Deal #2

Sorry for the delay, folks, but here's another booth item for which I'm looking a happy home.

Stone top table with iron base. 42" diameter x 30" high. Perfect library/foyer table or chic breakfast table.  $200

Deal #1

Newly painted black two-tier coffee table. Legs have bamboo detailing. Great condition. 40"w x 16"d x 18"h
$150
Email me if you're interested.

Bold Renovation

Happy Friday!

I'm leaving shortly for a weekend away with some good friends (hurray!) but before I jet off, I want to share this story with you from Thursday's Washington Post. It's written by Terri Sapienza, my favorite journalist on the newspaper design beat. I used to run out every Thursday morning to buy the Post when we lived outside D.C. so that I could read the Home section. (Full disclosure- I got to meet Terri several years ago when she wrote an article about Refined, my old business that I started with my dear friend Kathryn. Not only is Terri a great writer, but she's really sweet & full of style.) Anyways, I digress- back to Thursday's article, which covers interior designer Lauren Liess and the Herndon, VA home that she and her husband totally renovated in 6 months on a modest budget. Reading it made me want to go buy the ugliest house on the best street and work some magic- after all, there's really nothing quite like a nicely done home makeover.

I've seen Lauren's house in magazines and on blogs before, but I never knew what a total renovation she had done and under what constraints. Learning that she did this short on time, without a huge budget, and against the advice of her realtor & even her family makes me love it- and her- even more. You really have to check out Terri's article which shows some before shots of the house- yikes. You are a true visionary, Lauren. Congrats to you!

Dotkat

I am crazy over Kravet's Dotkat fabrics, which are part of their Echo Design collection. Made from 100% cotton and in five great colorways, this indie-feeling polka dot serves as a great neutral in combination with a print but also has the power to stand alone. Did I mention that it's really well priced? Let me know if you'd like additional information or want to order yardage.

Now, what needs reupholstering in the Applegate house? Off to search, because that green colorway is calling my name...

Anybody out there?

If any loyal readers are still checking in, let me first assure you that I'm still alive, despite my 3+ month hiatus from this blog. Secondly, thank you for hanging around and for continuing to check back in despite my unexplained absence, for which I have no real reason other than the the fact that I got busy with family, work, travel, having my email and facebook hacked, a fast crawling son and life in general. I have a bad habit of shutting down when I feel overwhelmed, thus the hiatus from my blog. But I found myself really missing this venue for sharing thoughts and inspiration and then read some wonderful posts by other working/blogging moms (all of whom seem far busier than me!) on how they juggle it all. I was encouraged and reminded myself that blogging (or most things in life, really) doesn't have to be all or nothing and so here I am to give it another try. I wouldn't dare promise consistency but for now it's good to be back and for those of you who are still reading...thank you.

Let's get caught up for a second, shall we?

It's with both a little sadness and relief that I share probably the most pertinent bit of news to this blog, which is that I have closed my booth at Hunt & Gather in Raleigh. I had two wonderful years of selling refurbished & reclaimed pieces at this fabulous consignment store and I'm so grateful for all of the people I met through this experience. But finding, refurbishing, and hauling furniture to Raleigh became a little overwhelming with a child in the picture and I couldn't devote the time I needed to towards my booth. Definitely the hardest part about this decision is no longer having a reason to buy (or place to store) great pieces when I find them (and, wouldn't you know, as soon as I decided to close the booth one fabulous piece after another has stumbled upon my path...torture!) So from time to time I might feature a piece or two on this blog that I just couldn't pass up in hopes of finding it a good home. Bringing old furniture back to life will always be a passion of mine, so don't look for me to completely stop my rounds through estate sales and second-hand shops (but I might have to clean out our shed for extra storage!) I also have a few pieces from the booth that I'd like to sell (can you smell a bargain?), so stay tuned for further information on them.

I haven't completely given up blogging over the past few months.  I've been honored to be a contributing writer for SavorNC's blog, and I've talked about everything from sustainable design to front doors to grasscloth wallpaper with their readers over the past few months. You can find me there every other Thursday; tomorrow I'll be discussing how the use of custom details like trim and nailheads can elevate and personalize the look of your upholstery.

So that's the skinny for now. Again, thanks for reading; it's good to be back.