wow, has it really been almost two weeks since my last post?
What a slacker I am!
We've been wrapped up doing lots of custom work
as well as some interior stenciling on walls and such
Really feeling motivated to get something new
done and photographed!
Speaking of new...
I'm really itching to try some new, different things!
It's no secret I love chalk paint and French furniture,
but I feel like I'm tripping over it at every
antique mall and vintage marketplace
(chalk painted French furniture, that is)
500 on Etsy alone!
That is a LOT of painted french dressers!
I was in a cool little shop
we used to be vendors in
and I literally lost count of
how many chalk painted dressers there were!
(75% of which were either white or duck egg...)
Yes, they were lovely
but it's beginning to make me yawn a bit
Over-saturation, if you will
I spoke with one of the vendors,
who noted everyone was suffering
because there were just too many of the same items
One artist can't paint French Dressers fast enough,
so another vendor starts doing them, too
and then another...and another...
why not, they sell, right?
Or they did,
before the entire shop was full of them!
And because of the wealth of chalk paint available locally
(ASCP, CeCe, and Maison Blache are ALL here in town)
the competition to "score" great Frenchy pieces has gotten insane
I find we are now competing with friends and even family...
people who learned from us
(it always starts as
"I just want to paint a few of my own pieces at home, can you show me how?"
and ends with an attempt at a business...
it's THAT addictive...
you run out of your own things to paint
and have to start selling off stuff because you can't walk through your garage!)
Critical mass...we've reached critical mass
How is one to stand out in a sea of sameness?
By doing something different, of course!
So watch for some crazy colors,
some different styles...
that are all still "us"
but hopefully not everyone else!
Here's a glimpse inside my head
(figuratively, of course!)
How about you?
Can't get enough Shabby Chic, Frenchy neutrals
or ready for something different?
I absolutely love bright colors on antique items. I'm about to take on a major redesign in my daughters bedroom with antiques painted in loud obnoxious colors with some distressing added in. Should be fun... time consuming... but definitely FUN!
ReplyDeleteFun is GREAT! Thanks for taking the time to comment :0)
DeleteI'm right there with ya! This is totally my style too. Anyone can put some white paint on a piece and it will probably improve it. What people will pay for and what will develop your "brand" is doing something different, that others might not have the creative eye for. ("I never would have thought to do THAT! But I love it!) Good luck on your new direction! I am always so excited and inspired by what you create.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann Marie! You have to evolve, right?
DeleteI so agree... I have been redoing furniture for over 8yrs now ... way before the 'craze' began... and now it seems everyone is repainting and reselling furniture... but I am finding a lot to be sloppy... paint splashed everywhere and no finish coats... and LOTS of palm sanding swirls... it makes it harder to sell a well done and original piece for a proper price.
ReplyDeleteAND a lot harder to find a well priced solid wood piece to redo... seems to be driving up the cost of even a small bureau that is in desperate need of TLC...
I am looking forward to your new direction of pieces... a breath of fresh air in a stale Duck Egg world...
Palm sanding is my pet peeve...makes me CRAZY!
DeleteI'm all for free-market enterprise and competition...just time for us to mix it up even more :0) I'm really excited, actually! Feels great to be looking with a fresh perspective :0)
I had to laugh at this post because it is exactly what is happening here. At one time there were only a few of us that were painting now its many. I got tired of painting the same old thing and started trying different things, graphics, union jacks, now everyone is doing that. Just recently a friend and I decided to start going bolder with the colours and now we are seeing that as well. It is how we make our living so we have to keep getting creative to have things sell. I hated buffing so at first I put a thick cloth on my sander, then eventually I bought a car buffer, works great. And I don't sand anymore to distress I use a wet sponge or wet scrubby. Thanks for the post, nice to know we are not alone. And we have to travel 4 hours to get our chalkpaint, you would think that would elimate some competition, but no. Have a great day, love the post. Tobey
ReplyDeletegotta stay a few steps ahead, right??
DeleteCritical mass!!! Yes!! I don't even paint things to sell anymore! I just teach classes and do custom work. 3 of my students now have "booths" in the local antique malls that are bursting at the seams with all the white and blue pieces. And the only people that shop in there are just looking for the unpainted pieces to paint blue and white!! LOL! The vicious circle! I love how you go out of the box on all our pieces!!!! Your energy and spunk is so lovely too!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's INSANE! Quite the phenomenon. I think it's time for me to go WAY out of the proverbial box...lol
Deleteand thanks for the lovely compliment. Right back at ya :0) You're my soul sister when it comes to fearless color!