Beautiful Bedroom Set~painted in my house!! and so much more...

 My shop is busting at the seams with all the inventory 

I have been buying for both my Malden and Boston shops...

I will fill you in on Boston next time around~so that brings me to 

painting custom work in my own home!  I have heard once you 

start doing this you can never reclaim your house! But I will say it 

was very efficient and I had my two days off to get set up and create

 a workable system.  I laid out a huge plastic drop cloth over 

the entire room, and tossed my coffee table onto the couch. 

Here is how it looked when we brought in all the pieces...yikes!

 In the dining room I laid out the flat pieces like the bed 

and the mirror~recognize my chandy?

 Temperature controlled with air conditioning was great as it 

makes sure the paint and wax will dry properly in the summer heat and humidity.

 This bedroom set is really terrific looking with old world lines.  

My client, Suzanne, inherited this

set from her grandmother and we updated it with an 

elegant paint job in Annie Sloan™ French Linen with a decorative finish 

of dry brushing over the French Linen using a 50/50 mix with FL and 

Old White Chalk Paint™.  It came out stunning, and Mr. Maison Decor

 must have walked into the living room at least six times and told me

 how beautiful he thought it looked! That was a record for a response!!

 We painted the hardware as well~I like to saturate the dry brushing 

on the edges of the moldings and the carved details.

 Not everyone is so lucky to inherit such pretty furniture!

 The ladies dresser~

 That frenchy scrolled detail just came to life with the Chalk Paint.

 The headboard had a lovely shell motif as did the dresser mirror~

 After two coats of French Linen and the dry brushing I waited a day to start the waxing.  

You can see there is a lot of waxing to be done, and using the Ultimate Wax Brush ($34.98)

makes the job so much quicker.  It also leaves the wax on the brush, 

so you don't waste it as you do when applying with a cloth.  

I am happy to tell you that these will be in my online shop as of today~

as I have had so many people interested in this particular brush. 

Tips on cleaning the brush~use Dawn dish washing detergent

 when you are ready to retire your brush from its waxing duties.  

While I am in the middle of waxing projects, I keep my 

Ultimate Wax Brush in a non-latex surgical glove and it 

keeps it nice and moist.  Any wax brush purchase online will include 

one of these gloves for easy storage during use. 

 Back to the bedroom set~the dry brushing just makes the whole 

appearance of the set more sophisticated and elegant and totally

 jacks up the appeal!  I will do a tutorial on dry brushing in the future.

 Suzanne also got this lamp from her grandmother.  It will be 

getting a bit of a makeover as well~now please don't write 

and tell me we will ruin this piece!! Its going to be gorgeous!

 Listen to this strange thing that happened today! I had my picker Paul drop by 
with some furniture. I bought a couple of dressers from him 
and then showed him pics on my iPad of the set I painted above.
He told me could get me a similar set....I said really?
 He went to check it out and sent me these
photos, and it is the exact same set!! He looked in the drawers 
and it is made by the same furniture company.

The details and hardware are identical!! 
Isn't life strange like that?  So I bought it and I will be getting it 
tomorrow and will finish it for the Boston store!

 And my latest favorite thing to do is use my French Gilding waxes~

here I am gilding this old mirror with King Gold.

 This is the before of the mirror.  Slight gold on the inner 

rounded molding, plain greyish plaster on the scrollwork on the framework.

 This gilding wax is soooo fabulous~!

 I will continue to share its virtues with you.

It is also a product that can be found in my online store for purchase.

 It came out elegant and authentic~and look in the mirror to see what we are doing here at Maison Decor.

I shot this right before we left work...

 I was with Colin and snapped him checking his phone~so he had to laugh. 

They say America runs on Dunkins....and I will say yesterday

 I had myself a nice big iced coffee to give me boost to continue 

pumping out my workload.  Another mora in Cream and Old White is being worked on 

for a custom order...I still had to go home and continue the 

bedroom set, and on top of all that I finally got the lease for Boston!!! 

So stay tuned for more continuing shop adventures.  

My online store is at www.shopmaisondecor.com

The latest in my schedule is an Advanced Class, 

An Annie Sloan Shop Apprentice Day for big kids ages 11-16, 

and another Introductory Techniques workshop. 

See my Maison Decor link for that right here.

Details about the Advanced Techniques class~Wednesday evening August 15th~

 We will create a large Master Board that will encompass

 many beautiful techniques, like metal leaf, decoupage, romantic overlay

 two color stencils, gilding waxes, craqueleur, and more~

Lastly I am considering dumping all my advertising...can I ask you if you find

it bothersome?  I do get a nice paycheck from these ads that help

me with my financial situation, but would you all LOVE it if I got rid of the ads?

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A visit from Betsy!

 Yesterday I was on the phone chatting with Betsy Speert (of Betsy Speert's Blog fame ). We got to talking and one thing led to another and I invited her by the store~I told her I wanted a little more help rearranging and I bribed her with a gilding wax to entice her....she told me her hand was hurting from such chronic Annie Sloan™ painting, so she said she would come over and give me a hand.  As you can see, it didn't take long for Betsy to take charge and as I listened to her regaling the virtues of Chalk Paint™ to my shoppers, I just had to snap a pic!! Betsy Speert LOVES Chalk Paint™!! Oh yes she does~!

