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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Flea Market Trends

I've been busy searching for vintage and antique pieces for our Etsy store and the Strange Folk festival. So, when I saw Etsy's recent shopping guide featuring flea market trends, I was happy to see that my recent purchases are right on track.

I've found some great vintage trunks lately. 

The bottom one is pretty big. We're thinking of adding castors and making it into a rolling storage trunk or even a coffee table. It has this great sticker on the top, from a transatlantic cruise it took in 1965. How great is this?

Then there's this heavy little guy. The tag said it was an antique dentist box.

It has cute little knobs and drawers. With a little cleaning up, I thought it would make a unique jewelry box. Or, maybe a great place to stash desk supplies? I have a feeling I'll have a hard time parting with this!

The article also featured antique telegraph insulators...which we're already offering in our store. We're keeping one of these for our kitchen and I'm hoping Jeff will be installing it soon. I just love the color!

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect letterpress drawer to turn into a jewelry display. And, there's a set of antlers that I've also had my eye on, too.

How about you? What are some of your favorite vintage trends that are out there?

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!