Hi! How has your week been? So many people have asked me how everything has been going with John quitting his job to join me at FunCycled. Since I don’t get as much time as I’d like to to chat with everyone, I thought I would share what it has been like for him making this transition.
The 1st weeks was busy… almost like a whirlwind. We had custom furniture orders that were time sensitive because of people moving; it was crunch time to get everything ready. John rose to the occasion and pushed and pushed to take care of everything without sacrificing quality. That’s what I love about him. He’s a perfectionist which is a good balance (yet sometimes annoying) to an artist like me. I honestly think he is a better painter than I am, but he doesn’t have an eye for the design or antiquing of a piece. That’s where I come in now.
The 2nd week was equally busy, but this time everything John put his hand at went wrong. From bleed through to knobs not fitting right on a dresser, and then replacement parts not working with an older piece. I’ve been dealing with those problems for over 1 1/2 years so I know some of the tricks that he just hasn’t learned yet. It was a very frustrating week for him and I thought he might have wanted to call it quits. He said he didn’t know how I could do this for the last year and a half. I assured him he was just learning and working together I showed him how to fix the troubling problems.
Time to reevaluate, right? I was a manager for 7 years before doing this so I’m all about making sure you’re on the right path and doing what you love. I would even say that to my staff at my last job, this is America and if you don’t love what you do, let me know and I’ll help you find a job that’s a better fit for you. We went out to dinner, just John and I, and talked about went wrong and what went right. He asked me if this was his “evaluation” and chuckled. John reassured me that he loved doing this and was sure learning more would only make the job easier. Up until this week, he had never even used an air sprayer. For those of you who have ever used one, you can understand why that alone can make you want to cry. He’s a hard working, patient guy and was ready to dive into this past week with gusto and excitement. Also, note to the DIYer’s out there that think what we do is easy. Some projects can be easy, but others definitely not so much. It’s a learned skill and you have to love it to do it every day.
So, this past week came and went and was SO much better! Things went smoothly and we’re starting to get a good schedule down. We definitely complement each other. I’m honestly not sure how I did all this without him. I really don’t! The only one flaw this week was ordering a gallon of the wrong color paint in a miscommunication. That doesn’t sound like much, but that’s a $45 mistake and a $45 mistake to this family is a big mistake.
Ok, I’ll stop blabbing on and get to the furniture makeover. That’s why you’re here anyway, right? Cheryl reached out to us because Dawn over at Botanic Studio told her about us. If you haven’t been to the Botanic Studio or met Dawn, you simply must go. Her terrariums will take your breathe away. I’ve been hinting to John for years that I want one… hopefully some day soon. ;) If he reads this blog, that is. lol. Seriously though, her pieces are amazing and Dawn is right up my ally. She’s kind, professional and encouraging. Definitely go see her and the beautiful shop in downtown Troy.
Here’s the buffet before. It was in good shape, but Cheryl wanted a different “look” in her livingroom. We went back on forth on some colors… should it be black, teal, red or beige? After a few days, Cheryl went with beige. Benjamin Moore’s Bar Harbor Beige 1032 to be exact!
We kept all of the hardware original because they were in good shape and Cheryl liked the color. We primed, painted and distressed the whole piece and then sealed it with a water based clear coat.
Are your ready for the after??
You might have missed Cheryl’s daughter’s dresser and end stand makeover earlier this week. If so, check out the Pottery-barnish Dresser Makeover.
So classic and stunning, isn’t it?? Thanks for stopping by today. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below. Have a wonderful week!
Happy redesigns everyone,
Sarah
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Last but not least, let us customize a furniture piece for you. We create custom furniture and will deliver for customers in upstate NY and will also ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our furniture for sale page.
