So, here’s the deal. As I’ve mentioned many times, my blog is not monetized. I prefer not having any ads to bog you guys down. To fund the blog (ie. my hobby), I sell my furniture. My main goal is to not lose money, and my secondary goal is to have enough left over to fund our travel habit too.
But that means, I have to actually be able to sell my furniture.
That can sometimes be the tricky part.
I frequently find myself torn between painting something in a unique, artistic way, perhaps using a new technique or product that I can share here on the blog, or painting something in a way that I know will sell.
The first option is always more fun. Who doesn’t love getting creative and trying new things, especially pretty paint colors?
Or trying a new technique with a transfer?
I also think sharing a new color or technique here makes my blog more interesting and gives you guys a reason to keep following me.
The problem is that these pieces tend to take much longer to sell for me. I’m in the mid-west. In general people here tend to be a bit on the conservative side when it comes to decorating. They don’t embrace loud florals, bright colors or lots of frou frou details.
Note that I specified ‘in general’. I’m not saying that nobody here likes those things, just that the market for those things is smaller and thus they take longer to sell. Maybe that’s true everywhere, I don’t know. If you’re in another part of the country, or even the world, you tell me. What sells in your market?
I have to admit, I was relieved when my latest milk painted washstand sold right away because no matter how much I loved it, I was worried the color was going to make it a tough sell.
Of course there are always exceptions to every rule. The mid-mod pieces I’ve painted in Fusion’s Park Bench have all sold like hotcakes too.
However, typically it’s the pieces in neutral colors that sell quickly for me. In other words, white …
Or black.
Both of which tend to sell almost instantly.
I also have pretty good luck with dark grey …
And navy …
So I’m always trying to finding some balance between getting a little more daring with my color choices or new techniques and falling back on tried and true styles and colors.
I had a real dry spell over the past six months when it comes to selling furniture. Things are starting to pick up, but are still somewhat slow. As a result, I’m feeling the need to go back to my time tested neutrals. Hence the Laundry Co dresser painted in Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth from a week or two ago.
Later this week I’ll be sharing another piece painted in the Park Bench green, and then the following week I’ve got some more Dixie Belle Midnight Sky black pieces. I hope I won’t be boring you guys with repeats and neutrals, but I’m feeling the need to stick with what sells for a bit. Here’s hoping you’ll stay tuned!
q is for quandie 
I never get tired of those everyday neutrals and the beautiful photographs. I look forward to your blog coming to my Inbox and will continue to do so .
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Good to know that there are fellow neutral lovers out there!
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I totally get it Quandie. You have to appeal to the masses. And to be honest, your pieces all have a unique twist, no matter what color they are. The point of life is to have fun! Your side hustle has been successful at enabling you to do this! Viva la neutral!
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I love it! Viva la neutral indeed!!
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Well, in my neck of the woods (Dallas burbs) farmhouse is still going strong. I love bright colors, but have learned to paint smalls in turquoise and greens. I have sold 4 pieces of furniture in the past month, 3 white and one in Lockett’s Green. The green was a bookcase that I was using as a display in my booth and it sold to another vendor that is using it for the same purpose. Like you, I’d love to branch out but I like to actually sell some of my hoard. I know your pieces will sell, bet once it really warms up you’ll see a definite increase in sales! I’ll come to your blog just to see the delightful pieces you update so no worries if you need to keep them neutral! Oh and BTW I just painted a small buffet turquoise and put the transfer rustic teal on the inset on the doors. I hope it sells!
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Fingers crossed for your buffet to sell!
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Same here in conservative central CT- my go to colors are Fusion Ash and Raw Silk. Darker blues also do well. I love bright colors but have a Park bench console that’s been kicking around for months and has visited all 3 of my booths. Next stop a vintage market with a low price tag just to move it out. The floral transfer pieces are selling very well in one of my booths in a hip shop run by a 31 y.o. She is very savvy and on trend and gets the right customers for these pieces in her shop. Most of these pieces have been selling within 2 weeks.
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Have you tried your Park Bench piece in the hip shop?
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Where I’m from outside Boston MA it is similar with a dry spell. I have found if I pick up more mostly smaller pieces to paint neutral and then mix in a few color pieces it works. The basic whites and gray sell fast and the more colorful pieces sit for awhile but eventually do sell. I have also found a trend in non-painted wood but not sure yet what that exact look is. Maybe like a Pottery Barn rustic wood? Any way you are one of my favorite blogs if not the one! So, unless you stop doing furniture, traveling and gardening I will be here!
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Thanks so much Jackie! I’m not planning on stopping any of those things anytime soon😁
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I’m a big white and black lover. I’d love to add a more colorful piece of furniture in my “little house in Lake St. Croix Beach”, but the small size and my practicality (?) prohibits it. Instead, I read your blog and fantasize having a large old Victorian or old farmhouse. Where cost and practicality go out the window and I have free reign. In a perfect world! Lol
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It would be fun to have a big house just for decorating wouldn’t it?!
