Oh joy. You are about to put the finishing touches on your latest project. You’ve spent hours designing, getting paints, and lovingly carrying out your vision. But what’s this? Primer on your cute new doorknobs? Stain splattered on the carpet? It seems that the most important step of all has been forgotten, prepping. Yes I know, it sounds like a tedious waste of time wrangling all of that tape, paper, and plastic. And for what - you’ll be careful, right?

The importance of preparing an area before you start a project cannot be ignored. When starting any project the first thing I have trained myself to think is S.Y.S, or what I like to call “Save Your Self,”(I’m taking some grammatical liberties here.) Save yourself the time of fixing what got messed up, the money it will cost to fix it, and the aggravation of having to deal with a problem that could have been avoided. These simple steps follow common sense and are a professional standard. Protecting your carpet and floors, managing dust, and clean up after the job is done are good things to look for if you have construction in your house. For all of you DIY’ers out there, here are a few tips to move along the process:

Surround the Area:

Take a few minutes to either paper or plastic off your area with brown contractor’s paper or painter’s plastic. In my book, doing both is better because if one unknowingly rips, you still have a second layer to save you.  All of these materials can be found at any hardware store. This basic step will go a long way in staving off the dreaded “Spill Cleanup.” Don’t forget your walls, doors, and trim work. Any of these elements in the direct vicinity of your project are in danger of being splattered, chipped, or damaged.  The easiest way to save them is to plastic them off with this nifty little device 3M came up with.  It is essentially a small roll of plastic that has a line of ½” blue tape connected at the top.  You place the tape where you want to start prepping and then unfold the 2’ long sheet of plastic to protect your area. It’s genius and fast.

Tape Is Your Friend

I can’t start a project without my trusty 1 ½” blue painters tape or masking tape. Use this tool to protect any areas on the project itself that you might not want painted like hinges, hardware, castors, or any other important bits.  If your project has windows in it, it is best to tape off the glass so you don’t have to spend the time scraping off paint with a razor blade later.  Many times the object is installed or cannot be moved. In these situations I like to tape off around the base or feet of the piece. This little step will save you from having messy paint rings around your project. If you have something curved or irregular like a cabinet lock, take a utility blade and cut around the object to get precise coverage.

Numbers Count

Uh oh. It’s time to put the doors back on your cabinet but you can’t remember which ones go where! When dealing with more than two to three doors or drawers I use a simple number system.  Tape a number on the back of the door/drawer with the coordinating number on the place where it came from.  You might think you will remember, but after things have been painted and moved around it could definitely be a pain trying to match up old door hinges with their original screw holes. Trust me.

Hard Knocks

This is the best part, at least for me. The part when you know you are finished and you finally get to put the hardware back on for the complete look. It’s beautiful, except for the three wonky pulls that are missing the screws, washers, or tiny nails that keep them in place. Whoops. In this case, a Ziploc bag will do the trick. Also, if you are working on say, a pair of drawers, there is no shame in making two Ziploc bags with the coordinating hardware in each and labeling them.  Added bonus- you will be sure that no paint or damage will ruin your antique brass hand pulls during the refinishing process.

So while you are taking the time to correctly prep your area, try and think about the positives.  You won’t be cleaning that gorgeous chocolate brown oil paint out of your new rug, or how you won’t have to call your painter back to repaint the wall around your armoire. I could go on… Now armed with these simple tricks, go forth and create, but watch out for that paint bucket!

The Dallas Flea is a quarterly gathering of hand-picked vendors offering the best of vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, furniture, stationary, artwork and more. The flea is run by local fashion writer, Brittany Edwards who has carefully shaped this event into one of DHome magazines, "DBest New Events."
        I loved being surrounded by such talented vendors like Signifying Not, whose mustache necklace I HAD to have, and The Paper Nest Co. with adorable hand sewn fabric cards and organic baby clothes.
        This event is not your regular, run-of-the-mill, shabby flea. This is a place where Dallas creatives put their best foot forward to bring you unique, handmade treasures. Take a peek at my Furniture page for the latest creations and check back in at www.thedallasflea.com for the next flea announcement.

I've been busy working in my studio  gearing up for the Cedar Springs Art Festival this Saturday. This fun event will be located at Cedar Springs and Oak Lawn/Throckmorton Rd. I will have a booth will a fresh batch of newly designed furniture for you! Come enjoy the weekend with me.

This weekend’s Urban Street Bazaar featured some of Dallas’ finest local artisans and crafts people. The streets in the Bishop Arts District were lined with all kinds of hand-made jewelry, accessories, clothing, and you guessed it, furniture by yours truly. 

