Meet Barb Blair. She is a goddess of sandpaper and paintbrushes, not to mention vivid color and stunning hardware. Oh, and she can rock a pair of cowboy boots. Jealous much? Me, too. Welcome to Knack Studio, where Barb strips away old paint and unremarkable features from found furniture and adds a brand new coat of charisma.

Here’s a delicious little sample from Knack Studio that will make you swoon. “Totally unpredictable. Perfectly imperfect. Completely Knack.” Ms. Blair’s sphere of perfection lies in “elevating found pieces of furniture from forgotten to unforgettable.”

Barb is one of those rare personable professionals who is generous enough to share her genius with the world – she writes a column, Before and After Basics, for Design*Sponge. I am completely obsessed with and addicted to her infatuating and informative tips on how to turn a forgotten piece into an unforgettable beauty. It’s kind of a dream of mine to spend a week (or a month?) in her studio soaking up her brilliance. From stripping furniture to flirting with paint, tape, stencils, and wax – click over and admire Barb’s creativity (maybe even get inspired to get a little paint under your own fingernails).

If you are more of a shopper than a (furniture) stripper (no judgment), peruse the Knack shop and purchase yourself a wooden prize of color and whimsy (Aziel really wants to come live in my bedroom). Don’t miss the blog either.

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It’s the kind of lab I wish they offered in school instead of chemistry.

Meet Chroma Lab, a collaboration of two furniture doctors, Alicia Cornwell and Tony Bevilacqua, who merged their fine art skills and history backgrounds to transform “neglected but promising” decor.

Salvaging the treasures in the attic beats buying new any day. Why not go the distance, like Cornwell and Bevilacqua, and reclaim one man’s junk instead of tossing it?

The artful pair began dabbling in recycling, repainting and repairing castaways from their work digs in Boston a couple of years ago for their own pleasure. It was so much fun (Yippee, pass me another chair!) they went legit, embellishing everything from timeworn, high quality furniture to tired handcrafted lamps and clocks –  customizing oldies but goodies from clients with pick-me-up colors and geometric flourishes.

Check out the lab’s new online store at Etsy. You can order painted treasures ready to ship. Or, if you live within 50 miles, they will deliver for free.

Bright spots from their lively portfolio include the Gum Drop Table; Glowing Tree Nightstands; Limeade Plant Stand; and an orange Table for a Rainy Day. The team has  partnered with Grand, adding its furniture and clocks to one of Boston’s design most well-curated haunts for home accessories, clothing and gifts.

Images: Chroma Lab

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