When I began refinishing furniture I first taught myself just how to paint. The skills I really needed were how to tone, strip, stain and seal furniture like a professional. Near the town where I lived there was a second generation woodworker. I used him to do all of my furniture repairs, and I had …
Painting & Blending
This antique chest of drawers had seen better days. The finish darkened over the years and although the piece was solid, it needed renewal. I used DIY Paint for this project. (I sell this product at my shop: it’s the BEST PAINT EVER.) I want to show how well it blended and held up without …
My Favorite Tools of the Trade & Decor
After years of decorating and refinishing furniture I have some favorite items that are my go-to supplies & decor. Amazon has a great affiliate program that I participate in. If you click on the link at the bottom it will take you to my page where I have everything organized by subject for your convenience. …
How I Built a Fireplace in My Home
I have wonderful memories from growing up in an old home in New Hampshire. It had a beautiful stone fireplace, and my family would sit next to it keeping warm and enjoying conversation. My parents (the real Santa) hung our stockings on the mantel each Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning it was so exciting to …
Barnwood is all the Rage
I must admit, I am hooked on barnwood. Of course, I love the way it looks; but I think it’s the history and ways it reminds you of the past that’s most interesting. It comes in so many colors and textures it’s hard to decide which one to buy. For example, there’s wood reclaimed from …
One of a Kind
One of my favorite things to do is to take a piece of furniture and transform its function. What I mean is taking something designed for one use and transforming it for a new and different use. When you need something, in particular, you can take a piece of furniture and turn it into pretty …
Using Discarded Headboards for Candlestick Holders
In my experience, it is difficult to sell antique double beds (or even vintage beds, for that matter). In the past, I’ve used some to make sitting benches. But if you happen to have a lot of them, it’s fun to find creative ways to repurpose them. Most of the candlesticks you see here are …
My Fall Front Door Makeover
I finally found time to decorate my front door for the fall season. Here are some tips for you to consider when decorating your front door area for the holidays. First, let me tell you I don’t have a romantic story about where I picked up the decor, like going to some great New England …
To Paint Or Not To Paint
I asked my followers on Facebook what color I should paint a 1940’s dresser from my new paint line, DIY Paint. I received a lot of people giving color choices but I also received a lot of people saying I would ruin the piece if I put paint on it. Now, we all have our …
Pumpkin Painting Party
I want to show you all how easy it is to use DIY Paint. So, I am having a wooden pumpkin painting class at my shop on Oct. 6th at 10am. I had my dad make a bunch of pumpkins out of slabs of cypress from Georgia. When you are using most other paints you …