Furniture Fanatics – Introducing Like-minded Up-cyclers

I thought it was about time I spread my blogging wings a bit further and so I’ll be introducing a new type of blog post each month, featuring other bloggers, or furniture up-cyclers and creative souls, who I’ve found along my journey. So when you see a “Furniture Fanatics” post in your inbox, get ready to meet someone new, relatable, and creative!

This month, meet Sada, from For the Love Creations in Adelaide, South Australia.

I first met Sada in person at a retailer’s retreat. We had emailed a few times before that, commenting on each other’s furniture blog posts, or messaging on facebook comparing notes on products we use.

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Sada in full swing at one of her workshops. [Photo: Shift Picture, Adelaide]

Although our painting styles are totally different, we have often found ourselves “in each other’s heads” in a business/marketing/blogging kind of world, and it has become a bit of an ongoing joke between us.

Firstly, congrats on winning the Fusion Mineral Paint Color creation competition recently. Tell us about “Watermelon Crush” and how you came up with the colour. Were you looking for a particular colour or did it happen by accident?

I’m incredibly humbled by the win — pinching myself! I consider many of those who entered, leaders in the industry, trend-setters and extraordinarily talented. I was waiting for the email that said: ‘Ohhhh sorry, we’ve made a mistake!’

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Watermelon Crush – the winning colour of the Fusion Mineral Paint colour competition.

Being drawn to bright, vibrant shades, I pulled out some of my Fusion favourites (Fort York Red, Ceramic, Prairie Sunset, Aubusson…) and started to play. This is something I encourage my customers to do, it’s a bit like therapy! Play, have fun, be brave — there are no mistakes! It leads to beautiful places.

I knew I wanted a happy colour. It was about a year since I’d lost my father and one morning I had the most wonderful memory of him sitting on the beach eating watermelon. That was it for me, then I had to figure out how to get there. It was fine-tuning that took the longest. But I knew it when I saw it…Watermelon Crush!

I painted the dresser right away. My eldest sister was in from overseas and she helped me style and photograph it. It meant a great deal to have her with me. And the Fusion Colour Contest win on top of it? It feels a bit like divine intervention. 😉

[ed: for Sada’s full blog post on how she came up with this colour, click HERE]

Play, have fun, be brave — there are no mistakes! It leads to beautiful places.

Where did your love for painting furniture begin?

I have fond childhood memories of painting furniture with my grandmother. She would whip up her own paint and off we would go, brushes in hand! Once I had my own home, I was always mixing it up with random furniture, painting things, selling them or giving pieces to friends, then painting more things. Eventually a friend said, “Why don’t you do this for a living?” and For The Love was born — literally over a cup of coffee!

sada profile

the piece in this photo was my grandmother’s. I’ve never touched it. It came from her sewing room. She was an exceptional seamstress and owned a fabric, bead and lace shop in Los Angeles, the only woman at that time on the West Coast. She was amazing and a true role model. I was doubly blessed to have TWO grandmothers like this. Both talented, creative and unstoppable.

How would you describe your style or your favourite style?

Oh wow…ha ha…this is tough. Is chameleon a style? Maybe global-inspired? Colourfully recycled vintage with a punk rock edge? Ha! Honestly, I appreciate a broad spectrum of interior styles and design in general, so I tend to integrate as many into my world as best I can.

Hello World sign

“Hello world” – Sada’s studio space – her happy place.

What is the biggest up-cycle or renovation project you have undertaken?

There have been so many! One might say too many! My husband and I restored a 100+ year old home we were living in that was near shambles. That was a 4-year labour of love. All up we’ve renovated six homes. There has never been a time I haven’t been refinishing, redoing or renovating something. We have a very humble uber-vintage shack at the beach that gets a little relove on an ongoing basis.



kahuna bedroom before

One of our reno rooms (vintage surf shack) BEFORE

kahuna bedroom after

Vintage Surf Shack – AFTER

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First coat of planks drying for Sada’s shiplap wall in her bathroom reno.

At the moment we’re DIY reno-ing my bathroom (an impromptu decision!) including installing a shiplap wall and refinishing a vintage vanity. Never a dull moment! We first try to source second hand and salvage yards in all that we do. And my biggest go-to tool in all projects? Paint!

Favourite place to be?

Only one? Oh no! Well, painting in my studio with music blaring. Teaching Workshops are a high for me, I love Workshop day! Exploring my beautiful city of Adelaide. On the beach restoring self. And cornball as it sounds, with my husband just about anywhere.

Action shot Workshop

“Teaching workshops are a high for me”

me on the beach

… on the beach, restoring self …

Do you have a favourite blogger or up-cycler that inspires you? (apart from me of course – 😉 hehe.)

It goes without saying that you are at the very top of my list! Sue at My Painted Door is tremendously talented. Krissy at Boho Upcycle does colour and pattern like a superhero and she’s an absolute sweetie pie. Linda at q is for quandie can do no wrong. There is the queen of course Marian, Miss Mustard Seed. My list goes on…

sewing table before

Sewing table makeover – BEFORE

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Sewing table – AFTER – in Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. [photo: ShiftPicture Adelaide]

Favourite product or tool at the moment?

Cling On Paint Brushes are life-changing. There. I said it. Apparently a paint brush CAN be life-changing?! And —you cannot separate me from my Hemp Oil — do not even try!

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Cling On! Brushes – a favourite tool of the trade.


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Hemp Oil – great for rejuvenating old wood or use as a sealer for porous paint finishes.

Care to share one of your favourite “tips of the trade” with our readers?

It’s a little on the soapbox, but I believe there is a creative and natural solution to nearly any issue we face with furniture painting, upcycling and renovating in general. It may take a little more time and effort but the long-term benefits to our health, the planet and even the project are completely worth it.

up-cycling

Sada up-cycled her grandfather’s trunk.

Check out the full blog post on Sada’s up-cycle of her grandfather’s trunk HERE.

I believe there is a creative and natural solution to nearly any issue we face with furniture painting, upcycling and renovating in general.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s “Furniture Fanatics” – if you have a favourite furniture up-cycler, please let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear who inspires you!

Have a great week!

Sharon.