we’re open!

I’m so happy that Reclaiming Beautiful is going to be able to open again this week!

The shop’s owners, Monique and Susan, have been doing a fantastic job of keeping things going during the Stay at Home order by selling online and offering safe curbside pick up.  But as I’m sure all of you know, small businesses like this one have really struggled during the Stay at Home order.  They are all going to be in need of our support now that they can be open again!

To encourage you to stop in to the shop this weekend, I thought I’d share some unique items for the garden that I’ve brought in to the shop to sell.

First up are what I call planter chairs.  They are salvaged chairs that I’ve painted up to be used to hold a big basket of flowering annuals.

They are so fun for a porch, or even to place right in the garden bed.

Next up, some galvanized buckets that are perfect for filling with flowers.

I also love using vintage enamelware pieces as planters.  Any one of these would be fantastic filled with your favorite flowering plants.

Enamelware lids or plates with words on them add an unexpected touch to your planters.

Tuck them right in the ground, or in your favorite window box.

Or how about placing one in your new planter chair?

Maybe you need some colorful canisters to hold your seed packets or other gardening supplies.  These will be available while they last as well.

Or possibly you need a gardening apron to wear to hold your cell phone while you’re gardening (or is that just me?) …

I’m only sharing photos of my items with you today because I wrote this post up before actually seeing what any of the other very talented Reclaiming Beautiful vendors have brought in.  But I’m just betting that after being closed for so long, there is going to be an amazing selection of fabulous vintage finds available.

Keep in mind that most of the inventory at Reclaiming Beautiful consists of vintage, one of a kind pieces.  And they tend to go quickly!

Now, before you head off to the shop, I want you to be aware that your well-being is very important to us.  Here is what we will be doing to ensure your safety:

* No more than 10 people in the store at a time
* Hand Sanitizer will be available
* Card transactions will be done by customers with no
signature required (we will clean between each use)
* Curbside pick up is still an option

Also we will have NEW HOURS! We will continue to be open EVERY Thursday through Saturday 10 am – 5 pm but we will no longer be open on Sundays.

Hope to see you there!

it’s a mid mod world.

Have you jumped on the mid-century modern bandwagon yet?

There is a growing appreciation out there for the clean, sleek lines of mid mod decor.  Even Target has a line of mid-century styled furniture and decor called Project 62, so you know it has gone mainstream.

But I much prefer the quality of the original pieces from the 50’s & 60’s over the cheaply made Target pieces.  Especially when those pieces have been refurbished and given some new life with a little paint.

Today I thought I’d share some of my favorite mid-mod furniture artists with you starting with my absolute favorite, Martha Leone Design.

Her work is absolutely stunning, and her photos are styled beautifully.

It’s hard not to appreciate these pieces even if mid-mod isn’t your style.

The Weathered Door has also painted some gorgeous mid mods.

Boxwood & Brass has some beautiful examples of painted mid-mod pieces too.

OK, I know, not everyone is ready to welcome a mustard yellow dresser into their home.

But more subdued and/or neutral colors also work well on mid-century pieces like this example from Saw Nail and Paint.

But really, the vibrant colors are so fun!

They would definitely make a statement.

Lately Reclaiming Beautiful has been selling more mid-mod style pieces and currently they have a gorgeous mid-century modern piece that would make a fantastic bar …

  So if I’ve convinced you to give this style another look, you should stop into the shop and see what else they have in stock this week!

what’s under your cloche?

Hello Reclaiming Beautiful fans!  It’s been a while since I’ve written a post here, so I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf for 2020 and make a point of posting at least once a month.

Today’s post is inspired by some pretty glass cloches that I purchased recently.

If you aren’t familiar with the term, here’s the definition for you.

cloche

/klōSH/

noun

1. a small translucent cover for protecting or forcing outdoor plants.

 

Although glass cloches are meant for use in the garden, this time of the year they are great for bringing a little summer inside the house to brighten up the winter.

You can keep it traditional and put some pretty flowering plants under your cloche.

But putting just about anything under glass seems to elevate its importance just a bit.

Even just some simple rolled up papers look fantastic …

Propping an old photo in a vintage metal flower frog is a fun and unique way to display it.

If you have a small collection of something like silver salt & pepper shakers, you can display them under a cloche.

Even just a few old books have more impact when under glass.

It’s also a great option for seasonal/holiday decorating.  Switch up what’s under your cloche to match the season.

Common Ground used a sweet little bunny and a speckled egg for spring.

The French Blue Cottage went with a velvet pumpkin for fall.

And our own vendor, Amy, comes up with all kinds of great ideas for the Christmas season.

So tell me, do you have a cloche at your house?  And if so, what’s under your cloche?

you’re invited to our Christmas open house.

