Knock Knock

Knock Knock...

Who's there?  

TICK TOCK!

Tick Tock One Step Paint, that is!

Our front door was desperately in need of some assistance...

a perky pick-me-up

(and a good pressure washing!)

Before was such a snooze-fest...

zero personality...

this is the color it's been since we moved in...and I've hated it every day since

but you know how it goes...you get so used to looking at it,

you don't even notice it anymore

Now it looks refreshed and playful

I realize vibrant aqua isn't for everyone...

we live on the coast of FL...

land of sun and surf, palm trees and hibiscus

An aqua door isn't the least bit out of place!

Here are the steps:

1. clean the door- I pressure washed about a month ago, then cleaned the door with soap and water before painting. Pressure washing isn't necessary.

2. Paint with chosen color of One Step Paint from Amy Howard at Home

We selected Tick Tock after much debate...the lighter color over the somewhat darker oil-based paint took three coats

3. Seal- I used Clear Wax, applied sparingly, and buffed once dry.  You could also seal with poly, but we've found the AHaH wax is durable enough to use on our front door.  

4. Decorate your new front door

 (then lament as you realize now your house REALLY needs painted!)

Isn't it funny how one project leads to five, ten, TWENTY more?

I'm already looking at paint colors for the house and garage...

and the weather stripping around the door needs replaced...

and the landscaping could use some refreshing...

and the fence is looking pretty shabby....

Thanks for dropping by!

Michele

Mixing it up

With 42 One Step colors at my disposal,

you'd think I would be content...

but of course, I'm not!

I see it as 42 colors with INFINITE possibilities!

Using the newest One Step colors 

(American Dream, Tick Tock, Get in Gear, and Table for One)

you can create some equally stunning new shades!

By mixing 75% Get in Gear with 25% American Dream

you can create a gorgeous, rich teal

(right and layered on center)

Equal parts Get in Gear and Tick Tock creates the gorgeous aqua green 

(left and base coat on center)

Blues not for you?

A lovely melon can be created using 

equal parts Table for One and Massey Hill

Add a generous tablespoon of Charm School to the above mixture to create a vibrant coral...

The options are limited only by your imagination:

American Dream + Table for One = Periwinkle

Tick Tock + Credenza = Soft Mint Green

Charm School + American Dream = Vibrant Purple

Orchid + Table for One + Charm School = Raspberry Pink

Don't be intimidated by color! 

Start small...pretend you are finger painting...mix little bits of this and that on a sample board

until you like the direction it's headed...

DON'T FORGET TO WRITE DOWN YOUR FORMULAS

 FOR FUTURE REFERENCE!

I'd love to know what colors you've created! 

Michele

Put Down the Sandpaper

this is a plea....

a plea to put DOWN the orbital sander, the palm sander, 

and GASP, the belt sander!

I'm guilty of it...we all are

even if you haven't done it, you've seen it:

swirl marks, "bite marks",

 areas where the sander has burned right through the paint and the original surface,

 revealing the raw wood

The more I learn about authentic painted finishes...

the more I studied actual wear on antique pieces...

the less I reach for a mechanical sander

Distressed finishes are GORGEOUS!

 even after 100+ years, you still don't see much wear down to the wood...

 More wood showing, but it is a soft, natural effect...

thousands of fingertips brushing the edges, gently polishing the surface below the paint...

it's not rough

Water-marks, a little dirty around the edges...gently worn paint

 Notice these authentic finishes have an antique tint, 

but the color isn't covered in a layer of dark wax...

save the dark wax for the areas that would naturally get a bit dirtier...

the edges, the feet, etc

 Stunning finish...layers of paint, no discernible pattern to the wear

this could have been created yesterday or 150 years ago...

 worn, layered...subtle wear to the wood below

 I'm personally drawn to these chippy, layered, textural finishes

These finishes are not your standard 

"chalk paint, distress, clear wax, dark wax" 

that we're all accustomed to

There is a whole world of options for aging your pieces...

and none of them involve a belt sander :0) 

Tutorials coming later this week...

M~

A Quartet of Delicious NEW Colors!

Kenny is at his pre-op appointment...

covered in paint!

He forgot it was today...oops!

Since he's tied up, I have a bit of free time

to share the new Amy Howard at Home One Step Colors with you!

Do you get as excited about new colors as I do?

First up, a lovely royal blue/navy 

called American Dream

What I love about this color is it's mix-a-bility (new word!)

Out of the can, it's a vibrant, rich blue

but it mixes gorgeously to create deep navy, teal, peacock, cobalt...

even a rich array of purples

For some blue inspiration, visit our Pinterest board:

Navy Inspiration

We live on the west coast of Florida, 

and the beach is never more than a few minutes away...

so these beachy colors make me happy, indeed!

