Stories in GRAIN

BEFORE and AFTER
My mommas custom hutch.

If mom is happy, everyone is happy! 😃

This hutch took a while, but it is always fun to see the piece in the home where it belongs. Makes it all worth the time.
Thank you mom!

Merry Christmas all you beautiful people! 🎄🎄🎄

CHRISTMAS CLEARANCE!

Refinished dresser in Fusion minerals "Raw
silk" furniture paint with built in top coat.

Sealed in Melange Board and Boot wax.

Aged with Fusion mineral aging wax, and
proper sanding for aging. Aging has gray and brown undertones.

$400

This dresser is as sturdy as the come. Mainline furniture high quality.

Message me if interested.

Cash or Venmo. Local delivery available for a small fee.

Happy Holidays!

CHRISTMAS CLEARANCE!

"Elizabeth" is sure to add joy to your home this season with her regal depth in color, and timeless charm!

She is painted in "Pressed Fern" by Fusion mineral paints, and sealed in a Lavender scented Fusion furniture wax.

For those of you who know me, it is important that products in my home are non-toxic and safe, and that goes for the furniture products that I use too!

I lined her drawers and gave her new handles too!

This is the final price for Elizabeth. I accept Venmo or cash. No holds. Sale is final.

$450.00

Local delivery available for a small fee: Gunnison, Centerfield, Richfield, Glenwood, Central, and Annabella.

Message me if you're interested in adding this highboy to your lovely home!

Much love and Happy Holidays!

More photos and measurements in comments.

My newest custom piece coming along amd primed.
Furniture painting takes patience I tell ya! Never skip the prep steps!
Can't wait to show you the final reveal.
If you have questions, drop them below 👇

Custom piece...

My friend wanted her black and distressed, which is my favorite look to create!

For the base I used shellac so that the talons from the wood wouldn't bleed through the paint over the years.

This is by far the most beautiful black I have used. She's painted in Dixie Belle's Caviar.

I sealed this piece with a polyurethane in satin for extra durability and used an aging wax over the front of the drawers for extra wear and a buttery finish. (Yes both can be used).

I kept the original hardware to keep the original character and sentimental value. Just cleaned them up!

Thank you my friend for your trust in re-finishing a piece that means something to you! It is always a labor of love, my time to re-group, and to be creative.

Which color would you have chosen? 😀

Elizabeth (yes I name the pieces), looked to me like she needed a color that matched her name. She reminds me of the Queen Anne style dresser in "Beauty and the beast"!
She is a statement! She is sophisticated, modern, but yet oh-so-classic, all in one.
Do you agree?

Elizabeth is still for sell for any of you who may be interested in letting her be a statement in your home.
And she is so beautiful up close!

I have a fun life ❤

1 of 2 CUSTOM projects I'm working on. 😊 It has a beautiful mirror up top,
and is a family heirloom.

Getting this baby prepped!

What would you do?

This was a quicker project for my stepson. He's off to new BIG adventures! We'll miss having him around a lot!

It was a nice break to work on an easier piece that didn't need many updated repairs.

I didn't have time to order my usual paint, but Behr chalk paint worked pretty good.
I did dilute just slightly (be careful not to dilute too much or the paint pigments will change). Sometimes just spritzing as I go helps keep the paint smooth and easier to apply.
Color in Hurricane gray.

I sealed this with my usual favorite furniture wax from Fusion.

Sanded the top down, stained, and sealed.

Added new k***s from our local Ace.

No fancy background for this one! She needs to be wrapped and ready to travel!

*AVAILABLE*
Price reduction 👊

"Elizabeth" is bold, sleek, timeless, and demands attention! 😀

She was given a lot of love with some patching, repairing, sanding, and priming.

Elizabeth is painted in PRESSED FERN by with a built in top coat.

She's sealed in Fusions Lavender scented furniture wax.

Top four drawers were given an added glam with wallpaper.

And new hardware was added to finish off this beauty.

ELIZABETH is $550
Venmo or cash (sale is final). No holds.

Much love, April

How to get a smooth finish on painted furniture ⤵️

It's as simple as sanding between each coat of paint!
Make sure each layer of paint is thin. It's tempting to add thick layers to save you time, but it isn't worth it. Paint will look "gooped on", details will be lost, chipping will be more likely, and drying time increased.
I use a 320 or higher grit sandpaper. You want to lightly go over your piece, enough to smooth but not take paint off.
Sanding between coats creates a buttery smooth consistent finish.
Happy painting!

My two hour project today for my little sis ❤ Thanks Chez for asking me to finish this for you.

I started with an 80 grit sandpaper, and moved to a 220 grit when most of the paint was removed so that I didn't damage the wood.

(Thanks to my hubby for taking it apart for me when he could see I was making my life harder.) Still learning!😀

She chose her color of stain to match her room.

I would suggest a wood conditioner before applying stain. It helps the color consistency on bare wood, and allows for a smoother finish.

I did not put a sealer because this is the look she wanted.

Happy projecting!

Started a new project while I wait for handles to arrive...

*SOLD *

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Jezebel was turned from an outdated bulky hutch, to a classy curio cabinet.

She was patched, sanded, cleaned, and primed.

