The Newest of Old | Woodstock, ON

When Danielle moved back to Woodstock from England, she had nothing but her suitcase and her husband Pete.  They lived with her parents until they were settled and ready to move to a place of their own.  With nowhere to store her clothes, and a limited budget, Danielle went to the thrift store to find the cheapest solution she could.  She came home with a less than beautiful wood dresser that someone else no longer loved.  It was this piece that inspired Danielle to create her business, The Newest of Old.  After a little paint, and a lot of love, she was left with a beautiful piece of furniture that would easily sell for hundreds in a boutique furniture store. 

Things snowballed from there, Danielle found herself looking everywhere for inexpensive furniture in need of love.  When her and her husband were finally ready to move to their own house, she had collected almost all the furniture she needed to make it a home.  

One of the things that makes Danielle's furniture so unique is that she uses Annie Sloan's Chalk paint.  Chalk paint is not your average latex paint.  It has a smooth velvety feeling, a very old world look, and is great for painting antiques to give them a new life, but distressing them so they still have that antique feeling.  It comes in a variety of colours from Old White to English Yellow, and can be finished with Annie Sloan Soft Wax for a protective finish. Of course there is more to it than just the materials, you need the time, expertise and patience that Danielle has to pull it all together.

Although Danielle still enjoys going out antique picking, most of the work she does now are custom pieces.  If you bring her your old furniture she can give it new life.  One piece that she was working on while I was there, was an old dresser.  When it came to her, it was dark wood and pretty beat up. It even had the person's name etched on it from when she was a child.  It's now a cheerful white with a silky smooth dark stained top, and crystal knobs.  A complete transformation.

Here are some tips that Danielle had for customers looking to acquire  furniture for customization.

• Always buy solid wood, as imperfections can be sanded out, and it can be stained or painted multiple times. Remember that TV's are relatively new, so there is no true antique TV stand and it will probably be made of particle board.
• Look for dovetail joints on drawers, as that is a good sign of quality furniture.  
• Ornate furniture usually looks better painted, than simple clean lines. Although this can depend on personal preference, try not to be put off by something you think is "tacky" because it really will be stunning when painted.  
• Danielle's biggest tip is don't overpay.  Unless it's something one of a kind that you will never see again, and can't live with out, don't pay to much!  Danielle has one piece that was a splurge, and well worth it.  It's a fantastic wine rack, very ornate somethings you don't see everyday, and she has no regrets.  

Recently Danielle moved into a booth at the One of a Kind Antique Market on Wilson Street in Woodstock. It's a great way to check out her furniture, or if you have something in your home that you are looking to restore, refresh and give new life to, contact Danielle at 519-532-6522 or visit her webpage at www.thenewestofold.com or her Facebook page.