Tick Tock is a fresh minty green shade...

add a touch of white for a softer look, or a bit of blue or green for more vibrancy...

as is, it is STUNNING!

(greens are SO hard to capture on film...

my pic reads a touch more soft than it's true greenish blue shade)

For some inspiration:

Mint Inspiration

Pale Aqua Inspiration

Get in Gear is probably my favorite of the four new colors...

strong and true, this reads a bit Kelly Green w a hint of blue

Jade Inspiration

Lastly, Table for One

A strong, mid range pink with a retro vibe

Out of the can, it's bold and wonderful

but it mixes well to create a variety of shades from subtle peach to coral, 

as well as just about every shade of pink, plum, or berry you can dream up!

Need some Inspiration?

Retro Pink Inspiration

We really enjoyed dipping into these strong new shades from Amy Howard at Home

I'm looking forward to seeing how YOU use them!

Atlanta Market

We hopped off the roller coaster long enough

to jump on the tilt-a-whirl known as 

AMERICASMART in Atlanta

We attended to represent Amy Howard at Home

We've been to Atlanta many times, but never downtown

Atlanta is a gorgeous city!

This was home for 8 days...

a circa 1905 home full of charm

Located on storied Piedmont Street,

 the house sat well above street level, as most homes in this area do

There was a set of stone steps leading up the the walkway, another set of brick steps to the porch,

and of course, winding steps leading upstairs to the bedrooms

I'm mentioning this because on DAY ONE of Market, Amy broke her foot!

Stairs weren't happening...Amy and Gene had to secure a hotel

(at the last minute, during Market...yep!)

We did enjoy sitting on the front porch, looking at the Atlanta high rises through the trees

but missed visiting with Gene and Amy

We dined at Ray's on the River and White Oak

Both were delish, but White Oak is MY KIND OF PLACE

From the design to the season, farm to fork food...I was smitten!

Amy and Gene both made it to the showroom EVERY DAY, broken foot or not!

Now in a permanent showroom, the space looked AMAZING

I was surprised to see such BOLD use of color...I LOVED IT!

These lacquered display cabinets are available for retailers...

doesn't the product look gorgeous? 

Really, the packaging is just too pretty not to showcase

 This represents Lacquer, One Step, and Toscana...

all stunning, authentic finishes in their own right

but easily used in tandem to create fresh, exciting looks

 High Performance Lacquer Sprays...yes, please!

Amy introduced a new product at Market...Bright Idea Clear Lacquer Spray

It's used OVER One Step to give a high gloss finish

We worked every single day from 8:30a until well past 6p (8p Fri-Sat)
and the showroom was PACKED!
We didn't see too many showrooms
(AmericasMart is 7.7 MILLION SQUARE FEET)
but really enjoyed what we did see

The days literally flew by...talking about paint, teaching about paint,
and painting all day are pretty close to ideal for me
although my feet would STRONGLY disagree...

I have SO much more to share, but frankly, I'm tired!

We've not been home for 24 hours yet and my workload is ready to topple over!

Watch for new colors, custom mixes, 

and some new painted pieces on the blog throughout the week!

Have you been to AmericasMart?

Freak Out

Oh my goodness...does this ride EVER slow down?  

As you know, we made the decision to close our retail store in Tarpon Springs

and instead, move our retail items into the uber fabulous 

607 Vintage Marketplace

(follow them on FB for status updates!)

Between our online business, custom work, and Amy Howard gig, 

we just can't manage running a store full time, too...

607 isn't opening until mid-August

so that left us the rest of this month in Tarpon, right?

WRONG.

The landlord opted not to renew the lease, 

since we couldn't commit beyond 90 days

(hopefully a GREAT tenant will be moving in w a long term lease!)

We are headed to Atlanta for Market on Monday...

and will be gone for 10 days or so...

which means we need to clean out the bulk of our store by SUNDAY

Yes, THIS SUNDAY

In theory, this is fine.

We need to combine the studio/warehouse into one location...

and this prompts us to get moving on that goal

HOWEVER, in reality...

I. AM. FREAKING. OUT!

Enter Marcotte's Architectural Salvage and Bayou Vintage Antiques...

they saved our sanity!

(there is still going to have to be a storage unit in our future 

unless something miraculous happens in the next day or so...)

You can find our pieces RIGHT now, in both stores

But what about Amy Howard at Home products, you may be wondering?

The full line will be available at 607 Vintage Marketplace

and in the coming weeks, 

we have FOUR new retailers throughout Pinellas County...

we'll share that info once their paint comes in!

If you need product in the interim, 

or need assistance w your Amy Howard at Home products,

just email us...we'll be happy to  meet you w product or answer your questions!

Thanks for following along w us on this crazy roller-coaster 

called SMALL BUSINESS OWNER