Stupid Late Hardware || 2018 Flip List Item No.4

A few months back, I had the privilege of working with a client on a custom order.

NY Bound Custom Order

November 2017

We had decided on these beautiful pulls but our timeline was tight so I put in a rush order.  

But by some quirk in the system, the hardware ended up taking the scenic route through who-knows-where snail mail land and I had to go with an unconventional alternative to meet my clients deadline.

Stupid Hardware.  Why you gotta play me like that?

I kid you not, as the shipping company was pulling away with my client’s precious dresser cargo... UPS pulled up and unceremoniously tossed my package of hardware at my feet then drove away.  

Practically.

I could have returned them.  I really could.  I didn’t charge my client for them so it'd be my money I’d be getting back. 

But they were so stupidly beautiful.

So I added the I-wanna-hate-you-but-I-love-you brass pulls to the 2018 Furniture Flip Bucket List and I waited for the next suitable piece...

This 6-foot 6-drawer dresser:

And transformed it to this:

Alright you brass pulls. You really can slay.

The color is our favorite "Scholar Green" by Ralph Lauren.

I was trying to recreate this fresh look from Chelsea's hunter green flip circa last year...

Mid-Century in 'Scholar Green'

January 2017

My original plan was to strip the base down and leave it bare blonde wood just like Chelsea did.  But when I sanded it down, I found that the legs and front bar where two very different types of wood and there was no sanding out that reddish color.  So I leaned into it and stained the whole base in a cabernet.

Plus those red wood tones make the perfect compliment to styling with my terracotta collection (like I need an excuse - I’m certifiably obsessed).

As I am also with plants.  Plus, to mix things up, I used the Tapti rug by Mela Artisans as a wall tapestry.

Well hardware, I’m a little less mad at you, but maybe helping me sell this big beautiful behemoth will officially get you out of the doghouse. Email me about picking up in Leesburg or about your third-party shipping options.

Hunter Green 6ft Dresser
Now Available for Sale
72"L x 18"D x 30"H
$695

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please contact me at cate@stylemutthome.com.

Three down, Four to go.  Catch up on the 2018 Furniture Flip Bucket List:

Copycat Greige MCM Tallboy

One of the best things about working with Chelsea is her impeccable eye.  She's always on the lookout for good pieces that could really make a magical moment for a potential client - even scouting used unique pieces to get our clients the best deals.  And sometimes, she finds the most amazing mid-century modern tallboy for an unreal price at the thrift store and not only buys it for you, but throws it in her minivan and drops it off at your workshop so you have a new piece to play with...

SAAAY WHAT?!?!  Thanks boo!  And to top it all off, she even gave me the idea to go griege again.  Chelsea, I guess you could say you're my muse ;)

After custom-mixing a greige to refinish this piece from 2016, I have been kicking myself for not color matching the mix for future projects.

Gray MCM Tallboy

December 2016

I decided to try out Silver Drop by Behr Paint and found it to be a close match in warm undertones but definitely a lighter shade.

The piece features its original round tapered legs.  I originally thought I would paint them to complete the copycat look but once I started on this piece, I couldn't bring myself to.

I decided to also keep the original knobs but switched out the bar pulls for brass buckle-style ones I repurposed from another piece.

Do you recognize them?

I actually bought that other piece because of those pulls but once I got my hands on it, realized the body wasn't even worth saving.  So I kept the hardware and repurposed the drawers in an unconventional industrial shelving unit.  These pulls remind me of that scene from "PS I Love You" where she flings the belt buckle across the room and discovers she wants to design shoes - ha!

For styling I had some help from Spring (who finally decided to show up) and Mela Artisans who have some beautiful flat weave rugs...

...and these EPIC cutting boards in unusual shapes!

And if you're shopping our site today, email me about picking up in leesburg or about our third-party shipping options!

Greige MCM Tallboy
Now Available for Sale
32"W x 17.75"D x 43.25"H
Price: $545

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please contact me at cate@stylemutthome.com. 

Wool + Twig || A Small Business Collaboration

It's no secret that our generation is flooded with entrepreneurial fervor.  By the time I graduated college, a large chunk of my peers entered the workforce with a "side hustle" or two to make ends meet in a bleak economy.  We at StyleMutt Home firmly believe that small businesses should band together instead of compete against each other because...

“A rising tide lifts all boats”

— John F. Kennedy

Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for the large businesses that we've partnered with over the past.  But it's these small businesses that really make some serious magic happen with nothing more than their personal grit and determination.  So it's even more titillating (yes I said it) when you can combine some serious small-business-sized forces to do something really, really fun.

Wool + Twig

Vintage Rugs

Brittney Rossie

Brand and Business Strategy

The Silk Mill

Event Venue in Fredericksburg, VA

StyleMutt Home

Furniture + eDesign

So what do you get when a curated rug vendor, a brand and business coach, an epic factory venue, and yours truly band together in support of each other?  A beautiful display of small business collaboration and...

a really, really fun photoshoot

A while back, my dear friend and business guru Brittney Rossie connected us to a new small business in our area to see how we at StyleMutt home could help them grow.  An email brainstorming session later, we had cooked up this cockamamie scheme to do a photoshoot to promote overall brand exposure and also exercise our collective creative muscles.  

But to do such a photoshoot, you need an epic location.  And I new just the place...

The Silk Mill

which also happed to be my wedding venue

Source: Jillian Michelle Photography

With such a large factory space, we could easily set up some fun vignettes featuring our products:

The rugs were obviously the star of the show.

But one of our made-to-order benches in camel + nude did get to play a supporting role to those delicious imported rugs and kilim pillows.

As if the opportunity to play with some gorgeous rugs wasn't enough, Aly from Wool + Twig was a HOOT to work with!  She was seriously up for anything - including some fun headshots.

Both with and without her actual head lol

Scroll through these images to see just some of her amazing inventory:

After seeing her carefully curated collection in person, I couldn't help but bring home another pillow child.

We certainly had a lot of fun behind the scenes

And I'm not ashamed to admit I did a few carpet angels the first chance I got...  They were soooooo plush....

But the fun doesn't stop here.  Wool + Twig was generous enough to offer us stylemutts a juicy discount for 3 days only!

Shop Wool + Twig

Just click the image to shop her entire inventory and enter the code STYLEMUTT at check-out to get 30% off your purchase!  Happy rug and pillow shopping mutts!