the journal…
Years of rescued pieces, paint experiments, and faded-farmhouse projects — every before-and-after, French-country wash, and hard-won tip, all in one place. Prefer a thread to follow? Browse by series.
Vintage Cabinet in Shasta Lake by Behr: A Furniture Flip Before and After
A very dated cabinet is transformed into a modern, clean, and bright piece with a fresh coat of Behr Shasta Lake and a clever interior rebuild.
Curbside Buffet Makeover in Behr Chalk Paint Green Agate
A buffet rescued from the curb is transformed with Behr Chalk Paint in Green Agate, a soft, sophisticated green that steals the show.
Burled Wood Chest: Before and After
A chest with gorgeous burled wood drawers gets Annie Sloan Duck Egg chalk paint and shimmering gold details for a true showstopper.
Is Shabby Chic Still In?
A look at whether shabby chic still has a place in modern homes, and how to blend its soft, muted charm with mid-century and contemporary style.
Basement Trash to Class: A Dresser Makeover
A solid wood dresser rescued from a basement is layered in Annie Sloan whites and sent upstairs to star in a staged master bedroom.
Magnolia Home Olive Grove Desk and Mirror Makeover
A graceful antique desk with a swinging mirror finds new life in Magnolia Home Olive Grove, a soft and pretty green.
Subway Tile Backsplash Update
One small idea to repaint the cabinets snowballed into a full subway tile backsplash, floating shelves, and a brighter, whiter kitchen.
Favorite Find Monday: French Cedar Blanket Chest
A french cedar blanket chest discovered at a local thrift store, waiting its turn for a makeover among a lineup of cherished cedar chests.
Vintage Gateleg Table Before and After
A space-saving vintage gateleg table is refreshed with a striking mix of black paint and warm natural wood for a sharp, modern look.
Country to Beach Chic Coffee Table Makeover
A dated country coffee table trades its heavy stain for a light, breezy beach chic finish in soft blues and weathered whites.
Vintage Effect Wash and a Thrift Store Table
A charming little thrift store table with sweet drawers gets a soft blue wash, inspired by a beloved Annie Sloan Aubusson bedside table.
General Finishes Dark Chocolate Milk Paint Stair Makeover
A creaky, much-painted staircase finally gets it right with General Finishes Dark Chocolate milk paint.
Sea Salt Bedroom and a Lawyers Bookcase Makeover
A calming bedroom refresh in Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt paired with a vintage lawyers bookcase given a soft, coastal makeover.
The Caned Back Chair — Before and After
A coat of Old White turns a dark, dated caned chair — and even its tired fabric — into something fresh and trendy.
A Behr Wanderlust Teen Bedroom Reveal
A moody, grown-up teal called Behr Wanderlust transforms an ordinary teen bedroom into a cosy, sophisticated retreat.
The Blue Velvet Dresser — Before and After
A tired chest of drawers is reborn in a deep, velvety blue that feels both vintage and utterly modern.
A Vintage Armoire and a Poised Taupe Foyer — Double Reveal
A tired stenciled foyer goes fresh in Poised Taupe while a vintage armoire blooms in soft Duck Egg Blue.
Color Combos – Annie Sloan French Linen and Gold
The combo that never misses — Annie Sloan French Linen warmed with gold gilding wax.
A Beach Bedroom: Create the Look with a Whitewash
A breezy seaside bedroom inspires a soft whitewash technique that captures all the calm of the coast.
A Mid-Century Table — Before and After
A round mid-century table gets a pop of Halcyon Blue, a walnut top brought back to life, and brass hardware polished to a shine.
It Is Not Gucci — The Bag Is Home Depot
A peek inside the everyday tote that carries every essential a furniture painter cannot live without.
The Aubusson Armoire in an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Mix — Before and After
Four Annie Sloan colours layered together give a vintage armoire a rich, custom, hand-worked finish.
The Empire Chest in Rembrandt Red — Before and After
A peeling, chipped Empire chest is reborn in a deep, glorious Rembrandt Red with diamond-cut acrylic knobs.
A Pantry and a Pegboard
One clever pegboard turns an ordinary kitchen pantry into a flexible, hard-working storage space.
