Latest Finds & Exciting New Project

So, we completely sat on our bums in January. Didn't lift a finger to do anything besides watch reruns of Honey Boo Boo Downton Abbey. And, here we are. Sprinting into February. Trying to finalize some custom orders AND get ready for our first show of 2013, Green with Indie.

Out of our minds, right? (I'm talking about the Honey Boo Boo part, not the procrastination).

So, now we're in crunch mode. In December, we launched a custom order program for our dining room tables, where the customer joins us as we hunt for their perfect table. I love the idea of customers being apart of the story of their table.

Last weekend, we headed out for the first time to meet our new customers at Fellenz Antiques in the Central West End. It's a huge warehouse packed to the roof with doors, spindles, old architectural findings, windows, mantles...you name it, he probably has it.

Fellenz Antiques in the CWE

The couple came to us wanting a shadow box coffee table. During the course of our search, we happened upon the doors below (forgive me for the bad iPhone pic). The first one has leaded glass and the second one is identical, but features a mirror instead.

The idea is to use both doors for the table -- one as a lower "shelf" and the other for the top. Some sturdy architectural legs were found to support it. It will be a truly unique piece and we're looking forward to getting started on it!

While we were there, I ran across this old cabinet door. I love the arch and it still has the original lock on the front -- it will make a really cute chalkboard menu board.

 Jeff spotted these old sewing machine legs. Just a little TLC and they will make great legs for a side table or sofa table.

Now that we are stocked up, it's time to get to work! Of course, all work and no play is no fun. We also got our first taste of snow last weekend. And we love to run in the snow!

Marley

Allie

Update: Sofa Table from Antique Door

Here we are...half way thru the first month of 2013 and we've been silent! Jeff and I have been out and about, searching for doors and other items to turn into fab items for your home. But, overall, we've been feeling pretty uninspired. I blame it on the cold weather!

While we get back into our groove, I thought I would share the last sofa table that we made. It's the table Jeff was working on in this post. I'm so happy with how it turned out. The stain on the top had such a cool effect. We usually go with a darker stain, but I really like this shade. We'll definitely use it again.

We brought it with us to our last show in December. And, while someone didn't snatch it up there, it barely made it 24 hours online before it was sold. It was a Christmas present -- so happy it was going under the tree!

Sofa Table from Old Door

Sofa Table from Old Door

Sofa Table from Old Door

Sofa Table from Old Door

Sofa Table from Old Door

Farmhouse Style Dining Room Table

One of the things we are trying to start doing more is showing the process Jeff goes through when making our tables. This is one we brought with us to Strange Folk and were overwhelmed with the response. While it didn't sell (not many people expect to go to a festival and buy a dining room table!), everyone loved it. Which was great to hear.

It started off looking like this:

What I really like about what Jeff does with the large doors is that he trims them out. While they still look rustic and farmhouse style, they have a more finished look.

And, here it is today! We stained it a dark brown and added 4x4 legs (which can be removed). I painted and distressed the legs and gave them a coat of dark soft wax (the legs are super smooth...although they look rough). We opted to go with 5 small panes of glass over one large one (moving the large piece is really hard).

It can seat 6 comfortably...maybe 8. It's currently for sale in our Etsy shop and can't wait for its first Thanksgiving Day meal!

Countdown to Strange Folk Festival

The countdown is officially on! Since mid-July, we've been prepping for Strange Folk Festival. With 150 vendors, bands, food and alpacas, it will be the largest one we participate in this year. And, our first official festival. I'm excited to show our stuff to the world. Nervous that people will think it is stupid. Curious about why there will be alpacas. I promise to report back on all of the above!

During the last several weeks, we've held back alot of our items from our Etsy shop. Here's just a quick preview of what we've been working on and of what we'll be featuring in our booth. If you are in the STL area, stop on over!

Coffee Table with Hairpin Legs

After waiting a month, we finally got the hairpin legs we ordered! Here's the final product. He can't wait to go to his first show!

