GO GREEN in 2012 - Olive Oil Furniture Refinisher

In preparation for a more GREEN 2012 (and to honor the basic premise of my own green furniture refurnishing and reuse business - link to website), I am starting a series of blogs to highlight different green ideas gleaned from various sources.  I have already had some discussions about using a much greener than usual set of products to redo the woodwork on my chairs - Annie Sloan Chalk Paints - and can't wait to show some finished products when I get them back from the upholsterer.  Today, I found this interesting article about using olive oil as the primary ingredient to redo wood finishes - I am reposting most of it from planetgreen.com by Sara Novak  go to site :

Refinish Wood Furniture with Olive Oil

It beats VOC loaded furniture polish hands down.

I was watching some sort of home improvement show on television and I saw them using olive oil to refinish furniture and they weren't even trying to be green. I felt compelled to give it a try because I have always been pretty frightened of furniture polish. Store-bought furniture polish is the farthest thing from green and can irritate the respiratory systems in some individuals. Olive oil doesn't have the thick coating of a varnish but it does protect woods from simple scratches and drink rings.

Make Your Own Furniture Polish From Olive Oil
.

 1. Combine two parts olive oil to one part lemon juice. You could substitute vegetable oil or linseed oil for the olive oil but you should avoid the use of virgin olive oil because it doesn't work nearly as well. This recipe only works on finished wood.

2. Apply with a lint free cloth or cheesecloth. Towel-dry excess oil in a circular motion applying special attention to the problem areas of the wood.

*To polish unfinished wood, combine a teaspoon of lemon oil into a cup of mineral oil. Apply with a lint free cloth or cheesecloth. Apply the mixture in a circular motion taking time to make sure it's evenly distributed.

Holiday Decorations - Options for the Mantel

I am obviously distracted by the holiday season and the decorating challenges we all have this time of year.  I am happy with most aspects of my decorating - but not the main fireplace mantel in our family room.  I would call it "understated" - with some greenery and two Dr. Seuss type trees on each end.

In maintaining this blog, I spent a lot of time looking at other blogs as well as decorating magazines for inspiration.  The mantel decorating options are plentiful and well illustrated.  I just reviewed a group of them on the Better Homes and Garden website that are all interesting - and ideas that would help my mantel stand out.  website
Here are some that I particularly like:

BHG Fireplace #1

I like the mirror-image decorations against the bright greenery and what great stockings!  I also like the symmetry which is not exact and makes the two groupings look more interesting.  Also, like my mantel, it appears that they did not remove the photo above the mantel replacing it with a wreath or other holiday display.   I do question the candles which appear undersized and not particularly useful here - I certainly wouldn't want an open flame so close to the greenery.

BHG Fireplace #2

I think this one is sweet.  I like the color scheme and the simplicity and, in this case, almost perfect symmetry.   I like the horse on books in front of the fireplace which looks like it would be easy to move when starting a fire.  I think those are stockings behind the horse but not sure - regardless, not a good place in case of fire!

BHG Fireplace - #3

This one looks like it started with quite a few of the basics already in place and just added holiday finery and great stockings.  A simple wreath across the mirror and lights make this a festive look.

BHG Fireplace #4

I love the creamware and white candle combination on this simple mantel which matches so well with the white wreath and frilly stockings.  I don't think I would do frilly stockings but they do add a flair of feminism.

BHG Fireplace #5

I think this last one demonstrates the theme of this series - simple and elegant.  You don't have to go all out with huge and totally different decorations.  I like the attention to details and the careful planning of the color schemes shown here.

So, now I have some more ideas and will definitely improve my own mantel - but probably not until next year!  I am done for 2011!

Holiday Decorations - My Ideas

Preparing for our Gathering on a Bright Sunny Day

I belong to the Neely Farm Garden Club which includes some of my best neighborhood friends.  The group does include some great gardeners (including one "master") but its real goals are to maintain friendships and have fun together.  This year, I had offered to host the annual holiday party at our home.  Hosting such a gathering (25) does force you to critically review your home and its decorations.  We always have a big tree in our "sunroom" which takes advantage of its height but this year we put up a second tree in the dining room.  We also added additional outside lighting to brighten up the setting.   If I do say so myself, the place looked magical as the guests arrived.

