Refinished Nightstand

Problem: (1)Need another piece of furniture to add to existing set or (2) run into problem during refinishing project.

Solution: Find piece of furniture with similar style/lines as existing furniture (finish doesn't matter), (2) go with the flow, a mistake or problem may actually add character to a piece.

Cost: $34

• Nightstand $18 (flea market)
• Sand paper $2
• Stain $4
• Polyurethane $8
• Paint Stripper $4

When I purchased this night stand it was graced with 4 coats of paint, the top a light pink color. I used paint stripper to remove as much paint as possible when I ran into a stubborn black coat (must have been spray paint), which wouldn't come off the night stand. I used a palm sander to reveal the wood finish under the paint, but still had trouble removing all the black paint. I decided to try an experiment and stain over blotches of existing paint. I am actually quite impressed with the results, as the paint now resembles cracked parchment or an old map, making the piece much more interesting. Although the existing furniture in the room does not have worn paint, the night stand makes a welcome addition. I also used a router on the once plain edges of the night stand to match existing edges on furniture already in the room.

What To Do With Old Trunks

Problem: Need creative storage solution and/or lack furniture.

Solution: Purchase or use existing inexpensive old trunks or suitcases for storage and as a great furniture piece.

In my home I lack storage areas, but also needed end tables. Instead of storing my old trunks in the garage I used them as a temporary entertainment unit to house all of my DVD's, video games, etc and my media players. The trunks add much more character than a cheaply made particle board entertainment stand and also allow for convenient storage, resulting in a tidy look. Stacked trunks or old suitcases also make great end or coffee tables or would look great stacked at the end of a bed to house seasonal linens.

Repainted Hutch

Problem: Old piece of furniture painted an extremely unappealing color.

Solution: With a few inexpensive supplies and a little creativity any item can be turned into a piece full of character and charm.

Cost: $40

Believe it or not, this hutch was painted bright teal when I purchased it on Craigslist.org for only $35. I spent a whopping $5 on supplies to turn it into a stylish storage chest for my sewing room. I will post a photo of the room when finished decorating.

Greenery Under $3

Problem: Want to add a splash of color to rooms for very minimal cost and don't have a green thumb.

Solution: Be creative and create realistic flower arrangements for under $3, no maintenance required.

Materials:

• spring floral stem
• small planter
• Spanish moss
• floral foam

Cost:

To account for the cost of Spanish moss and floral foam $0.25 was added to the cost of each arrangement. All arrangements approximately 6 - 12 inches high.

1. (top left) Floral bunch $1 (Michaels), planter $1 (Walmart), craft paint; Total: $2.25
2. (top right) Floral bunch $1 (Michaels), planter $1 (dollar store); Total: $2.25
3. (center) 2 floral stems $1.76 (Walmart), planter $1.50; Total $3.51 (little over $3)
4. (bottom left) floral bunch $1 (Michaels), planter $0.88 (Walmart), craft paint; Total: $2.13
5. (bottom right) floral bunch $1 (Michaels), planter $2 (Joann's); Total: $3.25

Greenery Under $10

Problem: Need to add additional interest and color to a space but don't want to pay outrageous prices for pre made greenery.

Solution: Make your own custom greenery for less than 1/2 the cost!

Materials:

• floral foam $2.49 for pack of 5
• Spanish moss $1.99 for large bag
• planter
• greenery

Cost:

For each item $0.50 was added to account for the floral foam and Spanish moss. Items are not to scale and all stand 24" or higher

1. Greenery $3 (JoAnn's), Urn $6 (Razmataz); Total: $9.50
2. Greenery $6 (flea market), Planter $1.50 (flea market); Total: $8
3. Greenery $3 (Walmart), Urn $6 (Michaels); Total: $8.50
4. Greenery $3 (Walmart), Planter $1.50; Total: $5
5. Greenery $1, Urn $4.25 (Target); Total: $5.75
6. Greenery $2, Foam balls $2, Twigs $0, Urn $4 (Razmataz); Total: $8.50
7. Greenery $6, Planter $1.50; Total: $8.00

House Beautiful Quiz: What's Your Style?

Problem: Don't know your decorating style, don't understand design jargon, can visualize what you like and don't like, but aren't sure of your style.

Solution: Take the "What's Your Style?" quiz with 10 simple questions, from which you select one or four 4 pictures to determine your style. You must take this quiz. Post your results in the comments section so I can offer ideas that fit your style. Click on heading for link to quiz.

What's MyStyle?

Anything-Goes Eclectic

You've got a truly personal sense of style, and you refuse to be pigeonholed by someone else's idea of which pieces go with what. You mix and match whatever suits your fancy from tramp-art accessories to Italian postmodern design and somehow you manage to pull it off, thanks to your passion for things that thrill you and your well-developed eye. Find something new? You're sure to make room for it by moving cherished possessions around and shaking up the mix. Because for you the fun lies not only in finding perfect treasures, but in mixing and matching them playfully .

Relativity

Have you ever found a great piece of art or a great home decor item, but decided against your purchase because the piece just didn't fit in with your style? If so, a relative approach to design is for you!

A relative approach to decorating involves utilizing ones resources and imagination. If something doesn't work, make it work. Everything is viewed as a blank canvas, to be changed and made into a piece of art.
When assessing a potential item review the following tips:

• Assess your overall decorating style to determine your starting point. Are you privy to shabby chic, French country, old English, French provincial, western, modern, traditional, contemporary, formal, causal, etc or do you prefer an eclectic mix? (Click on the "Relativity" heading to take a short 10 question quiz to determine your style- mine was Traditional)
• Look at the item for what it is. Block out surroundings and only focus on the lines and aesthetic feel of the piece. Do the lines of the item or aesthetic feel work with your style?
• Don't focus on color or finish (I know it is your first instinct)! The finish of an item is the easiest part to change (I will demonstrate numerous examples throughout my posts).
• Don't be afraid to experiment! If you decide to change the look of an item, don't be afraid to make mistakes. 95% of the time an error can be easily fixed. You never know, your mistake may actually work and only add character to your piece. Everything I do in regard to refinishing is an experiment. I don't know what I am doing, I just go with the flow, and end up with great, custom results. I make my mistakes work. (I didn't know how to sew, paint, refinish furniture, but I taught myself through experimentation and imagination.)

I took the quiz below from Better Homes and Gardens and scored the following 50% Formal, 40% Casual, 10% Slick. This quiz can help you further refine your style.

http://interiordec.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhg.com%2Fbhg%2Fstory.jhtml%3Fstoryid%3D%252Ftemplatedata%252Fbhg%252Fstory%252Fdata%252F14473.xml%26categoryid%3D

Refinished Antique Stool

Problem: Needed to make very worn handed down family heirloom work with my style.

Solution: Refinish stool to match existing kitchen cabinets.

Cost: Under $15

Materials:

• Furniture item to be refinished (gift in my case) $0
• Paint stripper $5
• Cherry stain $2.49
• Polyurethane $4
• Sand paper $2
• Dust mask
• Scraper
• Latex gloves
• Paint brush
• Wire brush

Many of us have old furniture stashed away somewhere collecting dust. The above stool was given to my by a family member. It had been in the family for 100+ years, so of course I had to keep the lovely piece. My options involved hiding the ugly stool in my garage or refinishing it to match my existing decor. I chose the latter and selected a cherry finish to match my traditional kitchen cabinets, since the stool would reside in my kitchen. Little did I know my project would require hours of intensive work to remove 100+ years of wear and tear (including over 10 layers of paint) to restore the stool to its original beauty. For a more modern look I could have used a palm sander to smooth out the colorful array of partially removed paint, which can be seen in the photo on the bottom left.

Fabric Blinds

Fabric blinds.

Problem: Needed an inexpensive, high style way to dress up bare windows without using unappealing plastic blinds.

Solution: Low cost fabric blinds in various styles to match the decor of each room.

Cost: under $5 each

Time: 30 min to 1 hour each

Materials:

• Fabric (measure windows to determine amount)- $1 yard (Walmart)
• 1" x 2" wood- $1.29 per 8ft length (Home Depot)
• Cabone rings- $0.99 per 30 (Walmart)
• Screw eyes- $1.00 per 100 (dollar store)
• String (I used masonry string) $2.00 for 500ft (Walmart)
• Thread
• Fringe or lace (optional)
• Dowel rod- $0.39 each

Fabric blinds can add a great touch to any room. They are very easy to make, and can be as expensive or inexpensive as one would like. With hundreds of variations available, the options are endless. Trim can be added to the bottom edge to add additional flare or lace can be sewed or glued to the sides.

If anyone would like detailed instructions on how to make fabric blinds please let me know in the comment section and I would be happy to share.