Lazy Days of Summer

Summer days *are* lazy, at least easier to convince myself to be lazy. I think that's because it's so incredibly, unbelievably hot. When I take my dogs outside sometimes I just sit in the grass and watch them loll around. They don't last long either. One will stretch out in the tall grass and the other will seek refuge in the shade of the young pine trees that grow along the short hill side. What might this have to do with furniture? Well, when I was in the furniture store this week my eye was drawn over and over to all these supremely comfy-looking pieces of furniture. I tried each of them out, rating which one inspired the most long-lasting laziness. While there were several nice candidates to choose from, there was definitely a clear winner. Here are a few of my favorites, and I've saved the best (in my opinion) for last!

This lovely Armani couch matches the Armani chair in a previous post.

This deliciously chocolate-brown recliner was a close second. My husband probably would've chosen this as the winner because he's a huge fan of structure and straight lines.

And then, there's me, a proprietor of all things unstructured! This chair feels like sitting on a cloud. I had to resist the urge to curl up like a cat and take a nap. Oh if only we didn't have to buy a new washing machine, you would be coming home with me!

We wanna win Creative Loafing's Best of Atlanta 2010 Survey

Yeah, we want it!

Winning a "Best of Atlanta" consumer vote is like the ultimate shopper's high. It means you like what we do. It means a nifty newspaper article that we'll frame and hang proudly in our stores. It means we're doing right by our customers and our mission -- and that's what we work to do every single day.
And right now, we need you! Creative Loafing is holding its Annual Best of Atlanta Survey now through July 31st. This year they've made it oh-so-simple! Go to their website: www.atlanta.creativeloafing.com and click "vote now." You only have to vote for five categories for your votes to count. We want to win like a six year old at a kickball game.... really (really) bad! And we can't win without you!
 

New items blew in... and blew Betsy's skirt up!

For those of you who haven't read any previous posts, the title may have seemed a bit odd. So I'll recap: a LOT of stuff comes and goes through our door here at Finders Keepers Furnishings. So it takes a lot to "blow her skirt up" as Betsy says. The good news: it's been really windy this week! AKA: the new arrivals this week are *AMAZING*. You really (really) don't want to miss taking a gander at these Category-5 skirt blowers.

What goes around comes (back) around: Fantabulous Retro Sectional and Ottoman

Moleskin Sofa (I love green and gray together - it's one of my favorite combinations!)

Super chic Armani chair (there's a matching sofa!)

  

No living room is complete without a cozy man-chair!

  

Beautiful, decorative chairs from Pier 1

A Customer's 5 Week Adventure with Finders Keepers Consignment

A customer wrote me a letter about her 5 week "adventure" with Finders Keepers Furnishings and Boutique. I'll let her tell it from here:

My husband Richard and I had lived in Decatur for more than 20 years. We loved our home on Pinecrest and had many happy memories of our time there. However, as with many people our age, we began to think of downsizing and simplifying our lifestyle. Therefore, it was not a surprise when one evening at dinner we began a discussion regarding moving back to our condo near Emory University. The decision to sell our home and move was made that evening! However, the five weeks that followed our decision were filled with many unexpected surprises and events.

Week One
A move to the condo would be a major downsizing on my part. My first task was to determine which articles of clothing and accessories I would move from my home's attic storage space and three closets. At the condo I would have one small walk-in closet. The downsize seemed overwhelming--for help I went to Finders Keepers Boutique...

Finders Keepers Boutique to the Rescue!!

The boutique staff offers a wonderful service for a small fee. A staff member comes to your home and she helps you evaluate your wardrobe piece by piece. I made an appointment and me, Julia and I, worked through one apparel season at a time. We divided my clothing, handbags, shoes, etc., into several different collections -- clothing for me to keep, items for their boutique, clothing for the main store in Avondale Estates, and items to be donated to charity.

Once Julia had removed the clothing and had left my house I felt a great sense of joy. I recognized the advantage of working with a clothing specialist and felt confident regarding the apparel that remained for my use. A great sense of accomplishment swept over me. I realized one of the major downsizing chores was completed. I really would be moving.

This was the week Rick had the first of two successful surgeries at Emory University Hospital. Finders Keepers Furnishings held a series of Saturday morning Workshops in March and April. One of the Saturday seminars led by a local realtor was entitled "Staging your House to Sell." I knew there must be some tricks of the trade to ready a house for the real estate market. I decided to attend the seminar -- I had a house to sell. What better way to get started than attending a free program, presented by a certified staging realtor? Also, parking at the Furnishings store is always easy. The event would be hassle free for me.

