Repurpose something old! It’s that time of year! It’s a great time to hit the yard sales and estate sales. Scoop up fun inspiration for making something old new again. Check out these repurposed, upcycled and refreshed ideas!
Chandelier – one of my favorite DIY projects from the past. It does require a lot of TLC for the plants. I also love the idea of solar lights in place of plants.
Color Lovers Blog Tour: 10 color loving bloggers working on 10 colorful rooms! Are you ready for some ideas on adding color to your home? You hit the jackpot! Follow the tour below and stay tuned!
The Challenge: Our dining room is looking kind of stale and uninspired. It’s hard to tell in photos but it needs a paint job pretty bad and well, while I LOVE neutrals too (have I mentioned my design-mutt style?), I am ready to add some color to my neutral base. It’s usually looking like something along these lines…
::yawnnnn::
Nice enough. Clean. Bland. It’s time to liven things up with some color, baby!
Before: See the patch work for nail holes, dings, cracks and scratches in the walls below? These walls require some TLC! Since this room doesn’t have direct access to a window (although behind where I’m standing to take the photo is a set of French doors in another small room), there’s little to no natural lighting so it’s important to keep paint options light and bright but oh man, if you know me, I do love being creative so I might have something special planned for that back wall. Watch out! I’m armed with my FrogTape and ready to go!
See how dark the room typically is?
Okay friends, so here’s the plan: feel free to tell me your thoughts in the comments. If they’re nice. haha. Just kidding. Constructive criticism welcome!
• Walls & ceiling: Freshen up the ceiling and walls. The walls will be neutral and light for the most part (again, those lighting issues) with the exception of maybe something fun on that back wall. The ceiling was actually a lighter shade than the precious taupe-y walls at one point but as you can tell below, definitely not clean crisp white. That’s changing!
•Sliding door: I still swoon over this door. I’ve considered repainting it for a change /something different but I am still so in LOVE with the chartreuse color so it’s staying! However, I’m adding frosted contact paper to the windows to give the bedroom privacy (there’s currently a dark curtain there…blah). The frosted film will still allow some of that natural lighting to make it’s way into the dark dining room but provide privacy between the rooms.
My thoughts on decorating and loving color: I looooove bringing in color with paint and decorative accents. Why? Mostly because I love to rearrange and redecorate often. I find that keeping the furniture (those big ticket items) neutral allows for adding and changing color schemes whenever the itch to do so hits me. And I get itchy often. Wait. That doesn’t sound so good, does it? lol What I mean is…I find that my reward for ‘cleaning’ is re-arranging and redecorating. It keeps things fresh and motivates me to get the sweeping, dusting, picking up tasks done. So for me personally, change happens often in my home. It makes me happy.
Summary: Paint and decorative accessories are easy to change so do what you love! I’m no stranger to colorful accents. Remember this fun room? Not everyone’s cup of tea but my family room was so colorful-carnival, I couldn’t help but smile in there. Ya know?
Anyway…back to the dining room and adding color there!
• Keep: existing handmade barn wood dining room table, built-ins (I’m always tempted to tear those out but…they’re so functional I’d be crazy to do away with them, ya know?) and existing light fixture (still love it so working with it). Those two built-ins are actually a very light shade of blue. I’m ready for them to be white so I never have to paint them again in my lifetime.
• Built In Cabinets: I guess previous homeowners had a LOT to display since out of the 4 corners in the dining room, 3 have built-in cabinets. Well, who doesn’t love storage? So they stay. I’ve lived 10 years with being able to see what’s in the built in cabinets and it’s not always pretty. The best of intentions sometimes get out of control. My plan is to hide the contents. I love this lace pattern privacy window film (affiliate link) on the two matching built-ins for hidden storage. Spray painting hardware.
before…peeling light blue paint
after will be fresh, crisp and clean.
The other built in cabinet shown below will get a fresh restyling.
• Design board: I am SO super excited for this fresh colorful update!!!
Update the seating. Birch Lane is an affordable shopping destination with classic designs.
Add beauty to the walls. Minted has such a beautiful selection of stationery, wall art and fabrics.
The Mine has a killer selection of unique fine furnishings for my plan to bring in a few feminine touches and color through decorative home accessories.
I am in LOVE! What are your thoughts? Not vibrant but certainly color lovin'! Think it's not colorful enough? Just wait and see! It might look muted in the plans but it's going to make my boring dining room bright and colorful!
before
I feel it's versatile. I'd have no problem adding in maroon or magenta, teal or turquoise, gold or silver, black or brown or even eggplant...lots of color options for adding colorful seasonal accessories.
