Final 2014 Before and After - My Parade

Well, it has been a busy GREEN year for me and I continue to be SO impressed with the magical transformations possible with heirloom-quality upholstered furniture.  It's a win-win all around. Instead of languishing as outdated and little-used obsolete pieces (or worse - bulky landfill), the refurbished pieces are reclaimed as principle elements of current room designs.

Here are some of the pieces transformed over the past month. I hope these inspire you to do the same!

These vintage bergere chairs were purchased in a consignment shop in Destin, FL, during a business/pleasure trip. I refinished the woodwork using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and had my upholsterer recover in a linen pattern with red and white checks on the back. Love how these turned out! 

These chairs were bought at a local estate sale and refinished in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Cream). The fabric selected is a blue and white woven check that I have used on several other pieces this year. Love the crispness of this look!

This set was purchased at the same sale as the French chairs above (blue and white checks). I redid the woodwork in a slightly darker neutral shade (Old Ochre) and had my upholsterer's apply a heavy woven cream fabric to the bulk of the piece with taupe velvet cotton used as piping and on the oval back. I think they look both contemporary and ageless! 

I actually bought this set of six chairs about four years ago and have had them in my "working space" downstairs all this time trying to decide what to do with them. Three of the chairs needed some serious reinforcement of the base which my upholsterer does not do. My husband ended up taking them apart and by re-gluing and re-doweling made them good as new. I had my go-to lacquer specialist, Sharon, redo the woodwork and reupholster the seats in a European linen. Wonderful!

This versatile square ottoman was purchased at an estate sale and reupholstered in this crisp herringbone cream fabric. The styling of the base was changed because we could not get the multiple pleats to lay flat enough (too much bulk) and this cleaner look is much more attractive. 

These very sturdy chairs were purchased from a moving family on craigslist. I had a hard time trying to decide what kind (weight, pattern) fabric to use and ended up with this heavy woven pattern in cool blues and greens. I think the weight of the fabric and the oversized pattern work well on these large chairs. I hope someone else agrees! 

This lovely French style (my overall favorite) settee was purchased at an estate sale. It has been refurbished with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Cream) and reupholstered in a heavy teal woven fabric with an embroidered look. This one is on hold pending a decision from a client - so not currently on sale. 

This chair was purchased at an estate sale and has been refinished in chalk paint (old white) and reupholstered in a crisp red and white cotton ticking. I do like this French Country look!

That's it (probably for the year). Have a happy holiday and see you in 2015!

Preparing for the Holidays - Christmas at Callanwolde

See website - link

On this beautiful (but cold for the South) day, my husband I traveled to Callanwolde Fine Arts Center to view the decorated mansion and seek inspiration for our own home's decor. Actually, I'm not too sure that this was my husband's intention but it certainly was mine!

First a little about Callanwolde. The Gothic-Tutor style mansion was built in 1920 by Charles Howard Candler, eldest son of the Coca-Cola founder, Asa Candler. It is located in Atlanta's historic Druid Hills neighborhood and is 27,000 square feet. It was saved from demolition in 1971 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The estate consists of 12 acres with several other buildings including a retreat, gardener's cottage and conservatory. It also has beautiful formal gardens.

Approaching the main house from the front gate

Every year, the Center hosts "Christmas At Callanwolde" for about two weeks (thru 12/16).  Some of the main rooms are decorated by local designers and there are several Christmas markets with items available for purchase.

Here are some of my favorites!

Tree in Great Hall

This lively room provided great examples of "working with ribbon" -  the tree was magical!

I loved this fireplace and the beautiful wallpaper in this room - naturally I was attracted to all the great chairs! 

My FAVORITE space in the whole mansion! I loved the colors and think that a blue and green combo is always great. It was very sunny in the space and I did not get a good photo of the big tree with its colorful green and blue ribbons (too much backlighting) but the details are shown above.

I will want to come back when the gardens are in bloom - what a lovely setting!

Closing out 2014 Trends - Popular Colors

See my pinterest board - link

For source, see pinterest board link above

As we close out 2014 - how quickly it has gone - I am reflecting on decorating trends and aspirations. This brief posting is about the colors that were most popular. In this case, delicate blues with hints of green that continued to be seen in the decorating magazines.  These colors show well with taupes and creams and even navies.

I love these colors and have incorporated them (in 2013) in my renovated lower level. I am glad they continue to be so well regarded.

I have added quite a few pieces of upholstered furniture using fabrics in this color group this year and will probably continue to do that into 2015 - I do not see a diminution of their popularity in the near future.

Here are some of my 2014 favorites! I love them all!

Vintage Shopping in Charleston Area

Crossing the Arthur Ravenel Bridge from Charleston to Mount Pleasant, SC -  link to info about bridge

My husband and I just returned from a long Thanksgiving Day weekend in the Charleston, SC, area. We actually stayed in Mount Pleasant, just across the fabulous Ravenel Bridge and opposite Charleston on Patriot's Point. It was ideal for viewing the sunsets!