We also ordered a set to use for a side table. I'm loooving this look -- I think we'll definitely be doing more like this!

The Faces Behind RDFCo.

The RDFCo. team was busy packing up another table tonight, so I'll make this short. Shipping our tables across the country can be very time consuming. We take great care in packaging up each shipment so it arrives in the same condition it left us in. And, it's usually a team effort -- so I wanted to introduce the faces behind the Red Door to you:

Creative Director/Blog Manager/All-Around Bossy Pants

That would be me! I primarily handle all of the social media, marketing, sales opps and blog posts. In addition, I love to search for and create unique home decor items, and, of course, paint furniture. I typically do this all with a stylish necklace and glass of wine (as you see in the photo above).

Chief Designer/Master Builder

Jeff. AKA Sparky. He built the first Red Door table many years ago...way before it was RDFC. It's that original table that we are basing our Signature Collection on today. He has final say in all of the doors, design ideas and product. He also gets to operate all of the heavy equipment.

The team wouldn't be complete without our assistants. For the most part, they serve as my wingmen wingdogs. They are by my side whenever I am sewing, Mod Podging or painting. If you can't find them in my craft room, they are probably out hunting for moles. Read more about them here.

Senior Designer

Design Apprentice

There you have it! These are the faces that dream, create, build, sell, package and ship all of the unique RDFCo. items. Some of us get paid in bacon treats. Others with wine. You'll never know who gets what.

Hairpin Leg Coffee Table - Part 1

If you've taken a look at our tables, most of them have square, wood legs. We wanted to switch it up on a few of them, so we've ordered these: 

Hairpin legs

I can't wait until they come in! We'll be making a coffee table and side table featuring hairpin legs. We both really love the look of this table:

Source: hairpinlegsforless.com

We knew this part of a door we picked up a few months ago would be perfect. It is super thick and heavy. We won't be trimming it out and will leave the edges raw. Here's what it looked like when we picked it up and what it's been thru since then:

Original State

Original State -- Dusty and Dirty!

Door gets sanded and cleaned

Signature coat of red paint is added to the back

And here it is today...just waiting for it's new legs! (Forrest Gump movie quote coming soon)

I'm hoping to have it done next week...stay tuned!

Red Door Signage

Honestly, sometimes it's hard to function when you are inspired. If you're anything like me, it takes over your life. You can't sleep. You can't focus. All you can think about is how you are going to channel this inspiration into something incredibly awesome. Then you make lists of all the awesome things you will accomplish. It's really quite distracting.

My recent inspiration is really a journey...

Inspiration Timeline

Last Week

I attended a conference and trade show for my "real" job. While I was excited to represent my org. and meet some new people, I was really looking forward to one exhibitor in particular: Annie Sloan Unfolded. I am completely blaming them for my recent restless nights and endless lists.

I eased into things slowly...taking a walk over to the display and checking out the samples.

Annie Sloan Unfolded Display

Before I knew it, I was signed up for a hands-on (hour long!) demo. I have the Paris Grey Chalk Paint...and I quickly learned that I've been misusing the paint and waxes incorrectly. I fell in love with the newest color, Provence.

Hands-on Painting Class

As you can see, I took it very seriously.

LOOOVE the new color: Provence.
This was achieved by letting the Chalk Paint dry and then wiping off with a damp cloth.

Monday

I walked away from the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint demos with a looong list of painting projects and a bag full of Chalk Paint samples. I immediately ran to the St. Louis stockist for a new brush and AS soft wax.
 

August 2011

It's hard to believe that we've been meaning to start Red Door Furniture Co. for nearly a year before we officially made the leap this spring. Here's a shot of Jeff with a door we found last year. He sanded off the old finish and stained it a dark brown. While the color looks beautiful, we bought this door not paying attention to how thin the main panel was.  Originally, we wanted to put glass only on the panel, but we were afraid it wasn't sturdy enough to support it. So, we dragged it down to the basement...

