Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Lacquered Furniture- Get Your Shine On!

Thanks to the fortuitous proximity of some wonderful painters who are able to produce a lovely lacquered finish, I have been able (along with other similar small entrepreneurs) to turn a less than wonderful, ho-hum piece of furniture into something absolutely spectacular.

I am currently selling furniture from two wonderful locations: Hunt and Gather Fine Estate Furnishings located at 8724 Glenwood venue in Raleigh, and Inspirations Home Decor and More, also on Glenwood at 8601.  Both of these venues are fabulous in their own rite- each for different reasons.  Hunt and Gather is filled to the brim with an incredibly eclectic mix of fine antiques, heirloom jewelry, beautiful blue and white porcelain, and the comfiest chairs and sofas you can find.  http://huntandgatherraleigh.com/  Managing Partner Abbott Tompkins-Hudgins can usually be found at the store in his casual attire tending to various details and working with his staff to spread the store's special variety of southern hospitality.  Bill Donovan, chief-of-everything knows just about every one of the store's 5000000 pieces and can tell you a little bit about it and what will work well with it.  Joanie and others man the front desk with grace and humor.

Inspirations Home Decor and More is a newer addition to the Glenwood (8601) corridor furnishings family and also embraces an eclectic take on furnishings by virtue of the 30 vendors who populate the airy showroom.  https://www.facebook.com/inspirationsraleigh  Owners Debbie Crain and (designer) Beverly Nichols bring in a lot of their own finds and together with store manager Courtney keep the mix moving.

Now- back to the title of this post!  I would like to share with you some of the lacquered (and perhaps a few other) pieces I have placed in these two furniture playgrounds.  I am especially fond of the lacquered pieces as they bring new life and spirit to otherwise undistinguished pieces. They fit perfectly in today's home, add some light, color, and shine and take us away from the sense that we are living with our grandmother's pieces. They may well be grandma's pieces, but they have been injected with a new vibe that works well with today's quest for that perfect mix of tradition and liveliness that we all crave. Give us light! Give us color! But keep us warm and cozy with our comfy pillows, throws, ottomans, and life-giving bouquets of roses, hydrangeas, and peonies!

Here are a few of my newest offerings in the shops.





These three pieces are the newest additions to my shops.  The grasshopper green asian chest was a mess when I found it. One door was off, the whole piece was lacquered black about 100 years ago, and one of the original hinges was missing.  I searched high and low, finally headed to China via the internet machine, and finally found the lovely hinges you see hear. Steins Furniture Painting and Repair stripped the piece for me, re-hinged it, and lacquered it this great grasshopper color.  I love it, and I hope you do too. A lot of hours went into making this piece as beautiful as it is. Thank you John and Sharon Stein!! It is for sale at Hunt and Gather on Glenwood.

The Asian-themed credenza is made by Century  and is a heavy fellow.  Originally, he was painted a black lacquer, other than the burled wood sections, and I decided to lighten it up with a creamy color. Sharon Stein polished the hardware. Sweet, huh?  This piece is at Inspirations Home Decor and More.  Here she is with a little styling... a little blurry, but you get the idea.





I will post more soon, but hope you will come on our to look for yourself and envision a freshly lacquered piece in your home.  If color is not your thing, we have some lovely cream, charcoal, and deep teal pieces for some subtle shine. Get it on! 

Oh and top it all off with one of my paintings!  Thrown in for good measure~ 

Everyday Ellie