The store's staff offered cheerful greetings and breakfast snacks to get the seminar off to a great start that morning. Our speaker was wonderful -- knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and willing to remain and answer questions at the conclusion of her presentation. Armed with my seminar handouts I asked if she would be available to drop by my house for a quick walk through and to make specific suggestions for staging my house. If there were some items I needed to update our house, I knew I could depend on the inventory of Finders Keepers Furnishings. The seminar had taught me that many of my personal pictures, etc. needed to go into hiding when the house was being shown.

Week Two

The seminar speaker really impressed my husband when she came over for the staging walk through. We asked her for sales representation and decided to list the house with her. Our realtor brought the other members of her sales team to see our house. One of the realtors commented he was going to sell our house that weekend.

Week Three
Several realtors stopped by to look at the house, and for the first time a realtor showed our house to a potential buyer. The next day that couple made a second visit to our house. The following day they submitted their contract for the purchase of our home. Negotiations followed, and terms were agreed upon. A closing date was set for the end of the month. (This allowed about 20 days for me to complete the downsizing process and move out of my house!) An "Under Contract" sign went up in our front yard. So much stuff, so little time...

Finders Keepers Furnishings to the Rescue!!

The staff of the Finders Keepers Furnishings store offers their customers a selection service. For a small fee they will come to your home and help you select items to keep when downsizing, selling your home, or remodeling. They will also make item selections to go into their store for consignment sales. Their furniture store was a great place fo rme to sell linens, rugs, and furniture that I couldn't use in my condo. They also helped me select items for donation to a local charity.  

My realtor helped my find someone to conduct garage sales at the house. Downsizing was now in full swing. Friends helped me start packing. Movers were selected and a move date was scheduled.

Week Four

We moved into the condo. Rick had the second of two surgeries at Emory University Hospital. Unpacking continued in the condo was done as time and energy allowed. Rick continued to recover from surgery and helped unpack when he could.

Week Five

We closed on the sale of the house. Rick's health continued to improve with each passing day. Rick set up his office and was officially "back in business." I named our condo "The Hutch." Our space is small but cozy. Everything I moved has a place in our new home, but there are some furniture items I need to purchase for the condo. New porch furniture and a new headboard, to name a couple of items.

Beyond Week Five

S-o-o-o where is my car taking me several times a week? Why Finders Keepers Furnishings, of course! I am finding great accent piece to spice up "The Hutch" and give my older items a fresh feel in their new spaces. One of these days I am going to walk into Finders Keepers and there will be the perfect headboard and porch furniture for our condo.

Footnote of the downsized wardrobe at the hutch. There hasn't been a single time I have stepped into my closet that I could not find the perfect outfit! Truth to tell, I am inventing new "outfits" - what fun! I have purchased one great jacket from the Boutique since I moved. Did it fill a hole in my wardrobe? NO, but it was just so cute I couldn't walk away and leave it in the store.

Special thanks to the staffs in all three Finders Keepers stores. You have all been major players in my move. You were there with proffessional services, good humor, and a "we can do this, let's get it done," attitude. You were all the UNDAUNTABLES!"

Will I forget your kindness during these past weeks? NO

Am I a customer for life? YES!

Ode to the Little Things

There are lots of clever quotes noting the importance of the small things. And never is it more true than when I spot some brilliant, unexpected, colorful spot of lovely like a dainty flower or a vibrant glass accent. I think it's the intricacy - the tiny scale on which the details are crafted by man or nature - that make those beautiful small things so special. They have a huge impact on a large space: a single flower in a giant field; a little blue glass bottle in a large pane window. So I went on a hunt for the small things in Finders Keepers Furnishings, and I was not disappointed! The only problem: I wasn't suppose to buy anything today...

I'm evidently still really into corner cabinets... there are several in the store right now that are quite tempting!

Funky artwork is always a great conversation piece. I don't usually go for the word-stuff, but the metallic look totally caught my eye.

The striped vase is adorable! Even peeking out from behind the pictures and dried grass it still makes itself known.

I couldn't give a nod to the little things without showcasing the great jewelry collection that we have.

When I work at Boutique I tell customers about the jewelry selection at our Furniture store and often times they tell me that they've never noticed jewelry there. It's one of my favorite parts!

Watering cans, baskets, and candles are some of my favorite accents of the moment. And the detailing on the desk top is really cute too.

