Vintage Vanity gets Vibrant & Whimsical Makeover

Hi guys! I’m slowly getting back into the groove after relaxing at mom’s condo in Fort Myers but I have to tell you, it’s taking a while.

The 30 degree drop in temperature from Florida to Michigan was a rude awakening. I knew what we were returning home too so I tried to over sleep or misplace our boarding passes but my daughter was adamant about getting to her track meet that afternoon so there so onto the flight we went.

We got home just in time for her to check into an hour’s worth of school so she could take part in the meet.

That night was

THE World’s LONGEST

WINDIEST

COLDEST Bleacher

Track meet… eva!

Did I mention it was cold?

Our meteorologist joked today that we’ll most likely have a later than usual date for the last hard freeze. Typically it falls around the first weekend in May. I can’t believe Lake Michigan is still 30% covered in ice! It’s usually down to 1% by now, that’s 30 times more than normal! I shot this photo as we flew over the shoreline.

Ice breaking up on Lake Michigan Shoreline taken April 2014 after a brutal 2013-14 Winter

I’m sure a lot of you are anxious for Spring to arrive; hopefully it’s already arrived in your neck of the woods. I see pictures of other people’s flowers and I’m so jealous!!! If we can’t start planing for a few more weeks, at least we can enjoy brighten up the place with some paint.

Cathy did a super cool makeover on this antique vanity. When we got it, it looked like this.

It was one of those pieces that you look at and think “What the heck and I supposed to do with THAT?” We both had sentimental feelings about it since we had one exactly like it in our room growing up but seriously, the style??? How could we bring it into our era?? I shoved it back in the corner like a naughty little kid in a time-out but it hadn’t done anything wrong ~ lol. The veneer was also missing and coming off in various locations on the front so we had to address that.

Since it didn’t have any detail to play up, I suggested adding fabric. I’ve seen that done on other pieces of furniture, come to think of it ~ I’ve done it myself too on a buffet a few years back.

Soooo, off to the fabric store we went. I spocked the neatest print right off the bat but it wasn’t my project so I had to let Cath choose. I couldn’t believe it when she ended up with the one I liked. We almost always have different ideas for things so I was pretty geeked to see what she did with this.

She base coated the vanity in American Paint Company’s all natural chalk & clay paint using Bordello, a vibrant purple/fuscia that I absolutely love.

She applied all her paint in a messy, any-which-way style to build a lot of texture and interest, then layered over that with a wash of a fabulous new color from the Limited Edition Ellis Collection called Waistcoat. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this color!

Waistcoat over Bordello BEFORE Clear Wax

Waistcoat over Bordello AFTER Clear Wax

The stool was base coated with Beach Glass, one of my favorites (I may have kind of, sort of… planted the seeds by placing my favorite colors on top of her material 🙂 I was absolutely loving where this was headed but I what would she put over that???

American Paint Company’s Beach Glass

She went in the back and mixed up a dreamy yellow-orange. What a cool color! LOVE this!!!

After all the vibrant colors were applied, Cath sealed distressed everything and applied American Paint Company’s Clear Wax to everywhere except the drawer fronts. This is where the cool fabric comes into play. It was adhered with Modge Podge specifically designed for fabric then sealed with American Paint Company’s Topcoat.

She finished it just in time for the Women’s Expo that where we were featured presenters at DeVos Place & Performance Center.

whimsical retro vanity shizzle design west michigan decoupage waistcoat mirror vintage antique painted furniture — Shizzle Design Painted Furniture and American Paint Company’s Chalk and Clay paint at DeVos Place Grand Rapids MI

Cathy finished it all off with a pretty trim and is practically giving it away with the low price. It’s sitting pretty waiting for its next owner at our Shizzle Design booth within Not So Shabby in Holland. For location, click HERE.

Well…. What’cha think???

Upcoming Events…

May 3 Get Messy with me while trying out our Chalk and Clay Paint, Wax, Topcoat, Metallic Mica Powders, Glazes… during the Outdoor French Flea Market at Caledonia Vintage Marketplace, Caledonia, Michigan

May 16 and May 17 Transform Your Find with Shizzle Design Furniture Painting Workshop at our Shizzle Design Paint Studio, Jenison, Michigan

Our Transform Your Find with Shizzle Design Workshops on May 16 and 17th are quickly filling up. If you’d like to join us for one of those classes, grab an old piece of furniture and spend a fun day with us!! For more information on how to register, click HERE.

