So, first up today, I have to report back to you on the bench makeover that I shared a week ago Monday. It has already sold! So, to recap, painted in the pale blue it sat for what, nine months, and didn’t sell. I painted it white, and bam! Sold within a week. I listed it for the same price as the first version. Both versions had a transfer on them. I did paint the legs this time, whereas I left the legs bare the first time around. But I really believe it was my choice of paint color the first time around that was the problem.
I often feel like painting everything in the same creamy white color gets boring for you guys here on the blog, but the thing is, that’s what sells. And ultimately, I do need to be able to sell my pieces. I can’t just store them in my dining room forever. So if you’re ever wondering why I seem to paint so many things in Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth, this is why.
Speaking of storing things that haven’t sold, remember a while back I brought home some painted ironing boards that didn’t sell at the shop?
Just to refresh your memory, the white one on the left is the only one that sold while at the shop (yes, also painted in Drop Cloth), so I brought the other 4 all back home again.
Then I listed them here on the blog, and I was able to sell the black one and the Laundry Co. one. But I had no takers for the blue one …
and the Apricot one …
I have to confess, I really didn’t like the Apricot one myself, so it didn’t surprise me that it didn’t sell. That design was just a mistake from the start. Who hangs an ironing board in a nursery? Apparently no one.
Anyway, I decided to salvage that board by cutting off the wonky end and turning the rectangle that was left into a sign. So I sent it home with Ken and he cut off the end for me.
Next I sanded off the transfers. That’s fairly easy to do with some 80 grit sandpaper and an orbital sander. I gave it a fresh paint job, also in Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth, and then I added some stencils from Maison de Stencils.
So now it’s a Christmas themed sign. It’s not even recognizable, right?
Wouldn’t it be adorable hanging over the bed.
I think this was a great way to do something with an old wooden ironing board that just wasn’t going to sell. I’m still working on an idea for that wonky triangle shaped end, I may just come up with a use for that too.
As for the blue one, I decided to leave the shape of that one alone. But again, I sanded off the transfer, repainted it in Drop Cloth and added some stencils.
This one would also be fabulous hung above the bed, or really anywhere that you have space for it.
I took these signs, plus a couple more, into Reclaiming Beautiful a couple of weeks ago so it’s possible they have already sold but as of last Wednesday they were still there. So if any of you locals are looking for something fun to do in the next few days, be sure to head in to Stillwater. Keep in mind that Reclaiming Beautiful is only open on Thursday – Saturday.
And for the rest of you, if you have a piece that isn’t selling, maybe it’s time to consider a makeover.
q is for quandie 
But remember your mcm pieces in park bench? They were hot sellers and I’m still looking for the right piece to use that color on.
But really you can’t beat a beautiful white – raw silk is still one of my favorites.
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I do believe mid-century pieces are the exception when it comes to color. My Park Bench green pieces always sold fast, as did the recent dresser I painted in Dixie Belle’s Palmetto. I’ve also done a few in Bunker Hill Blue. So very true, if you want to go for color, try a mid-century piece!
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I like them better! I love the one that you made into the sign with the buffalo checks! Great idea. 😊
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Thanks so much Monica!
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Like them both. I really like the buffalo print one. It should sell fast now.
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Fingers crossed!
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Good morning, thanks for the update on the “unsolds”. As a refurbisher I also try and add a little colour to my pieces and certainly find they take longer to sell. Love the new ironing boards and I bet they go fast!
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Let’s face it, most people can more easily add a neutral color into their existing decor. So unless they happen to be redecorating an entire room, or you happen to have chosen the exact color they need, the neutrals are going to sell faster.
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Hi
I think they are all cute and I realized that with the Christmas theme they actually look like directional signs pointing towards something rather than an ironing board… Might be another use for them.
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I was going for that directional sign look, so sounds like it worked 😉
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These look fantastic re-imagined! I love the St. Nick’s stencil. I’m sure they’ll sell at RB!
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Thanks Meggan! That’s my favorite of the stencils too 😉
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Your good eye at work here again Miss Quandie! I’d never thought of cutting off the rounded end to make a more traditional sign……what a smart idea…….and the Drop Cloth is best! (-;
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You never know, I may end up cutting the end off the last remaining ironing board if it doesn’t sell this time around!
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Oh how I wish I lived close to you!! The remake on the apricot board is so gorgeous. I lived in a 1932 cottage once and it had the ironing board built into a cabinet in the wall. It was never used and when I sold the home I left the board behind because I thought it belonged to the house. Now I’m wishing I’d ripped it off the wall:). Good job on all the changes!
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Actually, I’m glad you left that board behind. It was probably a unique touch that added lots of charm to your cottage. The vintage stand alone boards are a dime a dozen on Craigslist or Marketplace, at least here in the mid-west (not sure where you are).
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I love the old versions and love the new updated ones! And i especially like the fact that you didn’t get rid if that rectangle leftover piece :)) I’m sure it will get his second.. no wait… 3rd lease of life 🙂
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I’ve been contemplating a few ideas for that left-over triangle. Hopefully I’ll come up with something!
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Twice a year I sell my painted furniture at vintage markets and have had a booth in the past. And do you know what sells? My pieces with color. From navy to light blue, park bench green (!) and even orange. In fact, at my last one in October 2019 (of course, nothing doing this year) it was my two white pieces that came home with me! Almost everything else sold!! I wonder if it is a regional thing as I live in the northwest? No matter the color, I love everything you do Linda! (And I desperately wanted to come and buy your bench when it was blue😉)
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I do totally think color is a regional thing. And really, most of the time I am left wondering why certain things sell really quickly and others take forever. It’s a mystery!
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Lovely remake of the ironing boards! I always enjoy seeing your creativity.
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Thanks so much Carrie!
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