What's New

Hello! I've been busy in the shop this summer and wanted to share a few pieces I've refinished and that are available to go to a great new home! They're all high-end pieces with quality craftmanship. They just don't make furniture like this anymore!

Check out my Etsy shop for additional pictures, prices and dimensions. I have to caution you, however, I've been having a really hard time getting reasonable out-of-state shipping rates - they're coming back really high lately. But if you're in Southern California, we can probably figure out a way to get it to you!

You may think this is a buffet, but it's actually a nine-drawer dresser! I refinished it in a custom-color in navy blue and sealed it in a matte finish. It could be used as a media center, buffet, or even a changing table!

Navy Transitional Dresser

This next piece is probably the 1000th white dresser I've refinished. I never get tired of such a classic, elegant, versatile look.

White French Provincial Dresser

Between primer, paint, and sealer, this baby probably has about 20 layers. And each layer gets painstakingly sanded between coats for a luxurious finish! A ton of work - but look at the result!

My blue and white collection (ahem, obsession) is growing!

The following pieces came from the estate of a little old lady from Pasadena. I could tell she had exquisite taste just by the furnishings, china and artwork that were in her home. So it was really an honor to revamp these dressers for a new life with another generation!

Each dresser was stripped to reveal a gorgeous wood grain on the top. I refinished the tops in an ebony stain with a glossy sealer. The bodies were painted in a driftwood gray.

Pretty proud of how they turned out! Just look at that mirror finish! Update: these items have been sold and are in their new home!

This last set is one of my personal favorites. I refinished a dresser and two matching nightstands in gray shades with silver hardware. This has been one of my most popular color combinations lately - so much so that I see it popping up now by other local painters!

Silver French Provincial Dresser by Mary Beth's Place

One of two nightstands complete the set!

Let me know if you're interested in any of these pieces! And, be sure to subscribe to my mailing list to keep up to date on new arrivals and refinishing tips!


Enjoy the last days of summer!

The Best Anniversary Present Ever!

I had a client contact me a few months ago about sourcing and refinishing a vanity for his wife as a surprise for her birthday. Well, I couldn't find a good candidate for the longest time - so her present was renamed and had a new target date - as their "anniversary" present in June!

I finally found one at an estate sale near me. It had stains on the top which made it a good candidate to paint. But the only problem was the price! It was really expensive the first day, so I decided to take my chances until the second day when it would go on sale for half price.

That was a tense night - wondering if I had made the right decision - and if it would even be there in the morning. But as luck would have it, it was still there at opening and I snatched it up!

It had gorgeous lines, ornate feet and hardware. and a really beautiful mirror. The mirror was in amazing condition considering it was almost 100 years old!

After many, many coats of primer (I lost count) it was ready for the pretty stuff. We decided to use General Finishes Seagull Gray for the top and drawers, and Snow White for the body.  Here's a proof shot before I sealed it and added the hardware.

And then the entire piece was sealed with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Satin. The hardware was refinished in a silver finish. I painted the inside of the drawers in a fun turquoise color. New padding and upholstery fabric by Waverly on the chair completed the transformation!

I didn't stage pictures of the mirror but here it is complete!

How sweet was this hubby to surprise his wife like that? She loves it, by the way.

Enjoy your summer and thanks for stopping by!

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The Big Green Monster

You know, I did everything right with this Drexel credenza. I took it completely apart. I stripped it.  I taped up the drawers with paper to prevent overspray. I removed all of the hardware: the handles, hinges, metal magnet thingies on the doors, etc. and refinished them. I fixed nicks, gouges, scratches, and then sanded them out. I sprayed two coats of primer, with the requisite sanding in between. Three very thin coats of a really pretty green Benjamin Moore with sanding in between them as well.



And yet, this big green monster came to make my life miserable for a few days.

I waited TWO WEEKS to put it back together because the paint was still tacky. (Benjamin Moore Advance curing time is longer than I'm used to.) And when I went to put the doors back on, the (insert VERY bad words) doors wouldn't fit! Like not even close. Like they had been switched in the middle of the night with completely different doors by aliens who enjoy playing tricks on unsuspecting poor furniture refinishers.

I can't tell how you many times my husband and I took off those four doors and tried them in different positions.

Ultimately, by some stroke of luck, we were able to put it all back together and have the doors open and close. I have to profess that a few tears were shed along the way.

And I may shed even more tears when I sell it because now this big green monster is growing on me. He's listed in my Etsy shop if you're interested. (Postscript: He's been sold to a great family!)

Enjoy your day!

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What's New in March

Well, hello there! It's been another busy month around here - finding incredible pieces of furniture, refinishing them, and then meeting the wonderful people who give them new homes!

I'd thought I'd give you an update on some pieces that I've refinished recently. The common theme in all these pieces is that they were refinished using my sprayer. Honestly, the difference in the results between hand painting and spraying is like night and day!

