Before:

  This Thomasville China Cabinet [...]]]>   I love the legs and curves of this solid wood China Cabinet! When it came in, I knew I wanted to do a heavily distressed/ Restoration Hardware-ish finish. {We are still trying to come up with a better name for this finish}

Before:

China Cabinet BEFORE

Altar'd China Cabinet

  This Thomasville China Cabinet & Hutch is available for purchase in our Shop.

]]> http://altard.com/altard/before-after-french-provincial-china-cabinet/feed/ 4 http://altard.com/altard/altard-presidents-day-sale/ http://altard.com/altard/altard-presidents-day-sale/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:29:50 +0000 Mandie http://altard.com/?p=1924 Today only! Save {$150} off the original price of any of these pieces custom painted for your home.

To take advantage of this sale, and have one of these gorgeous pieces custom painted for your home- email Mandie@altard.com or Rachael@altard.com

Pricing and measurements for each [...]]]> Today only! Save {$150} off the original price of any of these pieces custom painted for your home.

Pricing and measurements for each piece are available in our Shop.

ThirtyOne is a direct sales company that started 9 years ago in Cindy Monroe’s [...]]]> I am thrilled to offer a giveaway of a ThirtyOne Organizing Utility Tote, sponsored by Lisa Palacios, ThirtyOne Consultant!  Thank you, Lisa!  Here’s a little bit of information about this great giveaway from Lisa!

ThirtyOne is a direct sales company that started 9 years ago in Cindy Monroe’s basement.  The goal was to provide affordable and fashionable products previously available only at exclusive boutiques that closed at 5 p.m. – too early for working women to shop there. ThirtyOne offers exclusive, on-trend accessories and organizing solutions – many of which can be personalized. It is the company’s commitment to give women the opportunity to become successful business owners.  The company’s name comes from Proverbs 31, which celebrates hard-working women who are compassionate, gracious and inspiring to their families and the people around them.  {How awesome!!}

 ThirtyOne has so many functional and affordable products to help you stylishly organize your life! 

 The organizing utility tote is one of the most popular bags.  With its 7 pockets, everyone has a use for it, especially moms!

Here are a few ideas:

• diaper bag
• cleaning products
• purse
• office on the go
• shower caddy for college students
• pool or beach bag
• overnight bag
• gym bag
• emergency first aid/car kit

You can view the full catalog at Lisa’s website, see all the many products ThirtyOne offers, plus learn more about hosting a party of your own (in your home or online) or becoming a ThirtyOne consultant yourself!.  The special for February is for every $31 you spend (before tax and shipping), you get one item for 31% off! So, an order of $62 earns 2 additional items at 31% off each. Many of our items are able to be personalized, which is $7 per item.

Altar’d fans will get 10% off their second order with Lisa.  Contact Lisa through her website or by email. 

Entering is easy! So many ways to win!

• Like this blog post
• Follow @altardhome on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway
• Join Lisa’s ThirtyOne Facebook Group

For an extra entry:
Check out the catalog and leave another comment letting me know your favorite ThirtyOne product and/or print!

(PLEASE don’t forget to leave your email address or a way to contact you!)

And listen to this:

For a limited time only, Lisa has opened up an Altar’d party just for us!  If you’d like to place an order, you can join the party right HERE

1. Go to Lisa’s website: Go to Lisa’s website.
2. Click on ‘My Events’
3. Click on Details for Rules
4. Click on Shop Now to Place Order

Spend $31
You will receive an entry for each increment of $31 you purchase (pre-tax and shipping, full retail priced items) in the giveaway for a FREE Organizing Utility Tote! You must purchase from the Altar’d Giveaway to get the extra entries!

Fine print: Greater Houston area participants can opt to have the order shipped to Lisa for delivery or pay an additional $4 for direct shipping. Participants outside of Houston must select direct shipping.

Of course, no purchase is necessary to enter this giveaway; you can do any or all of the entering methods above. Good luck!

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, February 28th at midnight CST!   

One winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, February 29^th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’ve fallen in love with either of these [...]]]> Just in!
These gorgeous new pieces are available for purchase and can be custom painted for your home. We include a custom design consultation for your space with every purchase- let us create a stunning custom piece for your home.

