The Armoire We Built Featured in Country Living Magazine

Yesterday I got a call from a friend who wanted to tell me about her recent visit the her doctor’s office. She excitedly explained to me that while sitting in the waiting room before going in for examination she noticed on the coffee table the current issue of Country Living Magazine. Excited to see our featured armoire, she anxiously flipped through the pages... confused, when she couldn’t find us, she realized that the pages featuring our armoire had been ripped out! An anonymous doctor’s office patron committed a crime by vandalizing private property! However, we are flattered knowing that a picture of our beautiful armoire was fabulous enough to steal. J

How to Crackle!

I’m pretty sure everyone has seen the ever popular crackle finish on furniture, walls, flower pots, picture frames, etc.  at some point in time. Per customer request, here at Furniture From The Barn, we attempted our first piece of furniture with a crackle. Let me tell you, it was not that easy. It took a couple of tries to get it right and we are leery of doing so again as it was time consuming and maybe a tad frustrating, but we don’t need to talk about that! However, with practice comes perfection (or atleast that’s what I’ve always heard) so maybe if we give it a go a few more times we’ll get the hang of it…

I want to share our first crackling experience with you all. Perhaps you will learn a few things, or maybe you have done this in the past and can provide some words of wisdom.

Here is a list of materials you will need:

1.       two paint colors (Mustard Yellow & Black realmilkpaint.com)

2.       crackle medium “natural crackle” (realmilkpaint.com)

3.       paintbrushes

4.       drop cloths

5.       masking tape

Our customer wanted her cabinet painted first with Mustard Yellow milk paint and then painted black allowing the black paint to crackle and show the yellow through the cracks.

Our first step was to prepare the wood to be finished. We filled all nails holes and sanded the piece.

Once the wood was prepped we were able to start painting. We used Mustard Yellow Milk Paint (see previous milk paint blog for instructions on how to properly paint using milk paint.) We gave the cabinet two coats of yellow as you really want the paint to be opaque so when the top coat crackles the under coat is bright and shows through beautifully.

Next, pour some "Natural Crackle" into a container and add water until you reach a consistency that can be brushed or rolled. Tip: the thicker the "Natural Crackle", the larger the cracks. The thinner the mixture is the smaller the cracks. You can adjust the mixture to achieve the crackle paint results you are looking for. Brush the "Natural Crackle" over the dry milk paint. Allow "Natural Crackle" to dry (30 minutes to 2 hr.) If you want more or better crackling in your crackle paint, apply a second coat of Natural Crackle over the previous dry coat. Allow to dry. You can wait as long as you want for the crackle paint to dry. There is no real window - 2 hours or 2 weeks - it does not matter (realmilkpaint.com)

Once you’ve painted the piece with your crackle paint medium and allowed it to dry, you are now able to paint the top coat. Our customer chose black milk paint. We did a lot of experiments in regards to timing and how long to allow the crackle paint to dry before adding the black paint. We decided that waiting about an hour and a half was our best outcome.

Now that the black milk paint has dried, you can seal your piece of furniture with Tung Oil. It’s best to use an oil based sealer as opposed to water based. The Crackle paint and Milk Paint are water based so a water based sealer will ruin your work.

I wouldn’t say we were overly thrilled about the outcome of this project… We definitely want to try it a few more times. We will post pictures of the finished piece soon!

We would love to hear about all of your experiences with crackle paint DIYs. Looking forward to your comments!

Drover

We are pleased to announce that we have a new addition at our farm. His name is Drover. Drover is a six month old cattle dog mix. He was found by Caitlyn, while she was away at college in North Dakota. Poor Drover had been left in a box on the side of the road. Caitlyn picked up Drover in mid-October. The temps in North Dakota during that time were already well below freezing with snow blanketing the ground. Can you believe anyone would be so cruel to leave a puppy on the side of the road to freeze? Caitlyn is home from college now and Drover is one happy dog. He plays every day with our Goldens, Lila & Hunter.

