What to Expect When You Visit RDFCo.

We try to stick to two rules when stocking our shop: offer handcrafted, restyled or found items. And, it must be something we would put in our own home. If we don't truly love it, how can we be passionate about it and sell it to our customers? These might sound like easy rules to follow, but they are hard to stick to as we build a curated selection. 

So, what the heck does all that mean? Here's what you can expect to find when you visit our Frenchtown shop:

handcrafted

From rustic wooden coasters to unique pillows to dining room tables, we offer a variety of home furnishings for every budget. Our tables are handcrafted from old doors we source and find around the St. Louis area. Each one is completely one-of-kind -- no two have ever been alike and each one holds it's own story!

If you are interested in a custom table, we also carry a selection of doors in the shop. We will work with you to select the right door for your table, whether you want a sofa or entry table, a buffet or bar, coffee table or dining room table. You get to choose the door, and be a part of the story.

We are adding other handcrafted items daily, including bread/cheese boards, candle holders, unique signs, soap bars, and more. 

restyled

We are not against painting furniture to bring new life (and love) to it. Some of my favorite pieces in our home have been passed down to us and given a new life with a coat of paint. They are no longer hanging out in someone's garage or basement, but are used and appreciated every day.

So of the items we carry have had many years of love, but they still have many more in them! They've been restyled into a unique piece you won't find anywhere else.

 

Red Cross Dresser

Our favorite line of paint is Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. It's what most of our furniture is restyled with. We offer the entire line of milk paint in our shop, including 18 colors, waxes, brushes, hemp oil and more. Our inspiration boards are on display to help you choose the perfect color for your next project. We also offer monthly hands-on Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint workshops where you can work with the paint and learn all the techniques you need to create your own one-of-a-kind piece.

found

From vintage trunks and typewriters to antique metal boxes and shoe forms, we have a unique stock of found items. They add an interesting touch to that empty bookshelf or coffee table you might have.

So, in a nutshell, that's a little taste of what you can expect when you visit. We are now open at 1105 N. Second Street in St. Charles, MO (Wed-Fri from noon-5 p.m. and Sat & Sun from 11-4 p.m.) Our selection will constantly be changing...to stay on top of what we have on-hand, follow us on Facebook. We hope to see you soon!

How to Use Milk Paint as a Stain

I'll admit, I'm fairly new to milk paint. I was always a little hesitant to use it, because of the whole "you don't know where it will chip" factor (Don't worry, we have things to help with that). And, the fact that you mix it yourself was always a little overwhelming.

During the last couple of months, I've been experimenting and using it more. I've discovered colors that I would never have chosen for a piece of furniture before, are now among my very faves. I have my preferred methods of mixing the paint. And, I love that I'm able to control the amount of coverage. For instance, did you know that by mixing in more water, you can use it as a stain? Which leads us to....

This is not an exact measurement and it doesn't have to be. I filled my container with water and then added a couple of scoops (tablespoons) of Miss Mustard Seed's Curio. Here's the coverage when mixed with the recommended ratio (1 part milk paint to 1 part water):

Here it is when mixed as a stain. You are looking for a watery consistency. The mix below had no "thickness" too it, like paint. It was a dark, watery mix. I mixed the milk paint and water in a container with a lid. Just put it all in, add the lid, and shake it up.

We used Curio to stain the workshop table we'll have in the shop. Jeff built the table out of Douglas Fir. I gave it a very light sanding to smooth it out. Here's what one brush of paint looked like:

And here's what it looked like as it soaked into the wood. Once I got it all painted, I took a rag and wiped it down. However, most of it had already soaked in.

Here's the finished product. I LOVE it. The finish doesn't resemble paint at all -- it totally looks and feels like it's been stained. We finished it with Howard Feed-N-Wax. It deepened the color and will help protect the top. Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil would also be beautiful on this (I opted for Howard's because it's such a huge table).

If you are interested in using milk paint as a stain, we carry the entire line of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in our shop. Stop in and visit on Feb. 1 at 1105 N. Second Street in St. Charles, or send me an email at info@reddoorfurnitureco.com.

The Story

Red Door Furniture Co. started from a table Jeff made more than a decade ago. It was made out of an old door his dad found on a job site in downtown St. Louis. He spent hours and hours stripping and sanding the top of the table. By the time he got to the underside, he grabbed the nearest thing he could find...a can of red paint and slapped on a coat. Years later, we named our little company Red Door Furniture Co.