Here are some of the ideas I used for decorating and hosting this gathering - some old and some new:

• A tablescape that included multiple smaller candles that are low and somewhat scattered in the center to maximize the amount of space available for diners and provide a low profile for conversation across and around the table
• Two beverage stations - both as far away from the kitchen as possible to encourage more movement and decrease congestion in the kitchen (it worked pretty well) - one was outside on the deck which certainly helped keep beverages cold
• Stuffed animals as decorations on the stairwell and throughout the house including a group of greeters in the entrance foyer
• Oversized ornaments on the big tree with an emphasis on those that best reflect the lights
• Smaller, more intimate family ornaments on the second tree in the dining room 
• An original oil painting (from South America) of the Madonna and Child that is part of my dining room buffet grouping
• Lots of shiny surfaces that reflect all available light including bowls of different sized glittering ornaments 
• Candles in "fire-proof" settings such as enclosed glassware or broad glass plates (I've actually caused some minor damage in past with less well-designed candle decorations - never again)
• Christmas themed cookie jars as primary decorations in the kitchen including jars on top of the kitchen cabinets enhanced with greenery - I have at least 30 jars collected over the years 
• LOTS of reds all over - it helps that my living and dining rooms are predominantly red to start with!

Here are some more photos to demonstrate the impact.  

Some Examples of Decorations

Ready to Go!

Spruill Gallery Holiday Artist Market - A Local Tradition

Spruill Gallery - Dunwoody, Georgia

I have been taking several watercolor classes at a local institution - the Spruill Center for the Arts.  link  The Center has great teachers and students and contributes to a wide variety of cultural and artistic endeavors in the area.  Every year at this time, they have a wonderful Holiday Artist Market at their old homestead. From their website:

The Spruill Homeplace in Dunwoody, Georgia, was the center of a large working farm from the mid-19th century until 1965. Today, the main house and two outbuildings are still standing in good condition on the property. The house has undergone numerous additions and renovations since being built in the 1840s, and features a century's worth of phases and styles of Southern folk architecture. 

Spruill Pig Ornament

I visited the Market today and loved the sights and smells of this wonderful old building.  The items they have for sale are well priced and unique.  I bought several Christmas gifts - for friends and my two granddaughters and couldn't resist the cloth pig (I LOVE pigs) to hang on my tree.  

I know of people who do a lot of their holiday gift shopping at this annual sale.  I wish I had waited for some of my purchases - this is a wonderful tradition!

Displays at Spruill Gallery

A Tribute to Hickory Chair - In My Own Back Yard

Neely Farm Clubhouse featuring Hickory Chair Furniture

I just received the January, 2012, issue of Architectural Digest which included an article entitled:  Hickory Chair Turns 100. Since I had just acquired a Hickory Chair French-style chest for my own home (see most recent blog) over the weekend, I thought it might be nice to once again talk about how great Hickory Chair furniture is and that it is one of the labels I most want to buy in my refurbishing classic American heirloom upholstered furniture business see website.

The Hickory Chair website and blog link to site discusses the high-quality company's century-long history in Hickory, North Carolina, where most of their products are still crafted.  In checking out the company blog, I was led to an article about a designer's work at the historical Neely Farm Club House in Norcross, Georgia.   This just happens to be MY neighborhood and while I was aware that the clubhouse had been renovated, I didn't realize that the neighborhood had actually used such a prestigious designer and bought excellent products from Hickory Chair to do this very nice refurbishing project.  Clearly, I need to be more involved in the neighborhood.  I am proud, now that I know of it, to show some great clubhouse photos featuring this great manufacturer's pieces!

Photos of Historical Clubhouse in Neely Farm

Here is a portion of the blog discussion about the designer's work in Neely Farm:

Our friend and HCC University graduate, Janie Hirsch ASID, shared some truly inspirational images with us from a project in Georgia.  Janie owns J. Hirsch Interior Design.

Janie tells us, "These pictures are of the Neely Farm Clubhouse, a neighborhood clubhouse in Norcross, GA.  It is in the original country retreat home from the Frank Neely farm that used to be on this property years ago.  It was built in the 1930's and the bricks are from the original Fulton County court house that was torn down in 1884 and stored at Oakland Cemetery.  They were then carried by train to Norcross and hauled by wagon the remaining 6-7 miles to the Neely farm."

She goes on to tell us that "every piece of upholstery in these pictures are from Hickory Chair!"  We are proud to have the opportunity to hand make each piece in our workroom in Hickory and to share these inspirational images with you! 

I'd say that this is pretty impressive!  

