It's not goodbye.

WOW.

Sometimes, life changes in an instant.

Sometimes, it only seems like an instant...

To me, it appears that I blinked, 

and everything went in a different direction. 

Allow me to explain.

I love painting. Really, I do.

What I don't love is how completely competitive

and over-saturated

the market has become.

And the drama...heaven help me, the drama!

I want to scream

 "IT'S JUST PAINT, SETTLE DOWN"

Chalk paint brought painting furniture to the mainstream.

Sure, it's been popular before...but never on this level. 

We've been involved on a variety of levels, 

and it's been an eye-opener for sure!

So, while I still love it, I don't wish to rely on it for my income.

Or be involved with a paint line.

Or worry about who's stealing my photos. 

I just want to create. 

We have met some wonderful, kind, LOVELY people...

and we've met some of the worst people I've ever known. 

Every single experience has value, right? 

I made the decision to finish up a second degree I started years ago,

and go back into healthcare

(yep, with High Honors!)

I've landed a dream position, and haven't looked back

I feel like I've come back to reality

My new position has a fancy  title that really translates to this:

" I have no time to paint except for fun"

so "will it be fun?" is my new criteria 

when it comes to paint!

We won't be taking on much custom work

(just a select few for local clients and previous clients we love as time permits)

Ken will have some time to relax and continue to recover

I'll keep our FB page active, 

but won't be posting unless we have something new to share

Haven't decided about our website yet...

although I'll maintain our TM and domain

And as long as it remains fun and profitable, 

we'll be keeping our space at 

607 Vintage Marketplace in Largo

Our warehouse packed full?

Maybe we'll have a sale.

Maybe I'll keep it all.

Maybe I'll sell it all on CL.

Who knows.  I sure don't. 

For those of you actively running a small business

similar to ours...kudos and much respect to you! 

I wish you every success imaginable. 

We know the dedication, blood, sweat, and tears it takes. 

As for us, we've reclaimed our nights and weekends

our family time, and our sanity :) 

New Goodies!

A few new pieces made it into 607 VMP

this week

(with more coming, we promise!) 

We literally nearly sold out of furniture in both our spaces...

it takes a minute or two to get caught back up

after such an amazing month!

Stop in and see what's new

(so many gorgeous pieces not shown on the blog!) 

It's been awhile!

WOW!

It's been awhile...

We definitely owe you a glimpse around our spaces, 

don't we?

 A perfectly petite server

 This pint-sized corner writing desk is adorable...

and how much do you LOVE that child-sized French chair?

 Gorgeous in aqua green...

 One of our favorite corners

 the bedroom suite may be sold, 

but this gorgeous pink vanity is still available

Ken painted the cottage style tallboy...

he said we didn't have enough "gender neutral"stuff!

The rustic, distressed finish on this little bench 

makes my heart beat faster...

I'm not usually one for florals

but this retired Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic print

is perfect on this piece!

This antique piece wears it's original finish

(or finishes, as the case may be!)

We'll be moving lots more goodies into our spaces over the weekend

We hope you'll swing by!

607 Vintage MarketPlace

607 Clearwater Largo Road

Largo

It's a BABY

Introducing...

Stiltskin Studios

 Baby & Child

Our new collection of nursery and children's furnishings, decor, 

bedding and a few other surprises!

In addition to already-finished pieces,

we are also custom painting cribs, changing tables, 

and toddler beds to coordinate

Not sure what you want?

Nursery and children's custom room design also available

Available exclusively through 

607 Vintage Marketplace

607 Clearwater Largo Road

Largo, FL

Ms. Belgium

We purchased this GIGANTIC china cabinet two years ago...

It's hard to believe we were able to forget about it for that long!

It's STUNNING!

It was also in pretty rough shape with chipping enamel,

yellowing paint, and busted out glass panes

Made in Belgium, circa 1950's

this hutch coordinates with the lovely dining 

set we shared a few weeks ago

I wanted it to coordinate with the dining set, but not be an exact match

(unless a client wants it glazed to match, of course!)

I really liked how crisp and clean the piece looked

wearing nothing more than a fresh coat of snow white paint

(Snow White from General Finishes, to be precise!)

It's a large piece, sure to make a statement

Simplicity seemed best

I could not, however, resist a LITTLE bling

via these gorgeous knobs...

I mean, really...amazing!

The entire piece is solid as solid gets

with custom glass shelves

The inside is minty fresh,

and each panel has lighting

Imagine this full of antique silver...OH MY. 

We also finished up this French dresser

For this weathered look,

we custom mixed a medium grey using

Amy Howard at Home One Step Paint

finished off with a white wash

and sealed for durabilty

The hardware is the reverse, white with a grey wash

I love how it turned out

So simple and clean but still quite interesting

These pieces are available at 607 Vintage MarketPlace

Thanks for stopping by!

Michele

Before & After French Provincial Buffet and Hutch

Remember these guys?

 They are solid wood but "eh" 

sort of orange in color

My vision?

Creamy white with a grey wash

The orange, however, did NOT want to leave...

it bled through...and bled through...and bled through

It bled through FOUR coats of primer

on the china cabinet...

FOUR!

I know when I'm beat...

Buh-bye dreams of white...

Hello, AHaH's Graphite!

Not to be confused with ASCP's Graphite color...

this version of Graphite is much more brown than grey

a perfectly lovely greige!

I used a creamy white glaze to knock back the brown a bit

and I'm thrilled with the outcome

Light distressing shows off the white beneath

I kept the interior white, but glazed it to disguise any bleed through issues

The buffet, thankfully, had minimal bleed through issues...

and I was able to go with the creamy white

I opted for a warm antique glaze instead of grey

so it would coordinate nicely with the china hutch

I've had these mirrors for awhile...the dresser they went with sold right away,

before I had time to complete the mirrors

Wouldn't this buffet be fabulous re-purposed as a double sink with the mirrors over each side?  

Or what about a changing table...

Love that there are so many options!

Belgian Dining Set Before and After

Talk about STUNNING...

We purchased this dining suite well over a year ago

(maybe two?  Who can keep track?)

and although it's stunningly gorgeous,

it need a LOT of prep work

(the china cabinet is still in the works...coming SOON!)

The enamel (oil paint) was old and chipping away,

so it had to ALL be scrapped off

NOT a fun task on a set this large, and with so many carved details

The cushions were shot

and needed new foam and batting 

before we could even think about fabric

And the tabletop was scratched up pretty badly

(but just look at that marquetry...swoon!)

After two weeks' worth of scrapping

two coats of primer

two coats of Snow White paint

two coats of clear sealant

and a pretty grey glaze...

she's ready to shine again

This one is hard for me to part with...

I love all the carved details

the mitered top

the roomy seats

It's pretty fabulous!

We also scored this amazing farmhouse table

with iron-work underneath

and original paint

we paired the table with these great French Provincial chairs

They were NASTY when we picked them up...

covered in dirt and the cushions were so bad if you touched them,

you were surrounded by a cloud of dust...yuck.

They're much improved now, sporting Java from Amy Howard at Home

The fabric is an uber cool repro European grainsack

(thank you, DecorSteals!) 

That's Linen with a dark glaze on the formerly-ugly-brass lamps...

SO. MUCH. BETTER. NOW.

Both of these sets are available

at 607 Vintage Marketplace

Thanks for stopping by!

Michele