First RDFCo. Table

I've been sharing alot of the new items we will be offering in our shop -- we are trying hard to stick to unique home decor that is handcrafted, restyled or found by us. It's not easy! But, we're building a curated collection where each piece holds it's own little story. Just waiting for you to bring it home and add it to yours!

Today we're going out to look for old doors for dining room tables, sofa tables, bars, headboards...you name it! We'll be setting up an area of the store where, if we don't have a table in stock that fits your needs, you can select the door that does (as you can see below...no two are ever the same).

This weekend, Jeff will be working on a dining room table that I'm really excited about. We found the door below at a local antique store. It's perfectly chippy and rustic looking. Follow us on Facebook for updates and pics this weekend. I can't wait to see it when it's done!

Shop Update & Preview

Let me start by apologizing for the following crappy photos. My favorite little camera decided it was tired of my incessant need to photograph furniture painting, food and my dogs, and has decided it would rather live in the world of dead cameras. May it RIP.

Besides my crappy iPhone camera, my only other option is our DSLR. I know I need to start using it more, but, it's kinda a pain. This sounds like something I shouldn't be complaining about, so I'll move on...

Things are moving along at the new store front. We spend last weekend painting the walls. We chose a light gray (although the pics make it look dark...it really isn't).

We bought the two dividers you see below from the previous owner. We'll be using them to section off our work space in the back from the rest of the store. I'm painting them with chalkboard paint, so I can keep them updated with upcoming classes, special offerings, love notes, etc.

 Today I started staining crates we'll be using to create a shelf/wall. Here's the inspiration:

Source / Source

AND, here's where I am. I've discovered that staining 14+ crates is a very tedious chore. But, they are going to look pretty cool when it's done. (Well, it's what I repeat to myself anyway).

 

In my spare time, I've been painting furniture and running around St. Louis and St. Charles counties looking for super awesome finds for the shop. There's already a few things that I'm going to have a hard time parting with. But, that's what it's all about!

I'm hoping to take some pics this weekend of more stuff...but, here's a peek of a few things.

30 Days Til Store Opening {And a Giveaway}

Me: "I've gotten us into quite a pickle." 
Hubbie: "Yes you have."

We picked up the keys to our shop on New Year's Eve. 30 days until we open. Our to-do list lists are pretty long. If I think about it too much, it's paralyzing. We have to just put it aside and plow through it all.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing updates as we get ready and previews of what we'll have to offer. We've got a ton of painting to do (I'm heading out to start on that today), lots of product to build, paint and get ready, and more picking and shopping to do. I'm really excited about what we've found so far!

In the meantime, we're kicking off the new year with a little giveaway. In addition to the one quart bags of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, we'll also have small sample sizes for sale. These are a great way to try out a color. A little goes a long way, and a sample will cover a small end table, stool, a couple of picture frames. Head on over to our Facebook page (or leave a comment below if you aren't on FB) and let me know what YOU would paint if you won. We'll pick a winner on Friday who will receive one sample of Ironstone (the color of the month), Mustard Seed Yellow (in honor of MMS) and Tricycle (had to giveaway a red!).

Righting a Wrong

When it came to our dining room table, I had a vision. I knew what I wanted it to look like. At the time, I didn't want to paint it and stripping it was out of the question (I try to avoid that at all costs. I'm very impatient). I sanded a little...but, it pretty much remained that same.

So, I just went ahead anyway and applied liming wax, and ended up with this:

I wasn't entirely happy with it. It remained in the garage until about a month ago when we moved. Now, I see it every day. I glare at it. Sometimes I call it names. I had to do something.

First, I added some dark wax to the top. It covered and cleaned up the liming wax quite nicely. It's not back to it's original state, but it looks much better. You can see the difference in the pic below.

Then, I painted it. I used the Mustard Seed Yellow again from MMSMP. I've painted one other piece this color and it was a nice way to introduce yellow in another area of hour house (it also goes well with the chairs we painted and recovered). I didn't get much chipping at all, but areas sanded off really easily with a sanding pad.

Mustard Seed Yellow | Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Sooo much better! We'll be changing out the rug eventually, but it fits our home so much better now. Which is one of the things I love about painting furniture. It's ok if your original vision doesn't turn out as planned. Just pick up a brush and try again!