Estate Sale Weekend - Rationalizing My Purchases

I reported on Friday about a wonderful sale in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta where I bought some great fabrics.  I had earlier visited a sale in Sandy Springs and contemplated several purchases - particularly a pub table and three windsor-style distressed chairs for my pool room.  This room has until VERY recently been stuffed with my refurbished furniture awaiting sales and shipments.  I have in fact been running an "inventory reduction sale" to make room for holiday family guests that will be staying with us.  My husband really wants to use the pool room over the holidays so I have been able to either sell the pieces or store them elsewhere.  That of course meant that I needed some furniture for the now vacant (other than pool table and one large table) room.

Pub Table and Chairs in Pool Room

I decided to keep a set of oversized Highland House club chairs that look great in the room and bought the aforementioned pub table and chairs to fill a vacant corner.  So I rationalized making an infrequent personal purchase - aided by the very good price they gave me.

On Saturday, I visited several more sales - this time in the Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton areas of greater Atlanta.  I was not too impressed with any until the last one in Milton which was being handled by Golden Opportunity sales - run by Doris and her husband.  I have bought wonderful pieces from them over the years including my very own 8-piece Hickory Chair dining room chair set (I will get back to this set later in this overly long blog).

At the sale,  I saw a lovely Hickory Chair old French style chest of drawers at a good price but didn't know if it would work in my foyer to replace a piece I no longer loved.  Upon arriving home (having made NO purchases all morning), I measured the space and found it just fit.  I called Doris, offered her a reduced price, we haggled and settled.  I told her I would return on Sunday to pick up.

My Hickory Chair Chairs

That brings me to this morning when my loving husband agreed to join me for the pickup - not entirely enthused about any new furniture for the house but in agreement with the general premise of replacing the old foyer piece.  We arrived and proceeded to get the piece into my trusty minivan AND my husband liked it well enough to congratulate me on finding it (or some such words)!  As we were leaving, old friends of ours who happen to live in Milton arrived to check out the sale and we chatted with them in the townhouse dining room.  Doris (remember Doris - she's running the sale) commented to me in passing that she was surprised I wasn't interested in the French style dining room chairs upholstered in, of all things, black patent leather.  I said:  "Doris, don't you remember, I have those great Hickory Chair chairs in my dining room that I bought from you and I just love them!".

I quickly looked the chairs over and learned they were American-made, fruitwood finish and high-quality hand-tied 8-coil construction.  I told her and everyone in the area that someone should definitely buy these chairs because they were wonderful and a not-bad price.

Anyway to make a long story a little shorter, we are no more than a mile or two from the house when I told my husband that the chairs were really nice; may in fact work as well or better in our home; and, that I probably should have bought them.  Sweet guy that he is - he said call her and see what she'll take - I did, we haggled, we settled and returned to add the six chairs to our purchases.

Now I am faced with the dilemma of deciding which set to keep and which to sell BUT in the meanwhile we decided that we do need some extra seating for the holidays and that the patent leather will be great for the grandchildren - easy to clean!!  Where will they be stored?  Of course, in the now practically empty pool room!  Also, we had almost spent $$ on folding chairs and look at the money we are saving not having to buy those!  OK, that's all the rationalizing I am doing today!

French Chairs Purchased at Milton Sale 

French Chair Tags - Look at the Horse and Hog Hair - Love it! 

My lovely new Hickory Chair Chest

Weekend Update - Estate Sales and More

Estate Sale in Buckhead

Yesterday was a picture-perfect day in Atlanta.  The morning started out at just over freezing and my trusty minivan's windows were covered with ice but the skies were crystal clear and bright!  I bundled up for a round of morning estate sales with a focus on the Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Buckhead metropolitan areas.

I have been registered with EstateSales.net for about half a year and find it a useful site - they send messages 3-4 times a week with upcoming sales including photos of items for sale. I find the pictures give me so much information about the type and quality of items for sale.

I traveled to several sales (bought some great table-scape candles to add to my holiday decorating) before landing at the day's BEST and most INTERESTING sale.  The sale was located on Woodhaven Drive, at a huge home behind the Governor's Mansion in very upscale Buckhead (actually a neighborhood in the City of Atlanta).  The house was spacious and elegant and there were quite a few nice items for sale - most either already sold or pricey or both!

Interior of Woodhaven Home with Some of the Items for Sale

The motherlode for me was to find bolts of great fabrics at great prices (as little as $35 for 25 yards).   I purchased 4 bolts!

I joyously brought the bolts home and tried to get them into my "fabric room" before my husband noticed that I was acquiring even more fabric!

Needless to say, with successes like this, I will be out again today hoping for even more great bargains.  I do love the sales!