 It  was pretty cute to see her sitting at the helm of Maison Decor~

she has become a trusted friend and advisor.  I feel so lucky 

to have her on my team~she is a wealth of knowledge about running 

a business, and of course she is such a talent.

 She is addicted to the paint, and left the shop with 

another group of colors that she had not purchased the first time.

 We spent several hours rearranging inventory~and so when I popped in this morning I

snapped a few pics to show the results~here is my pride and joy and latest creation!

 We used this cottage dresser as a display for the color chart

 and the small samplers that I now carry.

With pieces moving in and out weekly,

 the store is always getting shuffled around.

 I had a picker come by and drop off two pieces for me yesterday as well~

this french music cabinet needs some work and

 it should make a gorgeous display shelf

for someone's home when I am finished.  

As my picker Rebecca, said, "It needs some of your paint!"

 Rebecca also brought me this mirror~it is stunning!!

 Look at the pretty green color under the old gilding framework~its gorgeous.

 I won't need to touch this baby~now if Betsy looks at these photos, 

she is gonna say, "HEY!!, I put the burlap pillows 

on the bench and you already moved them~!!! &$%#!!

 Yeah, I moved them into this big basket~I wanted to prop 

the fancy mirror up there and with '

the green and gold frame I did not like them 

with the red and blue burlap pillows.

 So this is where they are now~what do you think? 

Betsy did a little work on the front entry area too 

which is now anchored with a vintage golden oak chest.

It says, "Welcome to Painters Paradise~the land of Annie Sloan™"

Thanks Betsy!!

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A french vanity~How to add details to your painted pieces.

 Would you like to make your painted pieces one of a kind standouts? 

Adding extra details is the secret~

 I am going to show you how this vanity came together

 and what extras I added to give it a luxe look.

 Its important to see what detail work a piece of furniture has

 and then to work with them and highlight those special features. 

I had decided I wanted to do a two tone piece, however

 I did not want high contrast, so I chose two softer neutrals~ 

Annie Sloan™ Old White and Country Grey. 

 I would use Old White on the main part of the vanity and 

do the drawers and mirror accents in Country Grey,

in my opinion, an underused color in the Annie Sloan™ color line~

 I wanted to stripe the center drawer in both colors, 

so here it is painted in Country Grey with pencil marks 

drawn on with a simple clear ruler across the front. 

Don't get all distracted about measuring~I drew these lines in 3 minutes~

 As the piece develops I like to add the elements back 

in to see how it is coming together. 

Here you can see one of the drawers is slid back in place 

to see how it picks up the mirror color and the edge of the top of the vanity.

 I painted country grey in the grooved areas as well.

 Adding a bit of water to an artist's brush you can make 

it a light watercolory look, then take a rag and wipe

 away any that gets on the outside of the grooves.

 After I striped the center drawer I got out the two step

 Craqueleur by Annie Sloan™.  I wanted the center 

parts of the side drawers to have a tight crackled look, 

as well as the striped drawer.

 Here is what the drawer looks like with the first step~

a white glaze covers the area and when it is dry you 

add the second layer, followed by a hair dryer blast 

and what you are left with is fine crackles!!

 Here is the crackled area on the center of the drawer.

 Then after a clear waxing, I added dark wax to only the 

crackled area to highlight the fine lines. 

It looks really scary and messy when you use dark wax~

but don't fear, this is one of the details that will make the piece rock!!

 Look at that messy scary dark wax in a can!!! 

 Here is the dark wax over cracqueleur~

I put the hardware back on,

 but the gilding is still to come.

 I used my wonderful gilding wax on the tiny raised edges of the drawers~WOW!

I also used it on the edges of the top of the vanity and more heavily around the mirror.

 The Empire Gold looks gorgeous with the Old White and the Country Grey~

just the right shade of gold. It is the lightest shade of gold 

out of all three of the waxes. This step is done AFTER

 you have waxed the piece with Annie  Sloan™ Clear soft wax. 

 Then add the gilding wax to highlight areas~

 So these are some ways to create a knock out custom looking piece of furniture.

 You can see the gilding wax is around the feet of the dresser, 

and I even used some to brighten up the old brass hardware~

Now let me show you where

I found inspiration to do this piece~

 I saw this dresser on Facebook and I loved the striped drawer front~! 

 I wanted a softer contrast though in the two colors so I used 

Country Grey Chalk Paint™ instead of Paris Grey 

that Charmed by Vintage used on her piece.  Its gorgeous! 

 This morning I saw this stunning vanity on Facebook~

its by my favorite Facebook furniture painter,

The Junk Drawer Diva!! Kathy creates the most

 beautiful pieces in her custom blended Annie Sloan™ colors. 

 She called this one Periwinkle Dreams! 

 So the next time you get a chance to buy an old vanity or bureau 

with lots of details just waiting to come out~

take it home and get painting, crackling and gilding!

Turn a beast into a beauty~

And if you are interested in purchasing any of

 the gilding waxes visit my online store~

 www.shopmaisondecor.com

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I was asked...How do I do it??