Please adopt and rescue. There are so many dogs that need homes.

"The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals."

 

Drover and Lila

January Blues

Well… the holiday season is over. I bet some of you are happy about this. I totally understand the craziness and the stress levels that arrive with the holidays, but I think the January blues are worse. I would take the stress of December over the hum drum of January any day. If you are anything like me, then you can relate to the high during the holiday season and the low that tends to happen during the months that follow. I mean, let’s be honest, stressful situations aside, the holidays are great! There are plenty of parties to attend, meals to eat, cookies to bake, egg nog to drink… not to mention gifts! Some of us even get to enjoy a little time off from work… But then comes January… after the excitement from New Year festivities dies down… what is there to do? For those of us living in the North East; not a whole lot. It’s freezing outside, gray and dreary… and it’s probably going to stay this way for the next few months. Considering the temperature and the short days with limited sunlight, I bet you are spending a lot of time inside. Being a creative person, I find it hard to just accept a space for the way it is. I am always imagining what to change. Sometimes when my fiancé and I are watching a movie he will catch me looking all around the living room… looking at everything but the TV. He has stopped asking what I am doing, because he already knows. I am decorating our apartment in my mind! Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this… there have got to be others out there!

Since you are sitting at home, bored, staring at the walls, why not dedicate this time to design? Really take a look around your home and focus on what you want to change. Are you sick of your dining room table? Have you been putting off painting the family room for the past few months? Do you need new dining room chairs? Or is there a Pinterest project that you’ve been thinking about for months? Now is the time to do it! Here at Furniture From The Barn we love great design, here are two tips we wanted to share with you.

1.       Buy it once. Buy it right.

I can’t even begin to describe how important this is. How many times have you bought something cheap just to fill the space and find yourself hating it in just a few short weeks… or even just as soon as you bring it home? Not only do you end up having buyer’s remorse, but you will eventually replace it with something you actually want, therefore, spending more $$$$$. Sometimes it’s better to live without while saving the cash to buy exactly what you want than it is to waste your money on something cheapo! When you order a custom piece from Furniture From The Barn, you know you are receiving exactly what you want from paint color to wood species to custom design. Our pieces of furniture are quality, classic and built to last. You will hand these pieces down to your grandchildren.

2.       Recycle! Upcycle!

Of course we feel strongly about taking the old and making it new again because that’s what we do here at Furniture From The Barn. All you need is a little creativity and know how. If a custom designed piece of furniture isn’t in your budget, why not check out what’s on Craigslist or at GoodWill? There are usually some older pieces of furniture with good bones that just need a little TLC. Get some sand paper and paint and get to work! If you need any supplies or tips you know who to contact (us)!! Once you’ve finished, you will love your piece of furniture so much more because you worked hard to make it beautiful. Let us know how it turns out and send some photos!

Hope these tips inspire and motivate you.

Animals as therapists ... Pets Adventures at the Barn

Following the horrible tragedy that happened last Friday, there has been an influx of pictures going viral of animals working as therapists to help the families of Connecticut heal.



Our golden, Hunter

Here at Furniture From The Barn, we have four dogs, one horse, one mini pony and plenty of cats… we honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. Waking up early to feed and water the horses is more of a blessing than a chore. Our dogs accompany us in the office helping keep the stress levels low when they might otherwise escalate. Having a slew of animals around all the time is really important to us and our business. We wouldn’t be the same people without them. Currently sleeping at my feet, I have a golden retriever named Hunter and a Shelti- Chihuahua mix named Bocephus. Our animals provide, comfort, laughter, and joy. I hope the animals visiting the grieving families in Connecticut can provide similar emotions and maybe make this Christmas a little bit better than it would have been otherwise.

God Bless and Merry Christmas.

Bocephus and Hunter

Our barn cats

Hunter and Lila taking an afternoon nap in the office.

