#RatherBeJunkin

I love Junkin’. I love not knowing what I’m going to find. It’s like a surprise waiting to happen. You truly never know what you’re going to come across. It’s wonderful stumbling across new antique and junk places. Adding more places to my list of places that I have to frequent.

            I have had several people ask me how I got into junkin’. When I graduated from college I suddenly had more time on my hands. When I was about 10 years old I sponge painted my wooden headboard and footboard but other than that I had never refinished a piece of furniture before. So when I came across a beautiful wing back chair I figured how hard could it be? I can’t tell you how many staples I pulled but I do know that reupholstering is still the hardest project I’ve worked on. 

After finishing my chair I started going to garage and estate sales, always going for small wooden pieces. Shortly after I became a vendor for a local repurposing store called The Red Apron. If you haven’t checked it out, you’re most definitely missing out.  A few months Chris and I purchased a home and all of my projects became “our” projects for our new home. Then we got engaged and my design projects took a back seat to wedding planning. Of course, like after graduation, when the wedding was done I was back to having some spare time. This time though, I found a new love. Junkin’.

I have always had a love for the old and rusted but it took on a new meaning. I had begun frequenting my favorite antique places and started to branch out. What places had I not been before? I started out local and began broadening my radius. Every weekend I would find a few new places to check out.

That is how I got into Junkin’. If I had it my way, I would be out junkin’ across the country every day.

Rather Be Junkin' <3
Heather

Chalk Holder

I get the feelin’ I need to be junkin’ quite often. It’s so much fun to rummage through the old and rusty. Every time I go I have no idea what I’m going to find and am always surprised. Of course, this time was no different.

While out on a Saturday morning for MISSION: Office Chair, I wasn’t having any luck. I decided the best way to save the day was to go junkin’. Unfortunately for me, my three junkin’ companions were busy and couldn’t join me. That didn’t stop me. I decided to make an hour drive north to a small town with a wonderful antique shop that I have passed many times. You may wonder how a junkin’ lovin’ gal like me has passed by such a wonderful place so many times and never stopped? Well, I am a family of hunters and when it’s hunting time, we don’t have time to stop. I digress.

My trip to Bethany went a lot quicker than I anticipated, of course that’s probably because I listened to the likes of Miranda Lambert and her song about me called, “Old Shit.” Look it up, it’s wonderful. Anyway, while on my trip I found this awesome old metal matchbox. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands a few times wondering what I could do with it when the light bulb came on. Chalk holder. With my new fireplace and the hubba hubba’s brilliant idea to paint it chalkboard in the opening, I was not fond of just leaving the chalk sitting on top of the mantel. I was so excited. I wish I had bought a few more so that I could share them!

Chippy Ol' Fireplace

A fireplace. Growing up my family had a fireplace and I remember in the winter my sister and I would snuggle with a bunch of blankets next to it while we watched TV. Lets fast-forward to now where I own my own house and I don’t have a fireplace. Though a fireplace was on my “must-have” list, it became a back seat need when we found our beautiful home. However, my longing to have a fireplace did not go away.

This must be the reason I became infatuated with the idea of having a faux fireplace in our house.  So the search began. I initially found an old white one in the West Bottoms on a Saturday afternoon. The hefty price tag deterred me from making the purchase, which in return haunted me until the following month when the West Bottoms opened up again. This time, making my hubba hubba tag along, I was sure to get that darn white fireplace.

Of course, my plan did not go as I expected.  We get to the store that the fireplace is supposed to be at, has to be at, I look high and low on the 3 floors and even ask someone if they still have it. No. it’s gone. This makes me pout the rest of our shopping trip. I can’t leave empty handed. I came with the intention of getting that fireplace.

As we leave with my lip sticking out, I decide to stop into one last store. We walk in and there it is. My fireplace. It’s not the one I intended on getting. It’s better. Like a million times better. Unfortunately, the price is higher, too. The owner of the fireplace sees us eyeing and comes over to give some additional information on the piece. Then she says those magical words, “if you have cash I can give you a better offer.” YES! I was ecstatic to be getting a fireplace, better than the one I originally wanted and it was even at a lower price, too!