Solid Wood Thomasville Buffet {62" W x 18"D x 31.5" T} SOLD

I love the look of Chevron curtains, but I couldn’t find an affordable pair in a color that I liked, so I decided to make my own.  I had several sets of Ikea Lenda Curtains {white long panels for $19.99/pair} and a pair of light [...]]]>

I love the look of Chevron curtains, but I couldn’t find an affordable pair in a color that I liked, so I decided to make my own.  I had several sets of Ikea Lenda Curtains {white long panels for $19.99/pair} and a pair of light grey Woolrich curtains from Target {no longer available- but buying fabric would be cheaper anyway}.  No-Heat No-Sew Fabric Glue is $3.49 per bottle and I buy it from Hobby Lobby in the Fabric Department.

White Ikea Panel, Grey Panel & No Sew Glue

  I can’t sew, and I prefer instant gratification- so mine aren’t perfect, but I love ‘em anyway. I’m a visual learner, so I took pictures step-by-step to recreate this look- but I used a sheet of notebook paper as the white panel and a piece of grey fabric the same size. {So, use a curtain panel and a piece of fabric that is the same width as your curtain panel.}

Start by folding your grey curtain panel vertically in an accordian style- keeping each fold the same size.

{Whoops- see my imperfect folding?} oh well! 

Once you’ve folded the grey panel accordian style, you’ll want to iron both edges to set the folds.  I used my hair flat iron because it was easier than hunting for our big iron that I have not seen or used in many moons.  Can I get an amen? ;0)

Cut each end at an angle to the corner

Cut both ends at an agle to the corner and throw them away.

 Cut the rest of the folded curtain panel into pieces that are the same width.  Throw away those end pieces on the bottom.  You can use a ruler to measure and  mark off your pieces, or eyeball it.  I always eyeball everything, but most of my best friends are OCD and the thought of eyeballing anything makes them sweat. {Ahhh hem! Lisa & Amy}

   Unfold each grey stripe and lay them out onto your white curtain panel.  Move them around- adjusting the white space between each stripe until it looks even. (or measure, if you must)  You will have leftover stripes- in this case, I had 3 extras.

  Once you have the stripes where you like them- with an equal amount of white between each- take off each stripe one at a time and line it with glue like this on the back and lay it back in place on the white panel. 

I like a lot of the colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but I prefer [...]]]> Recently, I posted my experience with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint & the comments on our Facebook Page  went wild.  Some love it, some love the paint and not the wax, and some have never tried it.

I like a lot of the colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but I prefer the durability of using latex paint, so I spent a few hours with a ton of paint chips and found an almost exact match for each of ASCP’s shades.  I prefer Behr Paint {found at the Home Depot}, and Sherwin Williams Paint because they are high quality, easy to use, and are very durable.   If you have more kids than adults in your home like we do, then you’ll appreciate the durability of latex paint on your furniture & walls.

ASCP= Annie Sloan Chalk Paint                                       SW= Sherwin Williams

If you love….                                        You’ll love….

