A PBC Personal Project

The winter months are always the slowest for my mom, sister, and myself when it comes to working on our Point Breeze Cottage projects that we sell on Etsy. The majority of our inventory comes from Yard and Estate Sales, which tend to be strictly spring and summer-time events. So during the winter months we either work on pieces we've collected and haven't begun yet, or research for new ideas for the coming year.

This past summer we stockpiled a surprising amount of French Provincial furniture. This style is GREAT for re-purposing since it has a classic and solid look and tends to be very durable. In fact, you can check out some of the French Provincial pieces we've sold in the past by clicking HERE!

With the unusually warm weather we've been having, my mom, Donna, decided that she wanted to get back in the shed and try to work on some of our remaining pieces. I happen to live in a 1929 cottage (hence the name Point Breeze Cottage) that only has half of a closet; And I consider it half a closet because it's so poorly designed you really can't fit much of anything in it. So for me, storage is a HUGE deal. My husband and I have been trying to finish decorating our bedroom for probably a year now (if not more) and were constantly coming up short. Now matter how good it looked, it was never complete because there wasn't enough room for all of our clothes, shoes, grooming products, pictures, etc. Until now.

I decided to dip into our PBC inventory and have my talented mother restore a piece that fit exactly right for my own room. She was itching to start working on something and I happened to need some extra storage, so she got right to work. Here is the piece I picked out. A very old and DIRTY French Provincial chest of drawers:

The more she and I cleaned out the piece, the more we realized it was in rough shape. It was probably used in a child's room for many years before we found it, but all of the drawers worked, the hardware was intact (we had already removed it before we took these pics), and it was the exact size I needed. So we were determined to make it work.

I helped my mom clean the chest and get it ready for restoration and then I let her take over. She is just SO MUCH BETTER and painting and distressing than I am. She says it comes with practice, but I think she's just got mad skills! Anyway, we decided on a lovely light grey color for the base and then a hint of silver along the time and on the hardware. I think it is absolutely perfect and is neutral enough to put in any room in my house if I ever need to move it. Check out her awesome work!

I love the color combination of the grey and silver!

Fits perfectly in the space I was working with.

 

Hardware looking as good as new.

Thanks again, Momma! It looks great and it's so helpful to have the extra storage in our bedroom now.

Two Thousand Thirteen – A Time for New Beginnings

Having been sick most of the Christmas and New Year holidays, I was finding it hard to muster up the enthusiasm for New Year resolutions or promises. However, now that the sinus fog has lifted, I’d like to share a couple of things I’m looking forward to in 2013.

New Life. It seems like everyone I know is expecting a baby this year. My best friend from childhood, my best friend from college, two co-workers, and my sister-in-law who is expecting TWINS! (Fun fact – ALL but one of these expecting Momma’s will be having boys. Baby Boy Boom, anyone?!) This seems to be the year for new life, and I feel lucky that I will get to witness such a happy time in these families lives. Let the baby shower’s begin!

New Challenge. It’s been nine, yes, NINE full years since I've played an official game of basketball. Writing that still doesn't seem right, but I guess it really has been that long since I graduated from high school…Anyway, I’m so happy and proud to be part of a newly founded Women’s Basketball League in St. Mary’s County. Though we technically began our season at the end of 2012, the majority of the games are going to be played over the next two and a half months. I can’t think of a better way to journey into 2013 than by rediscovering my love for the game and hopefully getting back into shape along the way!

New Faith. Ok, technically it’s not a new faith for me, but I am excited and somewhat nervous to be restoring my Catholic Faith. Growing up I was immersed in the Catholic faith while attending a Catholic School from Pre-K to 8^th Grade, but once I left for high school and college, I found myself slipping away from the Church and losing my faith. Over the years I would attend mass sporadically and found myself praying only in my times of extreme need. Now how selfish is that? I expect God to be there for me when I’m desperate and then forget about him when everything is sailing smoothly? No, it shouldn't be like that. This is why I have started a new journey this year, by restoring my faith in the Catholic religion.

New Work. Finally, I am certain that 2013 is going to bring a surge of new creativity and work. Point Breeze Cottage was started as a way to sell our teams unique finds and re-fabulous furniture and home décor pieces, and we are hoping to refine our skills and increase the number of large ticket items that we sell. This unusually warm winter weather has sparked our “picking spirits” recently, leaving us yearning for yard and estate sales. We are all looking forward to getting back into our picking swing and to tapping into our creative sides this year.

Point Breeze finds a home in Manhattan, NY

Back in May we posted about a unique set of furniture that we found in our local Habitat for Humanity store here in Lexington Park, MD. After a couple coats of Aubusson Blue Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and a smooth coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax they were ready for their close ups.

