{new year’s resolution: refinish those garage sale finds}

Raise your hand if you made a New Year’s resolution this year!

Making the resolution is the easy part, the hard part is actually following through! Have no fear, the team at Hirshfield’s is here to keep you accountable! All month long we’ll be bringing your tips and advice to help you stick to your home improvement resolutions. We’ll be covering topics such as adding color to your space, getting your home organized and using more green products in your home. Today we want to help you finally tackle those garage sale, antique store and flea market finds and turn them into the beautiful showpieces you imagined them as.

Refinishing old furniture is not only a more environmentally friendly option than buying new, it is also a way to incorporate family heirlooms or sentimental pieces into your current design scheme. Not to mention, refinishing an old piece assures you that you’ll end up with a one-of-a-kind look!

A old side table transformed via DecorHacks

You’ll want to start the refinishing process by wiping down your piece with soapy water so you can get a good look at it. Are there layers of paint or stain that need to be removed? Are there some gouges that could use some sanding or putty? Talk to your local paint professional to determine what steps you need to take to make sure your piece is ready to accept new paint or stain.

The before and after of a project that some Hirshfield’s team members worked on

Here is a refresher course in Kim Yeager, Minneapolis designer, owner of Lark Nest Design and self-proclaimed “junker”, tips for refinishing furniture:

• You can paint metal. You can do a paint makeover on metal but the surface should be primed. Pieces with lots of curves lend themselves to a spray-on primer that comes in a can.

{friday finds: wallpaper – it’s not just for walls!}

Wallpaper – it’s “in“, it’s “out“, but most recently it’s been “in”. Businesses, designers and homeowners have all embraced the resurgence of wallpaper and there’s lots of beautiful, modern designs out there right now to fit every taste. But, of course, trends are always changing and we’re loving that traditional wallpaper has been able to remained current in the design world by being used in nontraditional ways!

Wallpaper – it’s not just for your walls!

Furniture: Desks, dressers, end tables, night stands can all be jazzed up with some wallpaper. Design Sponge gives a great tutorial on how to apply wallpaper to furniture.

Design Sponge

Interiorholic

Apartment Therapy

Create Art: Scraps of wallpaper are perfect for creating budget-friendly works of art.

{friday finds: top hirshfield’s blogs of 2012}

As another year comes to an end, it’s hard not to sit back for a minute and reminisce about all of the things 2012 will be remembered for. The London Olympics, the Presidential election, the rise of ombre in fashion and design and, of course, Tangerine Tango being crowned the 2012 Color of the Year. For a closer look back on what the design community was buzzing about in 2012, we’ve rounded up the most read Hirshfield’s blogs of 2012…

As Seen at Hirshfield’s
Eye spy, from the pages of the February and March issues of House Beautiful, lots of lovelies you’ll find at Hirshfield’s Design Studio and at our retail stores. Benjamin Moore paint, Phillip Jeffries wallpaper and Kravet fabric can all be found in House Beautiful and at Hirshfield’s!

House Beautiful, Benjamin Moore Inner Glow on the walls

Best Paint Color for Accent Walls
An accent wall can define a space, add interest to a room and even highlight an architectural feature of your home. But with endless paint color options to choose from, how do you decide which color is the best for an accent wall in your home? Kathy Basil of Hirshfield’s Design Studio in Minneapolis gives her opinion on the subject in this post.

Martha Stewart

Pottery Barn DIY Video & Kids Colors Spring 2012

{creative ways to display all those holiday cards}

Merry Christmas… Seasons Greetings… Happy Holidays…

All sentiments that are sure to come your way this holiday season via the traditional holiday card. As these treasured expressions of holiday cheer arrive in your mailbox, be sure to display them in a way that honors the sender (In other words, don’t just throw them all in a basket!).

Here are three creative ways to display all of those holiday cards:

Card Tree (Via Martha Stewart)

I love the simple elegance of this DIY card tree. Pick your own ribbon and accessories to incorporate this display into your own decor. Go chic with a brown or crimson satin ribbon or go for a whimsical touch with some gingham or holiday fabric. The branches add a rustic touch and give this card display the height and grandeur to make it a stand-alone piece. How beautiful would this look in an entry way, a dining room buffet or on the family room mantle? Directions to make this holiday card tree can be found here.

Martha Stewart

Holiday Card Wreath (Via KatyDid and Kid)

{friday finds: hirshfield’s virtual painter}

Does fear of commitment keep you from experimenting with color in your home? Does the risk of going “bold” keep your home in the “beige”? What if you could take a bold, new color for a test drive – no strings attached, no commitment necessary. Hirshfield’s visual painting tool lets you unleash your creativity, experiment and have fun – without ever having to dip a paintbrush!

Virtually paint any of the interior rooms or house exteriors from the Hirshfield’s image library. Or use your own image – a digital photo from your camera or phone – by uploading it to the Hirshfield’s site.

These rooms and more are all just waiting for your colorful influence…

Living rooms

Bedrooms

Kitchens

Bathrooms

Corridors

Exteriors

Choose paint colors from the Color Is, Devine and Historic palettes. The color combinations are endless!

