Reimagined Monday: Double the Thrill!

When Marilyn and Jim stopped in at Apple Box Boutique, the visit started out with a conversation about how to refinish a couple of lamps. Marilyn took a keen interest in Chalk Paint® and made a command decision to dive enthusiastically into not one, but two projects straight away... fearlessness indeed. But after a few minutes of chatting it became clear that she comes by that courageous spirit naturally.

This lovely couple shared such interesting stories about Marilyn's father and his experiences and capture at Dieppe that I was mesmerized and humbled, to say the least.  I want to express how incredibly thankful I am for people like this brave and honourable man, who served our country as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.  My father-in-law served as well and so this story felt very close to home.

A short time later, we received an email from Marilyn with pictures of her painted pieces.  She wrote that she was 'thrilled' with the outcome.  We can see why!

Her first project was to take a pair of outdated but good quality floor lamps and make them at least cottage-worthy.

Two quick coats of  Chalk Paint® and they were transformed into pieces that Marilyn has decided are too beautiful to banish and have now found a place in her home.

Excited about the results, she decided to update a mid-century dresser as well.

  With those great lines and insets, this piece went from so-so to so-fabulous! 

Together, these reimagined pieces brighten up the room with their fresh and stylish new look!  That is definitely double the thrill.

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

UPDATE: Our February Winner and Our Latest Contests!

Thank you to everyone who entered our February Reimagined Monday Contest. It was fantastic to see all of the wonderful projects people have been working on and we are so excited about the March entries!

The February winner is: Mary-Jane Downie. 

We drew from our goodie bag of prizes, and Mary-Jane has won a $50 Apple Box Boutique Gift Card!

Congratulations Mary-Jane!

What have YOU Reimagined?

Send in your project pics and be entered to win our Reimagined Monday draw!

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

Win This Book: Miss Mustard Seed's "Inspired You!"

Some girls get giddy over a new pair of shoes. Marian Parsons gets giddy over room makeovers. With a lot of ingenuity, a little bit of effort, and a tight budget, she has transformed her home into a beautiful space and filled her heart with a lot more contentment. Thousands have found inspiration at Marian’s blog, missmustardseed.com, and now she shares dozens of new projects, ideas, and DIY adventures in the pages of Inspired You.

Marian will remind you that homes don’t have to be magazine material to be special, comfortable, and inviting. The goal you’re working toward is home. Not a perfect home. Not an “impress the neighbors” home. Just home—one whose walls and rooms tell the story of the family who lives there. Beautiful homes start with inspiration and a willingness to try. So uncover your God-given creativity. Be encouraged, be willing, and be inspired.

Follow this blog to win your copy!

On March 15th, we will draw randomly from all of our blog followers.  Watch for your name and contact us within 48 hours to receive your book!

Like us and tell us on our Facebook page that you're a follower of our blog, and receive two more entries to WIN.

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Reimagined Monday: Repurposed Mid-Century Cabinet

Yayyy -- It`s Reimagined Monday!

Tomorrow we will be announcing the prize and winner of the February Reimagined Monday Draw.  If you would like to be entered to win really great stuff from the Boutique, just send in before and after pics (during too, if you have them!) and the story of your paint project using Chalk Paint® or Milk Paint.

We will include more information about the draw at the end of this blog post, but for now we`d like to share our first March entry!

This reimagination features a curvy mid-century cabinet, which came to us along with this lovely letter from Mary-Jane Downie:

"Hey!  Just wanted to share my little story.  I bought a vintage handmade piece off kijiji. It is some sort of china cabinet. Sadly I don't have the best before picture. There was a mirror in the background off the top portion.  The poor thing even tipped over in the back of the truck on the way home. That made removing the mirror easier though. :)  

I replaced the mirror with some antique ceiling tiles from Home Reuseables off Argyll road.  Such a great place!  It was my first time working with the Annie Sloan chalk paint and waxes and I had so much fun.  It was hard to take a break from my project to feed my family!   I think they are all relieved its pretty much done.  

