Hunting and Gathering Part 2

In my last post I shared some tips on how to plan ahead for a redesign project. In this post I'm going to share some money-saving DIY projects that I incorporated into my own living room redesign.

1. DIY Coffee Table

To complete my rustic/lodge look, I knew I wanted some sort of natural wood coffee table.  Since I splurged on a sofa, and a mirror for my mantle, I needed to be creative on this piece in order to meet my budget. I took to Craigslist and found an old wooden toy chest for just $25 dollars. I sanded it down with a palm sander to remove the existing worn-out finish and gave it a new coat of stain (I used MinWax Provincial). Once the stain was dry I gave it a coat of clear polyurethane to seal it...the whole process was super easy! I love the additional storage it provides for the firewood. Trunks and chests like these are so easy to find at antique shops - and often cost much less than you'd pay retail. There are so many options for making them your own. For example, you could add a custom glass top or some caster wheels for added mobility.

2. DIY Bookshelf Made From Craft Crates 

I kept seeing this project all over Pinterest so I decided to try it out for myself!

Supplies:

• 12 large unfinished wooden crates (Michaels Crafts, $10 a piece)
• Stain (or paint) in your desired color
• A sanding block
• A rag for staining
• Drywall screws (6 x 1-1/4) and drill
• Rubber gloves (you don't want to get stain on your hands...it's pretty nasty)
• Mask (make sure you work in a well-ventilated area or you will have a steady migraine and you will be able to taste stain for a week. Don't ask...just trust me on this one)
• Paintbrush

Steps:

1. Begin by sanding all wood surfaces so that the stain will be better absorbed.
2. Stain each crate starting from the inside out (this will prevent you from getting stain all over yourself). Just be sure to brush on a thin coat so it doesn't run through all of the crevices, then wipe off the excess with your rag.
3. Once the crates are dry (I would give them at least 48-hours) you can start assembling. Try out some different layout options. I liked a more asymmetrical look, but my husband vetoed it. (I guess I have to give him some say here and there).
4. Use drywall screws to secure each row (screws go through the sides of each pair as seen in the photo below).
5. Finish with spray-on polyurethane for added protection.

3. Mix and Match Expensive Frames with Cheaper Ones

Despite my addiction to bargains, I can't say I don't love me a good Pottery Barn purchase! I bought a few gold frames and was planning to do a large photo collage. But rather than spend the money to buy the remaining frames at Pottery Barn, I hit up Walmart instead. I bought a few cheap frames and spray painted them gold to match the color scheme...can you tell which are which? I also incorporated a few thrift store finds to give the collage a more eclectic look. I think I paid $5 for the gold mirror and $2 for the antique frame.

4. Recycled Bottles as Decorative Vases

I see a lot of people decorating with vintage bottles these days. To get the style for less, look no further than your recycling bin! If you're patient enough to peel off the labels, green olive oil bottles make great bud vases. A1 Steak Sauce bottles are another great option! In fact, there are so many products that come in pretty bottles...you just have to be a little creative with your grocery shopping!

-Sarah

Hunting and Gathering Part 1

One of the best ways to redesign a room on a budget is to plan ahead. This will allow you to avoid costly impulse buys, and instead take a more creative approach to completing your wishlist. I am by no means an expert, but here are some early-stage planning tips that seem to work well:

Step 1. Set a reasonable budget and make it your goal not to overspend.

Step 2. Give your room a theme. Jot down a few words to describe the atmosphere you're trying to create. This may seem cheesy, but believe me...it will help keep you focused!

Step 3. Choose a color palette, sticking with one main color and 2-3 accent colors. This will help make your room feel more cohesive as a whole.

Step 4. Decide what kind of fabrics you'll use. Mixing and matching fabrics is a good way to create texture and depth.

Step 5.  Make a list of all the major items you want to purchase. Choose 1-2 dramatic pieces that will become your main focal point. Start assigning price limits to these items. Perhaps you might splurge on a new sofa or area rug. Things like these can be harder to find second-hand. Other items such as tables, bureaus and chairs are easy to find cheap, and you can refurbish them to achieve your desired look. Accents like mirrors, vases, picture frames and lamps are also easy to find cheap at flea market and consignment stores. 

Here's a few of my favorite online planning tools to help you get started:

Pinterest is great for gathering inspiration. Create a pin board exclusively for your project and start building a library of colors, fabrics, furniture, and artwork that you like.

At Houzz, you can flip through endless interior design photos and search for specific rooms/colors, etc. Save your favorite photos to your personal "lookbook." You can also save comments for easy reference later on.

Mydeco is another great site that has two hands-on planning tools: a free 3D Home Planner and a Moodboard creator (which is similar to a virtual pin board). Unlike other 3D design tools, this one uses actual products which makes the final design more realistic. It's a great way to visualize your space before you start hunting and gathering.

The picture at the beginning of this post is an example of my 3D living room design using mydeco.  I was going for a cozy, refined, rustic/lodge feel (yep, that's my cheesy description). Stay tuned to see some of the progress I've made, including a reclaimed wooden coffee table, a DIY crate bookshelf, and more money-saving tips!

-Sarah

 

Plain Ikea Kitchen Cart Turned Tres Chic

This used kitchen cart was another great second-hand find! For just $25 I couldn’t resist scooping it up for my next project! The funny thing is, I almost purchased this brand-new at Ikea a few months ago, but wasn't thrilled about the plain birch look...but that's about to change!

