I promise we're not rednecks.

If you walk past our house, 9 times out of 10 we'll have a half finished piece of furniture on our front porch.

I feel bad for our neighbors. 

I try to be a responsible DIY'er and not sand too early or too late in the day.

I try not to paint when kids are getting out of school, 

so I don't overwhelm them with paint fumes as they walk home. 

(And mom's you can stop giving me dirty looks if I'm painting...

I don't know of a more well ventilated place to paint.)

But this is what happens when you don't have a garage. 

There is saw dust over everything.

And maybe I accidentally painted our fence.

(Graffiti isn't one of my talents.)

 When you come to visit, don't trip on one of several power tools littering the porch.

And did you know, stroller cup holders also double as storage for furniture hardware?

At least our neighborhood doesn't have a homeowner's association.

I'm not sure if they would like us.

But I promise we're not rednecks.

A Grand Debut

Welcome to 551 East Furniture Design!

I'm Julia and this is my little family.

My husband Jake and I got married in December 2008.

And our little man, Rhett, was born in August 2010.

We live in Provo Utah. I graduated from BYU a little over a year ago and my husband will graduate this August. (I don't know if I'm more excited for Jaketo have a grown-up job or not to have his backpack by the front door everyday). Now I'm a stay at home mom and I realized I was spending kind of a ridiculous amount of time watching Netflix and Hulu...and losing my mind. 

So I decided to start a little business. I've loved redoing furniture for a couple of years. I think it's kind of a high, finding a used (and lets admit it, sometimes ugly) piece of furniture and turning it into an eye catching piece.

And that's what this little bloggy blog is for! To show pieces that once were ugly ducklings and that are now beautiful swans. And to share some tips, ideas, and laughs along the way. :)

Scroll on down to see some of the items I've done so far! More coming soon....

French Inspired White End Table

Sweet. Beautiful. Classic. 

This piece is meant to be cherished. 

With 3 shelves and a drawer it's a beautiful and practical piece.
Hardware from Anthropologie.

Price: $65

Email me at julesholbein@gmail.com if interested!

Antique Vintage Chairs

 When I saw these chairs I couldn't decide whether I should keep them totally classic...re-stain them, paint them cream...or try something a little more bold. I went with the bold. With that said, I didn't want to go too crazy. I found a swatch of paint from Martha Stewart called Elderberry. It's a deep, rich, purple. So elegant. They've been reupholsterd and they are lovely. 

I truly wish I had room for them. 

Le sigh. 

Price: $50/chair if all 4 are purchased together.

$65/chair if set of 2 are purchased. 

Not sold individually

Email me at julesholbein@gmail.com if interested!

(PS These chairs look AMAZING with the distressed kitchen table...just an idea.:) )