Going Backwards: From Business to Blog

Let's get personal. I feel like I'm moving backwards (even though I'm super excited to simplify things).  If you don't feel like reading all the details, then just skim down past the picture and you'll get to the most important part!
Opening a store two and a half years ago with no prior entrepreneurial experience was both the most frightening and exciting thing, next to spending the night in the Sahara Desert during a sand storm. I had NO idea what to expect. Isn't that just like life in general? You start something new then you realize as you go how to get the hang of things. You pick up tid-bits along the way to make things easier- learning what you like and don't like. Well here are some things I learned:

1. Starting your own business is easy. Owning your own business is hard. You can pay people to help, but when it comes down to it, there's no one who can do things just the way you want like YOU can. 
2. You're your own boss. This is great. No one to yell at you. No one to force you to do something you don't want, say something you don't want, sell something you don't want, or wear something you don't want. You make up the rules- my personal favorite part.
3. Store hours are long and can be boring. I think owning a store is the end-all-be-all goal in a lot of creative peoples' minds. Not factored in the dream are all the hours you are obligated to put in, and the fact that your brain never stops. I'd lie in bed at night thinking of all the stuff I had to get done-taxes, spreadsheets of inventory, pricing, refinishing, supplies, etc. and whether or not I'd make enough money to survive at the end of the day. There's no such thing as leaving your work behind. 
4. I love buying, refinishing, researching furniture, and blogging about it. The blog has become one of my most favorite tools. It allows me to share all the fun and the real stuff. It allows me to communicate the work that goes behind a piece, or the inspiration where things come from. I read a lot of blogs as well to keep inspired and informed. A lot of people I read about seem to do creative things on the side, blog about it, then open some kind of business after building up an audience (rather it be an online shop, or a physical location). 

Throw back pics from the old shop

Since learning all these things about myself, and getting back to my point about moving backwards, I've realized that owning a store isn't exactly what I want to be about. It's merely an outlet to make money off doing what I love. I'm "shedding a layer" once again in this quest called life, and moving forward with a liquidation sale of almost everything: a fresh start. I can't wait!
I'll be posting a link soon connecting you to an online auction where you can bid on anything/everything in my shop. It all starts at $1 and there are no other fees incorporated.
***update: here's the link***
On the other hand, I'd like to ask you to stay with me as I expand this little blog. I'll be focusing a lot more on DIY topics to both teach and {hopefully} inspire you. The furniture I redo on my blog will be listed in the inventory tabs if you're interested in purchasing (I'll also be taking on more custom orders). I'm going to continue on with my Real Estate Monday series, as well as implement a new #spotted series (on facebook & twitter) to let you know when and where I've discovered awesome, new pieces. It'll be like letting you in on a little secret every time I find something. So follow along if interested. And be sure to check back soon for the auction link (or contact me via shopredesignation@gmail.com if you're interested in buying anything before going to auction).

Here's to going backwards and moving forward! 

Real Estate Monday: Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water

This weekend I had the pleasure of taking a trip to see Falling Water for the first time. Oh.my.word. I am slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I got a little choked up when I walked through the dark and narrow front entry way into the main room of the house. It's equatable to coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnels, for those of you who are from Pittsburgh, you know what I mean. The beauty of the outdoors brought inside just hits you, and I wanted to cry. It's the most organic design I've ever experienced. Everything from the floor, to the walls, to the ceilings and windows pointed to the exquisite outdoor waterfall, on which it sits cantilevered over. Simply breathtaking. If you haven't been, then you should go. Seriously. Best little weekend jaunt and it's so close. Tickets are $20 each, and you must call ahead to book a reservation. I didn't know this, and we didn't get in on the first day (forehead slap).
So here's what to do. Don't look at pictures of the inside. I purposely didn't. I like surprises. They don't let you take pictures inside anyways*, so all of mine are from the outside looking in.
*I got really bummed out when I found out I couldn't take pictures inside. I figured if I got a pic of the Mona Lisa (without realizing it was illegal), then I could surely sneak a peak). But once inside, I really didn't want to ruin the moment by hiding behind a camera. I wanted to enjoy the tour and engage with the tour guide. And I want you to be able to do the same.
So here's a little tiny background, I don't want to spoil it for you though. The house was built from 1936-1939 for what totaled $155,000. It was built for the Kaufmann family, from Kaufmann department stores, now Macy's, and entrusted to The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. It's so mid century modern, before that term was even coined. I can't imagine how people back in that time must have reacted to its controversial design. Wright went on to build 200 more homes even though he was in his late 60's when he designed this house. I like to imagine people walking through it back then for the first time. How in awe they must have been. How in awe I am now almost 74 years later!
Here are some outdoor shots we got.

Where the tour starts. 

From the foot of the driveway before entering the house. 

Standing on the veranda over the waterfall, which is almost as large as the family room inside. 

There are steps down to the left of the veranda to wade in the water.