Did you know…

Shizzle Design is a small family owned business in Jenison, Michigan. My sister Cathy and I work, paint, ship and teach our chalk and clay paint workshops out of the same space where we paint all our furniture. We are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints.
Instead of hoarding our knowledge, we empower DIY’ers by sharing our years of experience. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable answers for all your chalk and clay paint needs.
We are so blessed to have taught people from all over the United States and Canada. Join us for one of our super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshops. Learn in our casual & relaxed environment. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints.
Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page. We share all sorts tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page).
Pin our posts on Pinterest ~ Find all sorts of inspiration here.
We sell our painted furniture in our Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428 and at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan
Shizzle Design is an Authorized Retailer for American Paint Company Paints. We offer a large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies at our Shizzle Design Paint Shop /Studio, 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, MI 49428. We also stock several other shops in the greater Grand Rapid’s area, to find out where, click LOCATIONS. Not from Michigan? No worries, we ship paint and paint supplies worldwide through our Online Shizzle Shop.

Click here to see Shizzle Design Painted Furniture Makeovers

Click here to see our Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Click here to see Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

a hui hou ~ Shelly

January 2, 2014May 24, 2017

Shizzle Style Workshop Paint Makeovers #3

Hello Gang! It’s Sunday and that means it’s time for me to share some more amazing transformations performed by of the guys and gals who have attended our Paint Your Own Furniture Workshops.

Rose brought this table to refinish

and left with this!

Rose painted her table to coordinate with her super cool chairs from Pier 1 Imports, Who doesn’t love Pier 1? I sure do, especially when I can get a great deal! Want to save on something fabulous? Click HERE for your coupon code. To create this type of a finish, create one of our beautiful teals such as Beach Glass or Anguilla and do a wash over Espresso or Deep Chocolate.

My favorite part is seeing the excitement in student’s eyes then they realize the masterpiece they’ve created!

I don’t know… do you think she likes it?

Sheryl transformed this worn out parlor table…

…into this gorgeous table. You can create this too by using American Paint Company’s Navajo White and Freedom Road.

It always boggles my mind when people travel for hours to come in from out of state or Canada for one of our workshops. We are humbled and truly blessed by each and every one of you!

Carla brought in this oak floor mirror

I love base coating pieces in a rich deep colors. American Paint Company’s Espresso Brown is perfect for this.

It’s so much fun sharing paint techniques with a room full of people who share the same passion! Hey… how do you paint all day long and still look so stinkin’ cute without a drop of paint all over your clothes? Are you guys keeping something from me? huh? HUH?

Carla wanted to paint her mirror to match the buffet she bought from us

She was really questioning the color of the wet paint

I don’t think she was buying the fact that it was the same color until it started to dry

There’s a picture of the finished mirror in the last picture of this post.

All the color and activity reminds me of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

I love seeing everyone’s ideas come together!

I swear I have the most talented students EVER! They come in doubting themselves and walk out true superstars! Most come in having never painted with chalk/clay paints but they walk out of here having totally blown me away!

Just look at all this talent! These girls were so much fun!!

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

a hui hou ~ Shelly

July 8, 2013May 10, 2017

Whimsical Patchwork Painted Dresser

Do you ever have one of THOSE days? THOSE weeks? THOSE months? I do! Sometimes I just need to walk away from everything and escape the chaos for a little while. This is one of our favorite places to relax.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

Lake Michigan’s Beautiful Shoreline, Empire, Michigan

I love Michigan’s summers! Since it’s light until almost 10:00 p.m. this time of year, late afternoons and evenings the perfect time for painting. The sun isn’t intense, the winds are usually calm and everything seems more tranquil.

I took the opportunity to slap together a quick makeover using various leftover sample pots of American Paint Company’s chalk, clay and mineral paint. I dumped blobs of each color onto a plate and went to town. No deep thought, no planning ~ Ready, Set, GO!

The only thing I knew I wanted was a chunky, patchwork quilt type of colorful finish. I used American Paint Company’s Beach Glass, Orange Grove, Amber Waves of Grain, Home Turf, Dessert Cactus (and I can’t remember what else). Here’s what I ended up with.

To begin, I simply slapped on the paint and kept layering… and layering… and layering!

This dresser is a good representation of what’s going through my brain at any given moment.