View of Charleston Harbor from Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant

This was another combined business/pleasure trip and our trusty new Honda minivan was a joy to drive. From my advance homework, I had initially assumed that Charleston area itself would be the best source of vintage stores (consignment, antique, thrift, resale, estate). We actually found that the Mount Pleasant area was a treasure throve of such establishments and they were well organized; carried a variety of nice merchandise; and, had lots of visitors/shoppers. Therefore, although we did try some of the Charleston stores/venues, we found ourselves searching the shops on our side of the Cooper River.

Here are some of the highlights!

This was our first stop! A nice store with some lovely pieces! link to website

Enjoyed this shop and returned a second time - on Coleman Boulevard! 

This was our go-to store and did end up making a purchase here - see four chairs on top!

We thoroughly enjoyed our shopping trip and have four lovely chairs (to refurbish and reupholster) to show for it. We plan to return and try this again!

Purchase from Antiques Market - great price and great condition! 

A Tale of On-Line Design Collaboration!

Recently, I concluded an online collaboration with a customer in New Jersey who was interested in buying a set of four dining chairs that I had refurbished using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) and a taupe and cream patterned fabric (expertly applied by my go-to upholsterers - the fabulous Lee's of Sun's Upholstery in Norcross, GA).  I thought a posting about the experience might calm others about on-line collaborations and buying furniture on-line - at least from me!

My potential buyer was worried about purchasing this set of chairs - that she would not be able to find a  table that would work with unique look. She asked if I would be willing to find and refurnish a round table to complement the set and ship them together.  We communicated back and forth about her interests including:

• Style and size of round table 
• Cost point
• Timeline for completion
• Shipping costs

I did several things concurrently:

• Used craigslist descriptions and photos to share ideas about possible tables to be bought and refurbished
• Obtained shipping quote (and general timeline) from my go-to shipper - (Cascadiacascadiaexpress@hotmail.com) 
• Checked with my ASCP paint store link to Chalk It Up - Norcross to get advice on finishing a dining table that would require a little more wear and tear than my usual chairs and small table/decorative item projects

Craigslist table.

My customer had some initial requirements for a table that were modified with time. She had preferred a table with four legs and not a central base. During this period, I found none that were attractive (or stable) - the round model was definitely the norm with four chairs. I shared several potential pieces before finding the right one on craigslist and proceeded to make the purchase - fortunately the price was right and it was still available. 

The table was solid and in good shape so painting was all it needed. I refinished it using ASCP CoCo but only used the dark was on the base. My conversation with the ASCP experts informed me that the clear wax was a better seal for the top - I did four coats to create a hard finish that should last and last. 

Photo of completed table with chairs - before shipping

Before finishing the set, my customer did add a set of French style chairs - redone in a hard lacquer finish with linen fabric - to her purchase so all traveled together to her home in New Jersey.

Here are photos provided by the customer of the pieces in her home - she is excited and I am very happy to see how well they work in her space.  This was fun!

I love seeing photos of my pieces in my customer's homes - very satisfying! 

Before and After - Magical Transformations!

Now and again, I review my photos and check out my own before and after stars. Today, I am featuring some recent magical transformations. I hope to inspire others to consider using existing furniture, of all types, and pursuing transformations themselves. It is a "green" way to decorate and very rewarding.

Here are some more stars from my own collection! ENJOY!!

I bought this sweet chair at an estate sale - all it needed was some a great fabric!

This great vintage piece had been in my neighbor's family for generations. One day, she offered it to me and I took it. I refurbished the woodwork with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (CoCo with dark wax to highlight the curves) and had it upholstered in a linen-look heavy tweed.  

This graceful chair came from an estate sale. I refurbished the woodwork with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Country Grey) and had it reupholstered in a cream linen-look woven fabric.  

These chairs were on a Craigslist sale. They were reupholstered in a woven and embroidered-look cream fabric with teal details (love this fabric)!

This chair was purchased at an estate sale. The legs were refinished (chalk paint again) and I had enough fabric left-over from another set to redo in this wonderful ikat!

This chair was purchased in a consignment shop in Destin, Florida, during a recent trip. The brand is exceptional! All it needed was a seafoam blue woven fabric to look great again.

Estate Sale Shopping with My Hubby

First sale on Friday - Tuxedo Road Estate

Since my husband retired in January, he has become a faithful companion on my weekly estate sale adventures (when we are in town and not otherwise engaged). Increasingly, Thursdays and Fridays are the big days to go to these events - sometimes even Wednesdays. My favorite neighborhoods for these sales in the greater Atlanta metro area are Buckhead (parts of the City of Atlanta and further north), Brookhaven, Sandy Springs and Vinings. These are generally northern, affluent neighborhoods and have many grand estates that have the potential for yielding some great pieces for me to pick up - if the price is right. For Friday's estate sale adventure, we stayed mostly in the "greater Buckhead" area.