From the spot where the Kaufmann's thought their home was going to be built so they could look at the waterfall. They never thought they'd be on top of it! 

Churchill, a suburb of Pittsburgh, also has its own "little" Frank Lloyd Wright house.

105 Merrie Woode Drive, Churchill Boro, PA 15235

And here are two more contemporary ranch style homes that are a little more affordable, but with the right furniture could be AMAZING!

3404 Mccrady Road, Churchill Boro, PA 15235

2428 Marbury Road, Churchill Boro, PA 15221

I love contemporary ranches that focus more on bringing the outdoors in. Thank you Frank Lloyd Wright for being different! 

Painting Metal Chairs

Got these chairs at an auction. Very inexpensive, kind of grungy and smelly, but interesting. 

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but I figured inspiration would come so I began by detaching the wood backs and the cushions. The cushions were covered in vinyl which I'd usually just wipe off, but these smelled as if they'd been in a basement for years. It was apparent I needed new everything, so I basically ripped off all the old batting till I got to the bare wood board underneath. Next step was sanding and wiping down the metal frames. This step is really important. I wanted to get any grime or rust off before spraying the metal. 

My husband had a can of truck bed coating on our back steps (literally). I figured since he didn't put it away, it was fair game to use. Now I hate spray painting. Let me reiterate. HATE. I never buy enough cans, forcing multiple trips to the store. Wastes my time and money, and it never seems to looks as good as when I hand paint with a brush. BUT, truck bed coating is a horse of another color, if you know what I mean. This stuff is thick and textured, and goes on right the first time. I only had to touch up a few tricky areas on the back sides of my chair. I don't feel like the texture would look particularly good on an end table, but for metal chairs it worked perfect. 

Next step: new batting. I bought a box of fill a while ago at Walmart. Nothing special. I just pulled a clump out, smoothed it into the shape of the board, and stapled my fabric right over it. 

I conveniently (sarcasm) ran out of staples after I popped my four main staples in. So this step will have to wait another day. 

Next up: the wooden backs. I thought about paint, and then my genius husband said something about staining them a darker color. I didn't have any stain at my house, and since this is all about using what you got, I grabbed some regular black latex paint. 

The trick is to soak your brush with water first, and then only dip your brush in the paint about a millimeter deep. 

If the black is too dark, you just add more water to your brush. The water evaporates and you're left with the look of a dark stain, without having to use stain. Easy peezey lemon squeezey. 

 Here's the almost finished project. No need to spray on a clear coat, since the truck bed coating is so durable (after all, it's made to take the abuse). Next stop- Lowes for more staples. Stay tuned for the finished project. I think I have just the table to pair them with for the perfect breakfast nook.

How to Pick the Right Lamp Shade

My mom bought me these adorable, hammered-metal lamps (four to be exact- two gold and two silver... she's a great mom).

She got a super-great deal, the only problem lying with the shade, or lack there of. That's ok. I'm used to getting lamps without shades. I'll go to my shady guy (pun intended) at the flea market. Except I can't seem to find the RIGHT shade to fit this lamp. Annoying! I've now scoured Walmart, Target, and every thrift store in town to no avail. If anyone else has another lamp shade source that won't cost me a ba-jillion dollars (we're talking under $15 please, I do have four lamps after all) this girl would be eternally grateful!  

On the other hand, it got me researching how to pick the perfect shade and I learned a thing or two. Here's the gist of it: 

Measure a lamp's height from the socket to its base

The height of the shade should be about 2/3 the size

Then measure the width of the base

The width of the shade should be about double the size

The shape of the shade should usually be consistent with the shape of the base.

Never let the harp show- it's like having your underwear hang out of your pants! 

You can read a much more in depth decision making process here on apartment therapy if you wish. 

And here's a quick synopsis of all the lamps we have at the shop. Some are old, some are new. The new ones have perfect sized shades for their styles. The old ones, not so much. Guess I need to bust my measuring tape out and put these newly learned rules to use. 

Real Estate Monday: Edgewood

Since I missed last week's Real Estate post, I told you this week would be extra special. Well, for this post, I'm not only going to share a beautiful home with you, I'm going to show a couple of don'ts, too.
First, a home in Edgewood that gives me that "ahhh" feeling when I look through the pictures. I've said it before, but I'm such a sucker for clean, clutter free staging. And honestly, who isn't? When you're selling your home, you've got to make those online pictures count, and this house made the first cut.
210 Dewey St. Edgewood, Pa 15218

Clean & manicured



Neutral colors, but not boring.

Probably my favorite room so far. Awesome dining table. Cool mix of chairs. Great, soothing wall color. The curtains actually grace the floor and the rod is not nailed into the woodwork. A+ 

Updated kitchen: new appliances, shaker style cabinetry, solid surface counter top, subway tile backsplash.

Inviting bedroom.

A huge soaking tub under a cathedral ceiling. Why not?