What You Need to Know About Chestnut Wood Species in Furniture

When new customers come to the shop to see our furniture first hand, we show them the five different types of reclaimed wood we utilize. People are always shocked to hear that Chestnut wood is relatively extinct in the Northeast. Here is a detailed version of the historical facts we share with our customers about one of the most beautiful types of wood to use when creating long lasting, hand crafted, furniture.

The American Chestnut tree (Castanea Dentata) was once a native tree that grew from southern Maine across the midwest to Michigan, and south to Alabama and Mississippi.

Highlighted in green, was where the American Chestnut tree was most prominent.

 The American Chestnut was cultivated in 1800 and was once considered to be the queen of the eastern American forest. This tree was known to reach a height of 100 feet.

Queen of the Forest, American Chestnut Tree

For the people of the Appalachians, the American Chestnut was important. The reddish-brown wood was lightweight, soft, easy to split, resistant to decay and did not warp or shrink. Because of its resistance to decay it was widely used for anything destined to last such as: posts, poles, piling, railroad ties, split rail fences, log cabins, barns, etc. Original fencing along country roads can still be found that was made from chestnut.

But soon after that, the American chestnuts were nearly wiped out by chestnut blight. The discovery of the blight fungus on some Asian chestnut trees planted on Long Island, New York was made public in 1904. Within 40 years, the near-four billion-strong American chestnut population in North America was devastated; only a few clumps of trees remained in California and the Pacific Northwest. Due to disease, American chestnut wood almost disappeared from the market for decades.

People who salvage wood from old buildings in the Northeast usually wonder what species they have. In particular, folks often want to know if the wood could be American chestnut, because chestnut was a common species in the past but is now rare and the wood can be valuable.

At Furniture From The Barn, we can custom design a piece of furniture crafted from reclaimed Wormy Chestnut wood, yes your table or piece may have lots of worm holes, we love the character it adds to tables and other pieces we make from the wood  but it may not be for you. The wood is beautiful and will hold its value for years to come. We do not paint our Chestnut wood pieces as we feel it would be a shame to cover such amazing history. 

The table top and bench top are made from reclaimed, American Chestnut wood.

Sources:
Appalachain Woods, LLC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut

What is Milk Paint and why do we use it at Furniture From The Barn?

If you are familiar with our work, you have probably already noticed that we utilize milk paint to finish our furniture. We get questions all the time asking about milk paint, what it is and why we use it.

When I first started working for Furniture From The Barn, helped in the shop with the finishing process of the furniture. Being an art major in college, I was excited to get started showcasing my amazing painting skills… I hoped that my expensive art school degree wouldn’t let me down! Not only was I sure of my talents… I also thought that I had seen it all in terms of painting and supplies. I had been through oil painting classes, water color classes, abstract painting, art history, etc. On my first day, I expected to grab a can of paint off the shelf, pry it open with a screw driver, open up all the doors and windows to avoid fumigating myself and get to work. However, much to my surprise, instead of leading me to a can of paint on a shelf, Kelly guided me to the fridge… yes the refrigerator. She asked if I had ever worked with milk paint before. Puzzled, I declined and asked what is it and why is it in the refrigerator?!

The inside of our refrigerator in the shop.

First of all, if you are like me and never heard of milk paint, you may be surprised to know that milk paint is nothing new, in fact, quite the contrary; it’s the oldest form of paint known to man. I never learned that in my Art History classes! Milk paint is a completely natural product that has been used for tens of thousands of years. Cave drawings and paintings made 8,000 years ago, even as old as 20,000 years ago, were made with a simple composition of milk, lime, and earth pigments. When King Tutankhamen's tomb was opened in 1924, artifacts including models of boats, people, and furniture found inside the burial chamber had been painted with milk paint. (www.realmilkpaint.com)

Milk paint comes in a powder form and before use must be mixed with warm water.

Considering milk paint is a completely natural product and actually made from whole milk, once mixed, it must stay in the refrigerator or it will spoil! One of the reasons we love using milk paint is because it is a natural product that is totally green and environmentally friendly. Milk paint is so natural, you can even drink it… not that I suggest you do that, but in a survival situation, if all you had to drink was milk paint… well, I’m sure you get the idea.