Create the Weathered Wood Look with Paint & Transform a Cheap Mirror
A blah big-box mirror becomes faux weathered wood with Annie Sloan Coco, Old Ochre, and Old White.
A Guilford Green Family Room Full of Thrift Store Finds
A bright room gets a calming reset in Benjamin Moore Guilford Green, styled almost entirely with thrifted treasures.
A Dutch Tulip Crate and a House Full of Finds
A free roadside Dutch tulip crate turns out to be a coveted treasure — and the heart of a home styled entirely from finds.
How To Wet Distress Chalk Paint
A soft, dust-free way to distress — wet distressing with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey.
Design on a Dime — Thrift Store Tables in Seagull Gray
A $14.99 pair of thrift store end tables proves that good design has nothing to do with a big budget.
The Farmhouse Cabinet in Greige and Persimmon — Before and After
A humble farmhouse cabinet wakes up in soft greige with a daring pop of persimmon hiding inside.
Paint Color Highlight – General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint
The most bang for your buck in furniture painting — one tin of General Finishes Lamp Black and a brush.
Layering with General Finishes Milk Paint – A French Dresser
Who says you cannot layer milk paint? A curvy Drexel Heritage dresser proves otherwise in General Finishes Basil.
A Vintage Farmhouse Table Before and After
A battered old table becomes the heart of a farmhouse kitchen — a creamy painted base below, a warm refinished wood top above.
Transforming Old Concrete Planters
Heavy, weathered concrete planters drink up a wash of Provence chalk paint and emerge with the loveliest aged French patina.
Before and After!
A scroll back through the camera roll turns up years of dramatic before-and-afters — a happy reminder of just what a little paint can do.
The Drexel Triune Dresser Before and After
A stunning Drexel Triune dresser goes rustic-glam in Lamp Black with a Java Gel-stained top and aged gold feet that steal the show.
The Beach Chic Dresser Before and After
A dull dresser turns breezy and beach-chic in custom creamy white, with a clever bleached-stain trick that hides a burn mark in plain sight.
Paint Color Highlight – General Finishes Basil
General Finishes Basil under a Winter White glaze lands somewhere lovely between blue and green.
A Vintage Record Cabinet Goes Farmhouse Before and After
A little vintage record cabinet turns sweet and farmhouse-fresh with Duck Egg Blue, Coco, and a scatter of hand-painted white blooms.
A Mid-Century Modern Dresser Before and After
A clean-lined MCM dresser gets a fresh, modern take — Coastal Blue milk paint up top and rich Java Gel-stained drawers below.
Whitewashed Stairs and a Foyer Makeover
A cluttered entry gets a bright reset — whitewashed treads, blue and grey risers, and a few thrifted finds that make it feel ready for spring.
The French Vanity Before and After
After more than one false start, a graceful old vanity lands on French Linen, gold highlights, and a surprise pop of Louis Blue within.
Spring Cleaning and Making Space
The first warm light of spring is the perfect excuse to clear out, freshen up, and make room for the next great find.
Paint Color Highlight – Spring Colors
A basket of Easter-egg paint colours, from a soft Behr buffet to Annie Sloan Antibes Green.
Favorite Find Monday: A French Dresser
A solid French dresser with naturally washed, faintly pink wood — one of the all-time great thrift scores, and the rare piece we will never paint.
Before and After: The Vintage Baker Secretary
A grand Baker secretary trades its loud peach paint for soft Old Ochre, a sheer Old White wash, and bronze pulls that finally let the craftsmanship shine.
Our Favorite Small Table Transformations
A cosy roundup of our most-loved little tables, vanities, and desks — proof that the smallest pieces often make the biggest impression.
From Drab to Fab: The Farmhouse Chair
A five-dollar oak chair finds new life under a creamy custom white that goes on like butter and never needs waxing.
A DIY Network Feature and Winter Painting
A French Linen and Gold chest earns a spot on DIY Network, while the realities of painting furniture through a frozen February take over the house.
A Valentine's Pair
A pair of French tables finished in the softest pale pink, with gold highlights and a creamy wash, ready just in time for Valentine love.
