Lucky at Lucketts

~All pieces available for sale can be found here~

This weekend I pulled on my wellies and shopped the Lucketts Spring Market

There is certainly something to be said about finding gems in the midst of rubble. I do much of my hunting at thrift stores and the like. However, the Lucketts Spring Market this past weekend was no pile of rubble! There were beautiful things at every turn, (thanks to the many hours the vendors there spent finding and creating their lovely pieces). I had the most fantastic time popping in and out of tents with my Mom, chatting with the talented vendors, and waiting out the worst of the rain on a beautiful linen covered camelback sofa inside the Old Lucketts Store. If I had come home empty handed it still would have been a wonderful time! 

But, I came home with a car full. Naturally.

Our adventure began with a list of items that I wanted to look for specifically for our home, space measurements, and a budget. This week will be about getting these pieces in tip-top shape for our home and moving some old things out for these replacements. I can't wait to see how they all turn out! Pictures to come.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check my updated list of pieces available for sale, (link at the top of the page).

~Chelsea

Paint on, Wipe off - How to get a weathered finish

~All pieces available for sale can be found here~

If there is one kind of literature that I just completely soak in, it's information regarding refinishing techniques. There is so much out there in the world of refinishing furniture. So many ways to make an old piece come back to life. I learned a new way recently from the talented Christen at Blue Egg Brown Nest as she tried out a new technique from Annie Sloan, creator of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Waxes and author of her new book, Color Recipes for Painted Furniture.

Weathered. 

It's probably one of my favorite techniques as it creates a rich, weathered, time-worn finish. The steps are simple. 

1. You need a piece that has good texture and grain - nothing smooth! 

2. Using Old White chalk paint, brush the paint on in a small-ish section, wait about 30-ish seconds, and use a soft cloth,  like an old t-shirt, to wipe it off. 

3a. Touch up areas that you feel need more paint with a fairly dry brush - dipping in just the tip of the brush and wiping off any excess.

3b. Touch up any areas that you feel have too much paint and it's too late to wipe off with a fine sanding sponge. You can soften any thick areas of paint this way.  

Christen demonstrates this technique on her blog using an oak pedestal table. Coincidentally a very, very, kind client recently asked me if I had any use for a lone oak pedestal table that was taking up space in her garage. She and her husband were anxious to just get it out. Lucky me, indeed!!!

Now, this table was almost perfect for trying this weathered technique. The only issue was that the top surface was sealed fairly smooth. The sealer was coming off in areas, but I didn't have as much texture up top as I would have liked. I ended up favoring a really chippy, time-worn finish on the top rather than a soft, whitewashed look, (which I was able to achieve on the pedestal base as there was plenty of texture down there). I did a lot of sanding to the top to remove paint. Now it looks as if it's seen years of love and family gatherings! As you can see in the pictures, the top has a gorgeous sunburst design, so I followed the direction of the wood with my painting, wiping, and sanding.

With the leaf. Seats 6-8.

Weathered Oak Pedestal Table

62 x 30 with the leaf, 38 x 30 without the leaf

Available for $425

Alright, enough about my newfound refinishing technique. Here are some real highlights of our week.:)
I don't blame you one bit if you move on at this point. I get it.

Doctor date with my under-the-weather daughter. Doesn't she look ill? ;)
(we were both happy to be out of the house together without the boys!)

Silly mirrors in the waiting room

I don't just have one, but TWO superhero sons. Though, Superman won't do much good with that paci and his finger in his bellybutton...

 

Won't be long until they're joining the kids they watch board the bus every morning with their "pack-packs"

If this is a foreshadow of what's to come, I am totally okay with that!

First sunglasses and they couldn't be prouder of themselves. 93 cents at Walmart for a few priceless smiles and giggles.

Kids not available for sale. Not today ;)

Last thing; if you happen to have an open weekend coming up and are somewhat local to Northern Virginia, check out the Luckett's Spring Market! Saturday and Sunday, 10-5, shop hundreds of home decor vendors outdoors and in. Admission is $7, (worth every penny), and there will be something for everyone - not might be, but will be! 

~Chelsea

My cozy auto-shop chair

~All pieces available for sale can be found here~

Ok, here's the thing. If you are passionate about refinishing furniture then you probably notice furniture everywhere. Sometimes it's not even a conscious effort to find furniture; it's just there.

This is basically how I came about a battered, bug crawling chair a few weeks ago. I, (and my 3 toddlers), had to go get our van inspected and while we were waiting outside, (picking a bazillion dandelions), I noticed this tattered chair up against the concrete wall of the building. I noticed it because of the wood. It was perfection. Gray and textured from spending who knows how long outside. The seat was a mess, as you can see, and the entire thing was covered in cobwebs. But it was solid as a rock. When I inquired about this chair upon check-out I'm pretty sure the guy had no idea what I was talking about, so we took it for free!

I didn't get a before before picture. This was after a good scrub and hose down. But the seat speaks for itself. You can't see the colony of stinkbugs that were occupying that tattered cushion at the time of this picture. Grossness. 

Before

After

I replaced the seat and cushion completely. Not only was the original in pretty hopeless shape, I didn't want to risk bringing any stinkbugs inside!

The fabric is so soft. Not sure what it is, but when I touched it I grabbed it and checked out, (JoAnns).