I am now the proud owner of my very own fireplace.

Rather Be Junkin'<3

Heather 

Barn Door Turned Desk

As some of you know I have a slight obsession with doors. I’m not sure where my love of doors came from, however I know that when I see any kind of door I’m drawn to it. The doors that interest me the most are older and usually have chippy paint. Any color of chippy paint is great. The character that old beat up doors have is unexplainable. Much like any other old junkin’ item, the story that door could tell is something we’ll never know.

So naturally, when I came across this door that was used in someone’s barn and has MANY colors of chippy paint, I knew I had to have it. The kind of know that I pouted to my husband as we continued shopping around Excelsior Springs, MO. He knew it, too. As we got into my car to leave he finally looked at me and said, “go get it.” Yaaaaaaaay! I went back into the store and the ladies knew what I was there for.

Of course, now I have my second door and I can’t hang it on a wall, too. So what am I going to do with it? Well, at first I didn’t know. Which if you know my hubba hubba, you know that he does not like me purchasing things that I have no idea what I’m going to do with. After some time I knew the perfect use for it. A desk.

Seemed easy enough at first, the door would serve as the top of the desk, but we needed to find some legs. Between the two of us, my hubba hubba and I came up with a few different ideas. A few of these ideas included galvanized piping (super expensive), old sewing table legs (usually used for another repurposed table or expensive as well), or the many random pieces of metal I found while junkin’. I wasn’t completely sold on any of these ideas until I came across some old patina metal at an antique place. I knew right then that it was another one of those, “I have to have it” moments. And boy was I right.

After going back and forth with the hubba hubba as to how the metal would work as legs, we were finally on the same page. Chris then began his handy-man work and I supervised… as much as he let me. Apparently watching over someone while they work is frowned upon, who knew.

So here we are, with my desk complete with the exception of finding a piece of glass to lay over the top. I couldn’t be more ecstatic with how it turned out. The way the turquoise color flows up the metal leg and across the door is something of magic. The rusted metal works great with the rust color chippy paint on the door. The patina metal and chippy paint were made for one another.

I would say my hubba hubba and I make a pretty great team.

Rather Be Junkin' <3

Heather 

Spring Cleaning Preparation

I know, I know, here in Kansas City we have SEVERAL inches of snow and I am talking about Spring Cleaning.. its wishful thinking!

In preparing for all of this snow to melt I have decided to make a list of all the rooms, closets, files, and fixes that need to be accomplished once the weather warms up (Punxsutawney Phil better be right about an early spring!!). I also decided to try a new GREEN CLEANING recipe called Citrus-Infused Vinegar. Vinegar is a great cleaning agent however I hate the smell. By letting orange peels sit in the vinegar for two weeks the cleaning agent gets that wonderful citrus smell.

All you need is an air tight container, orange peels (or lemons/limes/clementines), and white vinegar.

Place the peels in the container and poor over the white vinegar. Let sit for a few weeks and you're ready to clean!!

Ill be using this cleaning agent for my windows, disinfectant, garbage disposal, and many other places!!

Antique Drawers.

So I saw an awesome idea on Pinterest to use antique drawers, usually separated from their homes somewhere along their life, and use them to organize your bath toiletries!

I had seen these antique drawers a few weeks prior at a local antique store and knew I had to have them! So, I took my sister on my search and we came across several different drawers! I couldn't decide on how many to buy so I decided to buy all of them all!

I figured I could use these sweet pieces to organize more than just my bath toiletries! Check them out below!

The Name Change

As some as you may have noticed, Loulabell Interiors has gone through a name change! After much discussion, I decided to change the name of my furniture business!

I wanted to make sure that the name best described and related to what it is that I do and love. While Loulabell will always be close to my heart, it was the name that my aunt use to call me when I was a kid, I didn't feel that it was the best fit. So I enlisted my mom for a little creative help and thus we came up with The Rustic Coop.

The Rustic Coop better fits what I do, create unique pieces from merging old with new style at an affordable price, usually with a touch of distress!!

I hope you love the name change as much as I do!

Check back for updates on what we're doing & be sure to look at our Facebook page!!