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I recently tried a new to me product. General Finishes Milk Paint. It’s not a true milk paint, as it has some acrylic in it. But I absolutely love it. Goes on very smooth. I LOVE the Costal Blue. It’s a navy. You should try it, I think you’ll love it too
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I have used the GF milk paint. I found it very similar to the Fusion acrylic paint. Very nice to work with!!
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First off thank you for the lack of ads,I for one appreciate this. Most of the stuff I sell is also neutral so I live vicariously through you. It is always inspiring to see new ideas and applications as a jumping off point.
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You’re welcome!!
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Go with what sells. Hearing about a piece of yours that sold quickly is just as exciting as seeing you finish a bold piece of furniture! I don’t think you can do any wrong 😉
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You are too kind! I’ve definitely had a few flops in my day, but that’s part of the process I suppose.
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I love seeing ALL of your painted pieces, neutral colors or not. You’ve been quite an inspiration for me. I paint pieces now and then (hubs and I are estate/garage sale junkies) when I acquire a piece I really like, and the reason I stick to neutrals is because I’m constantly moving furniture pieces. A painted dresser in a bedroom might be in the hallway next month and in the foyer the month after that, which is why my own teeny paint supply is all neutral tones. They suit my crazy-woman need to constantly rearrange furniture, fitting in ‘new’ old pieces as I acquire them. Thanks so much for sharing. I love your blog!
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I need to work on changing things up more at my own house! That’s a great way to refresh things.
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I must be a true Midwesterner–my favorite pieces are the black, navy, white, and grey! I’m daring in dress, just not in furniture!
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Yep, you’re a true mid-westerner despite your hiatus out east 😉
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I struggle with the same color decisions every time I paint a piece for sale in the Twin Cities. I want to indulge my creative side and go crazy with color, but I only have so much room for storing pieces that don’t sell. On the plus side, all of my pieces that have had transfers on them sold very quickly. I love painting with reds, but with the exception of one red piece that sold in less than an hour, all of my red pieces took months to sell. I’m dying to use yellow, coral, orange and pink (maybe all on the same piece) but I will need to be prepared for a slow sale. Like you, I sell a lot of whites, grays, black, and navy. I used to sell a lot of dark teal, but that slowed down.
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I love yellow, and I’ve done several yellow pieces, but they definitely take longer to sell. Comically, I’ve only done one red piece. It was a fab empire dresser in MMS Tricycle and it took for.ever. to sell so I swore off red. Except for small pieces like little kid sized wooden chairs and such.
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I will read your blog no matter what you do! I love all of it, but I do like white. White and black sells well here in Indiana. Maybe you could resume the sales you had at your home and maybe do a show??? It’s a lot of work but fun, and you have Mr. Q to help!😀
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Well, the thing is, furniture was not a big seller at my own occasional sales. It doesn’t tend to be an impulse purchase. So it wasn’t the best outlet for furniture sales. And FYI, I just read that last part of your comment out loud to Mr. Q and he laughed out loud. He’s good at moving heavy things but that’s pretty much where his help begins and ends 😉
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You do you! We love all you do!
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Thank you Debbie!!
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You are a kind soul. I love that your blog isn’t loaded down with ads but so many people do it! Not that long ago the Miss MS had no ads and I would never stop following her. You have such a unique beautiful style and ads or no ads I will always open your blog to see what amazing work you do. Many people say those neutrals sell much faster but gosh it’s nice to see some color every now and then!
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Thanks so much Kimberly!
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I love everything you do! I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it daily! Do what sells and I think all your readers will still enjoy the journey! I know I do!
Smiles, Alice
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Good advice Alice!!
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I just enjoy watching what you do whether it’s a splash of color or neutral. I always like hearing about your thrifting adventures and the treasures you find. Thank you for putting in the time to share it with all of us.
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I hope to have some more great thrifting and garage saling adventures to share soon!
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Well Miss Quandie……..I guess I’m one of those predictable people……I LOVE the whites that you do and I really like the blacks……it’s super fun to see how you create all the other pieces, and they’re always so beautifully done! But I’d choose the classics every time……..Your light, neutral pieces are ALL Grace Kellys!
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You’ve got me mentally picturing Grace Kelly’s wardrobe in Rear Window and thus your’s in the extreme compliment! Thanks so much 😊
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I pretty much love everything you do. I always loved the stencils but I am truly enamored with the transfers you’re adding nowadays. I personally love the neutrals: black, drop cloth, gray, ironstone & white all for their versatility. But I also love the park bench on mid century pieces. And your signature color, Laurentien, is always stunning in your photography. But being in the design business I usually have to gently push folks into unexplored territory so they get the wow factor they want but are afraid to travel to. I do believe sales will pick up now that the warmer seasons are upon us.
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I need to pull out the Laurentien again! I haven’t painted with that color in a while and I do love it. Thanks for your advice on color Victoria!
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Quandie, I love anything you do. And a little bit of advertising might not hurt (and would help) so you might explore it. I’d rather read your blog with a few ads than lose the opportunity to enjoy your blog.
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Totally agree with Rivercrest Cottage
I would rather deal with advertising too than lose your blog!
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Good to know!
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