Local artist gives faded furniture new life
Candace Stuckey with custom painted furniture and signs. Photos by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
If you’ve ever browsed the furniture and home goods section of a thrift store or antique mall and spied a really unique chair or table, but shied away from buying it because the color was dated or the surface was marred, one local artist has a challenge for you: Buy that piece, take it home, and give it a second chance to be spectacular.
Candace Stuckey, owner of Casually Southern (a furniture refinishing and custom sign company), says that many one-of-a-kind pieces are out there, waiting to be discovered and revived by those willing to invest the time, money and elbow grease.
Since 2017, Stuckey has been hunting out these pieces, refurbishing them (with carpentry help from husband Bobby) and selling the singularly beautiful finished pieces through her Facebook-based business. A physical therapy assistant turned “by choice” stay at home mom to kids Rhett, Ashlyn and John Luke, Stuckey says she started Casually Southern to contribute financially to the household and feed her own creative hunger.
“From a very young age, I was always trying to figure out how to do something fun and crafty, but still make a little bit of money,” says Stuckey, whose artsy entrepreneurial roots began with a childhood business where she and some friends tie-dyed shirts in an old cooler.
A painted furniture creation from Casually Southern
The idea of spiffing up old furniture first occurred to her several years ago while customizing an all-pink bedroom set for her daughter. She says she had so much fun working on that project that it fired up her curiosity, and she started exploring online resources to learn more about furniture painting. She took an online course to get her basics down, and learned even more by interacting with other artists whose work she admired. One man in particular – a Florida artist – sparked her interest because of his generosity with information about his methods and materials, and his habit of donating finished pieces to his local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
“I thought, this is something that I can do. I can reach out and help out in my community an an artist, as a painter.”
”I’ve always gone to Habitat to look for pieces that I can make over. You can find a lot of good stuff in that place,” Candace says.
After talking with the manager at Hartsville’s Habitat ReStore, Candace began doing painting demonstrations at the store, sharing her knowledge with anyone who wants to learn.
“We’re showing how they can pick up a piece that’s in the store, something that’s been donated, and make it their own by painting it any way that they like,” says Candace.
“It also gives back to the community because you’re teaching people how to recycle a piece of furniture so it’s not going into the landfill. And by doing business with the ReStore, you’re putting money into Habitat, which builds homes for people in our community.”
Another painted furniture creation from Casually Southern
These furniture painting classes take place on Saturday mornings at the Hartsville ReStore, located at 120 West Washington Street. Call 843-383-8517 for more information about scheduled classes.
If you’re thinking about trying to rehab a piece of furniture yourself, Candace has a few pieces of advice that may help you get started on your project.
“I would say the most important part is to make sure you’re starting with a quality piece of furniture. You don’t want to invest a lot of time and money and paint in something that’s not going to hold up over time,” Candace says. “Everything that I do, I want it to last for generations.”
She suggests avoiding pieces made of particle board or pressed wood covered in thin veneer. Instead, search out items made of solid wood, preferably with durable joints (dovetail, finger, and mortise and tenon joints, for example) and a salvageable surface. Veneer isn’t always a dealbreaker; just be sure the material is thick enough to endure a little sanding so paints and stains can fully adhere.
Always survey your potential piece for damage. Eliminate those that may be beyond redemption, and apply your own judgment as to how much wear and tear is too much for your purposes.
“Sometimes the dents and dings will help tell a story,” says Candace. “If you don’t mind those dings, I say leave them. They can help add character to a piece.”
As for equipment, Candace says a project toolkit should include a good degreaser to thoroughly clean away all dirt, old polish, etc. Keep a variety of sandpaper grits, ranging from rough to fine finish grades, to smooth out rough patches and give the wood a refined, silky surface. Quality paintbrushes – preferably those that don’t drop many bristles – can help you attain even, consistent coverage. Candace has seen good results with General Finishes milk paints and Dixie Belle chalk paints (available locally at Fleur De Lis Antique Mall), and she advises sealing wood surfaces prior to painting to prevent stains from blooming up later.
Candace’s business, Casually Southern, also makes custom printed signs. If you’d like to contact her about helping revive your furnishings or crafting unique signage, please message her through Facebook @CasuallySouthern.
