Back to Black || 2019 Flip List Item No.4

Black. And wood. These have been banner forces in some of our projects for a while now and the reason I wanted to turn up the contrast on my two-toned flips.  That dark mysterious black against a warm and welcoming wood. Yes please and I’ll have another.

Then last week, I came across this listing on Craigslist for two original mid century bookcases made by the West Michigan Furniture Co. They were a great price which made for the perfect opportunity to scratch this jet black itch I’ve been having…

If you’ve been following the 2019 Furniture Flip Bucket List then you’ll know where I’m going with this.. item No.4 is in my sights:

​Now just let me dangle the carrot here for a minute - look at that contrast!

Instead of keeping the cases stacked as a single unit, I decided to make them two separate units. The top surface on the lower, larger cabinet was damaged so it was already asking for a fresh coat of paint.  Painting the casing in a new-found favorite Limousine Leather by Behr allowed the interior to electrify. 

Unlike my prior flirts with dark tones, this black is much more severe.  It’s still my trademark dark and moody and it’s so very stately - especially contrasted against that wooden interior.

This West Michigan Furniture Co. piece still has its original glass sliding doors to protect your treasures from collecting dust.

Truth time - I hate photographing pieces with glass surfaces.  I end up obsessing about the reflections or how I apparently don’t know how to keep glass clean. Does anyone out there have any tips??? Asking for a friend…

It also has the original brass capped peg legs which I cleaned up a little but left a lot of the natural patina. I’m so used to working with tapered or metal legs but these little gams are just so cute, I might have to replicate this look again.

For styling, I leaned into the monochromatic look with terra-cotta, books, touches of brass, and white decorative accents. I felt like the piece called for a more “masculine” look with an emphasis on interesting shapes and varied heights.

You’ll have to tune back in to see what will come of his little leggless brother!

Back to Black Bookcase
Now available for sale
48”W x 12”D x 31”H
$425

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

One down, four to go. Catch up on the 2019 Furniture Flip Bucket List.

2019 Furniture Flip Bucket List

OK 2019. Let’s be real. After how the 2018 Furniture Flip Bucket List wrapped up, I’ve come to the conclusion I’ll need to be a bit more realistic with this year’s flippin’ goals. This year’s list is going to be a little shorter than usual for one really exciting reason:

Baby!

It’s true - last year I only crossed off 6 of the 7 flip list items and yet this year I’m still plowing ahead with a set of goals plus a baby on the way?!?! In fact, let’s just blame last year’s shortcomings on moving in the spring followed by my 1st trimester in the summer. I may be nuts - especially because this little girl is our first and we are both acutely aware that we have no REAL idea of what we’re in for. But I do know that I want so badly for my girl to see me invest in something for me. I grew up in a family where my mom had all sorts of creative irons in the fire and where every time my dad was stationed to a new country, we encouraged each other to find outlets outside of the home in order to establish some roots quicker. So I very much intend to still tackle as many items on the 2019 list as possible. You ready to read what I have on deck?

I’m limiting myself to only 5 items this year and I already have a huge heap of grace reserved in case I don’t get to very many of them. With all the unknowns of new parenthood up in the air, I’m sure I’m going to need it. What if she’s colicky? What if I have crippling post-partum? What if she never sleeps... like ever? What if I go back to my day job after maternity leave and just can’t function without her so I want to spend all my time with her when I’m home instead of working on a piece in the garage? I just don’t know what to expect this year but I’m excited to find out. Let’s take a closer look at what I’m hoping to tackle circumstances permitting:

No.1 Man Cave

Let’s just say my husband may be my toughest client. He recently asked me to take a second look at his “man space” to see if I could make it more homey but in a totally manly way. Challenge accepted.

Source: Jackman Chiu

No.2 Cantilever Chair

I have been crushing on cantilever chairs for years now [see my dining chairs for example] but would like to make a standalone cantilever statement chair like this dreamboat.

Source: Okay Art

No.3 Lighting [of my dreams]

This exaggerated wall sconce has been infiltrating my pinterest feed for years. And it’s high-time I do something about it. This year, I aim to source the perfect one to design a dramatic moment in our home.

Source: France and Sons

No.4 Back to Black

I mean, how sexy is that black and wood?!? I’ve used an inky blue/ black in several of my past projects [exhibits A, B, C, and D]. I want to really play up this contrast by using jet black on a piece or two [or three].

Source: Amber Interiors

No.5 Nursery

Again - this is the reason I’m only giving myself 5 items this year. I’m no fool - who’s to say what I’ll actually be up to accomplishing this year with our first little one on the way. But I do know that at some point I’ll have a nursery reveal to share!

Source: Miss Moss

I hope you follow along with this year’s progress (both in furniture and in our little family). Here’s to new projects and new chapters!

Catch up on past Furniture Flip Bucket Lists:

2015

2016

2017

2018

Best Laid Plans || 2018 Flip List Recap

Oh hey there January. When did you get here?

I came so close. Close but no cigar as they say. It’s not the first time I’ve neglected the final item on my annual Furniture Flip Bucket List (see what happened in 2016 for example) but I really did come close.

Every January, I publically declare my resolutions for the year with a list of projects or challenges I’d like to see myself complete. And sometimes the year gets the best of my despite my most noble intentions.

I may have left completing Item No.2 undone but I at least have something to offer the New Years Resolution Police:

My Plans

So what happened? Why didn’t I crank this last project out? I mean - I have the plans and measurements right here don’t I…? Did I run out of time? DId I get a little lazy? Did I change my mind?

Yes.

I admit it. I ran out of time and gusto to make this project happen in 2018. This happens sometimes when I hit a creative wall - when I sat down at my metaphorical drawing board, this project began to accrue a long list of challenges that I just couldn’t ignore:

• How to connect each table top + leg to each other with dowels

• How to stain tapered legs to match table tops

• Will the table tops be large enough to feel proportionate to leg length?

• Am I spending too much on the components to still make a profit

Maybe with some more time in the year I could have solved this puzzle, but the main reason it ended up on the cutting room floor was moolah. Without the connecting dowels or stain, I’m already running a tab close to $80 just for legs, table tops and mounding hardware.

Source: West Elm

Consider this: West Elm’s Clover Coffee Table (now discontinued) is the polished/ mass-produced version of my plans. Although no longer available, they were able to market their tables somewhere around $250. Even f I were able to assemble a table that looks as polished and try to list it for a similar price in the shop, this still means my profit margin would below my comfortable threshold.

It just wasn’t a practical project to take on. Maybe if I were in the market for a piece like this in my own home, I would give it a go. But the unknown risks far out weigh the potential for reward so I had to pass. For now.

So my 2018 list is incomplete. Alas. But exciting things are coming this year so stay tuned for the 2019 Furniture Flip Bucket List!

Catch up on the 2018 Furniture Flip Bucket List: