magnets, coasters, and stripes :: frogtape® fun
For my latest project with FrogTape® I had a lot of fun with little wooden discs! I created magnets and coasters that will make any household happy! Check out the full tutorial on the FrogTape® blog here!xo,Barb
geometric dresser :: frogtape® tutorial
The full tutorial for this brand new beauty is up on the FrogTape® blog today! Check it out, and create a beauty for yourself!xo,Barb
Knack Stories :: The Sullivans
We eat, homeschool, work on art and other projects, do budgets, pray together, play games, entertain guests and have long family discussions in this room. We thought it would be a great room to overhaul first.
I had been blogging to keep all of my Canadian family and friends updated on our lives and to show off the paintings, collages and ceramics I was selling on Etsy. In doing so, I ended up meeting some wonderful people. Two of my very favorite artists/bloggers were and are Annie Koelle and Barb Blair. They are two very talented ladies!! So when I first saw the furniture pieces they worked on together I was smitten, especially with one certain piece, a gorgeous hutch named Kalymenia whose buttery cream paint perfectly applied by Barb along with the soft ocean and mountain scene reminded me of Vancouver, BC. (The place I moved from 8 years ago to come to the South.) …. My love knew I wanted this piece ever so much, so after a visit or two to Knack, he surprised me with buying Kalymenia as a gift. I was ecstatic!!
The pieces from Barb’s studio now both carry the feeling of Vancouver and make me feel cheery and at home here in the South. Even better to me is knowing that the creative spirits of local artists and artisans I admire massively are poured into these pieces. We now have the cheeriest dining room ever and even though we are not quite finished (Who is really ever finished with their home?), these pieces give our most lived in room a nod to our love of the Northwest, a tribute to the local artists and artisans we admire and love, and they make a unique and creative space to gather, work and eat in.
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)
etc :: details
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5When you look at a Knack furniture piece, it's important to look closely. Take a step back, take in the whole piece. Take a step in, take in the sweet details. Great care is taken in our design process to enhance the beauty of the furniture's form and to tell a complete story, from top to bottom. Hardware, color, finish, drawers, fabric - there's beauty in every inch.
behind the scenes :: projects and products
1 // candles and matches sitting pretty on our mint green desk2 // new PF Candle scent, Neroli & Eucalyptus, smells like a west coast dream3 // sketches for an upcoming project4 // even our workshop drop cloths are fair game for doodles5 // fresh flowers by Willow Florals for a styled shoot6 // the light in our shop during a #knackbook2 photoshoot
behind the scenes :: preparations and visitors
1// working on our display for Indie Craft Parade this year (don't forget -- Sept. 12-14 in Greenville, SC!)2// paint and frog tape make our job FUN3// glass and candle cubes brightening up our shop4// Man pillow (or Abe as we call him) making our bed "Viviette" look super sexy5// curb appeal6// longtime blog follower Paula and her family popped into the shop this week... all the way from London! It was such a treat.
painted canvas buckets :: geometrics
A few weeks ago Angie and I were thinking about some new products that we could make and sell in the shop... and we have all kinds of fun and exciting new things we are itching to show you! {as we get them made!}One of the products that we decided on are these roll top canvas "buckets"! Angie cut out and sewed the buckets, and then we taped them off with FrogTape® in a geometric design and painted away! We have so many different design ideas for these little guys and are excited about creating a whole new collection of them for the shop. We are working towards getting all of them completed, and also creating some with handles and added design elements. It has been really fun for us to think of new projects that aren't necessarily furniture related, but still related to home.... and living with what you love.Our full painting tutorial of how we completed this first design is up over on the FrogTape blog, so check it out here!