Mark your calendar! Stay tuned! On June 27th, stop back to see how a coat of paint, some DIY and a color palette of blush, gray, navy and chartreuse give my tired dining room a bright and colorful new look!
Longing for some more Color Lovers eye candy? Visit these talented blog friends in the Color Lovers tour. Prepare to be wowed and inspired!
I was recently invited to check out our local CORT Clearance Center and since the big DIY room makeover goal this year is our unfinished basement remodel/man cave, I decided to give them a visit. Shopping for discount furniture is on our radar and I’d never been to their store. Have you? I enjoyed the selection of high quality CORT Certified furniture. I was surprised to learn that CORT’s furniture quality is higher than other discount brands with more durable fabric and stitching and real wood instead of particle board, etc. There was a large selection to chose from too! From bedrooms to living rooms to dining rooms and office furniture. So many beautiful textures and a selection of neutral colors and bright fun colors (something for everyone) and decorative accessories along with the affordable budget friendly pricing at your local clearance center. There’s an option for extra discounts when you buy furniture in sets or take advantage of the “home to go” packages. That option makes furnishing an entire room less challenging, especially when you don’t know where to begin. What an awesome investment for people looking to furnish and decorate a room! There’s also a CORT certified 90 day guarantee – where they will repair or replace defective product within 90 days of purchase. Gotta love a company who stands behind their name! A big thanks to Jeanne and Aaron for the warm welcoming greeting and assistance! Have you ever visited a CORT Clearance Center near you? Did you choose a room package? What were your thoughts?
Scoop up a step stool at the flea market, yard sales or thrift stores and give it a makeover. Thinking ahead, sweet grand baby is going to need a step stool to reach the bathroom sink to wash his little hands. This wooden flea market treasure is perfect. And of course I can’t resist the opportunity to take it from blah to cute with a little paint and FrogTape®.
Materials I used:
wooden foot stool (sanded and wiped clean)
FrogTape and scissors
vinyl decal
paint (I used Valspar Sea Kiss in a satin finish) and paintbrush
spray lacquer
What I did:
1. I convinced Mr. DIY to do the sanding for me. He’s much faster at that task than I. He simply sanded away the varnish leaving me a clean blank slate.
2. Then I wiped away the saw dust with a damp cloth.
3. Next I applied my vinyl decal to the top, burnished it and pulled away the transfer paper.
4. I taped off stripes using FrogTape Multi-Surface. Since the sides aren’t 90 degree angles, here is what I did: Tore off a piece of FrogTape longer than needed. I placed it in a straight line (I just eye-balled it) and folded the edges over on the ends. Using my thumbnail (or credit card), I rubbed the FrogTape on the corner. Then I gently lifted it up and using scissors, cut along the ‘white’ line. Replace and burnish tape. Repeat on each of the four sides, two rows of stripes.
5. Paint a coat. Let dry. Paint a second coat.
6. While paint is still wet, carefully remove FrogTape and vinyl decal. Then allow paint to dry over night.
7. Optional: sand edges for a distressed look.
8. Apply two light even coats of spray lacquer, allowing dry time between each coat according to instructions on the can.
Ta-da! A cute addition to the bathroom sink for little ones.
*I received compensation to complete this project for using FrogTape® products. All opinions, projects and ideas are based on my own experience.
I’ve had old industrial milk can laying around, collecting dust (cobwebs too) just waiting for a fun DIY and repurposing it for a fun side table to add some charm to the patio seemed like just the right idea.
round wicker-like tray (also found…thrift store, I think)
What I did:
I like the distressed/dinged up paint finish but it needed a little pizazz. I gave it a good cleaning, then using FrogTape, I added some bold stripes.
A spider crawled out of that hole too! Yikes! Once that was taken care of, using my thumbnail, I burnished the edges of the FrogTape to ensure crisp clean stripes.
I applied two coats of black paint. Paint. Dry. Paint.
Right after I applied the second coat, while the paint was still wet, I carefully removed the FrogTape then let the paint dry.
Secure a tray using whatever method you find best (glue and clamps, screws, etc.), (a round wooden table top or an old clock would be cool too) and ta-da! A fun side table for our patio:
I added in some coordinating accent pillows and I have a fun new look to a usually neutral area. The old industrial milk can is a great conversation starter too.
LOVE IT! Have you added any fun elements to your outdoor areas this summer?
*I received compensation to complete this project for using FrogTape® products. All opinions, projects and ideas are based on my own experience.
Spring cleaning always inspires a bit of decorating and freshening up around the house. Today, an old side table gets a fun new look and a pop of color for the reading nook. Side table makeover:
The Oracle brand adhesive vinyl from Happy Crafters has a grid on the back side. Using scissors, simply cut strips of adhesive vinyl to size. No vinyl cutting machine required.
