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In Kensington's artsy West Antique District, Bahia Akerele is inspiring folks to create their own treasures out of garage sale and thrift shop finds. Her "DIY boutique and workshop space" On The Purple Couch is both a place to shop furniture that Akerele's spruced up and designed with Annie Sloan chalk place, and a space for classes to learn how to use the chalk paint on your own projects. "There's no priming, stripping, or sanding. If you use chalk paint, you don't have to take the finish off. You can do everything from modern to shabby chic to French Rococo," Akerele said. Why the name? "I've always wanted a purple couch," Akerle said. And now she has one — there's a purple couch in the shop as a mascot. · On The Purple Couch [Official Site]