The first stop was on Tuxedo Road, right in the heart of Buckhead near the Governor's Mansion. There were many items for sale in the expansive home - something for every taste and price-point.  Included were some upholstered pieces, my usual main interest, with prices "close to" what I would be willing to pay but most were quite a bit higher.

I found several items that I thought my daughter would like and took some photos and sent them in her direction. She said "YES" to some and "NO" to others and I bought two metal pumpkins (decorative) and a horse-barn with quite a few horses of different types and sizes for my granddaughter.

The next sale was a little further north and held by one of my favorite estate sale sellers, Vicki. She knows what I am looking for (and willing to pay) and generally steers me quickly in the right direction. Before getting to that point however, we had to climb a very high curvy driveway - good exercise!

There were a couple of items that were reasonably priced including a nicely shaped wingback (photographed above).  Had there been two of these chairs, I would have snatched them up. A single one just didn't get me there. No purchases at this sale but good exercise!

The next sale was on Farmington Drive -  near the area of the city called Vinings. It was a big disappointment! Advertised as a "Designer's Dream" it was held mostly out doors and poorly organized. The items were in bad to very bad shape and still had very high prices (drapes for $1000 per  set??). This was a quick in and out.

Last Friday sale - House on Woodward Way.

The last sale of this Friday morning was being held by a friend of Vicki's in a house that was deceptively grand and beautiful from the outside - again in the heart of Buckhead. Once you got inside, however, it looked like it hadn't been maintained for at least 25 years and probably longer. The decor was not just dated but parts of the house looked in bad repair. It smelled and seemed ill-lit and drafty.  There were a few items (French style) that were nice and I left some bids but didn't expect to hear about them (and haven't).

SO, other than the purchases for my daughter (which she loves), I didn't buy anything but did enjoy the crisp, bright morning hunt with my trusty sidekick!

Selling on Craigslist - Do's and Do Not's

Actual craigslist photo and an example of a good photo. The condition of the pieces is very clear and the setting is uncluttered and the lighting is good!

My daughter is having a garage sale over the weekend and asked me for some craigslist tips for her listing. It reminded me of the do's and don't I have adopted over the years for my own listings (and even more for judging sellers).  I have written about this in the past but thought a refresher might be useful.

Craigslist is an amazing medium for buying and selling almost anything and it is FREE so what's the big deal about fine-tuning the listing itself? After all, there is no-one judging your submission, no word limits to manage and no template to follow. In my judgement, however, it is even more important to do this right in order to secure sales and responses. There is so much activity that only well written and illustrated ads can even be really seen in the clutter.

Here are some do's and don't

• Be brief and concise but provide critical details about your location and your items for sale (e.g., age, condition, materials).
• ALWAYS provide some photos of items for sale taken in a clutter-free, well-lit environment (I have gotten to the point of only clicking on ads that have photos - using the thumb-nail versions to quickly go through many ads).
• Include an electronic way to communicate either using your own email address or (preferably) enabling individuals with questions to communicate through craigslist itself - I only very rarely respond/ask questions if I am required to make a phone call - it is too inconvenient!
• Include price - do not use a "bidding" or "best offer" process with no mention of your asked for price.
• Provide enough information about your location to inform potential buyers of how far they will be traveling - but don't give full address in ad. 
• Clearly describe condition of item being sold so that there are no surprises when person comes out to look at it (e.g., broken/repaired, in need of reupholstering, 

Here are some don't:

• Do not provide photographs that are too small or poorly-lit or show too many items in the same photograph - photograph each primary item separately (it's free)!
• Do not combine items in the same ad (the exception of this would be a garage or estate sale or where pieces are sold together such as dining table and chairs and sometimes a living room set). 
• Do not use "stock" photos - photos copied from a catalog for example with note that this item is exactly the same.

  

  Example of poor photo - too many items in photo - not well positioned 

  

  Example of poor photo - neither a good photo of item for sale or neat and clean and free of clutter

  
  

A Visit to the Swan House in Atlanta - Upholstered Furniture Stars!

Swan House in Atlanta

On Friday, I had an opportunity to visit the Atlanta History Center's Swan House link located in the tony area called "Buckhead" and not far from the Governor's Mansion.  The house was built in 1924 by Edward and Emily Inman, the heir to a cotton fortune. The architect was Philip Trammel Schutze who adapted Italian and English classical styles to a 20th century home. The Schutze collection of fine furniture, silver, porcelain and paintings is housed in the lower level of the house. The house was also a film location in the Hunger Games - a more recent claim to fame!

The house has beautiful furnishings and I concentrated on the fine upholstered pieces - many of which are not dissimilar to those I have loved, acquired and sold over the past ten years. Here are some of those notable pieces and the lovely settings.

Library 

Library

Library - Cypress Paneling 

Morning Room

Morning Room 

Furniture in Schutze Collection - Love that Chaise!

I loved this visit - sponsored by a good friend and her son's soon-to-be fiancee. The Swan House and the Atlanta History Center are a "must visit" for anyone first visiting the area and provide great insights into Atlanta history and genteel southern living.