Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category

painted furniture: makeover edition

October 12th, 2009
DIY
5 Comments

like i promised, here are the before & after’s of the furniture i painted this week. i painted the nightstand in the furniture painting class, and then went home and did the rest.

1. nightstand:

before

fall2009 010

after

fall2009 073

(i just realized i haven’t distressed the knobs on this piece (above) yet, but i am definitely going to go back & do that.)

2. dresser:

before

fall2009 016

(ooops, i forgot to take a “before” picture before i painted one of the drawers. and by the way, this is laminate, so i attempted to test the “never paint laminate rule” and it came out great!)

after

fall2009 062

fall2009 065

fall2009 064

3. the headboard. this is actually made from an old door i found at the habitat for humanity restore for only $5! i had the door cut down, then bought molding to attach to the top, then added wood for legs to attach it to the bed frame.

before

the door:

door 003

the “door headboard”:

fall2009 014

after

fall2009 049

fall2009 048

as much as i reeallly want to, unfortunately i can’t show you the finished headboard in the room, with the bedding and everything, because i want to wait untill  i am finished with the room before i reveal it! but i am extremely happy with the results.

(p.s. don’t worry, i painted the wooden legs, i just painted them after i took the picture)

i don’t have a before picture of this little table, but it was a dark mahogany. you really could not see the detail in the wood, and i think this is one of the best cases to paint wood, because it really brought out the detail and accentuated all of the amazing intricate lines.

fall2009 078

fall2009 080

i hope these before & after’s inspire you to go and paint some of your furniture! i can’t stop, it is so fun! i am literally painting everything in sight! the teacher of the class really encouraged us that if we were not enjoying a piece of  furniture the way it is, to just go ahead and paint it! she said everything can be restored back to it’s original condition, if you are weary because you have a valuable antique or something like that. i have learned that you really can paint anything! i was nervous about the laminate dresser i painted, because everything i read online said do not paint laminate! it was a cheap purchase from wal-mart that my husband bought for his apartment in college, and i decided why not give it a try?! and i am loving the results! let me know what you think or if you have any questions!

a key find.

September 23rd, 2009
DIY
2 Comments

i am loving all the vintage keys that are in right now, not only in fashion necklaces, but also used as accessories in the home. i love restoration hardware, but i have to be honest, i was a little shocked to see how expensive this artwork was:

key

a framed key for $199!? that’s a little crazy! therefore i am providing a simple DIY solution.

1. get a vintage key at a local antique shop or flea market (i purchased one not too long ago at a flea market for around $1)

2. buy a frame (i found one at michael’s with a “3D” matte, so there is room for the key to fit in between the glass), a black matte, and some white linen to put behind the key

3. frame the key and hang on the wall. voilà! an inexpensive alternative, for under $20!

key

group them together for a dramatic impact, like pictured here behind the desk:

KEYS FRAMED

image via restoration hardware.

five for friday: DIY.

September 18th, 2009
DIY, five for friday
5 Comments

just this week i found an old chair with a lot of character that i wanted to fix up.  it was so fun to envision the finished product, and it wasn’t an overwhelming project. i finished it in just a couple of days. here are 5 easy steps to completely change a chair:

1. find a chair that you think has some potential at a flea market, antique store, garage sale, or even in your attic!

september09 025

2. prime the chair. (you might need to wear a mask, the fumes can get pretty strong!)

september09 028

3. paint the chair the color you desire. antique it by sanding the sides and edges, if you so desire.

september09 035

4. find a fabric for the cushion, and recover the cushion using a staple gun.

0917091519

september09 030

5. screw the cushion back in the chair and you have your finished product!

september09 037

and there you have it! easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

chairbeforeafter