Hi!
Welcome to my new Blog!
My name is Karin and I first started refinishing furniture back in 2019. When I decided to refinish my first piece, I didn't have a lot of confidence. I had refinished a few pieces of my own through the years (without proper prep or sanding and without even using proper paint!) but I had never done any professional refinishing so I wasn't sure "how good" I would be or if anyone would ever buy my finished products.
However, I quickly found out that I was my own worst critic-my first finished piece was listed and sold within a few days and that was it...I was hooked!
I've been refinishing furniture full time ever since and I have never looked back! I have since gained a lot of knowledge and have developed skills I never thought would be possible--that has allowed me to feel confident enough to take on custom and commission pieces as well.
People in my community have come to know me for what I do and I now get requests for quotes all the time. It is very rewarding to take in an older, dated piece from a client and refinish it to make it look more modern so that they can feel proud displaying it in their home. I have refinished a lot of "grandmas" dining room tables, dressers and hutches and my clients are always so happy that they can keep these treasured pieces in their family!
I love what I do and I love the paint line that I use for all my pieces (so much so that I have become a Melange Paint retailer!). I hope that you enjoy reading my blog and I hope that you will check back often as I would love to be able to give you the confidence to refinish some pieces of your own!
I look forward to sharing some of my most valuable Tips & Tricks and Before & After photos with you and I'm sure you will also be inspired by learning about current and upcoming projects as well as discovering valuable information about all of the tools and equipment I reach for most!
Happy painting everyone!
Karin
This is the "before" picture of the first piece I ever refinished to sell! I found it for $25 on Facebook Marketplace and sold it for $115 (I definitely undersold myself but at the time, I was still testing the waters!)
This is the "after" picture of the same piece. I think I did pretty good! However, I have come a long way with my photo editing, pricing strategy and lighting--just to name a few! This simple little piece got my creative juices flowing though and gave me the confidence I needed to do more.
My best advice for anyone new to furniture refinishing...find a small, inexpensive piece and give it a try--do something little so you don't get overwhelmed and just practice!
This is one of my more recent pieces-I am no longer intimidated by custom work, by larger sized projects or by more complicated design plans. Now I love to take on custom pieces, work on intricate design plans, work with clients to come up with something beautiful and creative and share my work!
Please check back often as I'm sure you will gain the confidence and skill set to refinish your own pieces OR, if you're already doing so, just to be inspired and maybe learn some new tips and tricks!