Hi friends! Today we have a guest writer, Kristen Kuhns! She’s sharing the 5 Friends Every Furniture Flipper Should Have!
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When you’re blissfully painting away in your happy place, all of life’s complications fall away as you’re awash in a sea of colors, prints, patterns and products, turning someone else’s discarded furniture into delightful pieces of usable art. But during all of the events that take place up until and even after that painting fun begins, you may find yourself struggling as you’re hauling a huge dresser down a staircase by yourself, or feeling a little isolated while debating whether or not to spend fifty more dollars on another dresser (but look at those pulls!), or cleaning and stripping and sanding and prepping endlessly to get a piece ready to work your magic upon, or even waiting on your shipper to pickup or a new buyer to show while crossing fingers it’s an easy sale.
You can always reach out through the internet to many online communities and find solace and comfort in all the painstaking steps it takes to transform dumpster diving into art. But there are at least FIVE good friends every furniture rehabber and flipper should have:
1) The Critiquer – this person will give it to you straight. Did you add one too many flowers or appliques to your piece? The colors you chose not quite hitting the spot? Does your abstract peacock look like something indecent when photographed from the side? This friend isn’t too shy to tell you when to put down the paintbrush and back away from the piece or even to start all over. This friend usually knows a lot about products and has great style!
2) The Hunter & Gatherer – this friend will not hesitate to warm up the truck/suv/minivan to go hunting with you. Garage sales, vintage stores, estate blow-outs – mask up, partner up, and go bargain hunting! This friend will also always have your back when you want to go pick up a delicate antique vanity that’s up the dark road in the creepy basement of the old barn behind the murder house that no one’s lived in for twenty years….
3) The Webbie – this friend is your techie hero who can help you tweak your color saturation, place a watermark on a digital photo, or tell you how to upload videos to your social media page. This tech pal can aid you in setting up an ecommerce store, a blog, or SEO-advise on your social profiles to gain more visibility. In addition, they are signed up to all the emails and newsletters, RSS feeds and social flash deals, sales, contests and more online.
4) The Mover & Shaker – this friend has a big truck and big muscles and if you need help moving that awesome but HUGE armoire you just scored, they’re your go-to moving buddy! They are happy to be compensated with a free meal with salacious gossip or a couple of hour’s baby-, house-, or pet-sitting.
5) The Financier – this amiga will loan you $50 when you’ve already spent your allowance on those pristine MCM pieces but an amazing chest pops up for sale near you, or will have a twenty on hand when you just happen to stop by a yard sale but don’t have cash on you and you know if you run to the ATM you’ll lose out… they also keep their eyes peeled for sales on supplies (paints, brushes, etc.), let you know about upcoming awesome flea markets and the like, and even nab something they find for free on the side of the road for you!
And if you don’t have these amazing friends in your life yet? The online groups are a great way to meet like-minded folks and help each other out. Find local friends also selling and painting and creating or swap stories, tips, ideas and encouragement online.
Our Dixie Belle artists are also always ready and willing to help you with any questions or problems you have, give advice and showcase new techniques, or just a good place for a hearty laugh about this business we do.
Happy painting!
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Want to connect with like-minded painting friends? Join our Facebook groups for inspiration, answers to questions, and lots of fun!