Painting Wicker in Milk Paint with a Glaze
A tired vintage wicker table turns soft and coastal under General Finishes Basil and a Winter White glaze.
Before and After — A French Linen and Gold Vintage Chest
A footless, filler-needing Davis Cabinet Company chest is reborn in French Linen and gold, looking straight out of an old French chateau.
Almost There — The Countdown Continues
With the holidays nearly here, the workshop empties out and the house finally gets dressed for the season.
A Pinecone Wreath Plus Holiday Crafts
A rustic pinecone wreath gathered from the yard brings handmade, vintage-farmhouse charm to the holidays for almost nothing.
The Dining Room and a Pop of Blue
A warm neutral dining room comes alive with a single, well-placed pop of soft French blue on a painted chest.
A "New" Burgundy Buffet
A dining room buffet trades cool Paris Grey for a warm, hand-gilded burgundy mixed to match the colour of falling autumn leaves.
A Pair of French Henredon Tables
Provence blue laid over antique gold, finished with two-tone wax, turns a pair of Henredon tables into something pulled straight from a French chateau.
Yet Another Desk — A Before and After
A childhood desk painted bright blue grows up for a teenager with layered whites and a hand-stained Early American top.
The Vintage Chest — Before & After
A creamy layered white over Old Ochre rescues a scratched, veneer-chipped chest and lets its vintage details finally shine.
A Living Room and a Cost Breakdown
An entire warm, magazine-worthy living room furnished from thrift stores, Craigslist, and curbside finds for under five hundred dollars.
Creating a Paneled Door for Pennies
A little molding, some glue, and a coat of bright white turn flat builder-grade doors into characterful paneled ones for next to nothing.
Paint Colors Series: General Finishes Milk Paint
A guide to working with General Finishes Milk Paint, from favourite colours like Coastal Blue and Basil to how it distresses and seals.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Creamy Whites
A classic chest-on-chest gets new life in layered Annie Sloan creamy whites with cut glass hardware that makes the whole piece sing.
A Vintage Desk Redone in Black and Gold
Deep black milk paint and polished gold trim give a tired vintage desk a stately, dramatic second life.
A French Cedar Blanket Chest
A custom-mixed French blue and a whisper of gold turn a humble blanket chest into a piece that shifts colour with the light.
A Provence Buffet with a Whitewash
A buffet finished in Annie Sloan Provence, layered with dark and clear waxes and a soft whitewash that shifts with the light.
A New Farmhouse Table from a Thrift Store Find
A thirty-dollar thrift store table gets sanded to bare pine, stained dark walnut, and finished with a General Finishes Driftwood base.
A Dresser Gone Glam in Lamp Black
A long, straight-lined dresser turns dramatic with General Finishes Lamp Black, polished brass, and vintage pulls.
A Vintage Gray Chest of Drawers
A charming chest with peeling veneer gets two coats of General Finishes Seagull Gray and a perfectly imperfect, no-topcoat finish.
The Midnight Sideboard in Lamp Black
A long vintage sideboard goes dramatic and durable in General Finishes Lamp Black with a flat topcoat and gleaming brass.
Painting Concrete Steps and a Bench Makeover
Tired concrete steps refreshed with Annie Sloan Primer Red and a curbside bench revived in Old Ochre — a quick, low-cost summer makeover.
Mirror, Mirror: Reviving a Vintage Frame
A tired vintage mirror frame is transformed with soft paint and gently aged detail, turning an overlooked thrift find into a room-making statement.
A HomeGoods Console Table Makeover
A pale yellow HomeGoods console gets real character with General Finishes Persian Blue and Annie Sloan Coco, layered and distressed.
A Whitewashed Farmhouse Chair in Old Ochre
A large, weathered farmhouse chair gets lightened with a soft Old Ochre wash that highlights its detail and rush seat without hiding the old wood.
The Beach Glass Dresser in Duck Egg Blue
A weathered dresser becomes pure sea glass — pale greenie-blues that shift from blue to green with the light, heavily distressed and finished smooth.
