UPDATE - Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Project - Chair in Chateau Grey

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Colors

During the past several months, I have discussed my interest in using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to refurbish some of the woodwork on my chairs.  Check out my prior blogs under the label Annie Sloan Chalk Paints to catch up on my adventures in actually finding these heralded paints and then using them on two chair projects.  Unfortunately, I cannot yet show the finished (including expert reupholstery) products since they are still at the shop and have had to take a backup position because of other work volume.  I hope to show those results soon!

I just started another project with a French style armchair which had badly scarred woodwork but wonderful lines.  With the previous projects, my upholsterer wasn't too happy with the fact that I had not removed the cording/fabric close to the paint-line and is worried about chipping paint and/or failing to match new fabric with old lines when the does the upholstery work.  I trust him to do well on these (and offered to do whatever touch-up necessary).  I did, however, ask him to remove the excess fabric on these so that the finished paint job would be more than covered with the new fabric.

In my prior projects, I used the old white color - now I choose chateau grey (see chart above).  Even though the paint can, and other discussions about the paint, suggest that cleaning and prep is not necessary, I cannot think about putting on a new coat without at least a good cleaning job.  I always use Goof Off, a wonderful product that cleans off oils, paints, tars, and tobacco stains (you may not think about it, but it is hard to find a piece of wooden furniture that is more than 25-30 years old that has never been in a smoking environment).

I put on on coat and it may actually have been smoother than the prior projects - it does go on well and adhere well.  What was somewhat shocking to me was the color - which I would describe as  deep grey green NOT chateau grey.

While I like the color, it is not what I expected and I hope it is not too unique to appeal to my potential buyers!

I did a second coat fairly quickly and let it dry overnight.  Today I added my first coat of wax and will wait 24 hours to buff it out.  I also selected a wonderful fabric - a linen by Chelsea Fabrics printed in England called "Pineapple" - the grey/green matches perfectly with chateau grey and I have enough to use it on a few more pieces as well.  Truthfully, now that I look at these photos and the chart with the grey above, I do think they kind of match although I really would have included the word "green" somewhere in the color description.

Chelsea Linen called Pineapple 

 I can't wait to see the finished product!  

UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE   - Here is the finished product - LOVE IT!

Furniture Refurbishing Principles - Re-Purpose, Re-Use, Re-Finish

Since I have started my own blog and am trying to keep in fresh and interesting, I am following other "blogsters" and finding an amazing network out there with great ideas and inspirations.  One of my favorites is a "green" blog called - Simply Organic link to blog

I found this great article which emphasized looking at your existing furniture when you get the urge to change out your decor and am highlighting some of the ideas described in that article (full article).

The principles described are:

Re-Purpose - Avoid thinking that certain pieces of furniture only work in one setting or have only one type of functionality.  I love the repurposing of an out-of-date media center into the great play kitchen above (see Details).

Re-Use -  The author provides some quick examples which illustrate this principle:

Covering a sofa with a slipcover might be the easiest way to update your couch.

Dining room chairs are easily recovered with fabric and a staple gun or small nails.

Cut the legs off a taller table to make it a shorter coffee table or a play table for a playroom.

Add castors to a trunk or suitcase to make a rolling coffee table. Or add castors to a bedside table to make a small kitchen island.

Take drawers out of a chest and use them as shelves. Then, add a tension rod and curtains to the dresser for a different look.

Add fabric or wallpaper to the backs of bookshelves, or as curtains if cabinet doors are missing.

Re-Finish - Simply painting a piece of wooden furniture can give it new life.   I have just started using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and will continue to experiment with this method.  In my youth,  I did a lot of furniture stripping and refinishing and heartily recommend it for those who have the time and patience.  I found this article very helpful link to article about stripping woodwork shortcuts.

Here's another example using all the principles - re-purpose, re-use and re-finish - I am not crazy about the results for me but can easily envision it in a playroom or foyer.  It is, however, a brilliant idea! DIY Bookcase from Country Living Magazine

Happy Refurbishing!

Fabric Trends - Ikat

Samples of Ikat Fabrics

Ikat fabrics have been popular for some time.  I love the fact that they combine a feel for history and interesting cultures with a clean design.  I looked up the definition on Wikipedia and found the following:

Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres.

Bindings, which resist dye penetration, are applied to the threads in the desired patterns and the threads are dyed. Alteration of the bindings and the dyeing of more than one color produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When all of the dyeing is finished the bindings are removed and the threads are ready to be woven into cloth.

The defining characteristic of ikat is the dyeing of patterns, by means of bindings, into the threads before cloth construction, the weaving of the fabric, takes place. Herein lies the difference between ikat and tie-dye. In tie-dye the fabric is woven first and the resist bindings are then applied to the fabric which is dyed.

In warp ikat the patterns are clearly visible in the warp threads on the loom even before the plain colored weft is introduced to produce the fabric. 

Ikat fabrics appear to be cotton prints - either light or medium weight.  I have found some excellent upholstery-weight (or drape)  Ikat Fabric at my go-to local fabric warehouse - Fabric World in Stone Mountain, GA.

During the summer, I sold a great looking "ballard-style" settee refurbished in a rose-red and cream taupe ikat fabric with matching metalic cream legs.   Paired with a square ottoman in a complementary fabric (a custom order for this client), the set makes a wonderful statement.

Ikat Settee with Square Ottoman

I currently have two sets of wingbacks reupholstered in ikat fabrics - one in this pattern with refinished legs and one in a blue and taupe - I just love these sets!  One of the reasons I love wingback chairs is that they provide such a great canvas for patterned fabrics particularly on the expansive wings!

