Dog bed end table

Another project I completed about a month ago was a dog bed end table. It started as an end table that had a huge opening in it.

Before (closed)

Before (opened)

I removed the door, sanded down the whole piece, stained and painted the inside of dog bed. Then I created a pillow for the dog bed out of the same fabric as the bench.

Pillow for the dog bed.

Finished Project

Since I did not open up the entire front of the dog bed end table, it is able to fit a small dog. I am almost done with the next two projects and will post more pictures as soon as they are completed.

Mirror mirror on the wall

There are a couple of projects that I am a little late on. One of these projects was an antique mirror that I found a Goodwill. This is by far the best place that I have gone to to find furniture, but it's hit or miss when there are good pieces there. 

Before I did any work on the mirror it was a orangish gold color. I wish I had taken a picture before I started any work on it. 

I was able to spray paint a light coat going around the mirror and then hand paint the rest of it. I am very happy with how it turned out.

Top of the Mirror

Bottom embellishment 

I will post more pictures as soon as I finish my next project!

Two-Toned Furniture

Recently I have found out that I am getting slightly obsessed with creating two-toned furniture. It is really neat to add a pop of color to something that would have been plain or boring. I have mainly been doing this technique on end tables with the top one color and the legs another.

I think white is one of the easiest colors to create a two-toned effect on a piece because it goes with any color that you can use. The white I used is just the basic white that comes in a Behr paint can.

Pecan stain with Behr paint

  I love nesting tables. It's the easiest way to have two or more pieces that go together.

Mint Majesty and basic white paint by Behr

Black is another color that can almost go with any color when you want to create a two-toned effect. With this black paint I used Carbon by Behr, it doesn't look like it's warm or cool and just black.

There are more projects to come. I will post some pictures soon!

What happens at your first flea market

So last weekend I finally went to my first flea market to sell my furniture. Well things didn't go great, but I still was able to sell a few small things. When you are going to a flea market, but don't really know what sells in the area, everything can be up in the air on how it will turn out.

Before you want to start selling your pieces, you might want to create a business card. I have had many people ask for them and I didn't have any. It is the best thing to have when you are trying to promote you. Also I would suggest getting a credit card reader, like a square, which will allow people to pay with cash or credit.

When the time comes that you want to sell at a flea market, the first thing I look for is the cost for a small area. I feel that if is very cheap to sell at the local flea market you should try it out if you have never been to it because if you didn't sell anything then you only lost that small amount. I went to the Germantown Flea Market, which it only cost $20 for two parking spots. That was a great price for me because most of this area for flea markets, it can get up to $70 to $80 for a small area to sell. If the cost for a spot is quite a bit, I would suggest to go to it and see whats there and how much items cost in order to know what the competition is or if it fits with what you are trying to sell. Personally I think its best to find out the areas that you should not go to, so you don't waste time or money at those places.

Once you find your flea market that you are going to, the best thing to do is to promote your items. This could be by posting on craigslist, on your website or mentioning it on your social media pages. Doing this might get some people come to look at your items and possibly purchase them.

On the day of the flea market, try to get their as early as possible. Most places allow the vendors to pick the spot where they are at. The best places are around the edges or at or near the front of the flea market. Some people will only walk around the outside edge of the flea market. But don't worry about  people coming to your area, since vendors will shop around after they are done setting up. This is also your best time to see the best things that they have. One main thing when you are setting up, always have a sign for who you are to peak people's interest.

Some flea markets you might not sell much or almost everything you have, it just depends on the day. It will take some time before you find your perfect flea market and have people remembering who you are and what you do.

Let me help you Refurbish your items From The Heart.

Do you have any furniture that is in need of a face lift? Have you ever found an item from a thrift store, but don't have the time to refurbish it? Did you inherit an older piece and don't know what to do with it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please feel free to allow me to refurbish and make it the center of your home.

If you are interested and live in the greater Washington or Baltimore area, send me an email with a picture and your contact information, then we can discuss about Refurbishing your item From The Heart.

My obsession of the month

So I have been recently obessing over stencils. I think they are the greatest thing to have when you want to add a little something special to a piece. There are so many stencils out there that I can choose from. I have found a few that I love and I purchased them at Micheal's.

This one is super amazing and give a bit of flair to any plain or boring piece. I am currently using it right now on this end table. I know I have to get the hang of it since I have a few smudges on it. I am planning on fixing it once the paint is completely dry. 

The second one came in a box with like twenty other stencils and has a bunch that could work with any piece. I just like adding something special to my pieces to make them more unique. I used the stencil to add on to a magazine rack that I found at Goodwill.

The next time I want to purchase more stencils for any piece of furniture, I want to go to Downtown Frederick so that I am supporting my local shops instead of going to a major retailer.