This little reading chair is just the first of a few changes I'm making in our room. It'll be a bit of a process as I swap a few things around and get a few pieces painted, (not the bedroom suite, Grandma Livi, not to worry!). I'll share pictures once it's done but until then just know that it's really coming together beautifully in my head ;) 

Tomorrow is a new painting technique reveal, (if I can get decent pictures in time!), and an exciting event happening this coming weekend for local friends!

Thank you for reading!

~Chelsea

Studio upgrade!

 ~All my pieces still available for sale can be found here~

Hey guys! I had the pleasure of taking a solo road trip to visit my beautiful sister, Casey, last weekend and help her with her new studio apartment!

The weekend started with a pitcher of sangria and pizza. That's how we roll.

There are still a few items we're on the look-out for, but we made some major headway in perking the place up with some color and pattern. She really likes blue. Like, a lot. And yellow. Our designer-at-heart Mom got the cute flower pillow for the bed, and then we went from there.

We found a flea market up the street where we were able to load up on some kitchen and bathroom storage essentials without spending much. Among those lesser interesting items we also walked away with this print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art for $4. Great size as a focal point above the bed!

We grabbed a couple creamy yellow pillowcases from Target to punch out the yellow in the accent flower pillow and other areas of the space.

It was important to Casey to give the old nightstand that she used in college a fresh face with a pretty tablecloth. We found a beautiful blue and white stripe fabric at the flea market and cut it to size. Nothing fancy but oh, so cute! The lamp is a base and shade mix & match that Casey put together at Target. Isn't that shade so cool!? The floral blue curtain was also a Target find. 

Love that she keeps her fancy shoes out. They're like art! :)

Across from the bed we hung more curtains and used the same striped fabric from the tablecloth to make tiebacks.

She's had these shelves for a long time. Love the open storage!

Looking into the kitchen

Not really sure what this piece was made for but it sure is a fun spot to gather spices and seasonings.

Recognize this from here? :)

Casey has a great idea for a little sitting area with a comfy armchair and small coffee table, but since space is pretty limited the pieces will have to be just the perfect size. We'll all be on the lookout but in the meantime I think she's got a darn cute place to call home! Aren't studios fun?!?

Thanks a lot for reading! Check back in tomorrow to see an awesome transformation of a bug ridden dumpster chair, (which is in our bedroom now)!

~Chelsea

Custom match

~All my pieces still available for sale can be found here~

When owning/working a creative business I don't think there is anything more flattering than repeat business. At least that's how I feel. It means a lot to me when someone is so pleased with a piece I have finished that they come back for more. I remember the first time someone wanted another piece from me - I was so thrilled I would have given it away! 

I recently had such a request from a very kind client who drives a solid 45 minutes from her home to mine. Last fall she bought this china cabinet which I had finished in Paris Grey and Old White - both by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

A couple weeks ago she dropped off a coffee table which she wanted to have finished to match her china cabinet.

The finished product

The entire piece is covered in a thick layer of Paris Grey, with a thinner layer of Old white on top. I gently distressed the top layer of Old White using a fine sanding sponge to show peeks of the pretty grey. The insides of the drawers, however, I left in just Paris Grey, same as I did with the inside of the hutch.

Both pieces will bask in her sunroom; so dreamy! Now I want a sunroom with some Paris Grey and Old White pieces. First, I need a sunroom...

Do you have any beloved pieces which you'd like to give a fresh look so you can truly enjoy them?

Email me at chelseasgarage@gmail.com! I'd love to hear your ideas and turn them into reality.:)

~Chelsea

For my doubting husband: Decorating with antlers

So, a few weekends ago my husband, Matt, and I spent a beautifulperfectwonderful weekend away in Harpers Ferry, WV. We had perfect weather, a beautiful place to stay, (the Anglers Inn B&B), hiked the Appalachian Trail to a breathtaking overlook, played Yahtzee, and spent time being lazy and enjoying each other's uninterrupted company.

Our reward after a good climb: the Maryland Heights cliff overlooks the quaint town of Harper's Ferry.

When one of our afternoons slowed down and we had already taken a little nap on the porch swing, we ventured over to the Pickers Paradise flea market. Since we arrived near closing time there wasn't much left.

Then I found antlers. Could. Not. Contain my excitement.

Matt couldn't contain his disbelief that I would want antlers.

So around and around we went. I couldn't make him picture how they could look in our home. And for all of his amazing gifts and talents, seeing potential in certain objects isn't a particular strong suite of his. Sorry, love, but you know it's not.:) After I bargained the price of my antlers from $10 to $7, I won him over. Well, won might be a strong word. He still wasn't thrilled. But he (halfheartedly) agreed to take a picture of me with my prize.

Meet my 8-point buck for less than 8 bucks

So, I am still working on bringing my antlers up to par with the decor in our home. In the mean time, I thought I would share some inspiring photos of how others have accented their homes with antlers. I like these pictures because the spaces are not overly rustic or even remotely themed around hunting and game. Yet, the antlers work. They're architectural and interesting.

Sally Wheat Interiors

 Allikas

 Angie Helm Interiors

 Domino

 Domino

 In the Fun Lane

 Pink Wallpaper

Pinterest 

Not into the real thing? :)

Eye for Design

So, what do YOU think about antlers? Decorating-do or decorating-don't, (all opinions are welcome)?

More importantly, what do you think, Matt? :)

I'll be sure to show you how we, (I), fit the antlers into our home as soon as they're done!

Have a wonderful weekend!
~Chelsea