Exciting News: RDFCo. to Open Shop in Frenchtown

You know how it feels to be holding back a secret...and you just can't wait to blurt it out? But, you want to wait until all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed? Well, everything finally came together this week and tonight we officially wrapped things up: We are excited to announce that we'll be opening a brick and mortar shop in February 2014! Eek!

Our shop will be in the historic Frenchtown area in St. Charles, Missouri (it has the largest concentration of French Colonial style architecture in the Midwest, and is on the National Register of Historic Places). We'll be joining an awesome mix of antique shops, a country market, vintage rentals, bridal boutiques, florists, home decor shops and more.

We get the keys on Jan. 1 and will have one month to get our new space ready. (Oh, and build up an awesome stock). Here's what it looks like right now:

The space has some great hardwood floors and I love the exposed brick on the front wall. We have alot of cosmetic work to do to get it ready...but, that's all fun anyway, right?

At a little over 1,000 square feet, it has plenty of retail space and room for a small work area for Jeff and myself. Oh...and room to hold furniture painting classes. Because we are also excited to announce that we are officially a Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Retailer. Yay!

I've been a fan of Marian's style and paint for while and cannot wait to work more with it and bring it to the Frenchtown area. I'm hoping to attend formal training in Feb. so we can offer workshops and DIY classes right away.

We've posted some additional info on our website (opening date, hours, what to expect). Of course, we'll also be blogging about our journey here.

We are so thankful to everyone who has supported us. This is a huge leap of faith for us. We are nervous. Excited. Maybe a little scared to death. But, we know that if we don't give it a try, we will never know! We hope you can come visit us in February.

DIY: Steel Wool and Vinegar Wood Stain

We are in home project overload right now. We're closing on our new house on Wednesday (YAY!) and it's a mad dash to get everything ready. One of the things on our to-do list was to freshen up our computer desk. We picked up this table several years ago at an antique store...it's already been thru a couple of makeovers since we brought it home. Here's what it looked like when we bought it:

I've been wanting to try a steel wool and vinegar stain for awhile. And, once the table top was completely stripped down, I knew it would be the perfect piece. There's tons of tutorials and "recipes" out there...here's what we did:

 1. Soak steel wool (we used medium) in a jar of vinegar. The longer it sits, the rustier it will get and the darker the result. This is what it looked like after one week:

 Here's the table top all sanded down. Nice, smooth and bare.

2. Use a paint brush (or cloth) and brush on the rusty vinegar mix. Don't forget to shake it up and get all the "good stuff" that settles at the bottom.

Here's what it looked like halfway thru. What a difference!

3) We let the vinegar stain soak in and wiped it down. The finish looked duller -- but, definitely looked like aged wood.

 

 4) Then, we applied one of our favorite wood conditioners/finishers: Howard's Feed-N-Wax. It's made from beeswax and orange oil and really brings out the wood and deepened the color.

5) Next up was Annie Sloan's soft clear wax (for extra protection)...and here's the finished look. The base and legs were painted with ASCP in Aubusson Blue, with Paris Grey underneath. I waxed it with liming wax, however I don't think it had much of an impact.

I'm totally loving it and will definitely be using this technique again. Super cheap and super easy!

Steel Wool and Vinegar Stained Table

Steel Wool and Vinegar Stained Table

 

Custom Work: Schulz Table

We have another busy weekend ahead of us. On Saturday, we're meeting some friends of ours who are wanting a sofa table. We've invited them along with us to help find the perfect door and be a part of the process (something we offer in our custom program). Which got me thinking, we never shared our first custom table we created! This table was completed earlier this year and remains one of the most unique so far!

 We met the Schulz's at one of our favorite local salvage shops. We arrived a bit early to scout it out and get a general idea of what they had (it can be pretty overwhelming). Initially, the request was for a window box table where the top could be opened and things could be stored inside for display.

We stumbled upon two nearly identical doors that they immediately fell in love with. One was a mirror and one was glass and both had the same leaded pattern. (It was also a similar pattern they had in the windows of their Clayton home). Some old spindles were found to be used as legs.

While the design itself was simple, the process to get there was time consuming. Both doors and the spindles had to be stripped. While we typically don't strip doors because of the time involved and chemicals, we did this time and used a stripper that contains no methylene chloride, is non-caustic and safe for indoor use.

 The oak wood on the doors was beautiful. The stain was chosen to match the other furniture in their living room.

Of course it got the signature "Red Door" treatment underneath.

Our custom program is available for dining room tables, sofa tables, side tables...whatever you need! Get more info here.