You know the saying when it rains, it pours? Well this week that is once again the case at the shop and our homestead! We decided to give our house a face lift for it has been many years since it's been updated. This of course takes alot of time and thought. So far, the list looks like this; new windows, new gutters, new sofit, new fascia and new shutters, oh of course new painted front. I know we have our work cut out for us, but it's coming along and I will post more about the renovation as we get things done.
As for the shop, things have been crazy as usual with pieces coming and going which is wonderful, but we decided we needed to add more showroom. So as a family, we converted our back storage room into the "Inspiration Classroom/Showroom/One Stop Paint Shop"! Our first thought was just to have our paint classes in this extra showroom, but after thinking about what would actually be happening in this room, we came up the idea to have a room that would be inspiring for those who take our Milk Paint class and a place for all to come for their paint project needs such as Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint and waxes of course, but also the supplies that one would need such as paint brushes, paint mixers, stencils, sand paper and more! We also wanted to show students and customers just how wonderful the Milk Paint could be used in various was of decorative painting, therefore, the furnishings show off the paints!
And this is how we made this amazing room.....
My hardworking, handsome husband got up extra early (like 4 a.m.) to paint the room to match the front room. This space was originally the shampoo room for the beauty shop that use to rent the shop, so after the wash basins were removed the wall were patched and painted. The mop sink we had from my old shop. We actually installed this right after I moved into this space to avoid paint and whatever else I may use from destroying the shops restroom. Next came the building of the Milk Paint buffet. After a trip to Home Depot in search for a counter (I secretly wanted butcher block, hehe), we soon found it was costly to buy a new counter top. We walked around the store looking for materials we could use to make our own. An hour and a half later, we were at check our with a box of laminate flooring, a piece of plywood and some 2 X 4's. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to be married to Mr. Handyman?!?!
My husband Kevin built a simple counter using the 2X4's for the legs and the plywood for the sub top before adding the laminate flooring. He also added the extra pieces of the laminate flooring for the sides of the counter and finished it off with rounded trim.
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| I just had to add this photo of our younger ones waiting patiently that evening while we built the counter top. Thought it was cute, they kept calling this antique typewriter a computer and asked where the screen was, lol! |
Ok, back to the counter, I didn't care for the look of the laminate on the sides, so first stained the wood legs with a mixture of watered down MMSMP Typewriter to give the pine a stained look. I then mixed up French Enamel and brushed that directly onto the laminate and legs, no bonding agent was needed. Next came the distressing technique of the wax puck. I rubbed pretty liberally across the French Enamel and sides because I wanted the next color not to adhere to these areas.
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| With the help of Miss Mustard Seed's Typewriter "stain", it make this raw piece of wood look as if it were stained with a dark walnut. |
Next, I painted a coat of MMSMP Grain Sack over the French Enamel which was previously rubbed down with the wax puck. Just a light sanding of the laminate, legs and trim and I was able to achieve this gorgeous finish! It sort of looks like denim to me.
Next came the actual bar where we would display the Milk Paint in candy jars bought at no other than Wal-mart for an unbeatable price! I scanned Craigslist for old barn wood, because I knew someone around these farm land would be tearing down a barn. Not only did I find this piece of salvaged wood board, the owner had ALOT of it. I know where I'll be going for our salvaged wood project:)
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| This was definitely a 2 person job, lifting and leveling that solid piece of oak. |
Now onto the "Inspiring Door"....
Who said nothing is free these days? This old door was given to me by a fellow shop keeper here in town. It was originally white with a what look like a dark stain over that. I wanted to use a color that would be both happy and that would stand out, insert MMSMP Mustard Seed Yellow! I'm so in LOVE with this color. It's look fabulous on any piece, but my favorite look is directly over stained wood where distressing is used to show it beneath.
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| My apologies for the sideways picture, but this is the door after just 2 coats of Mustard Seed Yellow, distrssed and sealed with the antquing wax. |
And with the help of my good friend Jennifer, we added the vinyl Inspiring words. I chose sayings that I've heard on my journeys of refurbishing and also things I say to my own kids and students as they get to that "ugly stage" of their project. Jennifer had the really cute idea of adding actual sandpaper to the glass pane that says "sand paper is your friend". I used chalkboard paint on the door's bottom panel to keep customers and students up to date on the next class.
The banner flags were painted by my teenage daughters who didn't complain once about mixing tiny bits of milk paint and water for each color, thanks girls!
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| I love everything about the inspiration door, but my favorite I think is the original metal door knob (holding the lovely boxwood wreath) that reminds me of my grandma who had something similar. |
This old panel door I found at a yard sale last year. It sat in the garage just waiting for me to think of what could be done with it. I wanted to show to my students another technique you could use to achieve the layered chippy paint look, and this door immediately came to mind. It was a blank slate of raw wood, perfect. Again to manipulate the look of stained wood, I mixed up 1 part Typewriter to 3 parts water and washed the door down. The blue on one of the panels is actually French Enamel. I think I used this door as a tester to see what the color looked like, who knows.
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| This old door at some point was stripped and sanded down to the bare wood. |
Although I didn't take picture of each layer due to the fact I was so excited to see the results, there is actually Flow Blue followed by Tricycle beneath this. Originally I wanted a bright red chippy door where the blue and black would come through. I used the hemp oil in spots after the Flow Blue was applied so that the Tricycle would chip, but to my disappointment it didn't.....yet. After spending way to much time on the door, I decided seal it with the hemp oil and take it the shop as it was. I had asked Kevin to take apart an antique dresser that was beyond repair and use parts from that along with 2 old cabinet doors as the shelves for this display. Those I wanted to be kept the natural wood to show how the hemp oil could be used to refresh old tired wood, and it did just that!
Now back to the door. Yes, I took it to the shop knowing I wasn't in love with the color. To me it looked more purplish red because of the Flow Blue and Tricycle atop each other, you know (Blue + Red=Purple). I left it along for about oh an hour or two until my daughter came to me with some extra milk paint from a project she was working on. I showed her how you can play with the colors to get different beautiful colors. For that project, we played around with Kitchen Scale and Ironstone, 2 to 1 parts. It turned into this gorgeous light creamy teal! I took that extra paint and went to town on the display shelf once again, I know coo coo right?
Sometimes things happen for a reason, like in this case. Because I had already sealed the door with a good amount hemp oil the day before, I was thrilled to see this happen after that last coat of milk paint!
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| In just a few minuets after applying the last coat over hemp oil, I got the yummy chippy, just what I wanted! |
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| The display... with all the chippy goodness coming through on the door and the gorgeous patina of that old dresser wood, I'm delighted with the results! |
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| The fruits of our family's labor.... |
"Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you can."
I would like to thank my amazing husband for all his hard work and dedication to this little business of ours. Without you, I wouldn't be here. And to my daughters who at such a young age, have learned so much about how to be use what you have. They take turns working at the shop and keeping the little one on their summer vacation. I couldn't be a more proud mom!
And finally to my child hood friend Jennifer for helping me with the inspiration door, you did an amazing job and I think you may have learned the "true meaning" of a few of these words in the process, haha!
Thank you for visiting, hope you too were inspired. Have a blessed week all!!
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