How to Create a White Wash – Limed – Weathered Paint Finish

To create this finish, paint your piece in a medium to dark gray.  Apply a good coat of gray being sure to completely cover everything.  I typically apply two thin coats so I don’t miss anything.  Check out our large selection of colors here.
For the white washing, use any shade of white.  I personally don’t use the super bright whites or whites  that are too yellow for this application but you can use whatever you like to compliment your base color.
Water a little white paint down until it’s the consistency of milk.  I also pour a blob of paint onto a plate and use this in conjunction with the other.  It’s important to use a wide whispy dry-brushing brush for this application so you get random coverage otherwise you’ll completely cover the other color.

Dip brush into thinned paint and dab off on paper towel.  Make LONG, strokes in the direction of the grain.  While still wet, lightly dip the very tips of the bristles into the paint blob on the paint and dab so it’s not globby and thick anywhere.  Again, do very long strokes all the way across the piece of furniture without lifting if possible.  You’ll achieve much better results if there is hardly any paint on the brush.  It’s a lot easier to add more than it is to apply it to thick and then have to wipe some off.

I recommend messing around with this on a scrap piece until you get the hang of it.  I basically do this same technique for white wash, weathered wood and liming.

Create the look of Weathered Wood

Give a piece a faux lime wash
I layered a medium gray over a slate color before adding the white.  I love how it looks when you use three colors.
 
Create a Faux Zinc like to make your pieces resemble those pieces you love in 
Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware.  This is requires several steps with dry time in between but I love the results.  If you’re interested in how to do this, let me know and I’ll do a tutorial.
Can you tell I love playing with this paint?
The possibilities are endless!  

 Available on our Online Shizzle Shop 

and at our West Michigan locations

Not So Shabby – Holland, Michigan 

  (2975 West Shore Drive, Holland, MI  49424 ~ East of US31, South of Riley)
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Shizzle Design’s – Changing Thymes Location – Grandville, Michigan

We carry a large supply of chalk and clay paints, finishes, clear coats, glazes, mica powders, wax and brushes at both our locations.  Shop both our West Michigan locations seven days a week or order online HERE.

Have fun painting!!   Shelly

How to Make Farmhouse Mud Room Lockers out of an Antique Bookcase

A friend recently asked me to come over and grab some of the stuff they were clearing out of their garage.  I only planned on grabbing one lingerie chest but, as usual, she started packing other things in my van including two end tables.  On my way out, I noticed an old bookcase and an idea popped into my mind.  I took it home and quickly got to work.

This old bookcase came out of an elementary school and was very solid.  It was pretty rough to the touch so I ended up doing a lot of sanding with my mouse sander to smooth things out.

While most people would see it as a horizontal bookcase, I saw a cool locker for somebody’s mudroom.  After everything was sanded, I flipped it on it’s back and marked four spots to screw in the new feet.

I glued and screwed them into place.  I wasn’t able to clamp the back two feet so I taped those into place and let them set up overnight.

I did a little more fine sanding by hand to smooth out the rough edges then gave everything two coats of our chalk and clay paints.

I added three vintage coat hooks to my new lockers to complete the farmhouse look then found a scrap piece of wood to make the shelf.

I am not the most patient person so accuracy is not my strong point.  Instead of making a bunch of measurements, I simply laid the board up against the lockers and marked the inside and outside edges of each locker.  Using a square and my miter saw, I made as many cuts as I could then used a chisel to chip out the 1″ pieces at the ends.  I glued supports underneath and secured everything into place.

I’m pretty geeked that it turned out as I had envisioned.  I brought it to Not So shabby where it sold before I could get many more pictures.

I’d love to know where it ended up.  It’s not often than I actually create something like this and I’d love to make more of these.

Here are some other items available at our Not So Shabby location, 2975 West Shore Drive, Holland, MI  49424 (East of US31, South of Riley).

 

Both our locations are open 7 days a week.  Shop paint at Not So Shabby in Holland or Changing Thymes – Wilson, 2900 Wilson Avenue SW, Grandville, MI  49418.  Hours are listed on our website towards the bottom of the page at www.shizzle-design.com.

 

a hui hou kau kou!

Shelly

Who wants to win a prize for a painted piece? Over $17,000 in Prizes awarded to winners

I’ve been chosen to judge this year’s General Finishes Design Competition. Working on a great piece? Then by all means, enter it!!! There are tons of categories and ALL manufacturers’ finishing products are welcome! I’d enter for sure but I can’t as one of the judges, lol.

READY YOUR BRUSHES: THE 2018 GENERAL FINISHES DESIGN CHALLENGE BEGINS July 18th, 2018.

General Finishes is proud to present an exciting opportunity to showcase your talent by entering our international wood finishing and upcyling competition. Submit your rescued and refinished furniture, turned wood, and woodworking projects in any of our 52 categories for a chance to win one of our 160+ prizes valued at over $17,000 from our supportive sponsors! New this year: All manufacturers’ finishing products are welcome! You may use any finish(es) of your choice.