Once you’ve selected your color palette, stop in to your local Hirshfield’s retail store and let the paint professionals help you get set up with everything you need.

Happy painting!

Hirshfield’s is your local Minneapolis-St. Paul paint retailer. The paint experts at Hirshfield’s are here to help you with everything from window-treatments to paint colors. Hirshfield’s manufactures paint right here in Minneapolis.

{friday finds: trending – black interior trim and doors}

The color black has been steadily trending on the design scene. From dramatic touches of the dark color to entire rooms blanketed in it, black is back and it looks like it’s sticking around! One of the latest trends we’re seeing with black is using it to paint interior trim and doors. And we’re liking it…

House of Turquoise

Decorpad

Dark trim gives a room depth and adds a sophisticated touch. Of course, there is a right and a wrong way to incorporate this trend into your home. Houzz.com recommends,

“For the most lustery sheen, use a high-gloss oil paint and apply it with a sponge roller for a smooth finish. Latex is fine for lower sheens, but even coating it with glossy polyurethane will not achieve the same luscious look as oil paint. Remember, high-gloss or low-sheen, paired with white walls, black casework is a perfect example of a timeless classic for the home.”

Burnham Design Project

{design trends : what we saw at High Point}

Founded in 1909 in High Point, N.C., the High Point Market was formed to provide the region’s furniture makers and retailers a convenient venue to conduct business and discuss design trends. It’s where the who’s-who of the design industry meet, mingle and shop! Greg and Meropi, of Hirshfield’s Design Studio, recently attended fall Market and have returned to Minnesota inspired and energized by all of the new design trends they saw!

Here’s what the Hirshfield’s design experts, Greg and Meropi, saw at High Point:

Colors
Blue is still a dominant color and the driving force behind many color palettes. Neutrals and grays with accents of orange, yellow and emerald green are trending colors going into 2013.

Vanguard Furniture

Fabrics
Menswear fabric was a huge trend at High Point. Glen plaid and plaid fabrics in general were showing up everywhere.

Calysat Gourd fabric by Vanguard Furniture

Geometric fabrics continue to be on trend.

Stanford Furniture

Furniture
We saw lots of painted furniture – bright paint colors, satin finish. We didn’t come across many pieces of painted furniture with the distressed look, almost everything we saw was clean and chic.

Stanford Furniture

{friday finds: benjamin moore chalkboard paint at hirshfield’s}

Chalkboards aren’t just for the classroom! With Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint, available at select Hirshfield’s locations, you can create your own erasable, washable chalkboard wherever you need it – at home, at the office or in the kids’ room. And don’t assume that your blackboard has to be black. Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint can be tinted to any Benjamin Moore paint color (except the Color Stories collection).

Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint, available in any color, lets you turn virtually any interior surface into an easy-to-clean chalkboard. It goes on smoothly, just like other paints and is formulated to minimize lingering odors.

Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint

• Available in any color
• Easy to apply
• Washable
• Quick drying
• Best used with Prang Hygieia Chalk (available at office supply stores and educational stores) and a quality eraser

Here are some of our favorite ideas for using Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint:

Kids’ Activity Center

Benjamin Moore

{minneapolis paint : what goes on in the lab at hirshfield’s paint manufacturing}

Take a drive down Lyndale Avenue North in Minneapolis and you’ll eventually pass the Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing building at 4450 Lyndale Avenue North. Hirshfield’s has been making paint here in Minneapolis since 1982 thanks to that facility and the loyal patrons who shop at their local Hirshfield’s!

Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing in Minneapolis

The team at Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing (HPM) is always working hard to make sure they are delivering the best, most innovative products. Hours of quality control, quality assurance and research and development take place in the HPM lab before any Hirshfield’s paint product lands on the shelf at your local Hirshfield’s paint retail store.

Jason Boedigheimer, operations director at Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing, shares more about what exactly goes on in the lab at HPM:

To learn more about what goes on at Hirshfield’s Paint Manufacturing, checkout the Hirshfield’s website.

Hirshfield’s is your local Minneapolis-St. Paul paint retailer. The paint experts at Hirshfield’s are here to help you with everything from window-treatments to paint colors. Hirshfield’s manufactures paint right here in Minneapolis.

{cold weather painting tips}

As summer turns into fall, you may be considering starting an exterior painting project. Take advantage of the cooler weather to tackle an exterior paint project, but  make sure you know when it is too cold to paint outside:

Paint must set before the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is best not to paint within two hours of sundown if temps are predicted to drop below that. Extremely high temperatures can also cause a problem, so avoid painting in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (but we don’t have to worry about that for awhile now, do we!).

Moisture also affects paint, so wait several days after a rainfall and allow morning mist to evaporate before beginning your project.

Always make sure to check the label on your paint can for additional information or talk to your local Hirshfield’s paint expert.

Stop in to your local Twin Cities Hirshfield’s for all of your cold weather painting supplies. Select exterior paint is on sale now!

Hirshfield’s is your local Minneapolis-St. Paul paint retailer. The paint experts at Hirshfield’s are here to help you with everything from window-treatments to paint colors. Hirshfield’s manufactures paint right here in Minneapolis.