Teal Campaign Chest ||A Craigslist Experiment||

As active furniture flippers for the past 6 years, Chelsea and I really have our fingers on the pulse of our local craigslist.  In fact, between the two of us, we have found and flipped nearly 200 pieces in the DC Metro area - which has proven to be a crash-course in decor supply and demand.  We've often shifted our aesthetic to capitalize on budding trends: specializing in chalk paint + heavy distressing, hunting down mid-century modern scores, playing with bohemian touches, etc...  

When we decided to launch StyleMutt Home in September 2014 we started to really pushed the decor envelope to try out new styles, paint colors, staging techniques, patterns.  And we've had a BALL YA'LL.  Exercising these creative muscles started opening up design possibilities (see some of our latest here and here).  We chalk this up to the Lord's blessing.  And that being yourself is so much more rewarding than just trying to fit in.

Some Personal Fave Past Projects

So lately our Craigslist spidey-senses have started noticing some developing trends.  The price for Grandma's old dresser is going up in correlation with the sheer number of DIY pieces for sale.  Now, we LOVE seeing so much budding talent in our area.  But it makes us ask ourselves how can we stand out to potential buyers?

So when I found this campaign piece, I decided to conduct a little experiment.  (I actually do this often when staging my pieces for sale).  I LOVE bright, bold, loud colors.  On/ in/ around everything.  But based on what I've seen in our area, most people want a "tamer" more rustic look and something too eclectic could be a off-putting.  So I decided to refinish this piece in a color that would still play well with the neutrals that are so indicative of the farmhouse craze everyone is in these days.

If you're as obsessed with HGTV like I am, you may notice that the predominately grain sack and burlap color scheme of the farmhouse scene has started to relax it's restrictions the rest of the color spectrum.  Home decor shows like Fixer Upper (a personal fave) have started mixing in muted teals, deep greens, saturated navys, matte charcoals, and warm woods amongst all that greige.  And well I just happened to have a can of muted teal on hand from a custom order so I went for it.

I still styled it with some fun abstract art because well... it's me we're talking about here.  The hung art is intentionally undersized (it's so wrong it's almost right) in hopes that it shows how a "safe" piece can still be used in bold ways (you know - just in case it struck a cord with a another style mutt in the market for some new furniture ;)

I laid aside my overactive love of brass and styled with a silver lamp to match the chrome pulls.  In my mind, silver is a "safer" choice for hardware because brass can rub some people the wrong way (I used to only see the 80's when I saw yellowy brass, but just because I've changed my tune doesn't mean everyone else has).  Besides they original chrome pulls with in immaculate condition - all they needed was a little polish.

And for good measure (since FLFs are after all quickly becoming the standard for home decorators) I asked my newest plantchild Figadora the Fiddle Leaf Fig to pose with mommy's newest flip.

So now we wait for the experiment's results: will the piece appeal to a lot of potential buyers with a variety of styles?  Will it only attract another style mutt like myself?  Or will it sit in the garage shop until I try something new?  I'll have to keep you posted.  In the meantime, how would you characterize your style?  How does this gray-blue piece strike you - yay or nay?

Muted Teal Campaign Chest
58"L x 16"D x 30"H
Now Available for Sale
$545

Fleekest Design Trend of 2016

Well wouldn't you know, body alignment trumps feng shui! In a recent study done by the chiropractic school at University of Phoenix Online, the human spine does not like to be in a reclined position. In fact, the hours that we spend leaning back into our sofas and chairs every day is causing irreparable damage to our body alignment.

Instead, it is advised to turn your seating around and drape your body over the backrest. This will prevent further damage being done and keep our backs and core strong!

A reversed couch or chair even promotes fitness by forcing you to stretch for the remote when it's being held captive by your family's remote hog.  

And allows for you to truly reflect on whether you should be spending your free time watching TV.

Especially when there's nothing good on.

This news is sweeping through home design world-wide as professionals are encouraging their clients to turn their seating around. It's a concept that may seem strange at first, but once you are draped over the backrest of your favorite sofa to catch up on the Walking Dead, you'll never remember why you ever reclined in the first place. This is so much better!

Be ahead of the trend and turn your seating around before your next dinner party.  This new configuration will undoubtedly encourage better and more meaningful conversations between you and your house guests as you prop for a chat in the living room.  And your guests will thank you for saving their backs!

You heard it here first,

Playing with Jewel Tones

Guys!  I have a new apartment!  More importantly though, said new apartment has a GARAGE!!!  You know what that means my friends... I finally have my own StyleMutt workshop!  No more slugging pieces up flights of apartment stairs [and by me I mean Caleb].  No more heavy chemicals in the kitchen.  No more painting piece on the balcony - much to the amusement of our befuddled neighbors.  And since we moved in November, I've acquired not one, not two, not three, but FOUR new pieces to work on at once...  Praise the Lord for concrete floors, unloading in the driveway, and storage space.  I promise to give you a decor tour of our actually living space this week, but in the mean time one of my projects needs your input ;)  I have a STATEMENT of a dresser in the queue for furniture flip bucket list item number 5 [why do I always go out of order?!?]

Let's take a look at our pre-jeweled candidate.  Ain't she a beaut?  My super strong and oh-so-talented younger sister-in-law Casey [Chelsea's lil sis] helped me pick up this lovely lady.

With the help of some handy-dandy rendering, I have mocked up this dresser in some bright colors and would love your input!  Some of these colors I've used before in refinishes but I'm not ruling any repeats out just yet.  I want the dresser to tell me what color it wants [and you all too].  So first up, let's try on teal:

Yes yes I know what you're thinking - Cate, haven't we seen this color from you before...?  And you're right.  I have done a teal & gold one-two knock-out punch combo before with this lil bamboo number:

I just can't help myself.  I look at that teal rendering and I get giddy.  But I have more colors to try on so I'm open to being swayed...  Next up: Poppy.

There's just something about a pop of red am I right?  I could see her all done up in scarlet, making a statement in any room like this little she-devil: 

Source: Little Green Notebook

But what about an enchanting emerald?  Chelsea won me over with her emerald highboy last fall and I've been aching to give green a go of my own.

Green pieces are becoming more and more a symbol of luxe in the home - a saturated viridescent could be a winning hit for some shopper.

Or maybe I go really bold with a vivid magenta...

Source: For Chic Sake

It's girly and glam and would be a show-stopping moment.  But would it be too risky for a prospective buyer?

I've always been drawn to a rich Chartreuse!  Anthro has the right idea here with a green-gold campaign piece.  

Source: Anthropologie

But again, is citron too decor forward or should I say decorward?

And then there's navy.  Another color I have played with before.  Last year I put a navy & gold dresser on my 2015 flip list and I LOVED how it turned out on this campaign piece.  

Even though the blue came out more saturated in these photos, a deep deep blue was such a winning look.  

Perhaps it's indulgent to include navy in my jewel-tone prospects but I couldn't help but mock up this long-and-low in a deep navy.  Where magenta and chartreuse may be too risky, navy is rapidly becoming the new neutral and so easy in integrate with any home's style.

so what say you?  Which of these gems would you like to see come to life?  I'd love your feedback in the comments below or on vote on instagram!