Remove backing and place onto crib like stickers. You choose the color or colors that coordinate with your space. Best part? They’re removable! Get a fresh new look temporarily without ruining the crib’s finish.
After:
Can’t go wrong with easy, affordable, temporary and cute crib decorating!
*Please note that you should make safety your first priority. If you find that your vinyl decals are peeling up, remove vinyl immediately. We do not have any issues, I’m only sharing a decorating project that works for us. Attempt this project at your own risk.
**This post is sponsored by Happy Crafters. Tutorial, experience and opinion is my own. I love the products and the prices are affordable. Check out all the supplies at Happy Crafters for great prices, products and inspiration for your next project.
There’s a section of our living room near the built in shelving that I like to call our reading nook. It’s a place for displaying my DIY, decorating, home improvement book collection. A place where I enjoy curling up and flipping through the pages of the latest issue of my favorite home magazines.
Things to consider when creating a reading nook:
Bookshelves or bookcases are a must-have for display and organization. In our home, I use a section of built-ins in the living room.
Comfortable seating. I chose two Nico Accent Chairs by Sauder. I love the sturdiness, traditional design, durable linen fabric and fun print in neutral colors with nailhead trim for completing the look and function in this space.
Lighting: Everyone knows that reading in the dark was bad for our eyes, right? You’ll want to make sure there’s some sort of adequate lighting to provide a bright atmosphere for reading. I currently use a pole lamp but would love to incorporate some wall mounting lighting.
Accessories: A collection of books (and/or magazines) of course,
a warm comfy throw,
a foot stool (I’m still scouring estate and yard sales), coordinating accent pillows
and a few decorative accents that reflect your style.
Everything needed to inspire quiet time and reading. It’s my favorite spot in our living room, a little library corner.
With summer right around the corner, it’s time to spruce up outdoor seating areas. The oil rubbed bronze of this bistro set matched everything nicely but it’s just so brown and tired.
Before:
Originally it was a $15 yard sale score, ivory and rusty.
Holiday season! That means some entertaining in our home, get-togethers with families, dinner parties (having a holiday open house today, in fact). Time to get holiday guest ready! Did you ever notice that your own family fills up the coat closet (sometimes to the point of “avalanche!” when opening the door? Or is that just us?!)…and when guests arrive in colder months, coats are stored in the guest bedroom in a pile on a bed? Our solution:
A DIY moveable, mobile coat rack. I am so over the utility types that teeter, lean or fall over when filled up. Know what I mean? This industrial looking DIY coat rack is sturdy, not to mention adds a touch of rustic industrial style.
Materials I used:
(1) 48 inch stair tread (I used red oak but for a more budget friendly option, there was also pine)
Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain (color is kona and ebony)
foam brush for applying stain, gloves & rags, paint brush for applying polyurethane
Rust-Oleum Polyurethane sealer (finish is satin)
(4) heavy duty casters
(2) 3/4″ flanges
(2) 24″ galvanized steel pipes
(2) 30″ galvanized pipes
(2) 3/4″ tee connectors
(2) 3/4″ nipple connectors
(2) 3/4″ 90 degree elbows
(2) 3/4″ 90 degree street elbows
(2) 3/4″ caps
(1) 36″ galvanized pipe
#12 1 inch hexagon washers (screws)
What I did:
Soak the sticker parts of the galvanized pipes in hot soapy water. (It doesn’t take long.) Remove stickers. Dry pipes and set aside.
Finish the wood. Using the foam brush, I applied the wood stain (brush on in the same direction as the wood grain). Let sit for a few minutes then wipe away the excess with old rags. Unlike pine, the red oak wasn’t absorbing my favorite kona colored stain in as rich of a color so I also applied two coats of ebony in the same way to achieve a darker color. Stain then dries in about an hour.
After the stain was dry, I sealed the wood using a coat of polyurethane. Simply brush on (looks a bit milky when wet but dries clear). I let that dry overnight.
I attached the four casters to the under (unfinished) side using the hexagon screws. Be careful with the screws on the cut side of the wood. Going too close to the edge may cause the wood to crack.
Flip right side up. Set aside the nipple connectors, two street elbows and the caps.
Next I assembled my pipe pieces. Starting with the flanges. Screw 30″ pipes into flanges.
Then add tees to the other end of each 30″ pipe.
Then add the other 30″ pipe sections (one to each tee – you’ll have two poles at this point).
Add a 90 degree elbow to the top of one pole.
Connect the 36″ galvanized pipe (center) piece. Add a 90 degree elbow to the end of the center pipe piece then add the other pole.
Place the pole-contraption onto the wood stair riser (I found the center by using a yard stick). Attach flanges to the wood using the hex screws.