Both pieces sparked quite a bit of interest on our Etsy Site, but some customers seemed turned off by the high shipping prices. Solid wood made it the 1970's is not exactly light, and with pieces this size, they are nearly impossible to ship for a low rate.  We considered pulling the pieces off of Etsy and trying to sell them in the local area exclusively, but with 900+ page views for both the buffet and china cabinet and dozens of inquires, we thought, let's leave them posted until the listing expires. If we still haven't found buyers at that point, we'll pull them off.

And then I met another Mindy. A conversation came through on Etsy from a woman named Mindy in Manhattan, NY who was interested in purchasing the china cabinet. It's not every day I meet someone who shares my name, so I was pretty excited and thought, maybe this is a sign, maybe she is meant to purchase this set. And after many conversations and tons of research trying to figure out how in the world we would ship such a large item to Manhattan for a reasonable price, we finally came to an agreement.

You see, Mindy was actually interested in the pieces for her daughter, Dalia. A sweet newlywed, Dalia was looking for a couple of unique pieces to furnish she and her new husbands apartment. When we work on pieces, we always try to imagine what type of person it will sell to. And after being in contact so closely with this family, I knew we had to make it work. I offered to drive halfway and meet Dalia with the China Cabinet. As bad as she wanted both pieces to complete the set, the buffet's dimensions just would not fit in her apartment. We settled on a date and location, packed up the cabinet as securely as possible on the back of Bubba's truck and hit the road.

Dalia and her new hubby found their way to our meeting spot and after some wiggling and jiggling, we finally go the cabinet loaded into their vehicle. She had also asked if we could bring another piece from our shop with us, that way if they could fit it in their car, they could purchase it too. And sure enough, we got it to fit. So not only did our beloved blue China Cabinet find a new home in Manhattan, but our funky Spanish-Inspired table/cabinet (at right) did too!

Dalia and Mindy were such great customers, if only everyone I dealt with on Etsy was so kind and appreciative. Their cooperation and determination helped make this sale a fun one and we were so happy to see two of our favorite pieces go to such a great home. Dalia was even kind enough to send us some photos of how great both of the pieces look in her new apartment. Best of luck to you and your husband, Dalia, we wish you many years of happiness and love!

Check out the pictures from Dalia's apartment - I think Point Breeze style looks pretty good in Manhattan, don't you?

Back to Life

Looking at the primer still stuck on the back of my hands this morning, I thought I'd bring our poor, neglected, little blog back to life. Between family visits, vacations, softball tournaments, bouts of (non-life threatening) illness, and a little thing called our day jobs, it's been nearly impossible to keep up with the blog.

I do love our blog though. It gives me the chance to show you our latest projects as well as the story behind each one. And yes, there is always story to accompany every item. That is what gives our merchandise that little something extra. We visualize the person we believe would want to purchase each product, and try to imagine what their life is like, where they would use each piece, and how it would complete their home.

We are currently working a a couple of new pieces since the insane humidity has finally broken, and I can't wait to share them with you. Check back soon for updates! (I promise we won't wait so long to post again!)

Oh, What's in a Name?!

For today's "Tuesday Tip", I'm actually going to tell you about some tips I read about recently while contemplating a color update to the kitchen at Point Breeze Cottage. But first, I thought I'd tell you about the name of our shop and the REAL Point Breeze Cottage.

As you've more than likely figured out, the name of our small business and Etsy shop is Point Breeze Cottage, or PBC for short. And if you are a close friend or family member you probably know why that is the name of our shop and the inspiration behind it. But for the rest of you, I'll fill you in. In January of 2009 my boyfriend (who consequently is now my husband) and I began renting a quaint little cottage in Colton's Point, Maryland. Though it had been remodeled on the inside in recent years, the outside desired more than a little curb appeal. But we didn't care. It sits peacefully overlooking the Potomac River on Point Breeze Rd. And the road certainly lives up to it's name. The cool, river breeze is absolutely heavenly in the mornings and evenings.

After moving in and putting our own touches on the house, I began to realize how truly inspiring the spot was. I found myself yearning to lounge on the porch for hours, sit on the pier and stare out at the water, and there is nothing quite like watching the sunrise over a hot cup of coffee before work. Everything about this place inspired the small creative spark inside me. I even began writing a blog to document our life on Point Breeze Road. You'll have to forgive me though, as I've pretty much neglected it as of late.