Since it was my first time having a booth, I wasn’t really sure of what to expect.  I was invited to join the Bazaar by Make Shop & Studio’s fabulous Julie McCullough Kim, who took me under her wing and guided me throughout the event.  

What I enjoyed the most was talking to each person who stopped by and really getting to see the broad ranges of style that fill our community.  I kept hearing, “I have this old dresser…” or “ My attic is filled with my grandmothers furniture.  I don’t know what to do with it, but I don’t want to throw it away.”   These situations are a perfect example of why I started Modern Relics in the first place. The tradition of cherishing quality furniture and accessories to pass down to your loved ones has become a physical metaphor for passing down memories as well.  I now value my old stuff more than anything I can buy new because I have such wonderful memories attached to them.  In the age of IKEA, good furniture is too precious to throw away, especially if it holds family meaning to you.

Let’s not forget that we are in one of the worst recessions of our time.  I’m forming a mantra in my head to reflect upon, “Reduce- your costs. Don’t buy new.  Reuse- your cherished pieces. Revamp- your style!”  So think twice before you throw out that old chair.  It just might be too good to throw away!


To see pictures of the pieces I had at my booth, check out the Before & After page and contact me if you have an old piece that needs a new look!

I have been hard at work in my studio preparing some really stunning pieces to show off at the Urban Street Bazaar this weekend! Come visit with me at my booth and see what I've been up to. 

             Finishes are painted or stained treatments designed to enhance the elements in your home like walls, furniture and accessories.  A good finish can make an ordinary object look spectacular, but a bad finish can make your spectacular object look unfortunately ordinary.  Here are some important factors to consider when choosing a new finish, and a few tips to help guide you to your perfect style.

SETTING
 Start to think about what kind of room are you looking to work on. What is the feel of this room? Is it a formal setting like a dining room, or more casual like a media or game room? Some finishes are not appropriate for formal areas, and likewise, more formal finishes like a strie aren’t durable enough for heavy traffic spaces without some serious sealants.

TENANTS
 Who will be using this space? A nursery or child’s room will need a fun and durable effect along with paints that are non-toxic and safe for wear and tear.  A man’s study, (depending on the man) can handle a more masculine and refined look that might not need as heavy cleaning. Outdoor and bathroom elements need mold-resistant paints with waterproof sealers to prevent unsightly fungus growth.  Rules can be broken for a fabulous twist, but think about what finish is practical for you and will last in the long run.

WALL COLOR
Your wall color is like the wrapping paper on a gift.  If you are going to embellish your gift with ribbons and bows, they need to coordinate or compliment your color scheme so as not to look haphazard. Try to have each piece in your room be balanced with other elements to become a cohesive whole. You can do this by using an interactive color wheel like the one at Color Scheme Designer, or following looks from magazines that have a color palette you find appealing.   Don’t get stuck in matching every piece with your wall color unless you are ready to fully commit to a monochrome palette.  Smaller pieces like furniture and accessories can add that little spice of chroma to offset your walls and make them really shine.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
If you are designing your room with a specific historical era in mind, try to keep consistency within your look. Placing that beautiful Art Nouveau mirror in your English Gothic room might tip your room into chaos and ruin all of your hard work.  A little research can go a long way and save you some precious time and money. 

As always, I have to end this section with a disclaimer.  I could not in good faith give someone a heavy handed “yes or no” on what they should or should not do in their own homes.  Sometimes an unexpected idea can be the “happy accident” that makes your space special.  Good design is a tool to make you feel content and comfortable in your space. So take advice with a grain of salt and go create!

On Saturday, March 13, I ventured out to the 2nd annual Dallas Flea at South Side on Lamar to see what precious finds lay waiting to be discovered.  The floor was filled with handmade jewelry, hats, vintage fashions, and swoon-worthy home accessories. A few of my favorite booths were Petit Four with their recycled coffee sack pillows, and Enid with her eclectic vintage look and charming family history. I loved how cohesive the  style and trends with funky solid colors and hand made textiles that seemed to pop up in every booth.
        The Dallas Flea is not your average, run-of-the-mill market. The quality of products and hip new styles represent the forefront in home fashions. The visionaries behind these trends are homemade entrepreneurs passionate about style and driven to create.  As a small business owner myself, I enjoyed seeing regular people focus their lives towards a goal to accomplish extraordinary things. Their drive and spirit were contagious and I left feeling inspired to begin focusing my own vision of beauty.  What was your favorite Flea find? Here are some of mine!

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a gal who likes a little glamour in her life. These James Mont silver and gold gilded lamps add that hint of sparkle and Old Hollywood style to any room fabulous enough to hold them.