Add nipple connectors to the center tees, then elbows then caps. This creates a space for hanging purses, hats or scarves.
Now when we’re expecting guests, we can simply roll the coat rack near the door for hanging coats. Or use it as extra hanging space in a room without a closet (or one with a packed closet). Handy to have in the laundry room too!
Store it in the basement, a closet, the laundry room, an office or guest room and then move near the door for parties and gatherings. Or if you have room, display near the front door entryway or mudroom area.
One of my favorite pieces of furniture is a dresser because of it’s function and storage. Remember the beautiful Shoal Creek Collection dresser that I had in the guest room? It started off with it’s traditional function in our guest room.
It also served a brief stint as a console/sofa table in our family room. Keeping board games, junk, photo albums, etc. neatly organized.
An extra surface for displaying books and decorative accents.
Then it was located in our dining room. I love it’s function has a buffet and extra storage for linens and serving pieces that we don’t use every day. And of course having a clean surface means an opportunity to create a festive seasonal vignette too. When I recently co-hosted a baby shower in our home, the dresser top was perfect for displaying the woodland themed cupcake buffet (and a big hit too).
And finally, the dresser has been moved to it’s final resting place…a nursery for the new little grandson who will soon be here to serve as his dresser and a changing table (add a non slip material to the bottom of the changing pad). We’re still working on the small apartment nursery but here’s a sneak peek.
Do you use dressers in non-traditional and unexpected ways? Could you use more storage in your dining room? Don’t have a kitchen island or have room for a little extra storage for serving trays, small appliances or kitchen odds and ends? Need extra linen storage in a wide hallway? Take a look around your home. Sometimes just moving furniture around inspires a fresh new look. Have any other creative ideas? See more about Sauder here. And more styled furniture on my Fabulous Furniture Pinterest board.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.
With a nursery project in the works, purchasing a dresser is near the top of the furniture list.
As a part of a fun campaign, I recently shopped at Sauder.com to choose a dresser that fit our space and needs. The Expedition Design tool makes choosing a piece that fits your style easy!
I ordered the a dresser from the Shoal Creek Collection (gorgeous jamocha finish) from Sauder that will coordinate beautifully with the crib that Ali has chosen. I love the extra attention to detail.
We loved the rich dark color, beautiful hardware and extra deep drawers for more storage. Even better? I ordered it online and it was delivered to my back door. Much less complicated than hauling it home from the store.
Upon unpacking the box, it was noted that one of the boards had snapped during shipping. But rather than have to pack everything up and return to the store (that box is heavy!), I simply ordered a replacement part at no cost to me … online. It shipped the next day. Super convenient! There’s also a live chat option.
And while the DIY part of building may feel overwhelming, assembly was actually pretty easy with detailed instructions. Every piece is labeled and the drawings of each step are helpful. The only tools required are Phillip’s screwdriver and small hammer. The dresser was assembled in just a little over an hour. An affordable dresser! With slides and drawers…that easy!
It’s currently residing in our guest room, soon to be guest room + nursery space. Perfect for baby’s clothes, blankets and diapers but until those plans are underway, it provides great storage for extra linens, towels and “junk”.
Isn’t it gorgeous? I love the placement at the end of the bed too. How about you?
You’ve seen me use a dresser as a kitchen island, hallway linen storage and dining room buffet. I love non-traditional uses for furniture. And dressers are so versatile for use and function as additional storage for any room. What do you think?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.
Give old wicker furniture a refresh with spray paint. Warmer temps mean outdoor living around here, how about at your home? Our outdoor wicker furniture is normally protected by a covered patio but after a couple of years, some of the paint is peel-y and it was looking a little dingy…
What I did:
remove chipped paint and dirt
wash (pressure washer works nicely!) and dry
a couple of light coats of Rust-Oleum Universal (gloss white)
You’d never know these yard-sale mismatched pieces needed a little DIY TLC…
You’re welcome to join us for some peace and picnic time!
Give a thrift store treasure a brand new look…
I enjoyed the selection of high quality 
There was a large selection to chose from too! From bedrooms 
to living rooms 
to dining rooms 
and office furniture. 
So many beautiful textures 
and a selection of neutral colors 
and decorative accessories 
along with the affordable budget friendly pricing at 
What an awesome investment for people looking to furnish and decorate a room! There’s also a CORT certified 90 day guarantee – where they will repair or replace defective product within 90 days of purchase. Gotta love a company who stands behind their name! 
A big thanks to Jeanne and Aaron for the warm welcoming greeting and assistance!
Have you ever visited a CORT Clearance Center near you? Did you choose a room package? What were your thoughts? 