Besides being eco-friendly, milk paint provides a gorgeous, matte finish that allows the natural grain of the wood to show through.

 It is perfect for raw wood because it penetrates the wood much like a stain, so you need not worry about it chipping and the finished product is incredibly durable.

Milk paint also behaves differently in comparison to other more modern paints that you may be used to. The paint tends to be watery and sometimes a bit clumpy. The first time I used it, I definitely thought I was doing it all wrong, which was without a doubt a blow to my art school ego. As the paint starts to dry, you will notice that it has a chalky or powdery finish. Don’t worry… it’s supposed to look like this. Once the paint is dry, you will need to grab a sanding sponge and lightly sand the top layer of the paint. Here you can use your creative license and distress your furniture as little or as much as you want.

     

After my first experience with milk paint, I was instantly a fan. The finished product is always beautiful and different. It will no doubt provide you with an interesting piece of furniture that will not only be a conversation starter but a family heirloom.

Furniture From The Barn is a distributer of Real Milk Paint products so if you are interested in giving it a try, just give us a call!

Country Living Magazine Photo Shoot

Last Friday, November 30, Country Living Magazine came to our farm for a photo shoot of an armoire that they asked us to custom build for the magazine. Our armoire will be in a feature article in their April 2013 issue. We are excited and feel blessed to be able to share our work with CL Mag subscribers. What an amazing opportunity.

This photo shoot has been a long time in the making and it’s amazing to see it come to fruition.

There has been a lot of planning and collaborating with CL in regards to the custom armoire. We discussed sizes, paint colors, hardware, interior shelves… everything down to the last centimeter. Thankfully CL loved the finished product and we are very proud of our hard work.

Preparing for the photo shoot was a bit of a daunting task. I’m not sure if you are aware, but our home is also our shop, show room and office. As you can imagine, we are a bit tight on space. Currently, Michael is working on an addition that will house our showroom. We are very excited about this because our showroom is presently in the living room! Not a lot of family living happing in there.

When we spoke with CL about where to hold the photo shoot, we collectively decided that it should be in our showroom/living room. This dual purposed space boasts hardwood floors and wood beamed ceilings… a beautiful room for an armoire and photo-shoot. This sounds fabulous, right?  … well, if you’ve visited the shop lately, you will know that the showroom is jam packed with furniture and is a tight squeeze from one area to the next. The first step preparing this space was to empty it! Now… I am all for men's and women’s equality… but this was a job for the big, strong, men of the house! Michael and Casey got to work and within an afternoon, the furniture was removed which was exciting because we hadn’t seen our living room look like a living room in years! But…. We could also see that we had a lot of cleaning to do! (The men did the heavy lifting so it was up to us ladies to do the cleaning.L)

We got out our mops, rags and Pine Sol and went to work. The room shined liked the top of the Chrysler building once we finished.

Call time for Friday morning was 8:30 am. We started our day early to make sure everything was ready for CL’s arrival. The horses, dogs and cats were fed and happy and we were ready to greet the photographer and style crew.

After our photographer arrived, and making a quick trip to Pottery Barn to pick up a forgotten rug, the styling and shooting began. And continued…. We took a nice lunch break (that CL catered for us, THANK YOU!) and then the photographer and stylists got back to work. The armoire looked fabulous after the stylists had their way with it. I wish the inside of my closets and cabinets were that organized and beautiful. The photo shoot lasted well into the evening. Every shot had to be just right… The modeling world is tough… even for furniture.

All in all, we had a fabulous day. We reveled in the short lived glamour of the situation and told all of our friends that Country Living Magazine was here. I was hoping they’d ask me to make a cameo in one of the pictures… it must’ve slipped their minds. OH well, next time I’m sure.