Bringing an Antique Farmhouse Piece Back to Life
Weathered, honest, and full of history, an antique farmhouse piece gets a gentle revival that honors its age instead of erasing it.
A Gorgeous Sideboard, Refreshed for Modern Rooms
A long, generous sideboard trades a dark, dated finish for a soft painted palette that lets its lines and storage finally take center stage.
A Versatile Farmhouse Cabinet in Blue and Gray
A hardworking farmhouse cabinet finds new life in a layered blend of Old White, Louis Blue, and a soft gray topcoat — a finish as adaptable as the piece itself.
Old Violet Love: A Vintage Desk Makeover
A rope-trimmed vintage desk finds new character in Annie Sloan Old Violet paired with a rich walnut-stained top.
Finders Keepers: The Pieces We Could Not Sell
Every so often a finished piece refuses to leave the studio — a heavy buffet, a unique cabinet, and a chippy little table that earned their keep.
A Small French Provincial Dresser in Soft French Blue
A little 1970s French provincial dresser sheds its dated yellow finish for a soft, washed French blue that flatters every feminine curve.
A Shabby Glam Hepplewhite Dresser
A classic Hepplewhite-style dresser gets a soft driftwood finish, a single quiet stripe, and just enough sanded-back shimmer to land somewhere between shabby and glam.
A Vintage Desk: It Takes a Village
A two-ton desk in desperate shape, rescued with wood glue, three different paints, and a great deal of stubbornness.
Vintage Fans: Industrial Charm for the Home
Old metal fans — caged, patinated, and full of industrial character — make some of the best decorative smalls around.
The Spring Buffet
A banged-up buffet that started shabby white and found its true voice in a muted French blue, washed and waxed into spring.
Layering with Milk Paint: A French Dresser
Proving you can layer, wax, and glaze with milk paint — a curvy Drexel Heritage dresser built up coat by coat into something special.
Hunting for Vintage Treasures
How to get your eye in at yard sales, estate sales and thrift stores — sifting past the junk to spot the piece that is meant to come home with you.
Favorite Find Monday: A Farmhouse Cabinet
A glorious old farmhouse cabinet from the 1930s comes home from a thrift store, full of possibility and ready for a plan.
Creating Vintage French Flower Pots
Thrift-store clay pots transformed into colorful, aged French country planters — an easy weekend project that holds up for years.
Antique Gold and Corinth Blue Dresser
A rich Corinth blue dresser with gold-highlighted details, deepened by a burnt umber glaze into an aged, jewel-like patina.
A Bedroom Set in Coastal Blue
A straight-lined dresser and matching bedside table get a sharp navy finish in General Finishes Coastal Blue with polished brass.
A Little Persian Blue End Table
A small 1930s end table from a vintage bedroom set gets the General Finishes Persian Blue treatment and a photo shoot all its own.
A Whitewashed Driftwood Dresser
A French Drexel dresser base-coated in General Finishes Driftwood and glazed with Winter White for a soft, weathered finish.
The Charm of Vintage Trophies
A design share of a Vintage European Trophy, and why these tarnished, characterful smalls earn a place on a spring mantel.
Vintage Crates: An Easy Way to Add Farmhouse Charm
Old wooden crates are the most versatile bit of farmhouse charm you can bring home — here is how to put them to work.
Spring Into a Brighter Family Room
Small changes — a lighter rug, whitewashed brick, a painted vintage table — that lift a dark family room into spring.
Hand-Painting Flowers on a Vintage Dresser
Skipping the stencil to sketch and hand-paint white blooms across a gilded gold dresser — a slower, more personal kind of detail.
Glaze vs. Wax: Getting to Know a New Product
Two ways to add depth and age to a painted piece, and the honest learning curve of trying a dark glaze for the first time.
Glaze and Wax: Working as a Team
The lesson that turned a streaky mess into a flawless finish — glaze and wax are not rivals, they are partners.
Favorite Find Monday: You Cannot Beat a Drum Table
A Craigslist drum table rescued from a memorable house call, then made over in a soft blend of Annie Sloan Louis Blue, Chateau Grey and French Linen.
