural light. Set your camera to the "no flash" setting or if you know how then use manual. Flash will wash out your piece, distort the color, and often leave a lovely glare. Natural light is less harsh and more accurate. Still, you need ALOT of it so try to stage your piece near windows and at peak hours of sunlight. 

2. A lot of us live in homes or apartments that we are still fixing up or where we don't have the option of changing the (stark white) wall color; so finding a great background isn't always easy. And that's OK! All of these where taken in front our oh so very white walls. 

If your walls are a bland color, accessorize your piece with bold or bright colors. Try bringing in other furniture that adds color or texture.

3. And that brings me to point number three. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. The desk at the top left wasn't working till we added the pears. The dresser next to it was staged in the kitchen. And I was convinced that the 6 drawer dresser needed to be staged as an entry table. Obviously I was wrong. :) Also look for areas to photograph that might not be your first thought. For example, I used our bright red door for this end table.

4. Use what you have. When I was trying to stage the Peacock desk, I spent an afternoon running around trying to find the perfect decor to stage it. In the end I ended up just taking a picture and being OK with the fact that I couldn't make it look the way I wanted it too. And ultimately I wanted the color to be the center of the show.

5.  Lastly, remember you are trying to sell/show your piece, not your accessories. In other words, most of the time less is more with staging.

That's all! 

P.S. I've been loving everything that I've been seeing on reader! 

You all are producing some amazing stuff!

  

An offer and the waiting game

Hopefully I'm not jinxing us, or the offer we submitted on this house over the holiday weekend by posting this, but I'm just a little excited at the thought that it might, possibly, hopefully, be ours soon! 

The house is a pre-approved short sale, which means we've got a 3 to 4 week waiting period before we know if the bank accepts our offer. But the offer we made was essentially the asking price, and there are no other offers on it, so we're really hopeful it will be. 

For now I won't share any details on the house other than we feel really lucky to have found it. 

(I don't want to jinx us any more than I am by posting this. :))

So now we're kind of in limbo and playing the waiting game. 

(Insert Jeopardy theme song.)

We'll see....