about us

our company

About the Founder

A Little About Me

Hi, I'm Bethany and my business was built upon my love of entrepreneurship. In Mississippi I was successful as a day spa owner and rabbit rancher. Moving to Austin five years ago was a huge change. As a stay at home mom, I channeled my creativity into cooking, arts & crafts, and painting.

The first time I painted a piece of furniture, I knew I had discovered my new passion. My Objet De'art pieces have covered everything from picture
frames to cabinets, walls, ionic columns and even jenga blocks. But my real love is in bringing life, love and color back into furniture whether it's a wooden chest that great grandpa built for Timmy or an antique heirloom that has been passed from one generation to the next.

It's not only the business that is rewarding, it's more about the huge smiling faces and pure happiness people have when they first see their special piece that has been brought back to life.  But by far the most special times are when tears flow freely from customers who have entrusted a family heirloom to Bee's Nest and witness its restoration. These people are so often moved because of a sweet and emotional family story which the dresser, vanity or table has carried through time. Sharing their story and
gratitude brings so much joy, and often tears, to me as well.

Bee's Nest is my business, my art, my passion, and my love. Let me share it with you.

Some Techniques

Powder Glaze


Powder Glaze is a unique painting technique. Powder glaze can be used on cabinets and furniture creating a stunning finished product. It is a very thin liquid that when applied and dried, it turns into a powder like form which seeps into every crevice. This unique finish appears three dimensional and makes every detail truly stand out and shine. Looks amazing on detailed, antique and ornate pieces adding even more timeless beauty.


Powder glazing is a gorgeous step up in furniture artistry. Imagine a bright and shiny, cherry red, ornately decorated dresser. The application of powder glaze tones the red down and fills in all of the curves, grooves, and decorative trim. The powder is carefully hand-sanded and the piece is clear coated to reveal dazzling 3-dimensional shadowing created by dark outlines which transition to beautifully variegated tones of the colored surfaces.


Distressed


Distressing is when a piece is painted in a solid color and once dried the paint is sanded to reveal the finish below. Distressing can be sanded in light, medium or heavy. Some people might describe this as a worn appearance.


Distressing furniture is one of the most popular methods.  A piece might be painted in eggshell white for instance and then the corners, edges and curved trim pieces are sanded to reveal the underlying wood. Depending on the look you want, dimensional distressing of pieces can also be performed by beating and marking the wood by tools, chains, and just about any solid instrument to leave marks that reflect the wear and tear of well used furniture.


Liquid Glaze


Liquid glaze is applied over a solid color and comes in a variety of colors. It seeps into details and crevices of each piece. Some might describe this as an antiquated finish.


Instead of adding a new wood top, a client might choose to keep the original table or dresser top. Sometimes there might be enough physical damage to the original stained or painted wood that refinishing is not option. In these cases, a liquid glaze is often used. It fills cracks and crevices and blends well with the original color to create an antique look. If a wood grain look is wanted, a patterning tool can be rolled to over the glaze.


Metallic Glaze


A metallic color is a color that appears to be that of a polished metal.  The visual sensation usually associated with metals is its metallic shine. This cannot be reproduced by a simple solid color, because the shiny effect is due to the material’s brightness varying with the surface angle to the light source.


A metallic glaze is applied for the same reason a client would want a liquid glaze. However, when antiquing is not the goal, the metallic glaze provides a glassy sheen that presents itself better with a modern décor or among other furniture with polished metal, stone or glass surfaces.