RDFCo. Presents....

Are we completely insane?

I think I've asked myself and Jeff this about 238 times this week. The answer: Yes. Yes we are.

Just as we were settling in at our Frenchtown shop, we're excited to announce that we'll be moving to Historic Main Street! In a few weeks. Eek!

Since we opened in Feb., one of our most frequent customers has been Dan Hobbs, who owns Fox and Hound Antiques, along with his wife April. They are opening their second location on Main and had some extra space. Jeff and I had already been talking about our next step and what we wanted/needed for RDFCo. Late night dreaming turned into serious talks turned into this...

Isn't this little courtyard amazing? We'll be renting the "barn" portion of the Hound's new space (the back, lower red section of this building). The courtyard is also shared with JOYS. The event planner in me is already scheming on what all three of us can use this space for.

Here's a peek at the inside...

We've got a ton of work to do and questions to answer...like why won't that light come on?

But, I think it's going to be awesome. Our businesses are both unique and are going to blend well together. I can't wait to see what it all looks like in the next few weeks!


So, what does that mean for our Frenchtown space? It will remain Jeff's workshop for building tables and I'll host my milk paint workshops there. We're also opening the space up to local handmade artists and vendors to create a unique, collective market:

The Atelier will be open the first full weekend of each month on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to coincide with other monthly local sales events in Frenchtown. We will happily open for appointments outside of the monthly sales event, in addition to special pop-up events. We are currently looking for vendors...so, if you are interested, check out our website.

More info will be coming soon. A late June/July opening for our Main Street shop is planned and we're hoping to get the Atelier off the ground in August.

All of this couldn't be possible without the amazing support of our customers, family, friends, neighbors. Every purchase, mention, Facebook share helps. Thank you!

I'm also beyond lucky to have a Hubbie who will dream with me (in addition to his full time job) and works so hard to make it all a reality.

Milk Paint Tip: Easy Chippy Technique

It's another rainy afternoon here in STL, so I thought I would post this sunny piece I just finished. Well, almost finished. I also wanted to share a chipping technique I accidently discovered {although, I'm sure I'm not the first to do this}.

So, here's the before. This dresser came with a taller "brother", but I've painted them differently and don't plan on them selling together. Both are unique pieces and I wanted them to have two different looks (I'll share the other piece in a later post).

Before

It was in pretty good shape when I got it. A little chipping veneer, but not bad. I loved the tall legs and old caster wheels.

I'm not typically a stencil/script person, but I wanted to try something new. I picked up the stencil below from a nearby shop, Dawn Lynz Surface Design. She does amazing work and has a great selection of stencils.

I used MMSMP in Mustard Seed Yellow and stenciled the writing in Ironstone {I carry both of these colors in the shop!}. It's finished with furniture wax.

After

I love how sunny and light it turned out. I think it would look cute in a nursery (as a changing table) or in a dining room as a buffet.

I had already painted the "brother" to this piece, so I knew I most likely wasn't going to get any chipping. Which I wanted. However, my laziness to just use hemp oil or a wax puck outweighed my desire for chippiness. But, decided to just let it go.

For the stencil, I had to tape it on with Scotch Tape to hold it in place. And, wouldn't you know, when I removed the stencil, a bit of paint came up here and there.

Almost like chipping!

So, I applied it in various places all over the piece. Any "chipping" you see actually came from where I applied the tape and then ripped it off! I did this before I waxed (the wax will seal the paint in and you most likely won't get this effect).

Miss Mustard Seed Yellow Dresser

Red Door Furniture Co. Dresser in Mustard Seed Yellow

 

While this method might be a bit unconventional --- it worked! I would love to know...what painting techniques have you accidentally discovered and now love?

How To: Host a Succulent Bar

Like everyone else, I've been a bit obsessed with succulents lately. I brought a few that I planted in vintage containers to Vintage Market Days last month and they were a hit. Trying to think of a fun way to bring people to the shop for some spring shopping, I came across the idea of a succulent bar. We supply the succulents, soil, rocks, containers, etc. and customers could stop in and put together their own potted plant. Leaving the mess to us!

This would also make a great addition to a birthday party or gathering. It's a fun way to get creative and plant something of your very own (without having to buy more supplies than you actually need).

Here's a few tips to get you started:

Note: If you are able, check out a wholesale nursery that sells to the public. I headed to the St. Louis Floral Market or Florist Row to pick up our succulents. It was my first time and I was completely overwhelmed. The nice folks at Baisch & Skinner helped me out and got me all set up. The selection was much better than what I would find at Home Depot or Lowe's garden centers (and better prices).

1/ Choose a selection of small, medium and large succulents. Depending on the size of containers you will be using, your guests could pick just one succulent or several. Make sure to have a good variety on-hand.



2/  Get creative with containers! I searched for a few weeks, curating a unique selection of containers. Popular planters included milk glass, vintage tea cups, vintage trays, and newer mercury glass candle holders.

 

3/ Give a little guidance. We hosted our succulent bar as a special event at the shop, so I printed up a la carte price sheets. The cheapest potted succulent went for under $10. Depending on the container, they went up to $50. I picked up some tips while I was at the floral market, and I offered those up as customers put together their plants. {hint: over watering seems to be the #1 killer of these cuties).

4/ Don't forget the details! Put out some gardening gloves, small scoops and shovels and mini watering cans! Give your guests all the tools they need to dive in!

5/ Have fun! Many of the people who stepped up to the succulent bar just happened to wander in...it was a fun surprise for them. Mother's Day was right around the corner, so alot of pots were put together with Grandma and Mom in mind. It was definitely messy, but that was the point!

 

 

DIY Succulent Bar

Succulent Bar

The succulent bar was a huge hit with kids (they loved planting in the vintage tea cups) and it was fun watching guests carefully select each item that went into their finished piece. Everyone not only left with a truly unique plant that they created, but a huge smile on their face.