Designers and social media ...

Photo credit: Yvonne Blacker

A couple weeks ago I stopped by a friend’s house (Linda Hentschel) to help set her set up a facebook page for her interior design business (Renaissance Interiors). We were going to start with a blog, but figured facebook would be a good place to try out the whole “online sharing” experience.

While we were sitting in her lovely dining room, the black painted sideboard above caught my eye. There was something vaguely familiar about it. I couldn’t put my finger on it but I knew I had seen it somewhere before.

Linda told me she had found this piece at a vintage store and had to have it, even though at the time of purchase it was your standard dated-looking wood finish sideboard. But she could tell it would be the perfect piece on which to set up a buffet station and to store large serving ware until needed for entertaining (which Linda does a lot!)

Turns out, I had been following the transformation of this piece on facebook (and not on my friends page, because she wasn’t even on facebook at the time)! We both follow the work of Linda Holt, a designer in Boxford (she had a decorated space in the Boxford Holiday Homes Tour). She is part of a new business called Chalk It Up established with her friend, artist Susan Siefer (of MadPatter ArtDesign). The piece above was taken from ordinary (but with pretty lines) to one-of-a-kind fabulous with a special chalk-based paint plus hand applied wax finish. See the before – and during – photos below ...

Pretty cool, huh? On February 11th, Chalk It Up will be hosting a hands-on workshop in North Andover featuring how to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Did I mention there is no stripping or priming needed??? Like Chalk It Up on facebook to get the details on this workshop and follow them to see more furniture transformations.

Congrats to Linda Holt and Susan Siefer on their new business, and also to Linda Hentschel for dipping her toe in the social media pool! You will be blogging in no time : )

Maybe you can start by sharing the story of how this peacock from New England Fine Living ended up in your family room??? Or reminisce about our days working together at The Stevens Estate in North Andover? Or share with us some behind-the-scenes at the Steampunk room you are designing with the ModVic team at Audio Concepts?

We always share a lot of laughs and designer secrets when we get together – I can’t wait to read your stories online (and please throw in a couple family recipes, too, while you are at it!)

Nancy Faye Glass, Linda Hentschel and Yvonne Blacker

The Stevens Estate, North Andover, February 2011