Red Cross Vintage Suitcase Tutorial

I'm currently obsessed with the Pacific Northwest and during one of my recent internet searches, I came across Seabold Vintage Market. It's located on Bainbridge Island in Washington -- and is exactly the type of shop I would love to have some day.

I absolutely love this Red Cross necklace they have:

Red Cross Necklace from Seabold Vintage

And this Red Cross pillow made from vintage linen...

Red Cross Pillow from Seabold Vintage

All the red cross symbols inspired me to do a make-over on an old suitcase I picked up for $15 at the antique store. It's the third suitcase and/or trunk I've picked up in several weeks. Jeff is questioning whether they are really a trend right now, or if I am just getting ready to move out. I like to keep him on his toes.

I've also been wanting to try out Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on a suitcase. They say you can paint anything with it...so, here's my victim:

It's really sturdy and the leather is rugged and worn. I hadn't even payed close attention to the plate on the front until Jeff pointed it out to me. Amelia Earhart Luggage. Very cool!

The interior was stained, so I ripped it all out.

I taped up everything I didn't want painted. 

Then, I took out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White and gave the suitcase a nice thick coat.

I printed off the Red Cross symbol on cardstock, taped around the cardstock, removed the template and painted the exposed symbol with ASCP in Emperor's Silk.

Once it was dry, I pulled all of the tape off....and fell in LOVE!

Even Jeff said, "Wow!"

I still have to fix the inside (my Mod Podge plan was a BIG fail), but I loooove how the outside turned out. The paint took to the suitcase very well and totally transformed it! I would love to hear other non-furniture ASCP projects people have done...let me know!

Linking to

Vintage Hanky Wine Bags

Sometimes when you don't succeed, you just have to try again. And, again. And then you end up with something super cute.

Vintage Hanky Wine Bag

Last week, I picked up several vintage hankies at an antique shop. My first thought was to sew pillows with them. I didn't have a pattern...and was just winging it. Let's just say, it didn't turn out (Fail #1). In an effort to salvage the hanky, I ripped the project apart and realized I had enough to create a mini wallet. While it is super cute and holds my business cards perfectly, as you can see, it is a bit crooked (Fail #2).

At the same time, I've been wanting to make wine bags. And, hankies just happen to be the perfect size to wrap around a bottle! I sewed a 1/4" seam at the bottom and up one side and flipped it inside out (so the seams are on the inside). And, ended up with these adorable wine bags. No pattern or cutting required. They'll be a cute way to dress up gifts...or just dress up a bottle of wine we're enjoying for dinner!

Vintage Hanky Wine Bags

I'm linking to these fabulous parties: Beyond the Picket Fence, Shabby Nest, Whipper Berry, The 36th Avenue, DIY Showoff

Favorite Places to Thrift and a Mirror Rehab

I've been hitting my usual thrift and antique store circuit quite a bit lately. The turnover in alot of these places is pretty fast, so when I have the time, I'll hit my faves a couple times a week (don't tell my husband that). My top five favorite places to find deals are:

1. Local Antique Malls/Stores
2. Goodwill
3. St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
4. Architectural Salvage Stores (we have a couple of great ones here in STL)
5. Friends and Family

Up until this point, I haven't been much of a garage sale or estate sale gal. I think it's all the driving around. Not knowing what will be there. And, getting frustrated when it's all junk. However, I recently learned of estatesales.net. You can put in your zip code and how far you are willing to drive and each week you'll get an email of everything that's near you, including pics! I'm hoping to check some out soon.

My find of this past weekend was this guy here. He weighs no less than 89 pounds. Has great detailing on the top (I knew the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint would take very well to this). And, was $20. I literally snatched it up the minute I walked in the door.

I used two coats of Paris Grey (bottom) and a light coat of Pure White (top). After a coat of clear wax, I distressed all the edges. I took the dark wax only to the detail at the top. In certain lights, it looks like gold is coming through. I love it! I can't get over how smooth it is...it feels like butter.

I've considered antiquing the mirror itself. Muriatic acid is involved. I'm willing to bet that acid+me=disaster...so, we'll see!

Have a great and creative week!

Linking to Shades of Amber, Brassy Apple, Singing Three Little Birds, DIY Showoff 

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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!

Craft Fairs, Business Planning and Pretzels - Oh, My!

What a week! Not only were we selected to show at the Strange Folk Festival, but we also made the cut for Handmade Happy Hour, as well as approached for several other potential business opportunities. By Friday, our heads were swimming and it was clear we needed one thing: a business planning lunch.

We chose Perennial Artisan Ales for its inspiring atmosphere, tasty food. Oh...and they have good beer.

We have alot to do before the Sept. 29th Strange Folk Fest -- we started mapping out our space and figuring out how much merch we'll need. Since we are limited to a 10 ft x 10 ft space, we can only feature so many of our tables.  For the most part, Jeff will be focusing on those (although, I'll be apprenticing these next couple of months). I'm in charge of filling the rest of the space with delicious home goods. And, I'm not talking the baked variety.

We'll be holding off on offering any of these in our Etsy store, as we will be stockpiling them for the festival. Don't worry...what doesn't sell there will be offered in our store! Here's a peek of what I've been working on:

Vintage Grain Sack Pillow (small)

 Vintage Grain Sack Pillow (large)

Sewn Notecards

Burlap Pillow

Stay tuned...we plan on offering a wide variety of vintage and handmade items for your home. We're loving every finished piece and we hope you do, too!

Telegraph Insulator Lights

A few months ago, we bought several of these blue antique insulators to decorate our mantle. Jeff's always been drawn to them and they added an interesting element to our typically coastal decor.

Then we saw these in Napa Style -- selling for upwards of $100. knew they would make the perfect addition to the Etsy store!

Visit our store here to see what's available. We have many shapes and sizes...and will give discounts if you buy two or more!

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!

First Sales!

So, our etsy store has been open for just over a month and we are excited to have already sold several items. Most notably, our first sale was this table:

Since these tables are our signature item, we were thrilled that someone liked it as much as we did. It had many cute features...like this little key hole:

We're busy working on adding more tables to the store. Here's a peek at what's coming up:

I think they are going to make great tables. The first photo is of just a section of a door. It's very thick and sturdy. We're thinking of making it into a small coffee table. The bottom photo is also a section of a door. I loved the detail in the woodwork -- it's going to be a sofa table. 

 More to come soon...including our favorite places to find materials, how we build tables and {my favorite} marketing and packaging!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog Behind the Red Door — a peek behind the scenes of our newest adventure, the Red Door Furniture Co. Thanks for stopping by! We’ll use this space as we refinish and build our pieces and share our hunts for local architectural treasures and DIY techniques.