• ASCP Old White             SW Antique White 6119 or Behr Polished Pearl UL160-10
• ASCP Old Ochre             SW Kilim Beige 6106 or Behr Pecan Sandie 700C-3
• ASCP Paloma                       SW Imagine 6009 or Veiled Violet SW6268
• ASCPCountry Grey       SW Relaxed Khaki 6149 or Behr Baja UL160-17
• ASCP Paris Grey             SW Essential Gray 6002 or Behr Sparrow 780F
• ASCP Cream                   SW Ivoire 6127 or Behr Hummus UL-180-17
• ASCP Versailles                  SW Wheat Grass 6408 or Behr Outback 390F-4
• ASCP Arles                             SW Viva Gold 6367  or Behr Arizona 290D-4
• ASCP Louis Blue            SW Respite 6514 or Behr Sonata 530E-3
• ASCP Duck Egg Blue      SW Halcyon Green 6213 or Behr Gray Morning 490F-4
• ASCP Emporer’s Silk     SW Positive Red 6871 or Behr Indiscreet UL110-6
• ASCP Henrietta                     Behr 690F-4 Midsummer Dream
• ASCP Scandinavian Pink     SW Henna Shade 6326 or Behr Terra Cotta Urn UL 120-17
• ASCP Provence                       SW  Drizzle 6479 or Behr Gulf Winds 500F-5
• ASCP Antibes Green        SW Jolly Green 6931 or Behr Caterpillar 430B-6
• ASCP Primer Red              Behr Burnished Mahogany 160F-7
• ASCP Emile                                 SW Soulmate 6270
• ASCP Chateau Grey            SW Connected Gray 6165 or Behr Wilderness 390F-7
• ASCP Greek Blue                {I did not find a match for this shade}
• ASCP Napoleonic Blue       SW Indigo 6531 or Behr English Channel UL 230-2
• ASCP Graphite                           SW Tricorn Black 6258 or Behr Stealth Jet 780F-7
• ASCPOlive                             SW Cocoon 6173 or Behr Crocodile 380F-7
• ASCP Old Violet                    SW Soulful Blue 6543 or Behr Magic Spell 590F-5
• ASCP Aubusson Blue           SW Temple Star 6229 or Behr Cathedral 520F-6

Sherwin Williams offers all of their colors in a sample size that is 31 oz for under $5 each. A 32 oz quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint costs $36-38 each. For the same cost as one Annie Sloan quart, you can have 7-8 of the colors from Sherwin Williams.

Behr quart $19, ASCP Quart $38.95, SW Tester Quart $5

Annie Sloan’s Dark wax is almost the same shade as Ralph Lauren Tobacco Glaze, and Annie Sloan’s Clear Soft Wax is similar to Fiddes Wax or Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.

I’ve read that magnesium sulfate  or calcium carbonate can be added to flat latex paint to create chalk paint that does not require prep {sanding before painting} and looks like Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on furniture. I haven’t tried these yet, but I’ll post as soon as I do.  With a little bit of elbow grease and a $30 mouse sander you can prep a piece for latex paint in about 15 minutes and skip the DIY Chemistry.  Sherwin Williams sample pots go on in a matte finish and look gorgeous with the Ralph Lauren Antique Glazes applied over the paint, or simply clear coated with Poly or Wax.  The tester size at Sherwin Williams must be clear coated or glazed to be durable.   My favorite protective products are Minwax Wipe on Poly and Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.

If you’re new to painting furniture, and aren’t sure where to start- we offer a 108 page eBook that you can download immediately that will walk you step-by-step from start to finish on How to Paint Furniture.

Which paint brand is your favorite? (and why)

Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint hit the blog world this past year and everyone was talking about it.  I read some rave reviews about it and decided to purchase a few quarts to try it out.   It’s about $36-38/ quart depending on which retailer you purchase from.  I paid for shipping as well, because the nearest retailer [...]]]>

Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint hit the blog world this past year and everyone was talking about it.  I read some rave reviews about it and decided to purchase a few quarts to try it out.   It’s about $36-38/ quart depending on which retailer you purchase from.  I paid for shipping as well, because the nearest retailer was across town from me.  I paid about $200 for 4 quarts with shipping.

I painted about 15 pieces of furniture using Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint, instead of my traditional method (sanding & latex paint).  Here’s a list of the pros & cons I’ve found with using ASCP.

{This is just my opinion from trying it out in my own home with real kids and real life.  I am not paid or sponsored in any way by any of the products I use}

Pros:

No prepping! It was great to be able to paint a piece of furniture without breaking out a sander!

Dry time- Chalk Paint dries very quickly compared to latex

Color Options- I loved the muted tones that ASCP offered {Color Chart}

Every color can be used to make a chalkboard (see the side of the can)

Cons:

Price  It’s very expensive at $34-38 per quart.  I pay about $28-32 for a gallon of Behr Premium latex paint.  I can paint 4x as much furniture for the same price using latex paint. {Yes, I do have to sand- but for me it’s worth it}

Workability   ASCP dries quickly, so it’s easy to mess up and have brush strokes on the large flat surfaces of a piece (think dresser top & sides)  Some people love this look, and I agree on some pieces the texture is great.