It's getting to the point that I can immediately (and I think my clients can, too) tell the difference between a haphazard, sloppy paint job that I see all over Craigslist these days to one that involves many hours (sometimes, days) of prep, sanding between coats, and a durable sealer before it's finished. But enough about how many hours each piece takes - let's see the "afters"!


These beautiful campaign side tables were by Dixie. I refinished them in a glossy white paint. The original brass pulls and "T" and "L" brackets were painstakingly cleaned and polished. A special thanks to my friend Christina at Phoenix Restoration for her tutorial on cleaning vintage brass hardware. It was so helpful and probably saved me hours hunched over a sink!

Vintage Campaign Nightstands - SOLD

The next dresser is another mid-century modern piece. This was my first time I've had a piece by Kroehler, and I have to say that I was very impressed with its craftmanship. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep the original finish because there were numerous issues with chipped veneer, which required a lot of patch work. But I was tickled about how cute it turned out - the glossy white paint accentuates the retro curves - and the original hardware just needed a good scrubbing!

Mid Century Dresser - SOLD

This next dresser almost ended up in my bedroom. But I couldn't figure out a way to carry it upstairs by myself before my husband got home from work! It's a gorgeous Drexel piece that I refinished in a two-tone gray color scheme with silver hardware.

Drexel French Provincial - SOLD

Check out the swoon-worthy serpentine drawers! Even my client said that pictures didn't do it justice!

Drexel - SOLD

I'm a little embarrassed to say that this next dresser sat in my garage for a year before I got up the nerve to refinish it. I knew that it wouldn't look good hand painted or with chalk paint - but I wanted to improve my spraying skills before I tackled such a gorgeous piece by Johnson Carper.

I'm so happy I was patient because it turned out exactly how I originally envisioned it. White glossy paint with glamorous gold hardware - a beauty! And a beautiful lattice-panel door that revealed even more storage.

Lattice Dresser - SOLD

This next dresser is my latest makeover and is currently for sale in my Etsy shop. Honestly, folks, this one almost killed me! Navy is a very hard color to paint - every imperfection shows up - so this piece did take longer than usual. But coupled with the shiny brass hardware it's a stunner - and pre-WWII Drexel as well!

So that's what I've been up to! It's been such a wonderful experience to improve my refinishing skills and grow my 'lil shop. It's truly turned out to be my dream job!

Until next time - and enjoy your spring!

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My Obsession with Secretary Desks (Part Two)

This is a continuation of the story of my obsession with secretary desks. I love taking unused and unloved vintage desks and turning them into functional and beautiful pieces of furniture for another generation to cherish. They are truly labors of love, because I can guarantee you that when I factor in my time, it's probably less than what the minimum wage was in the year it was built! But they get my creative juices bubbling and in the end it makes me so happy when they end up in great new homes.

If you're interested in Part One, you can read about it here.

My Obsession With Secretary Desks

After that one, I refinished a few more that have become Pinterest favorites.

This secretary and matching chair took forever to refinish because of the "bleed" problems associated with mahogany wood.

A Fresh New Look For a Secretary Desk

This next desk was Parisian-inspired in gray and duck egg with silver accents. I hand painted and used dark wax to create texture and color variation.

Paris Chic Secretary

So when it came to refinishing my next victim, I wanted to do something special and unique. And, in case it didn't sell, would fit in with my decor! It came from a very high-end estate sale where I ended up purchasing about six pieces. Very pretty, but it had significant damage on the inside and it was beyond my refinishing expertise to try to match.

I hand painted it in General Finishes Lamp Black with light, specific strokes to emphasize the wood grain underneath.  The entire piece was sprayed with General Finishes Flat Out Topcoat to seal for protection and durability.

I left the interior upper cabinet and insert in its natural state.

I fell in love with this Nate Berkus fabric that I used on the back of the upper cabinet!

But the absolute part of this makeover? It went to a repeat client and a lovely young family!

Have a fantastic week!

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What's New

Hello! Thought I'd share some pieces that I've refinished since the beginning of the year!

Some of these pieces are still with me waiting to find a new home, and some are distant memories because they flew out the door!

This was a large executive desk refinished in General Finishes Lamp Black. (Sold)

I had this sweet little antique dresser since I was a teenager and used a hodgepodge of leftover ASCP paint. (Sold)

I lined the drawers with paper I ordered from Spoonflower. Really love that pattern!

This navy buffet turned out gorgeous! It's in its new home now, but I think about her every day! (Sold)

Another antique dresser I decided to cycle out of our home and refinish. I used General Finishes Java Gel Stain and a custom mix of General Finishes Snow White and Antique White. (The perfect white in my opinion!) (Sold)

I've painted a lot of pieces lately in this jewelry-box blue by Benjamin Moore. Now this retro set is ready to tackle a new decade!  (Available - message me for details)

It has adorable matching side tables!

I've actually finished quite a few more pieces than this that I'll share later! Frankly, I'm so much better at updating my inventory through Facebook and Instagram - so you may want to check out those accounts! In the meantime, I'm on the hunt to find new exciting pieces, so I'll catch you later!

Have a wonderful week!