Bungalow 47

Where it's hip to be humble

How-To

Painted Upholstery – An ‘OMG’ moment!

Have you ever had that moment where you’ve seen something that just stopped you in your tracks, and your mouth hung open? Yup, we just had one of those when we saw this gorgeous chair that one of our Florida retailers, Janet Moses of Blue Goose Studio just painted! And yes ma’am, we said ‘painted’, because you can totally paint an upholstered chair! For more info about that, check out this post here.   Janet started out with four colors, two from our Bungalow 47 line and two colors from the Junk Gypsy Paint line that we manufacture and distribute. From left to right in the photo above the colors are; Landlocked Mermaid (JG), Parlor Drapes (B47), Wanderlust (JG), and Summer Pond (B47). Here are […]

Make a Cement Pumpkin

Fall is in the air, and it’s time to get our Halloween projects going. Cement pumpkins are a fun and easy project to do that will stand the test of time, and assure that your pumpkins don’t get kicked over on Halloween!   Supplies needed: cement mix in a bag (one bag made two pumpkins) a large bucket to mix cement and water trowel plastic pumpkins large Solo cups plastic wrap and cooking spray (to prevent sticking) Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint in a variety of colors a large brick, sanding block, and a utility knife (not shown, but needed) Begin by mixing the cement as directed. The texture should not be too runny. Spray the inside of the plastic pumpkins, so the cement won’t stick […]

How to Transfer Images to Furniture

Have you ever wondered how all those DIYers are able to transfer printed images onto painted furniture? Well, now we have an easy way to show you, thanks to one of our amazing paint retailers in Missouri. Tristan Taggart is an artist and furniture painter who sells her wares at Blue Moon Boutique Market in Joplin, Missouri. She’s super creative and is a lover of our paint products carried through the Junk Gypsy™ Paint and Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic® Paint brands! Recently she painted this little end table featuring a few transferred images, and we couldn’t wait to show you how it’s done! Here’s a close-up of the top, with the bee image. Tristan tells us, “This little table made me fearless. It had so […]

Adorable Gingham Tray Using Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint

Remember our board we began with last week, when we made our wood chargers? This week, this simple board was made into an adorable gingham tray with the help of Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint! Here’s how we did it! First, let’s gather our supplies: our cut board Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint in two colors (Farmhouse Sink and Nautical Stripe) painter’s tape measuring tape pencil two metal handles (ours are by Martha Stewart at Home Depot) paper towels This project began by base-coating both sides of the board with our bright white, Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint’s Farmhouse Sink. We get excited when we are doing projects (as I’m sure you do, too), but make sure you allow your paint to dry thoroughly before this next step […]

Simple Wood Charger + Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint: Part Two

Last week, we shared this simple project for a wood charger. This week, we will be making a second one, with a bit of vintage texture using Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint. We started with a simple four by one pine board purchased at Home Depot. Then, we asked our friends at the store to cut the board into four one-foot squares. How easy is that?  This week’s project will feature a few distressing techniques, along with some paint layering. We used three colors from our Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint line. We began by physically distressing our new piece of wood to look a bit aged. The edges were smashed down using a hammer. Next, using an old fork, we made pock marks in the wood […]

Simple Wood Charger + Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint: Part One

The holidays are coming, and we were thinking about friends, dinners, and tablescapes. Chantelle and I both have wood tables, as most people do, and we really wanted to make a quick project that would protect our tables, but still show their wooden beauty. Here’s a picture of Chantelle’s dining room: Here’s mine: We have different styles that have a common thread, so we decided that a simple wood charger would work in whatever style or capacity it was to be used. We started, believe it or not, with a one by four pine board from Home Depot. This is a simple pine board from Home Depot that is 12″ wide (actual dimension is approximately 11-1/4″ wide). A four-foot board will make four chargers and […]

Painting Glass Mason Jars

Painting Mason jars is a great way to get a custom look for whatever glass jar project your heart desires. They make great inexpensive centerpieces, too. Recently, Chantelle’s parents celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and the family was planning a little surprise shindig for this golden festivity. It was time to get crafting! Here are the supplies you need: clean Mason jars* Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint (we used Clawfoot Tub) gold glitter white glue painter’s tape sanding block brush buffing cloth *New glass jars are not necessary for your project; just make sure they are clean and free from any oily residue, especially old adhesives from labels. Paint the exterior of the jar as desired. Since these would become centerpieces with cut flowers, the jars […]

Making and Painting Cement Pumpkins Using Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint

Fall is the prettiest time of year, especially if you are in a color-changing state like we are in Michigan! The days grow shorter, nights get an edge of a chill, and our crafting bug calls out to us to start projects! This week, we ventured out to make cement pumpkins. Gathering our supplies, this is what we pulled together: cement mix in a bag (one bag made two pumpkins) a large bucket to mix cement trowel water plastic pumpkins Solo cups plastic wrap cooking spray Bungalow 47™ Furniture Paint in a variety of colors. Not shown but needed: a large brick, sanding block, and a utility knife. We began by mixing the cement according to instructions on the bag. Texture was key—not too runny! […]

Painting Outdoor Furniture

 It’s summer and everyone is outdoors having fun. After cleaning up the ‘carnage’ left behind from a winter’s ice storm this spring, I took a look around at the rest of our outdoor decor to see what needed some extra lovin’.  I bought this set at auction over the winter. The finish was in rough shape but it was solid, comfy and I picked it up for a song.  For color inspiration I did some umbrella shopping and found an adorable red and white stripe one at Target.  From there I selected a bright turquoise color to compliment the umbrella. The set came with two benches.  I started painting those first. A quick tip for painting benches and chairs is to start with the bench upside down. […]

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 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: […]

Tips for Better Room Function

Welcome back!  Here we are just cruising along to Week 2 already!  Hopefully by now, you’ve had a moment to stop and assess your rooms.  I realize most of you may not be freaks who obsess about decorating all day like I do, but when the mood strikes, go with it!  Sometimes it takes being fed up with it’s current situation and maybe a gentle little shove in the right direction (that’s what I am here for) to get things done!  I have literally had nights that I could not sleep and laid in bed thinking and thinking about a specific room and how it could work better.  I once even got up in the middle of the night and moved the furniture around in […]

About Bungalow 47

At Bungalow 47, we are passionate about making our living spaces unique and meaningful: 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 we don't know how to make it our own, or create an up-to-date style. That's where chalk and clay paint comes to the rescue. Follow us as we share ideas using our zero VOC, solvent-free, and American-made paint.

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