Monthly Archives: April 2013

When a piece of furniture is made from good, solid materials, you can do just about anything with it. Solid wood, as opposed to particle board or veneers, can be painted and repainted, stripped down, refinished, or painted again. What ever your style, you can make a piece of solid wood furniture transform to fit right in. These two “Before and After”s are great examples.

 Before…

Our first story comes to us from a husband and wife duo who are making her family’s home theirs.  Though the wife, Angela, was reluctant at first to sit on this chair’s “well-loved” retro cushions, they both found its gentle rock too soothing to pass up. The finish on the wood was a little dull and wearing at the edges, but they were inspired by what it could be. Her husband sanded and refinished the frame himself so that aged look is a distant memory. He used a red stain on certain details to match the new, velvety-soft reupholstered cushions and give it some more flair. We’re quite impressed with your craftsmanship, the wood looks brand new! What was once a bit of an eyesore is now their favorite chair in the house. We’re so glad we could help in making this masterpiece possible!

 After!!

Our second transformation this week comes from our own Clea Lockwood-Wynns. The newest addition to the Mimi’s Attic staff, Clea wasted no time in diving into the spirit of the business. She purchased this simple wooden bookshelf to help organize all the DVDs, CDs, video games, etc. crowding her living room floor. But the shelf was in rare form with paint splatters, nicks, scratches, and a dark uneven stain. That was just not gonna fly with this fly girl, so she sanded, painted, and stenciled it to match her bright personality. From all the rest of us here at Mimi’s, you go, girl!

If YOU have a treasure from Mimi’s that you worked your creative magic on, send us some pictures and your story!! We’d love to write about it AND we give you $5 in store credit for being so marvelous.

Whoa. What else is there to say, really? Measuring in at 6′ 5″ tall and 5′ 9″ wide, the size of this hall tree is enough to take one’s breath away. It came out of a residence near Watkins Glen and is estimated to have been built somewhere between 1870 and 1900. In addition to being beautiful, it’s so darn practical! Just think of all the coats you could hang on there! Since I know some of you are wondering, with hooks on either side, you could hang 36 coats on this thing. I’ll say it again, whoa. We think it would be perfect for an entryway, office, restaurant, mud room- anyplace where lots of people gather and organization is needed. The rich, antique wood will bring warmth into whatever space it enters. Make it a member of your home for $425 today!

And yes, that IS Old Glory currently working overtime as a back drop for us. Sorry Alaska and Hawaii, this particular flag is before your time with only 48 stars.  If this American treasure strikes your fancy, it’s $150.

Perfect for that time of year when you never know which coat you’re going to need!

Currently in stock! Just marked down to $22.40

There is a strange magic to Mimi’s Attic that brings certain items to us in waves. The current magic item? Shabby-chic window panes! We haven’t sold a lot of this kind of thing in the past, but they were so full of potential, we couldn’t resist! Boy are we glad we did because some enthusiastic Mimi’s customers have already made them their own.
The very same couple from our last “Before and After” post turned this window into unique house numbers!! They used their cottage’s accent color to script these delicate numbers on the glass. The frame was already pink, so it worked perfectly! In the bottom three panels, they plan to rotate seasonal images or write in phrases with temporary markers. You guys are so creative! Keep the inspiration coming!

Thanks again, Jenn & Patrick!

Changing up a window takes minimal effort because they are already charming to begin with. If you’re wondering what other amazing things can be done with an old window, you’re in luck! The creative minds of the universe have come up with some stunning ideas and they put them all on the internet! Here are just a few to get you started…

Rustic picture frame. Originally pinned by Ashley Wainwright at Home Sweet Home

Window frame jewelry hanger idea from The Borrowed Abode

Adorable towel or coat rack!