Milk Paint Workshops at RDFCo.

Furniture painting is a popular trend. What better way to give new life to a worn piece! Whether you have an old table you want to give a facelift or picked up a great deal at a thrift store, a coat of milk paint can make a huge transformation.

I've designed our Milk Paint 101 workshops to be a fun, relaxing end to your weekend (or to kick off your week). They will be held select Sundays and it's a great way to learn all about milk paint, practice techniques and start thinking about your first milk paint project! Each class will be approximately 2.5 hours. You leave with sample boards and a trendy sign made by you. Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served. You also get 10% off all Miss Mustard Seed products on the day of your workshop (to get stocked up on your first project!). Workshops are $65/person. Discounts are given to groups. We are also holding a special for March & April workshops. Enter MarchMadness at checkout and get 20% off!

One of the things I love about milk paint is that it's so versatile. As you might know, it's the best for achieving a chippy, rustic look. But, did you know that you can use it as a stain? Or that it can be used for full coverage. Or layered to get a driftwood effect?  In our workshops, you get to practice how to get all of these looks BEFORE you try it on your Grandma's buffet or a recent thrift store find.

We're also committed to passing as much knowledge and value on to you as possible. Professional development is essential in this business. As a Certified Retailer, we've gone thru two days of intensive product training. Miss Mustard Seed has a strong group of knowledgeable retailers and trainers. We are so fortunate to be apart of this team! In a RDFCo. workshop, you get full access to our milk paint bar and can experiment with multiple color combinations. Walk away with your sample boards, a personalized sign and 10% off milk paint products. Then, head home and try the driftwood or layered technique on that old piece of furniture!

Milk Paint Finishes: Crackle, Primitive, Chippy, Driftwood.

For more information or to register, please visit www.reddoorfurnitureco.com/worshops or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/reddoorfurnitureco/events.


Miss Mustard Seed's Color of the Month: French Enamel

I've had this large buffet since before we opened our doors. It was one of the first pieces I purchased, but in the rush of getting the shop ready, I didn't have time to give it a facelift. I also wasn't quite ready to commit to a color and look. We put it out anyway, with a "pick your color" tag.

Before

I knew it would be the perfect piece to host our milk & cookies bar for our grand opening...but, I wanted it to shine for our special day. Two days before the big day, I decided to just go for it. I chose French Enamel. I didn't do any prep work. No sanding. No dusting. Here she is after the first coat.

And here she is in all of her milk & cookies bar glory. It chipped up beautifully -- I was so happy. I finished it with a coat of MMS Furniture Wax. It's my go-to to finish a painted piece. The wax is like butter and makes even the chippiest of pieces so smooth.

Miss Mustard Seed's French Enamel

Milk & Cookie Bar

For the grand opening, I covered the top with burlap to protect the finish. I did strip the top. It had a weird finish/varnish on it. I used a soy gel stripper on the top. I know you can't tell in this photo, but it is absolutely gorgeous! I finished with a coat of MMS Hemp Oil (my fave to use on wood surfaces).

If you love this color as much as I do, stop in our shop at 1105 N. Second Street in St. Charles. We're offering 10% off French Enamel during the month of March.

Much thanks to Meldt Vintage Love for the cookies. They were a huge hit!

Grand + opening Details

I can't believe how fast this month has flown by. One month ago, this is what we were working on:

And here we are today:

It's been an exciting month. We've met alot of great people. Neighboring shops in Frenchtown have been so supportive. We can't wait to team up with everyone to come up with great ideas and events to bring even more people to our little area.

But first, we must have our grand opening! It's just a week or so away -- if you are in the STL area, we would love to have you stop by!

Details
When: Saturday, March 8th from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: 1105 N. Second Street in St. Charles

Highlights

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Milk & Cookie Bar
We are teaming up with MeldT Sweets to offer a complimentary milk and cookies bar. It's going to be awesome. They were kind enough to drop off some treats last weekend at the shop. They lasted about an hour. And I was by myself.

MeldT Sweets

  
1 p.m.
Free Milk Paint Demo
Learn how to mix milk paint and what you can expect on your next project. We love this stuff and can't wait to show you all the ways you can use it.

1:30-2:30 p.m.
Milk Paint Happy Hour
Play around with the paint and practice making your own custom colors. We'll have all 18 out and ready for you to test. Make your own swatch to bring home!

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Noonday Collection Trunk Show
This stuff is awesome...and it's an amazing company!  Here's a peek at what you can expect and the good work your purchase supports:

Giveaways
We have a ton of giveaways planned. Everyone in attendance will be entered to win two tickets to
St. Louis Vintage Market Days (it's right around the corner).

 And, every purchase gets you even more chances to win. We'll be giving away a Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Starter Kit ($75 value), a pass to one of our Milk Paint & Mimosas workshops ($65 value) and a custom made sign ($40 value).

We'll also be giving away mini versions of our delicious goats milk handmade soaps. (While supplies last!)

Finally, we have some surprise discounts planned -- only good that day. So, you won't want to miss out! To RSVP, click here to head on over to our Facebook page. See you on the 8th!

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.