Favorite Find Monday: A Roadside French Chair
A stunning French chair rescued from the side of the road, and the story of another curbside find brought back to life in Annie Sloan Old White.
A Kitchen Makeover and a Fall Refresh
A budget-friendly kitchen makeover layered with warm seasonal touches for an easy fall refresh.
A Chippy Daisy Mustard Dresser
A vintage dresser in General Finishes Somerset Gold, hand-painted with daisies and heavily distressed for a chippy farmhouse look.
A Painted Desk and Vintage Limoges
A small writing desk given a soft painted finish, styled with delicate vintage Limoges porcelain.
A Vintage Desk in Persian Blue
A long, detail-rich vintage desk gets a rich coat of General Finishes Persian Blue and a refinished top full of golden striations.
A Country Kitchen and a Shelf Update
A wander through a farmhouse kitchen and the Ikea shelf hack that finally solved the open-shelving plan.
A Winter Day and One of Two Drexel Side Tables
A pair of Drexel side tables gets a warm rosy-beige base and a cream wash that brings every carved detail to life.
A Paris Grey Sideboard
A heavy solid-wood sideboard sanded, primed, and washed in Annie Sloan Paris Grey, with a blue surprise inside.
Waxes and Stains: A Finishing Guide
A plain-English guide to the waxes and stains we rely on — from Howard Feed-N-Wax to Annie Sloan dark wax — to turn a good paint job into a finish that lasts.
The French Lane Cedar Chest
A gorgeous vintage cedar chest finished in soft grey with touches of red peeking through, layered with clear and dark wax for depth.
Open Kitchen Shelving
Trading closed cabinets for open shelves — the project that turned a kitchen into a place to display the everyday.
Grey and Blue: New China and Vintage Enamelware
Building a soft grey-and-blue kitchen around French blue enamelware and a vintage set of Flintridge china.
Favorite Find Monday: Keeping a Treasure
A gifted marble-top table and the rare Hungarian chest we simply could not bring ourselves to sell.
Favorite Find Monday: A French Country Chair
A ten-dollar French country chair with a caned seat and honey-coloured wood — gorgeous exactly as it is, and not getting painted.
Curvy Love: A Bombe Dresser Makeover
A curvy bombe-front dresser trades dated dark wood for a soft chalk paint finish that flatters every serpentine line.
An Antique Farmhouse Share
A little design share of farmhouse-chic decor finds — a pewter desk clock, wooden angel wings and a round metal side table — that bring instant character to a room.
A Whitewashed Farmhouse Dresser
A pretty little dresser in General Finishes Milk Paint with a softening wash, gold worked into the crevices and heavy distressing for true farmhouse character.
A Sophisticated Shell Dresser
A tired dresser with carved shell details brought back with a custom French blue over layered colour, a refinished dark top and sparkling glass pulls.
Whitewashing a Brick Fireplace
How a thinned wash of Annie Sloan Old White brightened a large brick fireplace and hearth while letting all the texture still show through.
The Countdown Continues – Farmhouse Charm
Three favorite pieces of the year that capture modern farmhouse charm — a whitewashed cabinet, a glam dresser, and a French-country chest.
Favorite Find Monday and a Refinished Top
A new shell-detailed dresser find destined for paint, plus the patient work of sanding an old top to bare wood for a deep ebony stain.
A New Work Room and New Pulls
Clearing out a home office into a proper winter workspace, and the patient process of filling old drawer holes to fit fresh new pulls.
A Favorite Find Gets a Re-do
A sturdy vintage chair buried under filthy pale-green velvet comes back to life with a careful clean and a coat of paint.
Shabby Glam Dresser
A formica-topped dresser rescued and reinvented with creamy milk paint, gold stenciling, and a softening wash — shabby meets glam.
A French-Inspired Design Share
A lovely French-inspired memo board built from vintage letters and prints on feedsack fabric — a charming, affordable find worth sharing.
Favorite Find Monday – a Shabby Coffee Table
A sweet little coffee table with original chippy paint and pretty lines, rescued and repaired so its character stays intact.
Favorite Find Monday – a French Bed
A gorgeous curvy French bed with an intricate carved shell, getting the vintage gold metallic treatment along its beautiful lines.
