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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

s o    y o u    w a n t    t o    b e c o m e    a    c u s t o m    p a i n t e r ?

I got an email from a great lady looking do some custom work. I get emails like this frequently with people looking for advice on how to start doing this.

Let me start off by saying I don't custom paint anymore {or I will do one a month for a client that I have either worked with before or I really like}. 

First decide how much time you need to paint a piece between drop off and pick up. I like to have two weeks, something always comes up and throws off my schedule.

When someone emails you and asks if you to custom paint, my first email back would be with these questions.
-I am booked out two months can you wait that long? 
-I get paid half up front half upon pick up, is this ok? I will give you a good estimate when we fill out your work order. I would get paid on supplies used and per hour labor.

Once they emailed back a yes I then sent back a contract/template form them to fill out so I could give them a good estimate of cost. This also became our contract and my work map.

Ask for inspiration pictures and lots of pictures of the pieces to be painted. You need to know what it is made out of. Painting mdf is different than painting oak or a veneer.

1. Does the piece need to be stripped? 
2. Do have colors and knobs picked out? If they need consultation on this add it to your price per hour. Decide on the type of paint to use. As a painter you know that a latex paint is just not going to work well on certain pieces without a ton of prep or a high priced good quality latex. You will spend a lot of time educating your client.
3. Paint the inside of the drawers?
4. Any distressing? How much?
5. Do want an antique glaze? 
6. What sealer do you want me to use, or do you not want a sealer used? I almost always use a wax on light colors and some sort of poly or oil {oil not used as a sealer but to change the finish on dark pieces that look ashy, but this is a different blog post for another day} on dark pieces. I just don't like the way wax looks on black.

Then have your policies. Charge a storage fee if they don't pick up at the predetermined pick up date. Have the client clean the piece before drop off. I was always getting dirty pieces. 
You now have a contract so if they don't like the way it looks and you followed the work/order charge them more money to change the paint.

Print out or put on your desktop the answers to these questions. This is will be your map as you paint the piece.

Go over everything again when they drop off a piece. There were times that once I saw a piece in person I found that I would advise them on using a different paint.

Send pictures along the way.

Trust your gut. If you think a client is going to be difficult, don't take the job, say your calendar is full. Painting furniture isn't easy and some clients think it is and it always takes longer than both of you think.

Does this help some of you thinking about being custom painters?

Here are some of my favorite custom pieces.




My best advice is have fun. You will learn something new with every piece you paint.



Wednesday, August 22, 2012



a  n e w  y e a r

I just got home from a mini vacation with my family {I bet you wondered where I was, no blog posts for a week!}. This came off the heels of family visiting us.

This summer has been a whirlwind. It started with the store move {major stuff!}, then juggling kids at home with restocking a store {this means finding and painting}, then having to do it all with family in town.

The mom part of me wants to not worry about the store and let my hair down and get nothing done except play with my kids.

The realistic situation is I am a mom that works from home, and that doesn't stop for summer.

What had to give was my blog, I am sorry for that. I just really can't do it all right now.

Good news, the kids go back to school in two weeks. I will be on a work schedule again!

Bad news, I like sleeping in with my kids and having lazy summer mornings.

I love my job, so being on a schedule is okay with me. I am excited by it, thrilled even!

I always think of September as the beginning of the year, do you? Not sure why {sorry January!}. It is the start of my favorite season, routine, football season, sweaters and boots, and long walks with leaves underfoot.

I ADORE the fall. So what I am I doing this fall?

I am getting my workout schedule back {oh I really fell off this in the last few months and it has made me a grumpy lady}.

I am learning to say "no". I know this sounds easy but I have a problem with it. So for now, starting in September. MCC doesn't have anything for sale that isn't in the store. I won't find it or custom paint it, or donate it. I feel bad about it but I am having a hard time doing it all. Just restocking the store is a full time job for me right now. Plus I work 40 plus hours at the store a month.

I have grand plans for making my space in the store wonderful {this is my focus the first two weeks of September}.

I want to be a better friend in the fall to those who I adore but literally don't have time to sit and have coffee with now, that means you Michelle{s} , and Molly.

I will be better at this blog. I have SO MANY ideas to share with you I just need the time. And this year I am learning to juggle it all. I am in my own circus class.

BUT I adore you, can't do it without you, and hope you stick by me!


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

g i r l y     e a s t l a k e   d r e s s e r 


I found this dresser when on a treasure hunting trip with my friend Crystal.
The finish was too shabby for me but I could see it's potential. 

The original pink paint was sweet but I wanted to find a way to freshen the piece up and keep the pink.



I started by sanding the whole piece down just to clean it up and get ride of the peeling paint. 
I then painted antique white milk paint by General Finishes, leaving only the drawer front and sides in the original paint.


It only took me three coats of the white paint, then I distressed slightly.

The knobs are from Jo Ann Fabrics. I happened to see them there a few weeks ago and when I brought this dresser home I knew these pink knobs would be perfect.


I finished off with a clear wax. She is off to the store with me today. I am there to rearrange and clean up my space. 
I have some cool pieces to work on at home, now to find the time! 


Sunday, August 12, 2012

h e l l o !


There is no real theme to my post today, just a quick review of my week. My husband's sister got married so I spent the week painting things for her wedding and cleaning up the house for company.

I moved my jar collection to above the mantel.


I love the arrangement right now and it feels good to get my house clean! 


I finally hung the kids artwork from last year. The sock monkey is my favorite, cute right?


It was great having Saint around this week to help me haul furniture down to the shop. I finally got the black and white tall boy down to the store.

Here is another view of the dresser, and do you see the windows I got?



Crystal helped me hinge them together and it was such a chore I promised her she wouldn't ever have to help me hinge something together ever again.
{Although she said that she would help me do at least 20 more doors before she got tired of it-good friend!}


From the inside of my space it looks like a bay window and it is beautiful when the afternoon light shines through.


I finished up a coffee table that matches two end tables.


A cute little yellow coffee table painted in milk paint.


The dresser I was going to keep Crystal bought from me to use as a staging piece for her wedding rental business. I used chalkboard paint right over the old mirror.
{This was from Lansing's wedding last night, it was lovely}


This week I need to get busy painting. I hope to bring in a ton of stuff to the store.
I am feeling inspired.