To me, it’s not just about the color, it’s how a piece feels

I wish you could reach through your monitor and feel how silky smooth the finish is on this piece. It’s sealed with American Paint Company’s Light Antiquing Wax which adds a sunset-like warmth to the vast array of colors I used.

I love APC’s Antiquing Waxes!

They are by far the easiest dark waxes I’ve ever used. They can be applied directly over the paint without an initial coat of clear wax!

APC’s Antiquing Wax comes pre-mixed so…

You don’t have to mix it up yourself and worry whether you have it mixed well enough to cure properly. It’s good to go.
You don’t have to fart around cutting the dark wax with clear wax just to make it glide on evenly. It naturally spreads out evenly without creating streaks you can’t blend into the finish.
You also won’t have to dilute it with Mineral Spirits like some chemically laden waxes require to make them work properly ~ just brush it on like you would Clear Wax and buff with an old t-shirt and you’ll end up with such a buttery smooth finish that you won’t be able to stop touching it.

Ok, maybe that’s just me

I touch a lot of painted furniture that doesn’t FEEL good

To create this look, take a variety of colors and start slapping it on in random patterns. Dry brush in every which way then use a little water to spread it around and repeat over and over again until you like what you see. I used a variety of colors from American Paint Company’s chalk/clay/mineral paints including: Fireworks Red, Home Turf, Surfboard, Orange Grove, Wild Horses, Home Plate, Beach Glass, Coral Reef and whatever else was within my reach that day.

I do the same thing with carpet, couches, sweatshirts and linens. Living room carpet needs to be soft enough to lay on, the fabric on a couch needs to be so comfy that you can crash face first into it… Yes, I’ve been known to lay on couches at LaZboy and I’m about as experienced as they come at picking out the best rocking chair. Ok ~ so I like to rock. One of these days I’ll share some of my earliest photos of this habit that I seem to have carried on to adulthood. Did I mention, I still rock my 10 year old? SHHHH ~ don’t tell her I told you!!

I dropped this off to our Shiz zle Design booth at Not So Shabby in Holland, Michigan

These colors lift my spirits!

What do you think?

Leave me a comment below ~ I’d love to hear about your favorite color combinations!

Did you know that…

We’ve opened up a Shizzle Design Paint Studio at 2018 Chicago Drive, Jenison, Michigan 49428? This is where Cathy and I paint our furniture but we want our customers to know that we’re here for you. We encourage everyone to stop in any time to buy paint or to get your questions answered.
We’ve taught people from all over the United States and Canada how to paint furniture Shizzle Style using chalk and clay paints? Join us for a fun and relaxing workshop. Click Paint Workshops to see a list of current classes offered.
You can Subscribe to Shizzle Design for tips, tutorials, ideas, pictures, videos for our furniture painted in all natural chalk and clay based mineral paints?
Did you know that you can get these sent directly to your inbox and that it’s FREE? It is ~ so what are you waiting for? Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
We have a Shizzle Design Facebook Page? We share all sorts of additional tips, ideas, photos EVERY DAY and offer special deals (which you’ll only know about if you’ve Liked our Facebook Page?).
We have numerous Pinterest Boards? Stop in and check out our extensive portfolio ~ Pin us on Pinterest
We sell our painted furniture at Not So Shabby Antiques and Fine Furniture at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, Michigan 49424?
Shizzle Design is an American Paint Company’s Chalk/Clay/Mineral Paints in West Michigan locations and sell both domestically and international online? Click LOCATIONS or Online Shizzle Shop.

Click here to see Shizzle Design Painted Furniture Makeovers

Click here to see our Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Click here to see Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

a hui hou ~ Shelly

June 20, 2013

So I like Color

I’ll never forget our first trip to The Children’s Museum in Portland, Oregon. Our oldest daughter was absolutely IN LOVE with the interactive water part of the museum where little kids get to put on raincoats and play with all sorts of cool water contraptions! I was struck by the vibrant colors that surrounded us and thought how cool it would be as a child to have a room painted with so whimsy. As soon as we landed in Michigan, I drove to Home Depot and picked up some paint.

When saw the vibrant colors of American Paint Company’s Paints, I couldn’t help but think of two things: garden chairs and children’s furniture. I had two twin Dixie headboards in my stash and wanted to paint them to coordinate with the ornate mirror that my sister Cathy had just painted.

I planned to paint a base coat of the Coral Reef and Orange Grove and then layer over it with Beach Glass distressing back through but I loved the blended orange color so much ~ I left it.

