I've been sanding and staining furniture for over 30 years. Back to the days when the only stain available to DIYers was runny oil-based, came in a yellow can, and only had a handful of shades to choose from.

Nowadays, there are a lot more options - more brands, and a lot more colors and types of stain including water-based stains, water/oil blends, and thick gel stains. They each have their place, but for refinishing older pieces, my go-to is gel stain from General Finishes. Here are a few tips and tricks to using it successfully.

When you tackle a project like painting a piece of furniture or your cabinets, the costs can quickly add up - not just paint, but sandpaper, cleaner, gloves, rags, tack cloths, brushes and applicators.

Sometimes you'll have the necessary tools and supplies on hand, but if you're starting from scratch, purchasing all these supplies will quickly exceed the cost of your paint. (Side note: that's why painted furniture is worth more than just the pint of paint it took to refinish it.) Projects are an investment of your time and money.  So how do you protect your investment in brushes and applicators?

We have offered barn quilt paint classes since we opened. Over the years, students have painted everything from Christmas trees to Tennessee tri stars, flowers and hummingbirds to snowflakes, and everything in between.

​But no matter how many of these classes we hold, we still get quizzical looks from some people when we mention the term "barn quilt."

A brick fireplace surround can be tailored and timeless or drab, dated and dingy. The good news is, a little white wash can make a world of difference as you're about to see in this before-and-after we just finished in a fixer-upper we're working on. But before you pick up a paint brush, here are some things you should consider before you start.

As Murfreesboro's favorite place to buy paint, we get a TON of questions about painting furniture. Often the question is, "Should I paint this piece?" - which is subject we covered here. 

But the question we get most often, is "What color should I paint this piece?"

It's a great question, and it deserves a thoughtful answer. Ultimately the choice is yours, but here are three questions that will guide you to the perfect color....for you. And keep reading, because at the end, we'll reveal one of our fresh-painted new arrivals this week. If you caught our recent Instagram or Facebook stories, you saw the before and during the updating process.

Do you love summer like I do?

I'm not a winter-lover AT ALL. In fact, while I do love the warm days of spring and fall, I think I could live with the monotony of 80 degrees and sunny every day, with only the occasional rain to cool things down a bit.

​But whether you're a four-seasons lover, or a sun-seeker like me, the fact is our outdoor furniture and decor can only take so much sun and rain. How do you protect and preserve it for life outdoors? Here are a few tips and products that can help.

Your first project is exciting!  You've picked out the piece.

​You've picked out the perfect paint color and a fresh new brush.

If this is your very first project, my advice is to start with a small piece. But big or small, that first project is usually accompanied by one part anticipation and two parts anxiety. 

Before you open the can or jar and dunk your brush for the first stroke, STOP. There are some items you will want to have on hand for your project, and there are a few basic tips and pointers that will boost your confidence and guarantee your finished project is a success. Ready?

If you've seen American Pickers, you know how Mike and Frank scour the countryside for vintage and antique finds. Their travels have taken them to far-flung places across many  states.

​In case you didn't know, Mike has become a bona fide Tennessean, with a residence in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee and he's often spotted hanging out with our friends at Blue 32 in Columbia.

So how did Sherri and I get started picking? And do we pick like the American Pickers? And where can YOU find great picking spots?  

We've come a long way from the days when your paint choices were mainly oil or water...or perhaps you know it as enamel vs. latex. But long before the first sealable paint cans were patented in the 1860s, people formulated their own whitewash solutions from salt and hydrated lime, and milk or casein paint from milk proteins.

​Suffice it to say, pigment plus minerals have been a winning combo that have stood the test of time.

So which paint is right for your project? Let's take a quick look at both milk paint and chalk mineral paint.

The obvious answer: you haul it home, of course.

If you know me, you know I have a thing for anything with drawers and cubbies - the more, the better. (And a rather serious vintage mixing bowl fetish....but that's another story.) I've traveled hither and yon across the mid-state for card catalogs, usually just the 18-drawer stacking cabinets. hefty, but manageable, especially if you remove the drawers.

​Last week, a grand-daddy of a cabinet came my way, and to be honest, I'm still not sure how two of us actually loaded it in my Armada.

Adrenaline, baby. Now the question is, what to do with this 400-pound beast?