Guest today, Kelli from Restore Interiors!

Hello Friends! I am so happy to be here, at my sweet friend Karen’s
blog, Redoux. Karen and I “met” in such a crazy way. My mother in law
was on a plane coming home, or going, I can’t remember, from a ski
trip. She just so happened to be sitting next to the sweetest girl,
who loved to paint furniture and had a blog. What a coincidence, huh?
Well, they got to talking and my mother in law told Karen what I did
for a living. We instantly became good friends and one of these days I
am going to make it cross country to really meet her in person! Karen
has been full of invaluable tips for me on glazing and on starting
contract work. I am so thankful that the Lord placed her in my life!
Thank Karen for having me.

My name is Kelli and I own Restore Interiors LLC. I
have been painting furniture and art canvas off and on since the
late 90’s as a hobby and selling my pieces at local antique shops. I
am pretty sure, Rachel Ashwell ( Shabby Chic)  inspired my
love for painting furniture.  I had all of her books and even
went to visit her shop in Manhattan when I was in New York in 2000. In
November of 2010, I decided to turn my hobby into a real income and
created Restore
Interiors. My sweet blog friend Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed,
gave me the shove to start blogging about my business and has helped
me in a major way, get my blog off the ground. For that, I am truly
grateful. I love painting furniture and I love helping others achieve
a high end look for less, however, I am starting to love my blog
more than anything else! I have met so many wonderful people and each
one that the Lord puts in my path, teaches me something.

I love the beauty of an old and tired piece of furniture. I love the
thrill of taking something that has been discarded and turning it into
something beautiful again. I was once broken, unusable,
scratched, and beaten up from the hardships of life. I am so
thankful that my creator took me into His family, washed me, gave me a
fresh coat of paint and carefully restored me, giving me purpose
again.

When I am hunting for pieces to paint, I keep a few things in mind.

1.  I look for dovetail on the drawers.
Dovetail joints identifies the piece as being a quality piece of furniture.

I snagged this definition of Dovetail from Wikipedia.
A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joint technique
most commonly used in woodworking
joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength),
the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the
front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board
interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another
board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, a
wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.

2. I love to find pieces that have intricate detail.

But don’t let that fool you. A plain piece of
furniture, very dated, and no detail can become a stunner with a
little paint and creativity.

3. Make sure you are purchasing solid wood.

Veneer overlay is fine and can always be repaired but stay away from
particle board. Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing baby;)

I hope that these tips may help someone who is just beginning to
explore the realm of possibilities in recycled furniture. Beauty is in
the eye of the beholder. Look past the scars and see the potential. I
host a furniture block party on Wednesday’s called RESTORED IT
WEDNESDAY for any of you who have given new life to an item of home
decor. I would love for you to come on over and visit me sometime!
Have a great week.

Blessings,
Kelli