I hope to find more of this great fabric and look forward to finding other patterns and designs.   These can be seen on my websitelink to website

Glorious Yellow - A Bright Color for 2012

February 2012 Issue - House Beautiful

I am happy to be surrounded by yellow.  The House Beautiful issue arrived yesterday and features a yellow and grey kitchen designed by Lindsey Coral Harper - I love it.  Arriving almost simultaneously was an email from Better Homes and Gardens (one of my favorite websites) featuring yellow living rooms and yellow bedrooms with some wonderful combinations.

BHG Living Room - Love the Crisp Colors

BHG Living Room Setting with Brown Slipper Chairs

Warm Yellow Bedroom - BHG

Yellow is the color most used in my own house - about 80% of the walls are painted one of three shades of the same paint color strip.  Particularly on a sunny day like today, the place just sparkles.  While my predominant color combination is with yellow and white, I also have other colors such as these deep rose club chairs in my family room.

My Family Room - Yellow with Rose

Other Yellows in My Home - Mostly with Blues and White

Today, I also photographed a great set of yellow club chairs that match perfectly with the yellow walls of my sunroom (aka my photography studio/stage).   The chairs are low and wide and very comfortable.  The skirt styling is classic - I wish I had room for them.  They can be seen on my website link along with other solid and patterned yellow pieces.  I am go glad this particular color remains trendy!

Before and After - San Francisco Club Chair and Ottoman

I just returned from shipping this lovely club chair and ottoman and reflected on the finding, selling and refurbishing process.  I thought it might be illustrative to tell the tale of how this piece came into my inventory; the process of selling "as is" with custom upholstery;  the collaboration with my customer; and, shipping using Greyhound Package Express - all critical components of my work.

I purchased the chair from a listing on the local (Atlanta) craigslist after asking questions about manufacturing/construction, size and composition of seat cushions.  After traveling to Buckhead near downtown Atlanta, I purchased the pieces and found they had originally been bought in San Francisco (hence the name).  

I initially listed the pieces on eBay under a group of listings I call "You Choose Fabric".  I show the "before photos" with some suggested fabrics and provide a price that includes expert upholstery work.

I communicated with several potential buyers before the piece was sold to a Wisconsin client.   She looked over some fabric photos I sent and concluded that a piece she already had would be perfect.  She shipped the fabric and within two weeks, my great upholsterer, Mr. Lee, had finished the set and included one of my signature accent pillows.  I provided photos and we discussed shipping. 

For shipping, I generally use one of two options:

a)  TSC Moving for most door-to-door shipments link.  They are a blanket service that keeps the entire process from pickup to staging to delivery in-house.  I have used TSC for as much as 100 shipments without a single problem.  Turnaround can be 4-6 weeks and has been a little longer at times.  TSC does not cover all of the continental USA.  Costs are highest the furthest away - e.g., California tends to be pretty pricey!

b)  Greyhound Package Express link.  This is a station-to-station service and the quickest and most reasonable method of shipping.  Not all pieces fit their maximum size standard (one side must be less than 30" in length).   It does require that I package (very well) and that it be picked up by the client.  The range in prices does not vary significantly across the country although maximum insurance coverage does vary with distance.  I have been using Greyhound for seven years and am mostly very satisfied with the results.  

Since my customer does not live in the TSC Moving shipping range and the pieces are within Greyhound Package Express limits, this method was chosen.  I packaged using commercial grade bubble wrap and other methods learned over the years to cover the most vulnerable areas such as the legs.  My husband has crafted wooden stakes which help enormously.  

They are on their way - I hope she loves them!

Preparing to Ship

Home Decor Color Trends for 2012 - Hot and Others!

Preparing for bigger and better things in 2012, I have started researching upcoming trends in home decorating.   One topic which gets a lot of press are the color predictions - colors that will be seen on the runway as well as in home decor.  The Pantone Color Institute appears to be one of the sages in this area - link.  This year's color prediction is tangerine tango.

According to the experts at Pantone, the "spirited, reddish-orange" hue will "provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward." Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.

Illustration of Pantone's Color - Tangerine Tango

Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Another predictor of color selections is the Color Marketing Group (CMG) - link - a group out of Alexandria, Virginia.  They predict that a color they call P'zazz will be the hot color - particularly for commercial spaces:  

P'Zazz

 P’Zazz is not your ordinary purple; it’s energized, it’s sassy and it’s a little burlesque – a strong red-purple with a wink to Hollywood.  As the last color in a rainbow spectrum, purple is an exclamation mark in color discussions.
 
With a life of its own, P’ZAZZ is also the upcoming accent to breathe life into “proper” contract colors. Mixing well with classic colors, expect it to adorn feature walls, accent soft furnishings, and breathe new life into standard hues such as beige, navy and grey. Spice it up with a red accent, pair it with green to symbolize spring and new growth.

Needless to say, there are many more voices on this subject and particularly paint companies who would like to see many more colors selected and used.  An interesting discussion was held on a set of themes promoted by Benjamin Moore - link to articleBalance to Conservation Theme 


Preservation is broken out into 4 trends - all with related colors:

1.             Heritage – our past

2.             Process – our journey

3.             Protection – our vulnerability

4.             Enlightenment – our future

Benjamin Moore Color Selections for 2012

New Design for 2012 - Comments Welcome

I have redesigned my blog for 2012 using the options available through blogspot.  I'd like the blog to be more clearly laid out and easy to see/read.  Any comments would be welcome!

I hope everyone has a healthy and prosperous 2012!

Gerrie