My original plan was to stain the shelves and the top of the piece. But as I've come to learn, no matter how hard you plan a project, things don't always work out as you might expect. As I went to stain the shelves, I quickly discovered that they had a clear acrylic lacquer finish...bummer. I was not about to take the extra step of stripping it off, so I had to improvise. Luckily, the butcher block top was just treated with oil, so I was able to sand it down enough to stain it. In this case, I just used my Ryobi Finish Sander which you can get at Home Depot for $29. A more powerful orbital sander would be a better investment for removing old material, but this is not a bad alternative if you're operating on a budget. For the stain I used MinWax "Provincial" to get a nice rustic look. I also stained a few craft crates to hide the clutter and to give me the light/dark contrast I had originally wanted.

Once again I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in “Old White.” I'm addicted to this stuff! I did some light distressing with 100 grit sandpaper and finished it with a coat of Annie Sloan’s Clear Wax. The wax softens the paint and gives it a nice velvety look. It also seals and protects the wood. On a side note - you can either distress before or after waxing - it’s really a matter of preference.

I absolutely love the look of French typography and knew I wanted to incorporate it. I downloaded this image from The Graphics Fairy and transferred it onto the wood using a Sharpie. This process requires it's own post which I will share with you soon! You can also find various tutorials on the Graphics Fairy website.

Despite some minor setbacks, I still managed to pull off the look I was going for!

-Sarah

Mom's Old Record Cabinet Dances to a New Beat

For anyone who's ever wall-mounted a flat screen TV in their bedroom, perhaps you can relate to my dilemma - what do you do with the cable box? We originally had the option of purchasing a TV console with our bedroom set, but with a price tag around $400 it didn't seem worth it. To save money, I decided to re-purpose my Mom’s old record cabinet that was collecting dust in my basement. As far as I was concerned, this thing was simply outdated and just not functional (Here's a really bad "before" picture).

But the more I thought about it, it actually seemed like it might serve its purpose after all. I was determined to make it work!

After seeing it all over Pinterest, I decided to try Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Now I'm hooked! It comes in a beautiful 18th-Century color palette that is perfect for restoring antiques. The color I chose for this project is called "French Linen" and it's gorgeous! I was equally impressed by how easy it was to use. There is absolutely no prep work required, such as sanding or priming. It dries in about 15-20 minutes and does not have a strong odor like most latex or oil-based paints - great for indoor use! It's about $39 for a quart but a little goes a long way. I used maybe a quarter of the can on this piece. Before choosing a color, I would suggest trying to find a real-life sample. I thought I wanted to use "Paris Grey" on this project until I saw a sample bureau in the "Old Linen." Isn't it lovely?

After two coats of paint it was time to rough her up a bit. Although I loved the matte finish, the style of the piece called for some light distressing. I was really nervous that I would somehow mess up this process, but the reality is, you can’t go wrong! The paint is designed to make distressing a piece of cake. All you need is some sand paper (I used 120 grit). The key is to focus on the areas that would naturally get scuffed over time like edges and corners. Don't take it too seriously, just have fun with it. If you're not happy with the outcome, you can just paint right over it - yet another endearing quality about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! There are so many great techniques you can do with this paint. I hope to share them with you in future posts.

Finally, to give the piece more of a French Country look, I did some classic stencil work on the top and sides using off-white acrylic paint. I love how this came out! Next, using a dry brush, I added a few strokes of the white paint to the louvres on the cabinet doors. Next time, I would opt for the chalk paint over the acrylic for dry brushing. Chalk paint is great for layering. Anyhow, I'm quite pleased with the result.

Lastly, I finished her off with a coat of Annie Sloan’s Clear Wax and whoala…dilemma solved! My favorite thing about this project is that it didn't cost me a thing! (besides the cost of supplies of course). More inspiration to come...stay tuned!

-Sarah

Why White Elephant?

The idiom “White Elephant” is defined as “an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others.” I thought this name was especially fitting considering that this blog is all about re-purposing furniture and finding creative ways to add accents to your home - all without breaking the bank of course!

It began as an obsession with DIY posts on Pinterest. I guess you could say I was a serial pinner, but was too lazy to ever try anything myself. It's funny because now that I have no free time whatsoever - thanks to this guy - I now decide it's a good time to get started. (I guess you can call him my muse).

My husband and I moved into our new home over six months ago and we still have empty rooms. We knew it would take some time. We also knew we wanted a puppy. Enter Finley. Surprise, Merry Christmas!

With a severe lack of sleep and mounting piles of vet bills, I slowly came to terms with the fact that home decorating would have to be put on hold for a while...whelp. Lo and behold, two months into puppy rearing I was in desperate need of a creative outlet. With a budget tighter than ever, I began scouring Craigslist, local flea markets and antique stores looking for inexpensive items that I could add my own personal touch to. That way, if Finn destroyed anything (which is inevitable at this point) I would still be able to sleep at night. Wow, did I really just say that? I must be delusional. Sleep is just not happening...period!

Anyhow, I have to say that I've really surprised myself. It’s truly amazing what you can create with a little bit of creativity, paint, stain and god only knows what else I have yet to discover. Ultimately, my goal in writing this blog is to inspire you with easy DIY projects for your home that will earn you compliments, save you boatloads of money and allow you to lavish in self-fulfillment. It really does feel good to create something out of nothing! There's just one requirement...don't get lazy! Time to go feed my muse.

-Sarah