About 2 months after Bubba and I were married, we received a phone call from our landlord. It was unusual, since we knew we'd paid our rent and weren't having any other problems, but then she shocked us both. She asked us if we'd be interested in buying the house we were living in. She was so pleased with us as tenants and wanted to offer it to us first before she sold it to anyone else. Jaws gaping wide, we told her we were flattered and would love to talk to her more about price, etc. as soon as possible. Upon coming to a fair agreement, we signed on the dotted line and the little cottage on Point Breeze Road was officially ours! I'll be posting more about this process in the future, there are far too many exciting details to outline here...

I've been watching my mother repurpose and reuse items to decorate her home for years, and after a particularly unpleasant day at work, I told her I needed a change, an outlet. She told me if I was serious about it that she would help me in anyway she could. I showed her how to use Etsy and we both decided, "We can do this." We started out with old pieces from home, items from the thrift shop, and yard sale finds. Once we had a couple of pieces finished, we were ready to post and sell, but under what name? What else, but the place that inspired me the most, my beloved home; Point Breeze Cottage.

So, that brings me to the "Tuesday's Tip" portion of this post. I found this adorable color scheme for a kitchen on Pinterest, and it just so happens that the layout of the kitchen in this picture looks exactly like my kitchen.

I took it as a sign and am hoping to update my large kitchen this fall to reflect the bold color palette. Are you thinking about giving your home a breath of fresh air, or a fresh coat of paint? Check out HGTV's "Color Palette's Made Easy" tutorial for some beautiful inspiration!

We Love: Keepin' It Local!

Photo from Keepin It Local FB page.

Growing up in the 7^th District of St. Mary’s County I was always familiar with the old Morganza Post Office. It was right down the street from my high school, and every time I passed it I thought, what a cool, old building, but I bet it’s a mess in there. Given the capital, my mother would have snatched that place up in a heartbeat and flipped it. But since that wasn’t an option we just admired it from a distance hoping that no one tore it down. Then one day we noticed that it had sold and someone had started to renovate it. Though mildly jealous, we were happy to see the old place was being given a face lift.

And what a face lift it received, it is absolutely adorable now with blue paint, white and red trim and metal roofing. Curiosity piqued; we researched the local papers and online articles to see just what was going in the building. Keepin’ It Local: A Maker’s Market is the name of the store/market that calls this beautiful old building home. They are filled with products that are locally MADE, GROWN or FOUND. Brilliant!

Photo from Keepin' It Local FB page.

One Saturday after a particularly hot and unsuccessful morning of yard saling, we made our way through Morganza and decided to check out the new Market. Upon pulling into the parking lot I couldn’t help but notice the adorable hanging signs telling visitors what the fresh produce available that day is. We walked in the door and it was exactly how I’d imagined it: Hardwood floors, an open layout for displaying their goods, a separate section for the produce as well as an upstairs and down stairs filled with local finds and artisan products. I even had a mild “freak-out” moment when I saw the CD’s being sold at the counter with a co-worker’s song as the headlining track! Make sure you check her out, HERE.

Here at Point Breeze Cottage, we LOVE the idea of selling locally and keeping capital within the community. Plus it’s pretty cool to see all of the talent and creativity in your own backyard! It’s safe to say that we’ll be frequent customers of Keepin’ It Local.

From Hideous to Harmonious!

On a wet Saturday morning last spring, Mindy wanted to stop by the yard sale some of her softball teammates were having. No ordinary yard sale, this was a sale to benefit Breast Cancer Research. The ladies were raising their money for the Susan G. Komen 3 day 60 mile walk they were participating in and we wanted to help in our own small way by shopping at their yard sale.  Rain did not deter these enthusiastic walkers, they had received donations from many people in their community and they had a yard FULL of stuff! We found a few little items, Mindy scored a beautiful Jasper Johns American Flag poster for her house, and as we were preparing to leave I spotted a very unusual little folding chair.

Unusual? Or Hideous? I was intrigued by the lovely Lyre back and the sturdy frame and the way if folded so handily…. but BRIGHT GREEN AND RED? It was like a Christmas experiment gone horribly wrong. The garish bright green paint had been globbed on, the seat had been unscrewed from the frame covered in red vinyl and NAILED back on to the frame! (Why anyone would do that is beyond me-lost the screws maybe? I dunno…) I paid for the chair and wondered all the way home, WHY, other than it was a worthy cause, did I make such a weird purchase?

Upon closer inspection I learned this little vintage chair was manufactured by the Stakmore Folding Chair Company. They specialize in permanent looking folding tables and chairs and have been in business since 1922! The Lyre back on this particular chair is particularly pretty but it was desecrated by the horrible paint job. It sat in the shed for several months, and then suddenly I was hit with a vision and knew exactly what I would do.