This is exactly what I've been looking for! I want to turn the bedroom in our new house into a spa-like zen place = candles + rocks + plants

Fantastic New Arrivals

The turn-over for merchandise in the store is pretty extraordinary. I usually only come in about once a week, and it's always like walking into a totally new store. Needless to say, Betsy sees a lot of decor come and go, so it has to be quite a piece to make her say wow or, in her words "something that blows my skirt up." These three new arrivals had Betsy pulling a Marilyn Monroe...

This mirrored table could be used in a variety of decor-themes; shabby-chic, glam, and modern, just to name a few. And it looks so lovely between the two leather chairs!

This green sofa has great clean lines and will fit right into most color pallets. From rustic browns and oranges to artsy plums and pinks, this piece was made to please!

This adorable chair could be used as a statement piece in a sea of solids, or to anchor different colored pieces together. What Betsy really loves: the couch and the chair together...

Shabby Chic - how to distress furniture

My husband and I are in the arduous process of moving into our first home, and we're on a pretty tight budget. A lot of the furniture we have right now is a little.... Ikea. It serves a purpose, but it's nothing to write home about. Standard and functional - but not a whole lot of personality. You get the idea. It all started with a cute little coffee table that I bought about two years ago, about a month before I brought home a new puppy. Well, the new puppy, Sam, wanted to know what the coffee table was made of - so he ate the corner. With a sigh, I turned the coffee table around so at least the gnawed-off corner would be against the wall.

So here we are, two years later, and I have to decide what to do with the table. Is it worth moving (especially in a heat index above 100 degrees) sans a corner? So I asked a few furniture professionals and googled the heck out of refurbishing wood furniture to get some good ideas. Distressing it seemed like the simplest and most fun way to give it a second chance. And it was so successful that I have since decided on a shabby-chic theme for the foyer and kitchen in the new house. It's so easy! The process is a great creative outlet and sanding wood is an amazing stress reliever. And what I really love is when people come over to check out the new house and ooh and ah over the corner shelf I refinished in the foyer, and then ask me where I bought such a cool piece.

The good news: I really had no idea what I was doing when I started. I still don't really know, but that's the best part about the shabby-chic look; it's almost impossible to screw up. And if the finished product isn't what I had in mind, I can sand it off and start over. So here's my step-by-simple-step way to distress wood pieces.

1. Pick your colors. This is my most favorite part! Most of the sites I checked out advised using a darker color underneath if you opted to use two colors other than bare wood for the base. I've used shades of green, black and silver, red and light wood, and brown with tan. I would definitely recommend testing what you like on less expensive pieces: aka, don't experiment with a family heirloom or a major investment piece.

2. Sand away! Depending upon whether or not the piece you're using already has paint or a finish on it, use a fine or medium grain sand paper. This also helps exfoliate, so to speak, and can create little grooves that will add to the character of the piece. Wipe off all surfaces with a dry towel.

3. If you're only going to use one color paint (with bare wood showing through) rub a wax candle on the corners and in places that would be most likely to show wear. If you are going to use two colors, paint the sections of the piece that you would like to with your base color. This will be the color that shows through (like layers of paint over time.) Let this coat completely dry. Multiple coats are totally up to you. I'm usually too impatient, except for with red shades. After the paint is dry, rub wax over corners, edges, and places that would likely show wear over time. The wax will make sanding the top layer of paint of much easier and gives you a little more control in terms of where the paint will sand away.

4. Painting - Round 2! Paint the desired portions of the piece with the top-coat color. Allow to dry, and don't rush it!

5. Sand again! I like to use a medium grain sand paper for this part, but that because I like the really-shabby-chic look. But I think the amount of distressing is subject to the color choices as well. I refinished a kitched shelf in a candy-apple red and used a lot of sanding to tone it down. Experimenting is the only way you'll find what you like to do, so again I would stress making some test runs on thrift-store finds or bare pieces of wood.

6. Technically, you don't have to do this step, and you could've called it a day after step 5. But I like to protect my hard (or not so hard) work, so I recommend finishing it off with a water-based poly coat.

How easy was that?

Here are links to a few great articles that I found:
http://budgetdecorating.about.com/od/youruniquedecor/ht/Distress-Wood.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Distress-Furniture---Step-by-Step-Guide&id=1298090
http://www.hgtv.com/ is another great resource for at-home how-to's

In keeping with the shabby-chic theme, a new piece just arrived at our store that I'm completely in love with! This distressed corner-shelf has an eggshell top coat and distressed bronze trim. It's currently priced for $136. The book-ends are really cute too!