Today

One of the items on our to-do list is festival/fair signage. And, of course, we wanted a door! Since this guy won't make a great table and has been sitting in our basement for nearly a year, we knew it would be perfect.

I painted it with a couple layers of chalkboard paint (I also used the spray paint chalkboard paint, which I didn't really like). Then I put on a couple layers of Emperor's Silk by Annie Sloan.

Once it was dry, I used a couple of distressing techniques. From the on-hand demos, I learned that it is best to apply the clear wax before sanding. However, the STL stockist was out of the clear and I was impatient...so, I distressed with some 220 grit sandpaper. I also used a damp paper towel (which I liked best for this piece). Then, I applied a coat of the dark soft wax. The door feels like butter!

I absolutely love how it turned out. We are hoping to be vending at different festivals and fairs in the area, so having a chalkboard sign is going to let us personalize what we say for each venue.

Linking to Serenity Now, The Dedicated House, Domestically Speaking, Sweet Little Gals, 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Shades of Amber

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5 Tips on Selecting a Door for a Table

One of our favorite places to go hunting for old doors and windows is Cherokee Street. Known as Antique Row, it offers store after store filled with antiques, architectural pieces, vintage clothing and jewelry...and much more.

One of our first stops is at Riverside Architectural Antiques. This is a typical scene of what we dig through.

The Painted Cow is also a great place to find one-of-a-kind items...

Over time, we've learned what to look for when selecting doors that will ultimately become tables. A couple things we consider:

1. What do you want the finished table to look like? Our tables range from those with a more finished look (complete with table skirt and glass to even it out), to simply a table on legs. Whatever look you are going for, think about how you will put it all together and will the door work with your plan?
2. Symmetry: Depending on the look you are going for and the tools available, take a close look to see if the door is symmetrical. Alot of the time, the bottom rail is wider than the top. If this is something you are concerned about, you'll need the proper tools to even it out.
3. If you plan on going with a stained top, does the door need to be stripped? This process can take up alot of your time. You can find doors that have already been stripped (or, the store might offer it for a fee), but you usually will pay more for these doors. If you love the chippy paint on the door, then this isn't an issue!
   
4. Sturdiness: Think about how you want the finished product to look. Will you have a large piece of glass on the top, like this table? Or, if there are smaller panels, will it be more like this table? If you don't care for an even surface, knock on the panels to make sure they are sturdy. We opted to not put glass on this table. The panels are thick and can stand to have vases, books, etc. placed on them.
5. For me, the older and chippier a door, the better. However, as we have been leveling the symmetry on older doors or removing rusty nails, doors have cracked and chipped apart. Pay attention to the quirky details you love in the door...will they end up causing you more problems as you are putting your piece together?

There's one other thing Cherokee Street is known for...its Mexican food. As we all know, antiqing is hard work!

New Items Coming Soon!

We've been out hunting for new pieces lately...I'm really excited about what we have coming soon! I think my favorite is the old, chippy door:

Or, maybe this long piece. It's going to make a great entryway or sofa table!

You can always see what's coming up  by clicking on the Coming Soon tab on the blog. We're also happy to do custom orders and requests. Just send me an email at info@reddoorfurnitureco.com.

New Sofa Table Update

The blog has gotten off slower than I anticipated...but, we are working away, I swear! We'll be listing our next table on Etsy soon (just waiting for the glass to come in). We found the door for this table at Fellenz Antiques on Euclid. It's one of our favorite places. It is packed to the ceiling with architectural items. Here's Jeff looking a little intimidated....

The three rectangular sections add such an interesting element...I loved it right away!

Before

After

 

This was a combined effort. Jeff refinished the door and handmade the legs and trim. Once it was stained, I painted and distressed the legs.

The color is beautiful...a lovely dark brown.

 What do you think? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Next on the list is this door. Hoping to have a productive weekend so we can share more photos!