I'm sure this kid's room doesn't always look this nice, but this is totally the way it SHOULD look for listing pictures.

Always nice to have another bathroom. I love the classic tile and updated sink. Great juxtaposition of old and new.

A nice little office.

My idea of a perfect back yard- one that can be cut with a push mower from the Wonder Years.

So that was most of the house. There are more pictures on the listing website, but was it enough to give you that warm fuzzy feeling inside? I toured a house a few doors down a couple years ago, and it was nothing like this inside. These owners seem pretty meticulous, or at least it seems that way. What I've been getting at is that pictures matter. They're what gets a potential buyer in the door. So here are a few don'ts that I've come across all too often and they drive me bonkers, and here's why:

Clutter.

I can make a mess like this. It happens everyday past 10am at our house. We wake up, destroy things, clean, go to sleep, then repeat. I'm not judging! Except I don't want to see this when I'm looking to buy your $200k home. Even if you'll never clean it for a showing, clean it just once for a picture. Or don't show this at all. I don't need to see that you have an office if this is what I'm going to see.

Kids take over. I know.

Trust me. I know this is the natural way of life when you have kids. They invade every.single.inch of your adult space. Again, this is where 1. Decluttering and 2. Pushing things out of the camera's way might come in handy. We only see what the camera wants us to see. We never see what happens behind a camera shoot. So why not push that pack n'play two feet to the right, and give a clear view at that fireplace?


Pets.

I'm NOT an animal hater when I say this, but your pets do not belong in the pictures when listing your house. He looks totally adorable and welcoming, but I know many people who are simply allergic, and they'd have to stay clear because of Fido posing on the bed. Don't give anyone else a competitive edge by putting yourself at a disadvantage. Just make sure you're showing the house. Not the dog. Not pictures of your Great Uncle Cecil. Just the house.


I hope this was helpful. These are all real pictures, from real houses that will remain nameless. I think they're actually pretty neat-looking houses aside from, well you know, the three things I pointed out.

Happy staging sellers, and happy buying buyers!
Till next week...

Hairpin Legs

Didn't manage to get Monday's Real Estate post up after our 22 hr. road trip. I'll just have to plan an extra special one for next Monday. I did have a fabulous weekend full of cuteness- lots of little kids, fabulous food, and great decorating (which always gives me ideas). My best friend from college/roommate from Morocco graduated from PA school, and she (and her mom) happen to have a knack for decorating. You can see her blog here.

Our little reunion
{Colleen, Bethany, and me}

The party was at Colleen's mom's house- an adorable cottage in the country. Why I didn't get pictures, I'll never know, because this lady knows how to throw a party. Her house is chock full of vintage pieces that are one-of-a-kind statements. One of them is a vintage trunk with hairpin legs attached to the bottom. She bought the legs separate at hairpinlegs.com and simply attached them herself for an awesome console piece. I love this. My mind automatically raced through all the different things I could prop up on legs for a modern twist. A trunk- check, end table- check, a cool piece of wood for a new coffee table- check, check. I'm telling you this is the coolest thing since stationary pogo sticks.
I bought this cheapy-looking coffee table off overstock simply because I was looking for something with hairpin legs. Had I known better I could have just bought the legs somewhere else. I would have saved my money and found an actual piece of wood to go on top (I hate particle board furniture, which is what my table is).

I painted this a pinkish color for something fun and different. I think I'll paint it mint next.

 Seriously, you can just go on etsy and type in "hairpin leg table" and you'll get all these fabulous pieces of reclaimed furniture. One of my favorites is below. Looks like an old pallet on legs.

source

 This is cool, too.

Source

You could even throw a nice mid-century modern console/credenza on some legs to raise it up a bit. Observe.

source

Cool idea, huh? Thanks for the inspiration, Cookie. 

Friday Blog Inspiration

Oh happy Friday! Here's a few inspirational blog posts from some of my favorite blogs to kick off your weekend. I'm heading out this weekend for a trip to see a sweet, college friend. Maybe she'll let me snap some picks of her cute house.
DIY Concrete Countertops: 
I'd love to try this. Jenny Komenda used to live in NYC, but just recently moved with her family to Arizona. She's a DIY blogger, and you can follow along her new house reno @ LittleGreenNotebook. This laundry room renovation is one of my favorites.

13 Surprising Things About Parenting In Congo: Joanna Goddard's been doing a parenting around the world series that I absolutely love. The one about parenting in Norway made me laugh out loud (a rarity).

Weekend Escape: A Moroccan Riad: I follow a little blog called French By Design for inspirational decor photos from around the world. It slightly satisfies my need to travel and decorate at the same time. I swear not all Moroccan homes look like this, in fact, typical Moroccan decorating is very different. But I love the way foreigners come in and design with traditional pieces they find in the market places. And I'm pretty much obsessed with any kitchen that has exposed shelving- which I find more common in foreign kitchens than in U.S. kitchens.