Painted in two coats "Bayberry" green by Fusion.
Sealed in Lavender scented Fusion furniture wax.
Inside was given a new wallpaper backing.

Jezebel was given beautiful sturdy wooden legs.

She is my favorite project so far. My hubby knew I'd want to keep her, BUT I designed her in mind to be a piece someone else will love!

$375 Cash or Venmo

Pickup or local delivery available (extra cost)
Sale is final, no holds.

Sneak peak at my latest. 😀 She turned out better than I envisioned! Super excited to share her with you all. Coming soon... Jezebel 💕

First piece I sold online. :) This was such a fun piece to work on. It took me hours and hours but was definitely worth it.
Hutches are my favorite!

Hi! I'm April. I'm very grateful you are here with me.
I've been refurbishing furniture pieces for over 20 years.
I learned through the years to make the most of what I had while living on a budget, and wanting our home to still be beautiful, inviting, and creative.

Refurbishing (painting in particular) has always been a stress reliever for me! A fresh new look can be created with a coat of paint!

BUT, and yes there's a but, I have learned the hard way at times.
I've learned what not to use, what didn't work, what made the process harder,
but which also led me to what styles and techniques I'm really good at.
And I'm still learning new techniques which is the fun part.

I am on the "greener" end of putting my pieces on social media, SO, any suggestions of what you'd like to see, I would appreciate!

Wood for me tells a story.

I believe wood has memory, it has a purpose to be used to bring us joy.

This is why I enjoy taking dated pieces and bringing them back to life!

And selling them for prices families can afford.

Because if you're like me, you want a home that is YOU, a sanctuary, a place that adds happiness in your life, while living on a budget.

This picture was taken the day I got my first Zibra paint brush and my life changed forever! 😉 If you like to paint and you don't have one, I highly suggest you get one. Life as a painter will be smooth sailing.

I'm so glad you're here!

Much love,
April

Now it's easier to send Stories in GRAIN a message.

Happy 4th everyone! Lovin' the festivities, the sunshine, and family. Hope your holiday is fab!

Here's my latest project...

What would be your color vote?

*Available*

Milena set is painted in ONE by Melange paints and sealed in a water based poly.

Shelves are painted in Fusion minerals "seaside" and also sealed with poly.

Please message me if interested.

$425 cash and pickup only for this set. Sale is final. No holds.

Much love, April

This is by far the most time consuming project I've ever worked on!
BUT mainline by Ho**er furniture is worth it!
Mainline is beautiful.
I couldn't be happier with how this mid-century modern set turned out.

I name the pieces I work on because wood tells a story.

I named this set "Adrienne", because it reminds me of a beautiful friend I have who has dug through the mud to get to where she is now.

She's beautiful, classy, and has such a bright light to her.
She's strong and perseveres, and is an incredible mother.
Yes! I named this furniture in honor of an incredible woman. That is how I vibe!

Stripped, sanded, patched, sanded again, washed, and primed.

Adrienne is painted in two coats Fusion minerals "Raw silk" with a built in top coat, after first given an undertone of gray that would show through along the edges for depth and aging.

The top was sanded to bare wood and stained in a deep rich color for a modern feel.

Adrienne is sealed with Melanges Board and Boot wax sealer and moisturizer.

She was given new k***s, and the existing flower k***s were cleaned and preserved for this timeless furniture.

$1800

Cash or venmo only. Sale is final.
Pickup

Interested? Please shoot me a message.

Much love, April

SOLD

"Anna"

After Anna was prepped thoroughly with sanding, washing, and priming, she was given her new color!

She is painted in two coats Dixie Belle "Antebellum blue".

Sealed in three coats Fusion minerals Natural oil and top coat.

Top was sanded to bare wood and sealed in Fusion minerals Natural stain and top coat.

Hardware was cleaned and she got new legs!

Anna was fun to work on. I wanted her to be updated from that dark brown, dull look. She needed a modern color, and sexy legs to bring her out of the dated, and into the modern!

SOLD

"Wonder" is one of my favorites.

She was sanded, cleaned, primed, and a top piece was removed.

Wonder is painted in "Pebble", a soft, warm gray from Fusion minerals. Fusion has a built in top coat, however, I sealed her with a durable gloss top coat (non yellowing), by Fusion as well.

She was given new hardware, and a floral wallpaper backing to add a bit more elegance.

Wonder is a special piece to me. Often when I work on furniture, I "feel" the piece.
I wonder what its history is?
I bet it was someone's favorite piece at one time!
Those are the thoughts that go on in my mind as I bring a piece back to life.
I believe wood holds memory and is happy to be re-newed, and given a new home for a new purpose.
I always hope that the buyer absolutely loves it!

From being stuck in a dark corner, to refreshed and bright, I would say Wonder is beautiful.

It was a lot of fun working on these sweet little nightstands, and bringing them back to life.

I sanded the tops, exposing the beautiful natural wood.
It was treated with Fusion minerals "Natural stain and top coat".

The base was sanded, washed, and primed before getting it's new look!

Painted in two coats Fusion minerals "Raw silk" with built in top coat. This is my favorite color to date 🙂

Aged in Fusion minerals "Aging wax", and proper sanding.

Sealed with two coats Fusion minerals Lavender scented furniture wax.

New hardware was added.

SOLD