 As part of a summer series  Kathy of A Delightsome Life is running, I was asked to answer the question, "How do you do it?"  Aimed at bloggers trying to balance life with the blog and other things they might have going on in their lives~that is the question to be answered today.   I started my blog Maison Decor in May 2010 and have passed my two year mark.  The blog has lead me to some great opportunities and the most recent one was opening up a store to sell Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ and home decor items like furniture and accessories.  So my life has gotten more complicated and full and when I started thinking of the question and the answer, it was clear to me that it doesn't all get done. Maybe those reading my blog might think I have some secret weapons or tricks up my sleeve for getting everything done, I don't know... but as you can see from the flourishing weeds in my garden, some things are just not getting done anymore~

 And its really OK with me~I won't be bothered thinking that I used to be able to have a tidy garden or a neater house, because since April my life took a big turn towards the busy end of the spectrum when I decided to open up a store and sell Annie Sloan products~yup, that famous Chalk Paint® that I love.
It has become the number one focus for me, getting this business off the ground, and I can only do it because I made sure that my husband was on board with this decision.

While this store opening is my number one focus right now, my main priority is my relationship with my number one guy, Mr. Maison Decor.  We have a great relationship and I am mindful of keeping it that way...so one of the tips I can tell you, is that it is important to check in, to make time for dinners out, or goof off together, keep the physical relationship in gear, and always let him know how important he is to me.  That is my number one tip for balance in my life.

 We might still have the unpacked cooler sitting in our dining room from our summer vacation three weeks ago~something that NEVER would have happened last summer...but its alright with us both.  Its not a permanent situation, its a sign of switching gears and paying attention to what NEEDS to be done, and this kind of stuff is on the back burner lately.

My energies are invested in trying to figure out how to operate a retail location, and since I didn't know any better, I guess you could say ignorance is bliss!  If anyone wants to do what I am doing, get your partner on board, and then do it and figure it out as you go~that is my second tip.  JUST DO IT!!! We only get one crack at living our life, no do-overs, no second chances to relive our forties or our thirties...so follow your gut, listen to your instincts and then take action.

This Maison Decor thing is now going to expand to another location~I hope to sign the deal on a Boston store.  Its all in its beginning stages and while it might not seem ideal to get another store up and running while I am just barely set up with the first store, it is a move that I found made sense on several levels for me.....here I am walking the streets of Boston on a  Monday with my son Justin~we looked at our location and then went looking at other potential spots for the next Maison Decor store.  Now when I have meetings or events I need to schedule them on Sundays or Mondays, as those are my days off. So that is an adjustment for me as well, I used to be able to do whatever whenever!! Now I am on a schedule, and it is more important than it used to be to make lists and be organized.  When will I go to the food store? When will I do the laundry?  When can I go anywhere??? It all needs to be scheduled with fore thought.   It can be done, and I will get better at this as I get used to it...I do think that LIST MAKING is a very good technique that everyone can use.  Its great to check off the things on the list~feeling that you have accomplished goals, no matter how small, gives you a pat on the back feeling.  Colin is great at making lists for me in the store.  He will set up a list of things to do for the week~like how many clocks to paint, paint workshop supplies that need to be purchased, store cleaning, painting furniture~it goes on...and on.....

 Of course we will be opening new accounts with different vendors and that means tending to them, checking your inventory and offering them to the public in both the retail and the new online store, www.shopmaisondecor.com
I still love to blog, and although blog hopping is not something I get to do as much anymore, I still love writing my blog and I usually do that in the morning when I get to the shop~I will have things I want to share on the blog, and that is the best time for me to compose a post.  I like to blog 3 times a week, and I love reading the comments I get from my readers...it is a shot in the arm when I get notes and comments!  I really thought that many people would not like reading the blog when I started sharing about opening a store, but it was the opposite! People wrote to me and expressed how wonderful it was to watch this happening.  So I will continue blogging, as it is something I enjoy and I find valuable in many ways.
This all takes time, the store, the blog, the paper work and family life~and now time has become my most valuable asset.  It slips by quickly, and since April my days have gone from leisurely paced to zooming so fast~and then at 8:30 PM I can hardly keep my eyes open!! 

The thing that is taking a lot of my time right now is writing a business plan for the Boston store as I want to secure a loan.   This is NOT my comfort zone, but leads me to the tip, JUST DO IT.  That meant getting advice from a banker and going to an online website Score.org for information on how to do this properly.  I will hopefully finish it this week.  My goal for the store is to get it up and running with Justin fully trained and ready to roll September 1.  I will be doing workshops in both locations and he will take over when proficient in all the skills we learn as stockists and professionals.  In that vein, my training of Jay has begun, and it is done on my days off, so it takes away from my time with hubby and Colin and the life back at home....but this is a temporary period, needed for a startup~

This shot was taken out to dinner recently~we all knew we were going to go for Boston!!

 These guys have my back, and that in a nutshell is HOW I DO IT.

I don't try to be a perfectionist at home, I let things ride where I can, and pay attention to the most pressing issues of the day....so wish me luck, and if you want to follow a dream, get your important people on board and don't look back~!!

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