THIS YEAR’S POPULAR VOTE CATEGORY: Chalk Up Another One! Show us your best work completed in any chalk style paint.

To read more about contest rules, prizes, sponsors, or to sign up for automatic notifications, click here:https://contest.generalfinishes.com

I’ve seen the beautiful pieces many of you have created and I know you have it in you!!  What are you waiting for, check out all the categories and get busy!!  Can’t wait to see the entries!!

a hui hou kau kou!!

Shelly

 

Easy Vintage White Makeover on a Classic Solid Cherry Highboy

I ran across my latest furniture makeover a few months ago at one of my favorite pickin’ spots.

To be honest, at first glance I thought it was an inexpensive, pressed particle wood dresser (sorry, I never took a before picture).  As I got closer, I noticed the original antique porcelain pulls and I think I probably gasped out loud when I pulled the drawer open and realized it was a Koehler Custom Made piece of furniture.   Yeah baby, that’s what I’m talking about!

Whoa, I had stumbled onto something good and as a bonus, the price was right for flipping it.  I grabbed it faster than I could blink and loaded that puppy in the back of my van.

I sat on this for a while trying to figure out what kind of funky finish I could do with it.  Then it dawned on me.  I don’t have to do whimsical, funky finished on every single piece I do.  What threw me off on this piece were the pulls.  Aren’t the cool?

If I did my typical colorful finish, the pulls would look dorky and they really awesome pulls.  Each pull is made up of five different pieces.  Why on earth would I want to replace these with something else?  I decided to keep the finish on this clean and simple so the pulls would be the star of the show.

I love that the top TWO drawers have dividers!

This piece is headed to my booth at Not So Shabby at 2975 West Shore Drive, Holland, MI  49424.  I’m also hauling in a bunch of other home decor I hand picked last weekend.

Don’t worry, I haven’t given up my colorful, whimsical ways but every once in a while, I have to shake things up.  My pieces speak to me and this one quite frankly didn’t want your typical Shizzle finish, lol.

Things are expected to really heat up here the next 48 hours.  With heat indexes expected in the 108-110 range on Saturday, I’ll be headed to Lake Michigan early in the day, then will head back home to the comfort of air conditioning because those high temps have to be dangerous.

Me with one of my fav cousins at Lake Michigan

I think my knee is healed up enough to go in the water.  It’s been two weeks today since knee surgery and I’m doing so well with the recovery that I’ve already gotten the green light to resume all activity.

I cracked up when I unwrapped all the bandages and realized I put my maiden name’s initials.  Plus, my real name is Michelle, not Shelly so I’m surprised the surgeon didn’t question who I was.  I should have written MA for Michelle Andrade; they don’t know my nickname.

I can’t wait to get back to the blue mats at Fit Body Boot Camp on Monday.  Not sure how much I’ll be able to endure, but doc says I can use my own judgement based off any pain or swelling and nothing I do at this point should damage any of the work he did on it.

Hope you’re all enjoying your summer!!  

Don’t miss out!  I added a few more cases of clearanced paint quarts to my online inventory.  Clearanced quarts are now as low as $9.99 each!  That’s less than most 4 oz pots!!  It’s going fast!!

a hui hou!

Shelly

 

Pretty in Pink Antique Dresser Makeover

I have a crush on antique highboys.  Seriously, I’m drawn to them; they like suck me in and say “buy me, buyyyyyy me”..  So when I stumbled upon this one recently at Changing Thymes, it wanted to go home with me.  It’s not that I wanted it, I needed it.

Changing Thymes on Wilson is one of the locations where I sell my paint and when I go in to stock my inventory, I usually go out the door with something else from another vendor.

 

Continue reading “Pretty in Pink Antique Dresser Makeover”

Store wide sale April 20-21 at Changing Thymes, Upcoming Demo Day & I’ll be at NSS 4/20/18

STOCK UP TIME!

Save 10% on all regularly priced merchandise in our Changing Thymes-Wilson booth this Friday & Saturday, April 20-21 

Changing Thymes-Wilson Location Only

You can still get great buys at Not So Shabby and Online because there are still a lot of other quarts and sample pots of paints already on clearance and that sale will continue as long as supplies last.  To get those deals, shop online HERE or at either West Michigan location including Changing Thymes at 2900 Wilson Avenue, Grandville, MI  49418 and Not So Shabby, 2975 West Shore Drive, Holland, MI  49424.  Sale items online and in stores are priced as marked.  On Friday and Saturday though, I believe this is the sale where they take 10% off even sale items.  If not this one, then it’s next month but you’ll at least get 10% off everything April 20-21 at our Changing Thymes location.

Clearance Quarts $19.99, reg $34.95

There’s a pretty good selection of quarts on clearance right now at $19.99.   This sale is going on while supplies last both online and in stores.

Need One-on-One Help?

I’ll be at Not So Shabby Friday, April 20 from 3-7 and can help you with your paint questions

Save the Date!!

The Next DIY Demo Day at Not So Shabby is May 5th

~ Stay tuned for details!

a hui hou kau kou!!

 

Shelly