We will post some behind the scenes shots just as soon as the magazine hits the racks! :)

A Few Updates at Furniture From the Barn

A lot has been happening around here these past few months, and it has been quite some time since we’ve given our bloggers any updates. Here are some of the highlights:

In August we had to take a few personal days to move our daughter, Caitlyn, to North Dakota where she is attending college. This was a long drive, but a great chance to see areas of our country that we wouldn’t normally visit.

September was a busy month as we attended the Country Living fair in Columbus, Ohio. We love going to furniture shows and Country Living has always been our favorite, but this may be our last show for a while… We feel as though traveling from show to show keeps us away from our customers for too long. Considering we are custom builders, we need to spend a lot of time and attention with our customers.

In October, we received the amazing news that we were one of the “Pitch Your Product” winners. Pitch Your Product is a contest conducted by Country Living Magazine. This contest asks small business owners and artisans to showcase their American made products. We also found out that we are featured in the December/January issue of Country Living Magazine (page 129.)

November was a crazy month, not only were we inundated with Christmas orders, we were working hard to finish our farmhouse tables that were due to our customers by Thanksgiving. We are so blessed for all of our business, especially in tough economic times. Not only were we working hard in the shop, but the office was a buzz chatting with Country Living Magazine about the details of the photo shoot that would take place here on our farm.

It has been a whirlwind around here these past few months, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

This pretty much brings us up to date. Please check back for more blog posts… and leave comments; we love to know your thoughts!!

This Blogging Stuff Can Be Rough (Like Wood)

Dearest Blogging Friends,

We would like to sincerely apologize for letting our blog go to the wayside these past few months. But rest easy my friends... our blog is back! Many amazing things have happened and we can't wait to update you. Get comfortable wherever you are and enjoy.

Much Love,
Furniture From The Barn

I Love New York! (singing the jingle)

Just got back from the big apple and surrounding counties.  We love our NY customers!  I think I can see one of my repeat customers' apartments from here...

What's your favorite flower?

Waiting, waiting, waiting...  It's almost time for the sunflowers to burst into bloom and shine their round, bright faces up to the Creator's sun!  Sunflowers are my fave flower.  What's yours?

Cat in the Barnwood Mirror

Here's my big baby, Cloud.  He spends his days lounging outside of our backdoor.  He is usually chooses to lay immediately outside of the door to get as much attention as possible from us as we make constant trips from the backdoor to the furniture shop.  He gets what he wants.

Mirror, mirror, who is that on the wall?  It's Cloud.  Little did we know he made it into this shot of our barn wood mirror.

Hot Weather with Terracotta Color on a Lovely Piece of Furniture

Hot, hot, hot!  This color, terracotta is hot and so is the weather here in Nottingham!  Today the temperature is 95 degrees.   Time for a dip in our pond!

Our Blog's Wood Background Story

This is the story behind our blog background.  This is our barn wood after is has been gently removed by hand from barns that could have easily been filling landfills or even burned.  Sad, right?  We have saved it from it's demise.  Now it's waiting to be made into something wonderful,
 reclaimed, beautiful, and historical just for you!

At the Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Show

Furniture From The Barn Once Again Displays Our Wares at the Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Show

I Simply Love Seeing our Reclaimed Barn Wood Furniture on Such Historic Streets.   Check out the cobblestones and trolley rails, adorable!

Happy Birthday Gus!

Happy Birthday to my boy, Gus.  He turned 23 years this week!

Gus is the Vanna White of my business.  Isn't he a handsome model for this equestrian themed hall tree?  That' s his friend, Harry stealing the shot.

  He loves to have company, at all times, in his pasture.  Meet Lucy, she and Gus are admiring this awesome sideboard.

Gus would like to invite you to come to our farm to see more of our reclaimed barn wood pieces.  Visit our website for an appointment at furniturefromthebarn.com.

It's Show Time!

It's that time of year when we pack up our truck and head to art shows and festivals.  You will be able to see our hand-crafted furniture and our signature rustic farm tables in person.  If you are in the Philadelphia area, please come by our tent to check out our charming, Eco-friendly, reclaimed barn wood furniture.  I'll be there with my hubby and kids.  We would love to meet you! Check out the link below.