I still think it looks cool against the Beach Glass and Surfboard on the dresser. Might not be your thing, but I love it. Makes me feel like I’m in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. You know the room, edible lollipop trees, chocolate rivers… you’ve dreamed of that too, I know you have!!

I did finish my daughter’s room that week so many years ago… I still love it today (when I can find it under all those clothes)

Took the matching twin headboards to my booth at Not So Shabby in Holland, Michigan and they were gone in a blink

Click here to see many more Shizzle Design Painted Furniture Makeovers

Click here to see our Shizzle Tips, Tutorials & Video How-To’s

Click here to see our Funky Finishes

Linking up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

a hui hou!

Shelly

June 11, 2013

Funky Finishes

Anyone who follows our blog has probably figured out by now that we’re not the type to slap on a fresh coat of paint and call it good.

We drive ourselves bonkers fussing over the smallest details. My sister and I definitely fall into the “Tinker” category and if you knew our dad, you know where we acquired it.

Cathy and I like to add multiple layers of paint and mix it up using a variety of techniques, brushes, paint colors and finishes. Because of this, we added a Funky Finishes section to our project gallery. The problem is, you don’t see the Funky Finishes button until you click on….

Portfolio at the top of our blog

After you click on Portfolio, you’ll see the Funky Finishes button. It looks like this!

Beneath our Funky Finishes button, you’ll find all sorts of different pieces we’ve refinished using different techniques. When you have a chance, click through some of our projects then let me know what you think.

Why am I mentioning this now? Because I’m getting super excited to unveil my latest Funky Finish on the armoire I just painted. I’ve been messing with this the past two weeks and will be finished soon. Here’s a sneak peak!

If you follow our Facebook Page, you’ve probably been following the progression of this piece. We share little snippets of information on our Shizzle Facebook page several times a day but I’ll be posting the complete transformation of this French Country Armoire later this week right here.

Many mahalos also go out to Marian at Miss Mustardseed and Danielle at Silver Pennies for featuring Cathy’s Vintage Dresser

Want to learn how to do this? Join us for a Shizzle Style Paint Workshop, check our 2013 Schedule here.

Have a great night!!

May 16, 2013

Everybody’s Gone Surfing…

Surfing U.S.A. I couldn’t help but sing when I finally finished this dresser that I’ve been tinkering with on and off for several weeks. I painted it three times trying to get it just right but each time I wasn’t feeling it. Am I the only one who does this?

I initially painted it in a rich green but felt this color was a bit too taste specific to sell quickly in our area.

Click here to see how it looked initially

You know me, I like to mix ‘em up so I layered over it to tone it down a bit.

The top was given one nice coat of APC’s Blue Jeans which has since been retired. I washed over that color with APC’s Surfboard. The two colors really pop one another!

The icing on the cake was when my friend Laurie stopped by and asked if I wanted to borrow her awesome stencil for anything. Um ~ YEAH!

I mixed up some leftover sample pots to paint a base color of orange then topped it off with another layer of yellow.

Scuffed it up a bit then sealed it with Clear Wax and off she went to the shop to await her new owner.

Ooo~La~La!

Finally ~ I Likey! What do you think?

Want to create this look without the guesswork? It’s easy ~ Order one of our Shizzle Design Custom Paint Kits. This particular combo is called “Everybody’s Gone Surfing” and can be purchased here.

Follow us on our ShizzleLLC Facebook Page for daily updates, especially if you’re looking for furniture as a lot of it is flying out the door before we can photograph it and get it to Not So Shabby.

A hui hou ~ Shelly

Shizzle Style Painted Furniture Makeovers

Shizzle Tips, How To Tutorials & Video’s

Funky Finishes

Did you know…

It’s just the two of us: My sister and I own and operate Shizzle Design which originated in my garage. We have and will continue to work hard providing the best customer service.
We specialize in painting furniture and are truly humbled to be known as a leader in the world of chalk and clay paints. Stop in for paint and we’ll offer you honest and knowledgeable
We are blessed to teach people from all over the U.S. Join us for a super fun hands-on chalk and clay paint workshop in a casual & fun atmosphere. For a list of current classes, click here.
Subscribe to our weekly blog posts for tips, tutorials, ideas & painted furniture inspiration. Enter your email in the right hand column of our blog to stay in the loop.
Like our ShizzleLLC Facebook Page We share what we’re working on EVERY single DAY so you’ll usually find out about new classes, new products, new furniture, sales… if you follow us there. After you like our FB Page, be sure to click the down arrow behind the work “Liked” to choose which notifications you’d like to receive. If you do not do this, you will miss 99% of our posts.
Visit our Pinterest Page for our portfolio & more inspiration here.
Our Painted Furniture is offered at: Shizzle Design Paint Studio 2018 Chicago Dr., Jenison, MI 49428 and Not So Shabby at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland, MI 49424
Shop Paint: Shop our large inventory of chalk and clay paint and supplies on our Online Shizzle Shop and at our West Michigan LOCATIONS.

