One afternoon made a huge difference

"The most sustainable piece of furniture is the one that already exists"- anonymous

As spring inspires you to start fresh with a good clean-out (oooh, I just went through my closet, and it felt so good to do a huge clothing drop-off at the charity shop!), you can also start thinking about revamping some rooms in your home.

Last autumn, I started a series of ideas for creating a cozy, timeless home, inspired by our times in the UK. (Not to mention my obsession with English magazines and decorators!)

In several of these letters, we've chatted about: ✨ actually LIVING in your rooms, ✨ striking a nice balance when adding art and decor that depicts nature and wildlife,✨ and infusing unexpected POPS of joy and whimsy. ✨ {You can catch up by clicking on each topic ~ many of my letters live on as blog posts!}

The latest tip I shared last month is to trust your instincts and buy a thing simply because you love it ~ you can figure out where it fits later.

The two loveseats (with an amazing story behind them) that I wrote about ended up creating a domino effect that spilled into other rooms of our home.

One of the dominoes that fell was changing up colors in the adjoining room. The dresser, which held the TV, had been a blue which (while lovely) competed visually with the loveseats.

So, instead of chucking it and buying a new piece (why do that?), I opened a tin of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen and got started painting.

We could not be happier with the result of one afternoon of painting! (Chris also repainted the floor lamps in Old White.) After the cabinet dried, I finished it with a coat of lacquer.

We also had a new "frame" TV installed directly onto the wall. (You can see where I taped out the dimensions to be sure we'd chosen the right size!)

So now, when we are not watching a cozy British murder mystery or Antiques Roadshow UK Edition, the television looks like a piece of art!

Something I see a lot of in English homes is this process: the reuse and reimagining of pieces of furniture, cherishing and honoring the past while also giving them a future.

This particular piece first lived in our bedroom and held sweaters and other items of clothing. Now it holds games and knick-knacks and anchors the wall between two windows below our one TV.

(As an aside, I have discovered that I am nothing if not consistent! This dresser sits in the same room as the very first piece I painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint: a two-tiered piecrust table that I painted with ~ ahem ~ French Linen almost 13 years ago.)

Are you thinking about giving a piece in your home a new purpose or a refresh?

There is nothing so satisfying as doing something with your own hands that makes an impact on the rooms you live in.

And there's never been a better time to be creative, save money, and keep a piece out of the landfill by upcycling existing furniture. (Did you know that over 12 million tons of furniture and furnishings are discarded annually in the US?)

Hannah and I have both trained with Annie Sloan herself as well as her brand ambassador, Tristan Merriam. (They were here last summer, as you may recall!)

We are here to help you with instructions, advice, and suggestions to choose the best hues and finishes for you.

Come see us in the shop! (Or check it all out here.)

xo,