The Lyre (harp) back on the chair just kept making me think of a music room, a “salon” perhaps in Paris? Didn’t I see a lovely fabric on Ebay? I did! The stripping, painting, waxing, antiquing, and buffing ensued, taking the odd little green and red chair from hiding in the shed to the spotlight, ready for her solo.

Refinished French Provincial

Monday's Featured Product

Seaside Cottage chest of drawers

The girls and I were heading out to yard sales a couple of months ago, "keep your eyes open for any French provincial furniture" I reminded them. We had received lots of positive feedback on the French provincial chest of drawers  that we painted in true PBC style and named the Seaside Cottage chest of drawers. (See photo at right)

Before we started PBC it seems French Provincial furniture was plentiful at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift shops. This year we hadn't found any except the one chest of drawers. Weeks went by and we were not finding any good pieces. Then one Saturday afternoon as Marci was taking a walk around her neighborhood she came across a yard sale we hadn't even known about. The family was beginning to pack it up as Marci's eyes skimmed the few remaining items strewn about the driveway. And there it was, one lonely little French provincial night stand / end table, and since the man was ready to call it a day he made Marci an offer she couldn't refuse. It was sturdy and well built but drab and boring with worn faded yellowy cream paint and Marci knew what potential it had.

So, with some ASCP in Graphite, some of our own mix of chalk paint in pink, and a little AS Clear Wax to top it off, we gave an old drab nightstand some punch and pizazz. This color scheme would be great in a little girls room, a pre-teens room, or even a young lady heading off to college would enjoy the updated look as well. The ample storage for personal items and books and the spacious surface for a lamp, alarm clock, and cell phone charger make this a great piece for the dorm as well.

We really hope you like the gray and pink, slightly distressed look as much as we do, it's a fun, versatile piece!

Beautiful Bird Table

On a hot summer day I found a little 3 legged table at a yard sale. It was the most unattractive color or red, quite dull actually. But, the shape was cute, the petite dimensions make it very versatile (you can squeeze it in ANYWHERE!) and it was sturdy.

Now to do something about that dreadful flat dull red color. Perusing our selection of value priced mistints from Lowes I chose a matte blue under coat and a lovely spring green for the top coat.  I decoupaged a fabric square of the sweetest little songbird on to the top of the table, applied AS clear wax, buffed, sanded, and distressed, and there she is.

Such a cheerful little landing place for your cold glass of ice tea while you sit on the porch, or a great little side table where your watch t.v. To purchase this adorable little table, please visit our Point Breeze Cottage etsy shop, or contact us directly at ptbreezecottage@gmail.com

Choosing a Paint Color

Tuesday's Tip

For today's tip, I want to talk a little bit about paint colors, and how to choose one. It's not always an easy task, and sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error, but when you get it right, boy does it pay off. Here are a few things to remember when deciding on a paint color for your next project:

1. Have a large collection. What I mean by this is to always have a multitude of colors to choose from. You can find excellent quality paint for a reduced price at just about any location that sells paint. All you have to do is find the section where they keep the "mistints" and find one that you love. Just because it's not the exact color someone else wanted, doesn't mean it's not right for your project!

2. Have a vision. When you're getting ready to start a new project, ask yourself where you envision this piece going. A beach-side cottage? A formal living room? A sunny front porch? Try to figure out where this type of piece would look best and then search for a color that embodies that vision.

3. Never trust the first coat. Have faith in your selection and don't fret when the first coat doesn't look spectacular. More often than not the first coat is going to look thin and streaky, just keep the faith!

4. Don't be afraid to mix it up. This tip actually has a double meaning. The first of which is to try something you typically wouldn't. We've written before about Keeping an Open Mind and trying new things, and that goes for your paint colors as well. Think out side of the box every once in a while. And the second take on this tip is to mix it up, literally. Is your green too pale? You red too bold? Find another color that will either enhance your color or reduce it. White is typically a safe bet for toning down a bright color. Just be sure you remember your color wheel before mixing too many colors.

5. Know your finish. This is important to you final look. When working on a piece, at some point you must determine what kind of finish you want. A smooth, modern and shiny finish would require a more standard paint. While a more textured and  distressed look would typically require a chalk paint and some rubbing with a piece of sandpaper.

You certainly don't have to spend a fortune on paint, but it helps to know what you want. Evaluate your pieces before you make any decisions, and try out small strokes before you settle on your favorite. Most importantly, have FUN!

Calling All Photographers!

Featured Product

Happy Monday, everybody! Today’s featured product is actually a grouping of 3 pieces we have for sale. When we first started Point Breeze Cottage and this journey into restoring old pieces and other vintage items, we noticed a trend. We were selling children’s rocking and other small chairs like they were going out of style. And then we realized that the majority of clients buying these chairs were photographers. Which made sense considering Photography is a rapidly growing career path.