A Whitewashed Farmhouse Cabinet
A stripped farmhouse cabinet brought to life with an Annie Sloan Old White wash that lightens the wood without hiding its warm tones.
A Lace Panel Dresser Turned Sideboard
A 1920s dresser with delicate cutout panels, washed in creams and whites and repurposed as a dining room sideboard.
Vintage Book Pumpkins and Fall Colors
A sweet design share of little pumpkins made from the pages of vintage books, paired with the warm fall colors of an autumn walk.
A Teen Room and a Gold Stencil
Turning a pink-walled childhood bedroom into a soft, grown-up retreat with Provence walls and a hand-stenciled gold pattern.
A Stenciled Teen Room, All Done
The finished reveal of a soft lavender-grey bedroom with hand-stenciled gold walls, a curvy French bed, and room to grow.
Greens, Blues, Greys and a Bowfront Desk
A curvy little bowfront secretary, layered in greens, blues, and greys so different hues peek through with every angle of light.
Fall Colors and Farmhouse Blue
A timeless farmhouse blue dresser headed to the Lucketts Holiday Open House, plus a few sweet fall finds along the way.
Adding a Wash to a Rustic Farmhouse Cabinet
A huge stripped-back farmhouse cabinet brightened with a soft paint wash that keeps all its rustic wood character.
A Vintage Cabinet in Country Grey
A lovely vintage cabinet painted in soft Country Grey, perfect for china, kitchen storage, or a vintage linen cabinet.
Whitewashed Brick and a Light Fall Mantel
A dark brick hearth lightened with whitewash, then styled with thrifted finds for a bright, airy fall mantel.
Find of the Week: A Vintage Steamer Trunk
A Headley & Farmer steamer trunk with working locks and caster wheels — an old treasure chest of a find, listed just as it is.
The Emerald Dresser in Antibes Green
A drab dresser transformed with bold Antibes Green and a refinished top that shows off striking grain.
Painting Concrete Steps and a Curbside Bench
A budget weekend makeover that brightened tired concrete steps and revived a rescued bench with Old Ochre.
Find of the Week: A Vintage Table with Rope Detailing
A battered vintage table with footed legs and rope-carved edges, plus a shabby-chic occasional table finished in soft whites.
Fun with Vintage: A Homework and Game Table Nook
An old table, a thrift-store shelf, and vintage baskets repurposed into a cheerful homework and game nook.
A Pair of Painted and Waxed Caned Chairs
Two vintage caned chairs transformed with paint, dark wax, and a little distressing into versatile beauties.
A French Coco Table
A wobbly old table re-secured, its missing leaf filled into one solid top, then layered through greys to a smooth Annie Sloan Coco finish.
A Soft Grey Dresser for a Little Girl's Room
A curvy heirloom dresser refreshed in soft grey and old white, ready for a sweet little girl's room.
The Hungarian Farmhouse Chest We Could Not Paint
A huge, hand-made Hungarian chest inscribed 1910 and 1936, with wood so warm and lovely we decided not to paint it at all.
A Curvy French Coco Dresser
A solid-wood French dresser with curves galore, finished in soft Coco and topped in creamy white.
Hooked on Vintage: Rotating Farmhouse Wall Hooks
A vintage-inspired rotating hook set that brings rustic, farmhouse organization to any wall.
A Curvy Writing Desk in Soft Antoinette Pink
A footed writing desk full of secret compartments, painted a soft feminine pink and stenciled with a little whimsy.
The Formica Fireball Transformation
A loud red formica dresser tamed into a tall grey beauty with polka-dot pulls — and a deliberate wash of red left to peek through.
A Shabby Chic 1920s Cabinet
A chippy 1920s cabinet rescued and finished in layers of white and the palest grey — old white chippy charm over anything new, any day.
Waxes and Stains: A Finishing Guide
Our go-to finishing tips — when to stain, when to feed-and-wax, and how to apply clear and dark wax over chalk paint without making a mess.
A Vintage Mustard Buffet
A detail-rich vintage buffet finished in warm mustard milk paint, distressed and dark waxed, with glass pulls that add a little sparkle.