Reclaiming Beautiful will be holding our annual Christmas open house this Saturday, November 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The shop is looking merry and bright for the holidays!  It’s filled with festive decor such as these mini snow scenes in vintage containers.

They are so adorable, and each one is uniquely one of a kind.

You could also pick up some classic vintage tableware just in time for the holidays.

We also got some great holiday signage that you can use to deck your walls.

Plus lots of things to add some cozy-ness to your home for winter in general.

And of course, we always have lots of gorgeous refurbished furniture.

Isn’t that buffet just stunning?  Here’s another that is also fab …

And this desk/vanity is gorgeous too …

So, be sure to stop by on Saturday to check out all of the beautiful things and enjoy a little holiday cheer!

paint it beautiful.

In case you weren’t already aware, Reclaiming Beautiful carries Fusion paint.

And they just stocked up!

They don’t carry every single one of the colors, but they have pretty good selection of the most popular shades right now.

Fusion Mineral paint is not a chalk paint, it’s an acrylic paint.

I think the thing that I am most impressed by with Fusion Mineral Paint is their commitment to producing products that are safe for both you and the environment.  If you are someone who paints a lot of furniture, this is definitely something you should be paying attention to.  Fusion™ colors are non-toxic, lead free, virtually odorless and have no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).  They contain no ammonia or formaldehyde.  This is definitely not true of every paint on the market, so be sure you know what the paint you are using may contain.

The second thing about Fusion Mineral Paint that really impresses me is the durability of the finish.  This paint has a built in topcoat and does not require the addition of wax or poly (although you can add them if you want to for aesthetic reasons).  Once cured (curing takes about 21 days), this paint is fully washable and incredibly durable.  In fact, it is also waterproof.  Many paints say they are acrylic but they contain added ingredients that compromise the finish. Fusion is 100% acrylic, water based with NO added latex or vinyl. All of this with an industrial grade resin means a waterproof, long lasting, durable finish, even outdoors!  The paint is also UV resistant, which means it won’t fade over time.

So if you’re looking for a good paint to use to spruce up your outdoor furniture this season, Fusion is a great choice.

This durability also makes Fusion a great choice for shelving.  I recently painted the insides of my living room shelves with Fusion’s Raw Silk.

Raw Silk is warm white with a very slightly grey undertone.

Although Fusion makes several shades of white, many painters consider Raw Silk to be the perfect shade of off white.

Another of my personal favorites is called Limestone.  Limestone is a creamier warm white.

Of course, white isn’t your only choice with Fusion, they have lots of great colors to choose from.  Some of my other favorites are Ash, which is a deep grey …

Park Bench, which is an amazing green …

English Rose which is the perfect Millennial Pink …

And Inglenook which is a pretty pale greenish-blue …

So if you’re thinking of tackling a painting project this weekend, be sure to head over to the shop to find your favorite shade of Fusion!

 

deconstructed.

I’ve been obsessed with deconstructed furniture for a while now.

Basically ‘deconstructed’ furniture is furniture that has been partially (or even fully) stripped down to the frame.  Some pieces are stripped down more than others, and some are embellished by adding back fragments of other fabrics like these examples.

I love the addition or graphics like words or numbers.

The degree of ‘deconstruction’ can range from sort of semi-deconstructed, where just the sides are stripped down but a lot of the upholstery remains intact, like this example …

to really quite deconstructed …

Personally I’m a fan of the massively deconstructed pieces, although I think they definitely represent form rather than function at this point.  I’m not sure my guests would feel comfortable taking a seat in a chair that looks like this.

But it would bring a smile to my face every time I walked past it in my home.

So where do you stand on the concept of deconstructed furniture?  Are you a fan, or do you think it’s horrible?  Or are you somewhere in between?

happy new year.

As we close out another wonderful year at Reclaiming Beautiful, we have so much to be thankful for!

First, we want to thank our amazing and loyal customers for standing by us.    You shop with us often, you tell your friends about us, and you support us in every way!

Secondly, we are thankful for a wonderful team of talented people who make our shop special

Their hard work, creativity, and passion for what they do make RB a great destination with an ever changing inventory of amazing pieces.

And last but not least, we are thankful for our amazing husbands who help us do what we love to do. Without their support, our dream shop would not be possible.

We hope to continue to grow in 2019 and to bring you the best vintage, re-purposed, re-styled and refurbished pieces.

So thank you for all the support and love from everyone and cheers to a new wonderful year ahead at Reclaiming Beautiful!

there’s a chill in the air.

How is it that we always seem to go from summer to fall so quickly here in Minnesota?

One day it’s 92 degrees and humid, and the next it’s blustery and 55.