Uneven distressing   I personally don’t like the way the paint distresses unevenly.  I have a bit of OCD, and I prefer a more even distressing on my pieces.  If you wax the piece before you distress it (as suggested by ASCP), it makes a big mess with fine chalk powder.  Distressing with latex paint creates quite a mess as well.

Grease! {not the musical}  Most of the pieces I painted to test out this paint were in my own home, because with 3 kids under age 11, I knew they would give it a true test of durability.  I applied several coats of wax as suggested, to a breakfast table and set of chairs.  My grandpa came to visit for the summer and made sugar cookies with my kids.  Once the cookies were cooled, they set them on wax paper on the table.  When the cookies were gone, there were 2 dozen round greasy circles on the top of the table from where the cookies had been. GROSS!  I tried to clean it, and finally put the table on the curb.  I also have a set of aqua chairs at my formal dining table that were painted with ASCP that have 40 million little greasy fingerprints forever stuck to them.   Yuck!  That is NOT good in a house with 2 little boys!

I have found that if I use the Ralph Lauren Antique glaze over the chalk paint, the antique glaze seals in the paint and keeps out the grease stains, so if I use ASCP, I prefer to use Ralph Lauren’s antique glaze over it.  I love Ralph Lauren glazes.

One of the best-selling points for ASCP is that you do not have to prep your furniture before you paint.  This is true if you paint a piece in great condition with no dings, scratches, or damage.  I rarely find a piece in perfect condition- I almost always have to sand out deep scratches or use wood filler to repair something on a piece before I paint.  So, the “no prep” benefit to ASCP only applies if you have a piece in great condition.  Many of my painting friends find pieces in excellent condition often- I’m so jealous.

  So, what do I use instead of ASCP? 

This:  Rust-Oleum Tintable Chalk Board Paint from The Home Depot.  It’s $12.98 for a quart.

There are 12 color options on top of the box, but my local Home Depot Paint person was able to tint this paint to many of the Behr color cards that I asked him to try.  I did find a couple of paint counter employees who were not willing to try to custom match it, but most were very helpful.

  Rust-oleum Tintable Chalk Board Paint from The Home Depot

  You can use a primer if you’d like, but I’ve painted several pieces without the primer- directly onto unsanded shiny wood furniture in my own home & the durability of this paint is phenomenal.  It dries quickly, but gives you enough time to work out the brush strokes and the matte finish is beautiful. Each piece I’ve painted using this paint covered completely in 2 coats.  If you want to be able to write on your furniture with chalk (cute ideas all over pinterest) then stop reading here and do not seal your piece with one of the products below.  If you want a painted look (no chalkboard) and  prefer a more shiny finish, simply wipe on Minwax Wipe On Poly  in Satin or Semi-gloss finish.

 Or, if you prefer a more matte look, you can use Minwax Paste Finishing Wax for protection without shine.

  I really like the Rust-oleum chalk board paint (it comes in black too), and the only draw back is that it’s not available in white.  I paint a LOT of pieces in white, so Rust-oleum if you’re reading this (yeah, right!) please come up with a white chalk paint, thanks!

I’ve also read that you can create your own chalk board paint with this simple recipe  from Martha Stewart:

If you prefer to prime your pieces before you paint them, my favorite primer is Kilz spray primer (cheapest at Lowe’s), but you’ll need fine (220 grit) sandpaper to sand the piece after your prime before you paint.

What’s your opinion on chalk paint? Love it?  Not a fan?  Never heard of it? :0)

We still paint all of the furniture we sell the old-school way {sanding, priming, painting with latex} because I need a LOT of research and proof that chalk paint is durable as latex before I’m willing to change my ways.  I love trying out new methods on my own furniture though; my daughter’s room gets frequent makeovers with my furniture experiments.

If you’re not into chalk paint, or want to learn how to paint furniture the old-school way, I’ve written an eBook all about the process we use to create Altar’d Furniture.  It’s $10, and walks you step-by-step through the whole process start to finish.

If you love Annie’s Color Palette- I’ve color matched each color to Behr and Sherwin Williams here.