May 6, Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival, Philadelphia, PA

My Favorite Color

Armoires are such a versatile and functional piece of furniture.  Use it in a living, dining, kitchen, bedroom, anywhere. This is one of my all time favorites.  Anything blue quickly becomes my favorite.  What's your favorite color?

Inside there's plenty of room for your treasures, sweaters, blankets, collections , you decide.

What a popular color!  Armoire Milk Painted in Turquoise with Matching Crystal Knobs.  (Just noticing how beautiful it looks against the creamy yellow walls in our showroom.)

  

White Milk Painted Reclaimed Barn Wood Flat Screen TV Cabinet

Black Milk Painted Reclaimed Barn Wood Flat Screen TV Cabinet

Country Living likes us!

It's been terribly exciting here this past week at Furniture From The Barn!  Country Living magazine is considering featuring one or more of our reclaimed barn wood pieces for their July/August issue.  Here are the pieces Country Living is considering:  

Secretary milk painted in sandalwood

Farmhouse Table White with Milk painted Legs 

Earth Green Hall Tree modeled by Hunter

I

Slate Blue French Provincial Buffet

CNN Debut for Furniture From The Barn

Tune in Thursday, April 19th, 2012 at 6 am and 2 pm EST to see Kelly featured in CNN's program, "Solutions"www.cnn.com/solutions. Kelly will discuss the Eco-friendly aspects of their reclaimed barn wood furniture business.

My first international sale, Switzerland!  This is one of several pieces heading over by ship.

The Farm Table

furniturefromthebarn.com is your source for the perfect farm table.  These timeless pieces of Americana stand the test of time, from year to year and generation to generation.  It's the hardest working piece of furniture in your home.  It's the location of yummy, family meal gatherings, coffee and a chat with a friend, school projects, and homework. The farm house table is truly a part of your family.  


The reclaimed barn wood farm tables are available in chestnut, oak, and pine.  Our chestnut wood was harvested before the blight killed the American chestnut tree in the early 1900's.  This historical quality of chestnut has made this farm table one of our most popular items. The wood is very hard and heavy  with warm brown tones.

We hand-select each board for age, distress, worm holes, saw marks, and refining. Hand planing is also available.  Most customers choose a simple finish of tung oil to bring out the simple beauty of the chestnut.  Feel free to make the choice yours.

This rustic table made from reclaimed, chestnut, barn wood has optional, removable company boards  for those times when you need just a little more elbow room 'round your table.

Has spring sprung?

 Here in the mid-Atlantic portion of the USA, the weather has been mild all winter.  How about in your neck of the woods?  We have averaged about 50 degrees most days.  We have had only two snows, which did not accumulate to much and did not close the schools (sorry to my niece and nephew).  My crocuses are up and the daffodils are so patiently awaiting to burst open.  

The mild temps are coaxing out  customers to  visit scenic southern Chester County, PA to our showroom.  We are delighted to welcome customers, shoppers, and the curious to our farm to see what's happening here at Furniture From The Barn.  However, if you are not able to visit our location because you live afar, as some of our recent customers are from  Fargo, ND, or San Diego, CA, Bristol, ME, Fort Worth, TX, Fernandina Beach, FL then we are more than happy to accommodate you via phone, 610 932-1122 and email kelly@furniturefromthebarn.com.

Check out our website, furniturefromthebarn.com to see what is trending in Eco-friendly furniture.  Lately, our most popular items are beds!  We have  requests almost daily.  Is it National Bed Month? ( Mental note, "Add National Bed Month to calendar.") We can make any size bed, in any style, and in any finish.   Platform beds with or without drawers and traditional with foot-boards and side rails are available.  Of course, nightstands are the perfect compliment.  Yup, we make those too.  You can choose nightstands with doors, shelves, or drawers or a combination.

Reclaimed Barn Wood King Bed Finished in Natural Tung Oil