Well, on the bright side, it makes it easy for us to jump into fall decorating with gusto.

We actually need gorgeous wool blankets to ward off the chill on these crisp fall nights.

But even if we didn’t, they are still perfect for adding a touch of fall to your decor this time of year.

You can just drape one over a chair on your three season porch …

Or use one in place of a tablecloth to set a lovely autumn table.

Of course you can always just add a couple of throws to your sofa or chairs to instantly warm up the feel of your living room like our vendor Amy did.

I can’t think of a simpler way to add a little fall coziness to your bedroom, can you?

So many of the vintage plaid throws come in the perfect colors for fall.  I love the idea of just displaying them on a ladder where they can be easily grabbed if you need to warm up a bit.

Years ago my husband and I visited Copenhagen in early spring and we were delighted to find that many of the cafe’s had outdoor seating that was open despite the cooler weather.  They just provided a cozy wool blanket with every chair.  It was so fabulous sitting there with a glass of wine, wrapped in that blanket, just watching the people go by.

What a great way to extend the patio season just a little bit longer!  I’m still holding off on putting my patio set away for winter, how about you?

If you don’t happen to have a few vintage plaid wool throws on hand, you should stop in to the shop.  We have a few of them scattered about, plus some great pieces that are upholstered in plaids.

As always, our inventory moves quickly so stop in soon for the best selection!

a pop of black.

There is a saying in decorating; every room needs a pop of black.

I’m not entirely sure what the science is behind that thought, but I love the idea.  Especially when it’s a pop of black in an otherwise very light and airy room.

It’s a very sophisticated look, don’t you think?

And it translates well no matter what your style is.  Do you love primitive pieces?

Or maybe you prefer a more traditional look?

Even a mid-century modern room benefits from a pop of black.

It works for every room in the house too, even the bathroom can handle a gorgeous pop of black.

I absolutely love Liz Galvan’s bathroom with it’s perfect mix of white with pops of black …

If you’ve never seen her blog, you should check it out here.

A gorgeous antique bed painted black makes the perfect statement piece in an otherwise mostly white space.

But pops of black aren’t reserved for just all white rooms, you can pair it with green.

Or how about black with aqua?

If you’re really brave, you could always go with a black wall in one of your rooms.

But if you’re not quite ready for that drastic of a step, maybe just start with adding one gorgeous black statement piece.

There were quite a few stunning black pieces at Reclaiming Beautiful the last time I checked, like this one …

 And isn’t this black and white dresser gorgeous?

Love this black desk too …

And how about this gorgeous beauty?

Maybe a black console table would be just the pop of black you need for your foyer.

These pieces were all available as of Wednesday, but things sell quickly at Reclaiming Beautiful so if you’re interested in a particular item you should stop in soon to find the perfect pop of black for your home!

a June wedding.

Welcome back for the final segment of our series about a June wedding at Redeemed Farm.

Today I’m sharing the barn itself which contains the ceremony and reception space.

Believe it or not, this barn was moved from another location into this space in January 2016.  They have a really interesting video of the move on the Redeemed Farm website, you can check that out here.

The upstairs of the barn can be set up for the wedding ceremony.

As you can see, the space was still being decorated while I was there.

There was a basket of vintage hankies at the entrance to this space for those of us who always seem to cry at weddings.

The main floor is where the reception is held.

It’s such a beautiful space.

I love this row of sconces all down the wall filled with windows.

The day before the wedding several of us from Reclaiming Beautiful helped Monique decorate this space with some gorgeous vintage touches like mismatched floral china for the place settings.

Don’t you just love to see old floral china put to good use?

The chairs at the main table all got pretty pink swags of tulle …

Naturally the bride and groom had reserved seating.

I think Monique had been saving up milk glass vases for years in preparation for a wedding!

She’d ordered dozens and dozens of gorgeous flowers to fill them.

Roses, hydrangeas and peonies … all three of my favorites!

While the rest of us were busy arranging the flowers, Monique and her husband hung old ladders filled with greenery over the main table.

They add just the right touch.

Tags strung on some old barnwood let everyone know where they were seated.

Normally one probably doesn’t share photos of the bathrooms in a blog post like this, but I just couldn’t resist.  The men’s room had a vanity made out of an old workbench.

The floors were stenciled concrete!

And I just loved this beautiful framed print on the wall.

I hope you enjoyed touring Redeemed Farm with me over the past four weeks.  If you’ve missed any of the other posts be sure to go back and check them out (here, here and here).

Before I leave you I want to share this beautiful photo of Monique’s family from the big day.

And check out this beautiful video on the Redeemed Farm Facebook page.  But I’ll warn you first, you might need one of those lovely vintage hankies when you watch it!