Reimagining furniture at Apple Box Design Studio: A New Take on an Old Look

When it comes to current trends in interior design, vintage is stylish, shabby is chic and reclaimed materials have never looked better. It’s lucky then that there is a studio in St. Albert that can teach you how to turn your DIY interior-design dreams into a reality. For the last seven years, Apple Box Design Studio, run by Leanne Playter-Korsos, has been teaching both professional designers and amateur enthusiasts how to take worn-out furniture and make it feel new again. Leanne began her design career at a young age by helping out as a set designer for some local theatre companies. Painting and interior design have been her passions ever since. Today, Leanne uses her talents to help people build their design skills and DIY confidence. As we discovered on our visit, if you’re willing to learn, Leanne can teach you how to transform your home with just a few buckets of chalk paint. Take a look.

When looking at the completed projects around Apple Box Design Studio, it’s easy to recognise a certain style common to the furniture. Largely, this comes down to the specialized chalk paints that Leanne works with. Why chalk? According to Leanne, chalk paints produce a consistently good colour, they’re eco-friendly and they naturally preserve the wood that they’re used on.

“I’ve always been a bit of a tree hugger,” says Leanne, “and the acrylic paints that I’d use in the early part of my career always made me feel a bit guilty. They smell bad, and they’re honestly a bit dangerous to breathe.”

Chalk paint is relatively new to the market, and for a long time, Leanne’s preferred brand had no Canadian suppliers. That is, until Leanne opened Apple Box and decided to become a supplier herself.

When looking at the completed projects around Apple Box Design Studio, it’s easy to recognise a certain style common to the furniture. Largely, this comes down to the specialized chalk paints that Leanne works with. Why chalk? According to Leanne, chalk paints produce a consistently good colour, they’re eco-friendly and they naturally preserve the wood that they’re used on.

“I’ve always been a bit of a tree hugger,” says Leanne, “and the acrylic paints that I’d use in the early part of my career always made me feel a bit guilty. They smell bad, and they’re honestly a bit dangerous to breathe.”

Chalk paint is a relatively new invention, and for a long time, Leanne’s preferred brand had no Canadian suppliers. That is, until Leanne opened Apple Box and decided to become a supplier herself.

Leanne offers a variety of workshops in her studio. The ones she calls “Product Classes” are largely focused on building technical skills and an aptitude with chalk paints. “We get a lot of designers and other professionals who are looking to get a bit more experience with the paints we use,” notes Leanne. “They can bring their own pieces in, learn about the process, have some fun and take home a finished piece.”

Then there are the “Project Classes,” which are also extremely popular. “We get a lot of people coming in who have never painted in their lives, and they’re terrified to even start. But we get them to practice the basics of painting, stencilling and things like that, and by the end of the class, they’re ready to start their own projects at home.”

So if you’re feeling inspired but don’t have the confidence to put brush in hand, visit Leanne. She believes there’s a designer in all of us, and all it takes is a little push to bring it out.  t8n

“People see DIY work online and say, ‘Why can’t I do this?’ When they come to my workshops, I teach them a few skills and try to give them the confidence they need to start their own projects.”

–Leanne Playter-Korsos

“Before Apple Box, I was really pining for those mom-and-pop stores from my childhood, where you could just stop in and feel like you were visiting a friend. That’s the feeling I’m trying to create withmy studio.”

  –Leanne Playter-Korsos