5 things I learned moving the gallery

Noelle Matthews
Jun 22, 2017
4 min read

I don't have a natural knack for DIY. It makes me nervous! I see a Pinterest look and immediately go to Etsy to try and find a "professional" who can do my DIY for me (DIFM). The gallery move project was sadly beyond the scope of anything I could easily Etsy. Let's just say I have never been to Home Depot more times in a shorter amount of time in my life. I think I went 15 times in one week. I became a DIY convert overnight! I also learned a lot over the two-ish weeks it took to switch locations and set-up the new spot in Animas.

Here are the top-five things I learned during the move:

1. Whenever possible, use a power-tool Sander vs sand paper. It will save a ton of time prepping the area and will prep it correctly. Also, don't do this inside.

2. Read instructions completely! This seems like a no-brainer, but honestly super easy to bypass and will only cause problems later. Even when an item doesn't seem like it has instructions– like the Otomi stencil I bought– scour the website for any details you may need to know before/when ordering.

3. When you hit a roadblock, turn to Google and/or Youtube for help! There are a TON of forums and how-to videos online. Lots of reviews and tips and tricks. Doing a bit of online-legwork really saved me when I needed the new gallery sign painted.

4. Find some good podcasts to listen to! Sanding, painting, stenciling, cleaning, unpacking.... it all takes time! I found the days actually enjoyable because I listened to some new podcasts any time I was working.

5. Patience is key! If you have a "gut feeling" you are painting a second coat too soon, or trying to move a piece of furniture before things have set...just wait. You'll never regret being overly cautious, but you will regret when you have to do twice as much work because you were being impatient.

Lesson #1 I learned while I was revamping four tables that had all been lacquered to show their natural wood color. In this new space I wanted them to essentially "disappear" while looking at the art, jewelry, etc, so decided to paint them a pale beige. I spent over an hour on each table sanding them with sand paper only to find out later (after painting AND re-laquering) that it did not create enough of a grit for everything to fully adhere. I was able to do one table correctly, but the other three still need to be redone at some point (they're only weak in some areas).

Here you can see the three tables I painted– don't you think they create a nice, neutral backdrop for the art and gifts? In the back is the desk that I already redid.... inside the gallery space... where I learned it is unwise to use a power sander indoors (dust everywhere!!!)

I came across lesson #2 when I ordered my Otomi Stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils. First, I LOVE their products. I honestly cannot wait to find more things to stencil because it is such a classy, chic, and easy way to decorate! Second, reading their general FAQ proved to be completely unhelpful in my case. Apparently my specific stencil was very different from a majority of their stencils– which state over and over that spray glue is unnecessary for the application of the stencil.

When I first tried to paint on the stencil I just used some tape at the stencil's edges like the general instructions said, and I could not figure out how to create smooth lines. The stencil was popping up all over the place! Something was not right. Of course when I went back to the order page for my specific product I found the disclaimer: this stencil requires the use of spay adhesive due to its size. After I cleared that up and actually found spray adhesive (not that easy in Baja) things went by smoothly!

My original plan of hiring a painter never panned out– every person I tried kept flaking, so I took matters into my own hands, literally. Lesson #3 in practice involves not just relying on one source from your "Google-ing". I used three different blogs/forums/videos as a guide to painting the gallery sign accurately. I didn't have stencil paper available, so crossed my fingers that mirroring the logo, printing, then tracing the printed side onto the wood would work (a spin on an idea one of the blogs I found suggested)... it did! The whole project took an entire day, but I am so happy with the results!

Lesson #4 came to me very early on in the process. I spent 2 weeks cleaning, organizing, and setting up the new gallery, so basically after an hour of day 1 I knew I needed something more than just my usual Spotify playlist to help me stay on task. Here are a few recommendations for some binge-listening:

Missing Richard Simmons: Mystery + Celebrity. Exploring why this famous fitness icon essentially disappeared three years ago.
S-Town: Crime + Investigative Journalism. What begins as a possible criminal investigation ends in a complex and haunting character study.
How I Built This: Business. All about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built. I got hooked after listening to the episode on Dermalogica, built by Jane Wurwand.
Criminal: True Crime. A narrative series about the people who commit crime and those who are unwitting victims.
Fresh Air: Interview. I love hearing Terry Gross interview her guests. Some recent favorites: Polar Photographer Paul Nicklen and Giancarlo Esposito Of 'Better Call Saul'.

Patience is a lesson you can never learn enough– especially living in Mexico! Life is (generally) slower here, so I should be used to taking things at a slower pace, but sometimes I let my rushed California life creep back in and end up painting a second coat and lacquer before I actually should. Luckily lesson #5 came up in the first 48 hours of the move and lesson #4 was helpful with filling a lot of the downtime.

It was a lot of work, but I am so happy with how Mi Casa Azul Gallery turned out! I am so excited for this next season and all the new clients we will meet.