Originally linked up to these GREAT Parties!

Domestically Speaking – The Power of Paint Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage – Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustardseed – Furniture Feature Friday

Redoux – Friday Link Up Party

Homespun Happenings – Rustic Restorations Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors – Saturday Night Special

Silver Pennies – Silver Pennies Sundays

Knick of Time Interiors – Knick of Time Tuesday

a hui hou!

Shelly

April 10, 2013

American Paint Company Paint Chalk & Clay Paints Have Arrived in Michigan!

The truck has been spotted en-route to Michigan ~~~ we’ll have our first shipment VERY soon~~ WE HAVE IT!!

Here’s a sneak peak of their beautiful colors. I love the rich tones of this chalk and clay based paint and the coverage is the best!

For many more details, stop by and LIKE our Shizzle Design Facebook Page HERE. We daily post photos, updates, specials and giveaways on that page.

Stay tuned….

a hui hou ~ Shelly

August 31, 2012

Destin Color Wash

A couple weeks ago while we were on vacation with our entire family, we ventured out in the morning for some espresso and we ran across a moving sale. Deedeedeedeedee deedeedeedeedee ~ our radar went off and there was no stopping us. We followed the signs several miles from the lake down the country roads.

The drive was worth it ‘cuz we scored! I’m sure we would have needed a U-haul had we found it a couple days earlier, because it was already day 3 and she still had cool furniture waiting for us.

One of the things we scored that day was a vintage stereo cabinet. It didn’t look like this when we found it. It was pretty much a medium dark orange stain color. I swear I took a before picture but it seems to have vanished ~ or maybe that’s it’s just old age, either way, I can’t find it.

I just couldn’t resist the character of this charming piece. It warmed my heart to imagine families sitting around the stereo listening to talk radio in the good old days. Can’t you just picture it? I keep getting images of The Waltons!

Needless to say, it made it’s way into the back of our truck.

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I have this thing for Destin Gulf Green and though I could imagine it looking great painted in several colors, I still went with Destin. I mean seriously, look at all that yumminess!

I thinned my paint with water to create a color wash and started slapping on my paint. I stopped when I got to the legs and decided to paint them in Virginia Chestnut (formally Hershey Brown) to create more of a statement.

I didn’t want it to look new, I never do. I try instead to accentuate the charm and character the piece already has. After all, isn’t that what we all love about these pieces anyway?

I got just the look I was going for with one coat of my color wash. The Destin Gulf Green dried really light, even with that thin coat then turned really dark when I sealed it with Clear Wax. Yes, that’s how dark it looks when the clear wax is applied, no worries ~ it lightens up again after the wax dries, not as light as the left hand side, it will be deeper and richer but much lighter than it is when it is wet.

When the clear wax was completely dry, I went over some areas with the Dark Aging Wax to add a little more dimension to the shabby look I was going after. The dark wax grabbed the areas where I had slopped the paint on earlier.

The original stereo has been replaced, but the one in there now still works fine, but this wind is making me CArazy. It keeps blowing the doors back when I’m taking pictures.

Did I mention the cool jewelry? I mean hardware – lol 😀 I just love it!!

I know I took a lot of pictures, but I just love this piece. I really wanted it for my own…

I was just starting to wander around my house to figure out where I could put it when someone showed up in my driveway and bought it on the spot. Oh well… there’s always next time.

There are so many cool colors you can come up with by experimenting a little with CeCe Caldwell’s Paints.

Explore all the colors of CeCe Caldwell’s Paints and get inspired by other projects here. I carry a large supply of CeCe Caldwell Paints on our online Shizzle Shop here and in our Shizzle Design booth at Not So Shabby in downtown Zeeland here.

To keep up on all our newly painted creations: Subscribe to our Blog, Like our Facebook Page and Pin away our pieces on Pinterest. Have a GREAT weekend!! Shelly

My Vintage Stereo has been Featured by: