As Chantelle and I prepare to head to Antiques Week in Round Top, Texas, I can’t help but ponder the last time we were there. Before I do that, let me back up a bit. Once you find out about Round Top and know Antiques Week, it draws you in like a moth to a flame. It’s the type of show that draws people from all over the world, where a little tiny Texas town of 90 swells to tens of thousands over a weeks time. There are fields and fields of treasures, miles of junk to be found, amazing inspiration and glorious antiques found at Marburger. It’s enough to make you want to leave your life and hang out there, leaving reality behind. Chantelle […]
Junk Gypsy™ Paint Coming Soon!
At Bungalow 47, we have a secret to share! Coming the first week in April, we will be carrying a new line of awesome paint to use for all of your do-it-yourself projects! It is none other than Junk Gypsy™ Paint, which comes in 16 colors (5 perfect basics and 11 signature vibrant hues)! You probably know the Junk Gypsies from their shows on HGTV and Great American Country. They are the originators of this funky, boho style we all love, and they have been sharing their Gypsy love with the world for over a decade. They have decorated airstreams and weddings for the country celebrity elite (even decorating Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton’s wedding) and have an amazing store down in Round Top, Texas. […]
Window Shopping – Top 10 Ideas for Projects
Attention all repurposers and craft enthusiasts! This week is the Bungalow 47 Expansion Sale! Beginning Tuesday, September 9 and going until Saturday, September 13, we will be having our (non) warehouse sale! This time it will be done slightly different and there will be lots of great deals, awesome furniture and cool items. In this sale, we have lots of old wood windows with the perfect amount of peely, chippy-ness for your next project. To get you inspired, I have compiled a top 10 list from Pinterest of projects you can do with old windows. 1. Jewelry Organizer 2. Memo Board 3. Cabinet Door Front 4. Shelf and Hooks 5. Picture Frame 6. Quotes and Pictures 7. Coffee Table 8. Memory Board 9. Calendar 10. […]
What Makes It a Dream House Anyway?
Lately, my dreams have become more ‘daydreams’ then nighttime ones. It’s probably because by the time I go to sleep I am more comatose and unable to remember anything. Almost everyday, when I come into work, Chantelle tells me the most bizarre stories about what she dreamed of the night before. I mean, I’m talking some weird stuff! My dreams are less exciting, consisting of choices for faucets, door knobs, window treatments, toilets, moulding, paint swatches, etc. Tis the mind through a renovation, but I got to thinking, what makes a house a dream anyway? Bobby Flay as the resident chef, Mark Wahlberg as the pool boy, maybe Hugh Jackman as the postman? Oops, wait, I got distracted. Frankly, these days, any house could be […]
3 Things That Make a House a Home
It’s a funny thing, being an empty nester. The house is quiet, there’s no sporting events to go to constantly, less people visit, the fridge has way less food, and (the saddest part) there are way less happy distractions from what you are doing. However, I have to admit, I pictured my life less chaotic than it currently is. With a growing business, marrying off the youngest child, moving to a smaller house and trying to live through a renovation, I have needed to focus on life’s essentials. When living amongst boxes with all of our “stuff” packed away, I don’t have any of that excess around to entertain me, so it was important to set up our current living space with what’s important. My […]
How to Create a Cozy Home
I recently made a big move. Not just any move, but the “official downsizing, all of our children are married” kind of move. I didn’t mean to do it, well I did, just not at this time. We had been actually trying to sell our house for about three years (the market here was D.O.A.), so when our youngest daughter got engaged last December we let the listing expire so we could plan and focus on the happy couple. Then just as I began to get knee deep in wedding plans (a destination wedding!), we got two offers in one week! WHAT? Exactly. My husband and I stared at each other, eyes glazed over and decided, excitedly yet reluctantly, we had to do it! I […]
Goat’s Milk Soap and Sponge – B47 Staff Favorite!
A fabulous high quality sea sponge, immersed in a goat’s milk soap bar: the result is a perfect combination – soap and sea sponge in one! Goats Milk Soap & Sponge – All in One! What could be better than goats milk soap, in tantalizing scents, with a natural sea sponge inside. These all-natural soaps are handmade in individual molds. While the soap is setting up, the sponge is inserted deep within the soap bar, becoming part of the soap. Of course after the soap is gone, you will still have a handy hand-sized sponge to continue to use in place of a washcloth. Eight fragrances to choose from: Unscented Cucumber Melon Cocoa Mango His Blackberry Vanilla Lavender Magnolia Orva Blossom Available for $8.95 online or in […]
DIY Crackle Finish with School Glue
DIY Crackle Finish. Celebrating back to school with a fun DIY tutorial on creating a crackle finish with school glue and a chalk type paint. Creating a crackle finish is fun, easy and economical when using school glue and chalk type paints. Follow these simple steps to achieve a nice crackle every time. Step 1 – Paint surface with your base coat and allow to dry completely. Step 2 – Apply school glue on top of base coat. Step 3 – While glue is still tacky, apply top coat. Step 4 – Dry completely. Read on for additional application techniques. The photos above detail how to create a random crackle finish. Photo 1 – Using a pouncing motion, apply glue to base coat. Photo 2 – This shot shows the board […]
How to paint with Clay/Chalk/Mineral Base Paint
Creating a textured surface or a smooth surface is easy with a chalk type paint. Follow along as we take you step-by-step though the process of creating each of these time worn looks. The sample boards above have been created using simple techniques to create a distressed textured look or a distressed smooth finish. Below are the items that were used for this tutorial. If you would like to follow along with this tutorial, you will need: Two complimenting colors of paints. Brown and dusty aqua were used for this tutorial. Two sample boards, or a practice piece of furniture. Your favorite paint brush. A cup of water, a rag or small cloth. A fine grit piece of sandpaper. We are using 220 grit sandpaper […]
How to Prepare Furniture Before Painting
Prepping furniture pieces before painting them with Chalk and Clay Paints. There are many items that can be painted with chalk type paints. Stained and urethaned pieces, laminated surfaces, ceramic, metal as well as previously painted and waxed pieces. These paints bond well on almost any surface and for the most part, sanding or priming will not be necessary. However, there may be times when taking the time to prep your item properly will give you a better result in the end. And isn’t that what you are looking for, a beautifully hand painted item to proudly display in your home? As we said before, chalk type paints will bond to any surface. However, chalk and clay paints (or any chalk paint or latex for […]
Advanced Painting – Textured Clay Finish
Recently we had the opportunity to hold a ‘retailer training retreat’ at the summer cottage. There’s nothing like planning, learning and working while staring at a lake. After all the laughing we did, we brought the paint out and began to work. Our favorite technique to share and teach is one that looks very difficult, and in the past, has been an advanced process for paint artists requiring many different products. But now, can be achieved with just one product, any chalk/clay/mineral paint! It’s what we call a “Textured Clay Finish”. Here’s what you’ll need: Chalk and Clay Paint (only one color) Clear Wax An aging dust product Your favorite paint brush Metal scraping spatula (trowel) Sea sponge Paper towel Water Something to paint Step 1: […]
Layering Four Colors to Create One Great Look
A little over a month ago, Brian and I found a great house on an amazing piece of property and decided to put an offer on it. It’s on a beautiful piece of land with a pond and is quite a bit closer to Bungalow 47 than we are now. Well, long story short, they accepted our offer so now we are in the process of selling our house. We built our current home almost twenty years ago and have added quite a bit to it since then but when we took a good look around we realized that we really had our work cut out for us in order to get it ready to sell. We had things on our list from painting […]
At Bungalow 47, we are passionate about making our living spaces unique and meaningful, and paint is a huge part of that. We believe your home is the scrapbook of your life, so we love a combination of found treasures that can be updated to function for how each of us wants to live today. Many of us have "grandma's old dresser" but don't know how to make it our own or have it work into a more up-to-date style. That's where chalk and clay paint comes to the rescue. Follow us and be inspired as we share ideas using our zero VOC, solvent free, and American-made paint.