Vintage Detail That Comes Alive
Crackled tops, carvings that pop with dark wax, feet you never noticed — the hidden vintage detail that only reveals itself once a piece is painted.
Two Drexel Tables and a Transformation
Not one but two Drexel Heritage French side tables, rough on arrival and restored to a gorgeous matching pair with sandpaper, paint, and wax.
Lighter Steps: A Stairway Makeover
A plain stairwell brightened with stencilled risers in Annie Sloan Versailles and a soft Old White wash — a foyer-setting first impression.
A Blue Drum Table
An estate-sale drum table with leather top and unusual spindles, rescued from under a pile of lamps and finished in a rich Provence blue.
The Soft Beauty of a Whitewash
Why a watery whitewash is one of our favourite finishes — soft, airy, and just sheer enough to let the beauty underneath peek through.
Vintage Detail on a Little Table
Ball-and-claw feet, etched edges, and graceful lines — a small vintage table that proves the best details are worth bringing out with paint.
The Day After Our First Market
Aching, grateful, and already planning the next one — a few honest reflections after our very first outdoor market in the pouring rain.
Farmhouse Chest in French Country Colors
A battered old chest, rescued in rough shape, brought back to life in soft French-country color — and the slow, gentle process that got it there.
A Brighter Bedroom Makeover
Trading a dim blue bedroom for layers of warm white — and proving that the right off-white can make a whole room feel like it is full of sunshine.
Trying Out Websters Chalk Paint Powder
A first run with Websters Chalk Paint Powder, the additive that turns any latex paint into a sandable chalk finish, tested on an old coffee table.
A Sweet Shabby Chic Childrens Bed
A charming little stencilled bed from the 1940s, brought back to life in soft cream for a child who deserves something with a story.
The Pineapple Dresser
A bow-front dresser with carved pineapples, rescued with filler, endless sanding, custom-mixed chalk paint, and a signature french blue interior.
Pale Pink and Shabby Chic
A found pale pink damask sofa with chippy legs and intact nailhead trim — a shabby chic beauty too good to leave behind.
Creating Vintage French Pots
Thrift-store clay pots layered with French country blue and Primer Red chalk paint, a stencilled fleur de lis, crackle glaze and a cream wash for a French farmhouse look on a dime.
A Sweet Little Pink Side Table
A small side table gets a soft, dusty-pink finish that proves the tiniest pieces can carry the most charm.
A One-of-a-Kind Piece in French Blue
A vintage gem in Annie Sloan Provence, its top refinished in rich dark stain and the body dark-waxed to a glass-smooth glow.
Brightening a Dated Dining Room
A dim, dated dining set gets one brave coat, a wash, and a dark wax that finally reveals the carving hiding in plain sight.
A Chunky, Chic Vintage Farmhouse Find
A cool, funky, chunky farmhouse piece transformed with paint, a good sand, and dark wax that brings out every detail.
Shabby Chic Love and a French Demilune
A curved French demilune console table in a cream wash, sanded back to reveal the pretty stencilling underneath.
The French Coffee Table and a Living Room Redo
A long French-country coffee table in Old White, left unwaxed for a brighter finish — and why sanding can stand in for wax.
Thrift-Store Caned Chairs and a Living Room Refresh
A pair of eleven-dollar caned chairs and a fresh coat of soft French grey turn a working studio back into a living room.
A French Dresser Beauty in Gray and Gold
A gorgeous French dresser painted in soft gray latex with gold accents, one of our all-time favourite finishes.
A French Dresser in Latex and Gold
A carved French dresser finished in latex with gilded accents — one of those rare pieces that is genuinely hard to let go.
Faded Farmhouse Charm and a Trip to Harpers Ferry
A weekend of hunting along the river valley turns up the soft, faded farmhouse pieces that started this whole love affair.
The Eastern Shore and a French Country Table
A relaxing trip to Marylands Eastern Shore turns up a wonderful French country table and a head full of seaside inspiration.
A French Country Beauty Comes Home
A graceful French country piece earns its keep on the bench — and a studio companion supervises every coat.
nothing in that drawer yet…