Knot too shabby

The countdown begins...just one week until the knot too shabby MINI MARKET. @iler_meadows will hanging out with @ilerwoods with a plethora of florals! 11-4 pm on Saturday, May 1st in front of knot too shabby. Bring your Mother's Day shopping list because I promise, they'll be some unique finds that just might fit the bill.

Don't forget...we have WEEKEND Shop Hours, every Sunday, 11-3 pm! Still working on solidifying that Saturday schedule in this post Covid world. But, I'm always available for appointments. Just shoot me a text (626) 650-9920.

It's OKAY to not be matchy matchy! These knobs don't really "match" the color or the paper. But, the added whimsy works. At least IMO! And, at the end of the day, your opinion is all that matters on a piece of furniture that you refinish for your house. So, GO FOR IT! . . .

Sometimes, the inside of furniture can look as bad as the outside. Paper is ALWAYS a great option to refresh drawers. I used old book pages on this desk, but I spruced them up with a vintage-style graphic that I printed directly onto the book page. The drawer image just so happened to match the image on the knob. Without a doubt, these little details were time-consuming, but worth all of the extra work to give this desk something uniquely charming.

Stencil your way through the weekend!

Annie Sloan Svenska offers the perfect pairing to this bold and bright @riflepaperco print. Hand painted, canvas style finishes are not my jam. I have my talents, but that is not one of them! BUT, beautiful paper fits the bill when I need a punch of something artistic and colorful! I just might be inspired by my own piece to do something decorative on a new dresser this week. Time will tell.

Did you know that my custom order form and pricing information is available on our website? You can get a pretty good estimate of what your furniture piece would cost to have me customize. The price list is divided by furniture size, paint style and even lists the colors that we offer discount pricing on. For a more accurate price quote, complete the inquiry form, include pictures, sizes and inspiration photos and I can get you a pretty darn accurate estimate...before you even have to lug it to the shop! https://onedrive.live.com/View.aspx

Take advantage of slightly extended shop hours! We're open 10-2pm weekdays with afternoon appointments available. And, remember I do paint and supply pick-ups every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in Claremont to lighten the drive time for all of my IE customers!!!

Impasto: an Italian word that means dough or paste and describes a painting technique in which undiluted paint is applied thickly (like toothpaste) onto the canvas (or in this case, furniture) and creates a raised surface. . This technique is great to use on furniture because it adds texture to flat, boring surfaces and also hides damaged areas well. It also translates beautifully in the garden on your flower pots to add a sense of age and weathering. . This technique is just one of five different Textured Finishes you can learn in our next Decorative Finishes Workshop on May 25th!

We love a good before and after. I customized this timeless beauty with Annie Sloan Provence and a simple coat of Clear Wax. One would think that adding distressing to your paint finish would increase the time involvement on a project. Surprisingly enough, clean finishes with no distressing take more time. When your finish has distressed edges, even subtle ones, you have more room for variation in the paint finish. When you paint clean finishes, there is a whole different level of care involved in the process to make sure that the finish is covered evenly and the edges are nice and clean.

We're just a bit more than a week away from our very first knot too shabby MINI MARKET! On Saturday, May 1st, you can come out to the @glendoravillage to shop handmade vendors right in front of the shop. And, we're excited to see what @ilerwoods and family will be bringing with them. Handmade wood signs and home furnishings are just a few of their creations! The Mini Market will take place in front of knot too shabby from 11-4 pm and we have three amazing vendors selling a variety of items. If you miss this one, don't sweat it. We have two more on the books; the first Saturday in June and July!

Join us for our next in-person (or virtual) Chalk Paint on Furniture Workshop! Only four spots available, Saturday, May 8th from 11-2 pm. All supplies are included and you'll take home a finished piece of furniture that will make you proud!!!!! https://knottooshabby.net//annie-sloan-basics-chalk-paint/

This little desk is an oldie but a goodie. It's simple, but has such a great story, and afterall furniture that tells a story is the best kind there is. . My mom picked this one up for me and when I saw it I did a major eye roll. She said, "Relax! It was just $1." Why, you're wondering? Well, no-one in their right mind would pay $1 for this desk because it was riddled with water damage. The top surface had so many puckered and warped damage spots and the original black finish... was so mangled that it looked utterly and completely unfixable. Fortunately, mom here was not in her right mind and figured I could do something somewhat respectable with it. . And, I did by way of textured finishes, multiple colors, dark wax and decoupage! This desk has since found a new home, but it's a reminder that even the worst pieces can be salvaged with the right tools and techniques! See more

There's a lot of time involved to make the unseen parts of furniture shine! But, don't you just love a nice little peek-a-boo treatment? Both the inside of the drawers and the outside have been given a fashionable refinishing making this project 100% transformational. https://knottooshabby.net/pr/vintage-dresser-with-mirror-2/

Weekend Shop Hours: Saturday, 10-2 pm Sunday, 11-3 pm . Swing by to see this sweet piece of furniture, just brought in by Susanne from Lazy Days and Sundays. The drawer faces are adorable but wait until you see the inside and drawer sides! Dreamy! ... https://knottooshabby.net/pr/vintage-dresser-with-mirror-2/

The time has come!!!! (See how I just did that...with the clock face?) . For over a year, we have been operating at a minimum. Shortened hours, furloughed staff, minimized workshops. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly, things aren't going back to the way they were, but progress is being made. Beginning THIS SUNDAY, we will have regular hours from 11-3 with one of our favorite Painters in Residence, Susanne. She will be manning the shop and is a wealth of knowled...ge and experience when it comes to painting. . But wait, there's more! The kiddos go back to school next week for FIVE DAYS A WEEK. They're shortened days, but I'll take it. Which means, I can finally extend weekday shop hours. So, beginning April 12th, we'll be open from 10-2 Monday through Friday. It's not much, but it's something...a step in the right direction to normalcy. . Saturday hours will still be varied, but I'm doing my best to be here most Saturday mornings and early afternoons. Just check in with our stories to get those updates and of course, I'm still available by appointment in the late afternoons, evenings and weekends! See more

