book news || a few secrets revealed and the title

Well, as you all know....I have been working away on my second book for the last year. In one way it seems like the year has taken forever, and yet in another way it seems like a very fast and vivid dream.To say that I am excited about this project would be the worst understatement of the year.....I am STOKED! I am thrilled that with every passing day, we are closer and closer to the release of ........wait for it..... FURNITURE MAKES THE ROOM!! You see what I did there? So, we go from my first book which is called Furniture Makeovers, to my second book which will be called Furniture Makes the Room. There will be many new and exciting aspects to Furniture Makes the Room....for instance....we shot in actual peoples homes....we styled furniture multiple ways in order to show the versatility of color, we amped up the technique and really created some out of this world designs, and I do a lot of heart to heart sharing about the concept of home and what that looks like to me.I am super proud of this body of work and cannot wait to share it with you all! Thank you for your friendship and support throughout this entire journey. I am truly thankful for your words of encouragement.Things are looking really really good and I am in the world of editing and copy editing at the moment. This is the hardest phase for me since writing takes much effort for my feeble little mind, but I am thankful to again be working with the super thorough and talented team at Chronicle Books!It wont be too long now....and I promise to keep you posted along the way!xo,Barb(gorgeous photos by Paige French)

stay sparkley

image via pinterest

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment it can be hard to not let the pressure boil over and out and onto those around us. It is in times like these that it is important to remain humble, exercise mind over matter, stay focused on the task ahead, and know that life is full of seasons....that all come to an end.

Let your sparkle and joy be the thing that others remember about you, and may we not wound others because of our own discomfort or frustration.

Love.

a walk down memory lane

I somehow got on my own Flikr account {from Pinterest} and got lost down a rabbit hole of memories and experiences.I did a lot of smiling.....remembering.....pondering.....celebrating.I hope you can humor me in my nostalgia, and maybe even leave here inspired to create beauty with your hands that is fueled by the passion in your heart.

furniture love :: meet little miss siolella

This This lovely little gal is my newest beauty.....that I can share with you that is :} I cannot even tell you how exhilarating it is {and completely exhausting too!} to be creating new furniture designs for Knack book two. Designing furniture is my passion, and still gets my blood pumping even after all of these years. I cannot wait until the day that I can show you these new designs I have come up with. I am creatively full, and completely challenged....and I love being in that place. So, whenever I actually have time to create pieces outside the work for the book it is an extra special day for me......and I hope for you as well.I think most of you know that I am a huge fan of FrogTape®. It is the only tape that I recommend in my first book Furniture Makeovers, because I truly find it to be superior to any other tape on the market, and it has been my only tape of choice for years now. I promoted this tape way before I received anything monetarily from FrogTape®......{ I was accused of working for them the moment I stated it was the only tape I used.....because everybody assumes in the blog world that if you promote something specifically....you must be getting paid to do so, right?} Not so with me folks. I am a small fish in a big pond and I only promote something if I can get behind it 100 percent. I have turned down so many promotional opportunities due to the fact that I could not honestly get behind a product or event. FrogTape® is a product I can get behind, and since I believe in this product and use it in my work on a daily basis, it felt very natural to say "yes to the tape people" when they came calling about 6 months ago.For this project I chose to use the new Shape Tape in the scallop design. Have you all tried any of the Shape Tapes? If not....you should! They are so great!I wanted to create something pretty, but not cutesy, and knew that this would be a challenge with scallops. So, as I am known to do...I chose rich colors and kept it simple. You can never go wrong with charcoal gray and gold can you? I don't think so! I finished off the piece by lining the drawer with pretty Rifle Paper wrapping paper, and attaching a brass floral knob that my dad brought back from his latest trip to India.I think Siolella is gorgeous, and I am so happy with her and her pretty scallops. I want to celebrate and give away a little happy......So, I will give a roll of scallop Shape Tape to the first two people who comment here on the blog! {United States only please}Here are a couple tips to remember when using FrogTape®:> don't stretch it too tight or you will distort the shape> use a squeegee after applying the tape to make sure that it is adhered properly> water activates the tape bond in order to keep paint out, and lines sharp. So, use a damp rag {not soaking wet} to wipe along the edges of your tape to activate the seal before painting. {do not do this with milk paint..... ever.}Let me know how you all like using shape tape in your work!{* gorgeous florals by Julie Dodds of Willow Florals}

