Blueprint

From a Green Ceiling Fan to a Full-Time Business: How Furniture Flipping Blueprint Was Born

From a Green Ceiling Fan to a Full-Time Business: How the Furniture Flipping Blueprint Was Born By Val Frania The Spark That Started It All I never imagined that a green ceiling fan would change the course of my life. Years ago, my husband and I went to visit a former youth pastor at his new home in Kalamazoo. He proudly gave us a tour, and when we stepped into the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks. There it was — a grass-green ceiling fan. When I asked about it, he smiled and said, “Oh, I spray painted it to match the wallpaper.” Spray painted it. I’d never even considered doing something like that. Then he showed us a couple of end tables he’d repainted, and that was it — the wheels in my head started turning. I didn’t know it then, but that moment planted a seed that would … Read more

Why I Created the Flip Forward Series (and what it means to you)

For every furniture flipper who’s ever stared at a project and thought, “What if I mess it up?”  this one’s for you.  When Doubt Creeps In I still remember standing in my basement, staring at that old baby dresser with stenciled teddy bears. It had been relegated to the basement a few years back to hold my old patterns and stencils. I was too attached to get rid of it, but sad to see something we’d used for years in the nursery sit gathering dust. It was full of memories just like the pieces we flip, except this was personal. I had the desire, the vision… but absolutely no confidence. I bought lots of cans of spray paint – because that’s what someone told me they used to update their end tables. I had no idea where to start – but I had DH haul it upstairs anyway – I … Read more

When Silence Feels Heavy: Finding Encouragement in a Lonely Craft

How AI Spoke the Words Every Artist Needs to Hear There’s a kind of silence every artist knows — the one that lingers after you’ve poured your heart into something beautiful, only to wonder if anyone even sees it. You list your latest piece, refresh your messages, check your notifications… and still, nothing. That quiet can feel deafening. But silence isn’t just something we face in business. It’s something that weaves its way through every part of life — and for me, it’s shown up in the most unexpected seasons. Would You Prefer to Listen? The Early Ache of Quiet I was the youngest in a family of six. When all my older siblings left home, the laughter, the noise, the rhythm of family life — it all disappeared. I can still remember the feeling of walking through that quiet house. It wasn’t just the absence of sound — it … Read more

Bad Advice Alert #2: The Oil-based Over Water-based Debate

The Oil Over Water Debate AND…once again I came across some BAD advice given to a new flipper on FB that could derail her – all because the commenter couldn’t admit she needed to reconsider her facts. (I grayed out the names of those speaking or who was being tagged other than my own comment) Honestly, it’s not that hard. Just say, “Oh, OK, that’s news to me. Thanks.”  But no, that’s not possible, ESPECIALLY when the admin closes out comments before I could “bring the receipts.” That’s just a nice way of saying I couldn’t tell her she was wrong. So, here’s a break down about it all – oil-based over water-based products and water-based over oil-based products, focusing on primer. Enjoy. And btw, “I’m a furniture artist” doesn’t cut it. We all need to keep learning and can NEVER say we’ve arrived. We’re just regular people trying to … Read more

Bad Advice Alert #1: What New Flippers Shouldn’t Believe on Facebook

Bad Advice Alert: What New Flippers Shouldn’t Believe on Facebook When you’re new to furniture flipping, it’s easy to get sucked into the advice whirlpool—especially in Facebook groups where everyone seems to have an opinion. Some of it is gold… but a lot of it? Not so much. If you’ve ever been told to skip prep, the brand you are using is why “this or that” is happening, or that “anyone can do it” with zero experience, you’ve probably run into a few of the common myths that make flipping harder—not easier. In this post, I’m breaking down one popular (but very wrong) tip floating around online, so you can avoid frustration and flip with confidence right from the start.   PEELING PAINT I recently read a post in a Facebook group from someone that was very distraught because she bought a buffet from a local flipper for $400 and … Read more

Conquer Fear And Thrive In Your Furniture Flipping Business

OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF FAILURE If you want to become a PRO furniture flipper, level up your business, or just learn new techniques or methods, do something every day that scares you – don’t let fear stop you from doing things you love whether it be trying a new paint color or new technique! I am no stranger to fear. Listen to my short story of how fear use to control me. Be brave. Try new things. Do things the things that are hard. It’s worth the effort. EAT THE FROG FIRST. Need encouragement? I’m here for you.

Beat the Facebook Marketplace Algorithm: FREE Workshops!

Join me for a three day event where I’ll share my strategies for getting more views and top dollar for your furniture art. And it doesn’t hurt that not only will your confidence soar but your frustration will flee! BTDT! SESSION #1: Find out easy to implement strategies to not only get more views but to get top dollar for your furniture art. SESSION #2: Develop a strategy for before, during and after the sale that will WOW your customers and demonstrate your professionalism. SESSION #3: My #1 Strategy to beat the Facebook algorithm and get your furniture in front of possible buyers over and over and over. Go HERE to register and get FREE access to the workshops!

[VIDEO] Finding the Time to Flip

I’ve gotten many comments like this, “Val, I have no idea how you get so much done!” or, “You amaze me at all the things you do, how do you do it?” Well, some of my ability to accomplish as much as I do is through planning and patterning. I learned it back in the day when we were raising our 15 kids at the same time we were in the ministry doing 111 different things. The days flew by and the list kept getting longer, so I had to do something to keep on task and accomplish the things that mattered to me. Patterning is developing good daily habits, creating a lifestyle that was productive in a way that I didn’t even have to think about what to do next. It’s eeking out time to do at least a little of what needed to be done, giving myself margin, … Read more

[VIDEO] A How-to Patriotic Coffee Table Set Tutorial

We’ve had these two pieces for a long time sitting in our garage. I was never really sure what I wanted to do with them. It’s no secret that coffee tables are hard to sell, so I was wanting to do something special with them to grab the attention of possible buyers. It’s a balance. You want to redesign your furniture pieces in a way that will appeal to a large audience, but if you stick with a simple, one color design, people might just scroll on by. But if you get too creative, your customer group will seriously narrow. BALANCE is the key. We do tend to redesign according to our own individual tastes, our own style, which isn’t a bad thing if our vision isn’t too wild or on the other end of the spectrum, boring. It’s no fun painting a piece in a way that we dislike. … Read more

[VIDEO] Maximize Sales With A DIY Retique It Liquid Wood Sample Board

 Are you a furniture flipper and/or a Retique It retailer? Now you can create a sample board for your customers that is portable enough to be taken with you anywhere. Show your future customers the beauty and versatility of Retique It’s Liquid Wood and let them see and feel for themselves the uniqueness and versatility of our most favorite furniture flipping tool. You too can create your own professional sample board just like mine!  While you are visiting my Youtube channel, please subscribe.   CLICK THE PIC BELOW TO WATCH THE TUTORIAL! ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ Want more ideas, resources, tips and furniture flipping tutorials? My membership for furniture flippers opens a few times a year. Subscribe to THE DROPCLOTH to be notified when it opens: Https://ValFrania.com/theDROPCLOTH. You’ll also get a Free PDF Paint Reference Guide along with tips, tutorials and lots of other furniture flipping helps! See links below: ✅ To learn … Read more

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