Having dabbled in Photography a bit myself and considering it a hobby of mine, I can see the appeal of a sweetly painted rocking chair when shooting children’s photos. We love finding an old rocker when we are out “picking” and if the price is right, we almost always buy it. Check out the three adorable little chairs we have for sale in our shop right now:

This sky blue rocker would be perfect for a little boy and his 1^st birthday photos!

Rustic and Outdoorsy, this chair would be great for photos of a child who loves to be out in nature.

A child sized rattan chair painted in a pale tangerine looks like it belongs on a sandy beach somewhere.

The only hiccup when it comes to selling these chairs is typically the shipping price. The rockers on the bottom of the rocking chairs make for an awkward shape and size, requiring a larger box and equaling a higher shipping price.  So if you are somewhat local to the Southern Maryland area, please let us know if you’re interested one of these chairs as we’d love to sell them locally!

Before we go, here are some of the rockers and small chairs we’ve sold in the past. See a color or design you like? Let us know and we can recreate the look for you!

Tropical Paradise

Featured Product

That is what I think of every time I look at this vibrant chair, Tropical Paradise. Given to our team from our fabulous yard saling partner in crime, Cathy, this retro chair was in great condition. Sturdy, solid, and structurally sound. Everything you want to look for when re-doing a vintage piece.

Our design expert, Donna, was the creative genius behind this chair, using Barcelona Orange AS Chalk Paint, AS Clear Wax, and a piece of fabric from Calico Corners. If you are looking to add a pop of Tropical to your home, sunroom, or beach house, this is the chair for you.

Please visit our etsy shop to purchase, or shoot us an email at ptbreezecottage@gmail.com for more details!

Keeping an Open Mind

“Seaside Cottage” she said, “I think you should paint it to suit a happy little cottage by the shore”.

“But it’s French Provincial” I protested. “Do you think I can pull that off?”

“Just go with it Mama, it’ll work, you’ll see”. ..

So went the conversation with my daughter Mindy on the French Provincial yard sale find.

I had my doubts. For months I have been envisioning this nice little chest done up in Paris Gray or even Provence Blue, maybe a dark wax, a little distressing, not too much, maybe a little gilding, dressing this fine little lady up in the French style she was born with. But Mindy had other ideas, and being open to other ideas is something I need to work on, so I set my mind to it, Seaside Cottage, NOT French Flair.

I cleaned the chest of drawers from top to bottom in March. In April I put some primer on the laminate top. The little chest of drawers taunted me, day in and day out, as if to say “is this it? is this all I get?” Beachy, cottagey, time worn, seaside, I had to find a starting point. Two days before our trip to Tybee Island, Georgia I found in my supplies a lovely blue paint. No name on it, no label, not sure where I got it from, but it was a lovely clear blue, kind of like a blue bird, and I decided that would be my base coat. It wasn’t exactly pretty, that first coat, but it was a start. I knew I would build from there, but it would have to wait until after vacation.

Upon returning from Tybee I had lots of color inspiration. Color abounds on this lovely little Island, every home is trimmed out in bright cheerful colors, and the home we rented, Under the Tybee Sun was colorful both inside and out. Happy is the word I would use to describe Tybee!

 A lovely greenish blue color kept popping up on signage around the island. After taking a moment to read the signs I realized they were in conjunction with The Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project through the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.  What an incredible effort to protect the Sea Turtles down there on Tybee, by employees of the museum, volunteers, and regulars citizens alike! You can check out the project here: http://tybeemarinescience.org/sea-turtle-project. 

Upon returning to Maryland I kept thinking about Tybee, about the turtles, and about the many lovely colors. Completely refreshed and rejuvenated I went to work on the chest of drawers and it just flowed, it really came together without even having to think about it. I applied a lovely blue green chalk paint that I mixed up myself, two coats of Annie Sloan Clear Wax, and then I started distressing.  Sanding here, rubbing there, I was beginning to realize Mindy’s original vision for this piece! The original drawer pulls were the finishing touch, and I’m glad I painted them the true blue color of the base coat, I think they really pull it all together. So what do you think? Was I able to take her from French Provincial to Seaside Cottage?  I’m so glad I kept my mind open to Mindy’s vision, this little dresser is absolutely charming. I can picture her with seaside décor sprinkled across the top (sea glass, shells, candles, etc.), used to store beach towels and swim suits, or for clothing storage in a fresh and breezy cottage bedroom. I hope you like the vibe of this chest as much as we do. It really does say “Seaside Cottage”!