knack book two :: teaser

It is always hard for me when I am working on a book because I am so energized and excited about all of the projects being created but I can't show a whole lot of the process due to the secrecy of the book!  It is hard to describe how incredibly busy I am while working on this giant project. I have 15 total projects for the new book, writing, and a photo shoot every other week from now until November 1, which is the final delivery deadline.For this book there is a lot of location shooting in homes, so there is plenty of logistical planning that has to be done as well as a huge props list to make sure we have everything that we need on hand for styling each and every shoot. I am so thankful for the team that I have working with me on this book.....Jessica, Julie, Paige and Angie are amazing and everyone works so hard every single shoot . It is fantastic to be working with such a creative and passionate team, and the pictures that are being captured for this project are truly special. I am very, very excited about the look and feel of this book and the story of home that it will tell. I cannot wait to be able to share it ALL!So, even though I wish I could show more furniture during this time, I am excited {and I hope you are as well!} about the work being done. Creating a book always challenges me to push myself physically and creatively...and I love being in that place.As you read this, a photo shoot is already underway and will go on for most of the day..... until we start to lose light!Enjoy this sneak peek!

knack stories :: Evadne and the Bradleys

"So here is the story of our desk. There were many changes going on in our lives. We had just had our third son, we had moved to a beautiful new home and we had decided that I would "retire" from the restaurant world and become a stay at home mom and manager of my husbands business. With the new home came some much needed space and the need for furniture to fill that space. With managing the business came the need for a designated work space. Being the ever-practical women that I am I saw this as an opportunity to "kill 2 birds with 1 stone" as they say. So the search began for a nice piece that would be not only be beautiful but also functional. It was not an easy search. All we found to begin with was flimsy particle board or ugly, over sized industrial desks. We finally found it in our wonderful "Evadne"! I now have a space that is dedicated to work, and a piece that makes my work space beautiful and functional! I love the details, the size and subtle femininity of the desk. I also love the functional drawers and organizing space. "Evadne" has been a wonderful addition to our home and lives." -Rachel Bp.s. If you all would love to see the beautiful work of Joseph Bradley click here.....and don't blame me when you want to buy every painting! I love to see a successful artist doing what he loves...and a wife who partners right along with him! So cool!** Send us YOUR Knack stories! Show us how you are living with what you love! **

The "D" family :: Knack Stories

"We were first introduced to Barb Blair with Knack Studios when we wanted to reuse several pieces of furniture while renovating our home.  It was an unbelievable experience.  Not only did she transform each piece of furniture into something new, but she gave each piece its own personality. So, when we decided to build a new house in Greenville, we knew that she should be a part of this one too.  We had several pieces of furniture that we loved the form and function, but not the look.  Once again, Barb to the rescue!   Almost every room has a piece that Barb painted, but the neat thing is that you would never know that because each piece is unique.  I keep telling Barb, “This is it, the last piece” but we both know that’s not true.  We can never have too much Knack in our home." - ReneeThese lovely people have become dear friends of mine, and are the most loving , giving people you will ever meet. Between their city home and mountain home, they now have 11 Knack pieces! I could not be happier about this lifelong friendship that has developed and the beautiful environments that my furniture gets to call home.The entire interior of this home is beautiful indeed, and was designed by Marian McCreight of Marian McCreight Interiors. Send us your Knack stories! barb@knackstudios.com or angie@knackstudios.com. We want to see how you are living with what you love!

Spring colors and triangles for a coffee table named "Elusine"

It is definitely Spring, and I cannot even tell you how her colors have inspired this piece of furniture. The blooming trees, the green green grass, and the many flowers opening their faces to the sun have me very inspired.Remember when I lamented a bit about the Pantone color of the year being radiant orchid? I am not a huge fan of purple in any shade...but I was determined to find a way to use it my work...and at the same time stay true to the Knack aesthetic. In this coffee table design, I use radiant orchid not once...but TWICE! Once in its original state, and then I added a little somethin' somethin' {white paint} to create a little lighter shade. I absolutely love the color palette of pink, orange, lavender, gold, and orchid, and this palette was completely inspired by a bouquet of Ranunculus flowers I purchased a couple weeks back.I think it is fun, yet again, to combine the hard edges and points of the geometric triangles with the feminine and curvy lines of this sweet table. The perfect pairing if you will.I used FrogTape® to create the custom triangle designs on top of the table, and there is a full step by step "how to" up on the FrogTape blog here! If you decide that miss Elusine needs to come live with you, she IS available for purchase at Knack! {and if you freakin' love the dish towel hanging on the wall, {me! me!} you can get that at Knack too!} We are all about some goodness for the home around here!Hope you enjoy!xo,BarbI received compensation to complete this project for using FrogTape® products. All opinions, projects and ideas are based on my own experience.