Are you the type of person that is hesitant toward bringing bright color into your space? It's a syndrome...BrightColorPhobia (I just made that up). But, seriously, it can feel a little scary to expand your color palette beyond grey and white. Here's some tips on how to incorporate color when you are afraid of color: 1. Start with a small piece of furniture...nothing too imposing and maybe even something temporary to get a sense of how it makes you feel when you are in that s...pace. 2. Go with a colorful neutral...like Duck Egg Blue, Svenska, Chateau Grey or Oxford Navy (just to name a few). I call them colorful neutrals because they aren't the traditional neutrals we think of (white, black, beige or grey) but are colors that work well with virtually every shade on the color palette. 3. Soften the brightness of your color with a coat of Annie Sloan White Wax. The subtle white shade will help to diffuse the brightness of the color making it feel like a safer choice. 4. Find colorful furniture lovers on Instagram and Pinterest and follow their accounts to draw endless heaps of inspiration and give you color confidence!

Happy Halloween! This little chest of drawers certainly doesn't bring out the frights! It just made it's way into the shop by @jamie_ann_bowman! She painted it in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Kitchen Scale and the finish is buttery smooth! Swing by between 10 and 2 today (Halloween) for some trick or treating and weekend shopping! https://knottooshabby.net//chest-of-drawers-in-mms-kitche/

I have a thing for feet and legs on furniture. These ball feet are simply the best and take this piece over the edge! The shop will be open tomorrow (Saturday) from 10-1 pm for Halloween shopping and trick or treating! . @jamie_ann_bowman https://knottooshabby.net/product/antique-ironstone-dresser/

Preserving the details of an antique helps to keep it's charm!

New pieces are trickling into the shop! This beauty was painted by @jamie_ann_bowman...who you may remember if you took one of our paint classes in 2018 and 2019! Jamie has a love affair with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint and took full advantage of it's tendency to chip on this antique dresser. It is the perfect compliment to the age and style of this piece. It's for sale in the shop! https://knottooshabby.net/product/antique-ironstone-dresser/ .

Heading into Monday thinking about the week. Trying to plan...preplan. I've been taking things a day at a time since March but realizing that I need to start thinking ahead a bit more. The holidays are right around the corner and with that much to get excited about. But, planning for a retail shop that creates a festive experience...well...what does that even look like this year? Will people even be shopping in person? I'm taking a good, hard look at the shop, where I am strong, what I can handle on my own and what sells best! So, some things are in the works. Probably minimal decorating this year, but we'll see. Swing by this week to see some of the transition and let me know what you think!

Well...I know this one's different from my usual style. We've been tackling some essential episodes of Star Wars Rebels in preparation for the release of Season 2 of The Mandalorian. (Apparently one of the Rebels characters is predicted to make an appearance). Sabine Wren is one of the main Rebels and she is kick A!!! While she is a kick butt fighter and weapons specialist, she expresses herself through art...graffiti style more or less. So, the Rebels high jacked an Imperial... Tie Fighter and Sabine painted it with wild colors and designs. That is the inspiration behind this dresser (you can see the photo in my stories). I've taken elements of her artwork on the Tie fighter as well as the embellishments she made to her armor and created a dresser that felt and looked like something Sabine would've painted. . I used @anniesloanhome Graphite on the main body with black wax. I splattered Old White to look like the starry sky on the black. Barcelona Orange, English Yellow, Primer Red and Antibes make up the colorful splashes of design in the corners. And, the bird guy (not it's official name) has Louis Blue, Old White and Napoleonic Blue in it. . After months of traditional painting and custom orders, it was fun taking this thrift store find and doing something wild and edgy! https://knottooshabby.net/produ/star-wars-inspired-dresser/

I spent a bit of time on this beauty layering colors. I used Giverny as the dominant color but added layers of English Yellow, Burgundy, Antoinette...Honfleur on the legs and Firle, English Yellow and Giverny on the inside shelves. Some Old White lightens the colors for an interior and matching exterior stencil treatment. But it's soft and subtle...barely noticeable. I removed the wood lattice on the glass for a slightly more modern look. It's nice to have something new in the shop and you can snag her!

We're trying to make Wednesday's more wholesome since it's a mid-week day of virtually no teacher instruction or traditional school...so, why not work on a bit of real life business experience? The kids have been coming to work with me here and there and getting more involved in the business operations. Molly has been doing a bit of painting and can handle all of my online inventory management! I mean...11 years old and she's navigating a word press dashboard like a champ!!!! Sam is still relegated to watering the plants and cleaning the bathrooms. She may be 13, but well...sometimes you have to prove you can handle the small stuff before you can tackle the big stuff. Seriously though...how are y'all handling life with kids at home doing "school?"

Among the many great things about Annie Sloan and her paint is that when she could have sold out to big box she chose to support the local mom and pops!

Another new piece on the floor. This guy was salvaged off the side of the road and I grabbed a bag of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint to give it a sleek, smooth modern finish. A light sanding and bonding agent were essential to prevent the milk paint from chipping or flaking off! https://knottooshabby.net/product/capture-the-world-dresser/

A sweet little tea table gets a punch of color with Annie Sloan English Yellow. I've added a few new pieces to the website. My days have been consumed with custom orders, so the rare opportunity to paint something just for fun makes me jump for joy!

Caitlin Holland