Love My DIY Home

Mission Beautify Ivy by Saltwash and Pure & Original

#sponsored Have you tried Saltwash yet? While at the General Finishes Conference, we met the Salt Wash originator, Carol Hunter, and she gave us a 10 oz. can of Saltwash to try. Pure & Original had already given me two of their classic colors, Poetic Blue and Steel Blue, so we chose them to combine with the Saltwash. The combination was stellar. The Saltwash gave it a unique look – one that will fit into any home from a classically traditional to Coastal, to Farmhouse. Not many designs can pull that off, but this one can. “The Before” “Ivy” was sitting in an abandoned house amidst piles of trash. We almost missed her. We brought her home, cleaned her up, sanded and got her ready to try out a new look. She had great bones. We named her “Ivy” because she is no longer … Read more

Jewelry Armoire Update – OFMP & Modern Masters to the Rescue!

Mom’s Jewelry Armoire I’ve had my mom’s jewelry armoire since she passed nearly 3 years ago in my walk-in closet, holding all of my essential oils and all the accessories. Yes, I have that many. What can I say. I love my oils! It needed a change and I wanted to play with some of the many options we have these days for updating our furniture. So out came the Old Fashioned Milk Paint and an IOD Transfer. Here is the before – Meet Nancy (before she was beautiful) I named her Nancy after my fave aunt and she was the first one I called to let the sisters know my mom had gone on to Glory. I’ll think of the both of them when I see it. Sentimental? Yes. Supply List (Affiliate Links are in bold Salmon throughout this post for your convenience) Old Fashioned Milk Safe Paint Salmon … Read more

Essential Oils in the Dryer? Yes, Please. (And a Giveaway!)

#sponsored post We’re always looking for new ways to use essential oils. Last year I bought these nifty wool dryer balls for some of my kids but for some reason I didn’t end up with any. So when I got the chance to try these out, I jumped! They came in the mail a couple of days ago from Got Oil Supplies and I’ve been busy trying them out on all different types of laundry. First, my pillows. I have some very nice pillows – we discovered them while on a trip back to Michigan while staying in a hotel. They were so comfy we ordered some for ourselves even though they were very expensive! I was a little leary about washing them because pillows often end up thrown away after washing them, but since these dryer balls got such great reviews both online and in our family, I trusted … Read more

Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry for me…

#sponsored post Susanna, a Royal Settee Another estate sale – another opportunity to save an old piece of unwanted furniture. This time it was for my granddaughters. I could see my little two-year-old grand daughters sitting in this little chair holding the teddy bear that used to belong to their moms the second I found Susanna. Here she is “before” at the estate sale Before I took her home Before she changed Before she became mine Susanna, “BEFORE” Tired, worn and hoping to serve again… These outdated and worn out pieces of furniture can have another 100 years if we bring the back to life. Most pass them by. Most don’t even see them. The estate buyers typically look for the big antiquey pieces that make a statement. Little Susanna just sat there as everyone walked right by, unseen. It was the same for Paige. She … Read more

When the Low Ballers Come Out to Play

The Two Types of Furniture Artisans There are two types of furniture artisans that you’ll find in this furniture flipping business – the soul-invested and the business-directed. But both probably rely on marketing tools like those business cards to expand their network. The Soul-Invested Artisan The soul-invested artisan, or SIA, leaves a little bit of themselves in each piece and views their creations as an extension of themselves, an expression of their deep-down selves that they must share with the world. The SIA’s emotions are painted onto their canvas and seem to speak back to them, “Here I am, I am are part of you, the artist who created me.” They view marketing process as tiresome but a necessary evil – it allows them to continue creating, as there are many strategies which can be use such as content creations or adding Backlinks to your website as well. When they … Read more

A Picnic Table Flips for Our Family – OFMP Beautified

Sponsored Post Another Estate Sale Jillian, Isaac, and I went to another estate sale a few weeks ago. I know. Big surprise. Has there ever been a piece of non-descript furniture that you look and look for but just can’t settle on one? I’ve wanted a picnic table every since we moved from Michigan to Wisconsin but never found one I was willing to pay for. They’re kinda expensive. Or maybe I’m just cheap. But either way…I FOUND ONE! I walked right past it not even noticing it on the way in. We looked around for a few minutes and then got in line o pay for a few little things we found, an ax for Adam, a jack knife for Isaac, a few this’s and thats. Then Jillian said, “Hey, did you see that?” She pointed out a picnic table – with a $20 price tag. I … Read more

Should We Paint Antiques?

It’s time to address the issue. It’s 2017 and there is this common thread running through social media: “NO! Don’t paint that! It’s an antique. You will ruin it!” OR, “Nobody wants antiques any more. Paint it, make it beautiful again.” Who is right? Let’s look for a minute at a little bit of history, specifically, Colonial America… At 6:30 this morning, I woke up and said, “Hey, Siri. What time is it?” The lovely British accent came back at me and said, “It’s 6:31, way too early.” As per usual I grabbed my phone to check my messages on the Forum to see if there were any fires to put out and saw a screenshot from my DH about another debate going on regarding antiques. Oh, boy. Here we go again. One day I’ll tell you about a convo I had to deal with when my DH and I … Read more

“Shantalle” Side Table Flips for Annie Sloan

#sponsored post I’ve had a chance to give Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan a try and like it. Sure, sure, I’m later than most to the game. I’ve been trying out other paint brands with a plan to give Chalk Paint® a try. That changed when her company offered me their products in exchange for my review. I went to her site to find out the history of Chalk Paint®. From her website: “Annie Sloan first developed her now famous decorative paint, Chalk Paint®, in 1990. When she started working on it, she wanted to create a decorative paint that was immediate and allowed her to be direct and spontaneous.” It never gets old. Do you get tired of seeing before and afters? I never do. Here is her “before” – I know, I know. Her before picture is nice. BUT, she becomes WAY better after her makeover…keep … Read more

It’s a Giveaway!

Over at our Facebook Group, Furniture Flipping Forum, we're having a giveaway to celebrate reaching 10,000 members. Come join and enter the giveaway! In this video that we posted on our facebook group, Jillian is showing you some of the prizes: < Come join the fun! Go here to join and enter >>> Furniture Flipping Forum.

10 Steps to Revive an Old Nightstand

They Are Everywhere You’ve seen them. Junky pieces of furniture that no one wants. They are priced for pennies compared to the new pieces you find in retail stores. Do you pass them by? “Jillian” The Nightstand She was ugly. She was dirty. She was smelly and sitting in a garage stuffed with junk. All she needed was someone to take her home. For those of you who know our DD, Jillian, this piece was named after her because we were together when we found her, and we painted this one together…not because they looked or smelled similar. VBG Supplies (Affiliate Links for Your Convenience) Krud Kutter Zinsser’s Spray Primer Rustoleum 2x Painter’s Touch spray paint Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan Polyvine Dead Flat Wax Varnish 3M Sanding Sponge Her Steps Toward Beauty 1. Clean her up – she needed a good scrubbing. We sat her outside to air out … Read more