Furniture Feature - Llave Designs

A while back I met Blanca with Llave Designs when I bought a dresser from her. I felt an instant kinship as we talked about our love for furniture, and she showed me around her workshop and I got to see some of her work. I have seen my share of refinished furniture, and many people get it really wrong. But let me tell you, I was SO impressed with Blanca's work! She has a fantastic eye, and she definitely knows what she's doing and she hits it out of the ballpark every time! I really wanted you to meet her, so I had her answer a few questions for us! So without further ado, here's Blanca!

Q: What is your name/business name?

A: Llave Designs

Q:  Tell us what you do.

A: I find and restore vintage furniture.

Q: Where are you located?

A: My workshop is in Garland TX

Q:  How did you get started doing this?

A: I started on our tiny apartment doing pieces for myself and within a year I was blessed with
an 1800 sq ft warehouse.

Q:  Do you remember the first piece you ever refinished? (If you have a picture please share)

A: Yes, I refinished a black bar cabinet. I painted the inside of the flip top with chalk board paint.

Q: Where do you go to find furniture to refinish?

A: I never really stop looking but most come from thrift stores or connections I have made with
“pickers” in the last 2 years. My favorite avenue would have to be Garage sales, they always
have the best prices and most of the time you can get the story behind the piece.


Q: What part of the refinishing process do you dislike the most? 

A: PREP! Cleaning and sanding is very tedious and messy.

Q:  What do you love most about your job? 

A: I love that I am able to take a discarded piece of furniture and bring back or show its value. I also
love working with customers who can appreciate vintage furniture.

Q: What’s your favorite refinishing project(s) to date? (Please provide a picture(s))

A: I would have to say it’s between the mint campaign desk and the coral dresser I just did.

Q: What is your decorating style at home? Do you have a favorite room or piece of furniture you'd like to share? 

A: This is a tough one for me. I have a love and appreciation for most styles. I am also in the middle of redecorating so at this moment we have an “industrial chic” look ;) we have an iron coffee table on casters (unfortunately not vintage), a small farm house table and a very primitive buffet. I have purchased a very fun dresser that will be painted Kelly green for my dining room and fantastic Henredon chest that I will leave as is.

Q: Without sharing all of your secrets, do you have a tip about refinishing furniture that you can share with the rest of us?

A: Never stop looking for that perfect piece! You never know where you will find a treasure. I would also recommend chalk paint. I recently started playing with a few brands and really like the Annie sloan paint. It is very easy to use and you don’t have to do as much prep work. I have used it on mid century modern furniture and really love the way it looks.

Thanks Blanca for letting us get to know you better! For more eye candy, and to get your hands on one of her amazing pieces, go like her Facebook Page!