I used Emperor's Silk with the clear and dark soft waxes. All were very easy to use. Lots of YouTube videos out there and information online.  Of course you were very helpful at the store as well when I called with questions!

I just need to pick out some hardware and she is all done! 

Thanks for the inspiration! I can hardly wait till my next project.
 
-Mary-Jane Downie"

Don`t you love the repurposing Mary-Jane did with this piece? Adore that colour, too!

We send a big thank you to Mary-Jane for sharing your story.

Read below to learn more about how you can enter our Reimagined Monday Draw! 

>What have YOU Reimagined?

Send in your project pics and be entered to win our Reimagined Monday draw!

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Reimagined Monday: Ugly Duckling 80's Dresser to Swan

Hello!  It's Reimagined Monday and we are very excited to share this fantastic project with you.

One of the things we've been doing at the Apple Box studio is use legs on otherwise average pieces to give them some real 'stage presence'.  Today's entry is a fabulous example from one of our lovely customers, Kathryn Brandt.  Completed last summer, Kathryn's dresser is a real showstopper!

Here is the before pic of the dresser Kathryn bought on kijiji for $35:

Unremarkable, outdated and blah-brown veneer it is hard to envision this ugly duckling becoming a swan.  But with a little Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan and some reimagination, anything can happen!

Kathryn wrote, "...I sure loved the paint - super easy to use and such beautiful colors ! I also bought these legs from home depot for $5 each and had my hubby install on bottom to make it less dresser like and more entertainment unit ish!"

The legs are cute and inexpensive and an assortment of styles can be found at most hardware and home renovations stores:

Rather than make a heavy investment, Kathryn then sprayed the hardware with black spray paint and this swan took flight:

Kathryn Brandt's gorgeous cabinet in French Linen Chalk Paint®

Gorgeous! All of us at the Boutique just love this piece and continue to gush over it; but we'll leave the final words to Kathryn...

"So fun and can't wait to do another project!!" 

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

What have YOU Reimagined?  

Send in your project pics and be entered to win our Reimagined Monday draw!

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog:

Reimagined Monday: Dining Room Chair Makeover

Welcome!

As the first entry into our February Reimagined Monday contest, Evelyn's dining room chair makeover is an excellent example of how to make the most of pieces you already own.

Here is Evelyn's project, in her own words:

Our old dining room chairs were still in good condition, so when we bought a new dining room suite I wanted to hang on to them as extra seating for parties.

This summer, I spotted the perfect fabric to recover the chairs with. It is Waverly’s Canton Bazaar in 100% cotton. I thought the contrast between the black material with cream highlights would look lovely with Annie Sloan’s Old Ochre Chalk Paint®. I purchased enough material so that each chair would have an unique scene on it.

Each chair was hand-painted with 3 coats of Old Ochre. Then my husband hand-applied two coats of Varathane Diamond Wood in Satin Finish for protection. The product we chose was water-based and non-yellowing.   

Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint® has very little odor, but the varathane, although water-based, is still quite strong so it must be used in a well-ventilated area.

We then used a staple gun to attach the new material to the seat covers. As the old material was still in good condition, we simply recovered over the existing material and padding.

The chairs were a lot of  work to do, but we’re very pleased with the results. 

Talk about showroom gorgeousness.  We love them, Evelyn!  Thank you for sharing your project.

What have YOU Reimagined?  

Send in your project pics and be entered to win our Reimagined Monday draw!

Reimagined Monday Draw

We would like to highlight more customer projects!  Send us your before/during/after pictures and tell us about your creative process and you'll be entered into our monthly Reimagined Monday draw.

Each month we will give away a different item like paint, brushes, books, supplies, gift certificates and more. You don't have to be featured to be eligible... the month you enter is the month you will be included in the draw. 

Send your name, pictures and story to:

info@appleboxboutique.com and win!

♥,
Apple Box Boutique

_______________________________________

We'd LOVE it if you shared our blog: