Steam Punk Mixed Media Nightstand for DH

#sponsored   While shopping at a Restore in MI We happened upon their 50% off furniture day. I found a three drawer nightstand that would be perfect for my DH’s (darling hubby) side of the bed. I already had one that I had repainted for my side of the bed and he had my mom’s little antique table that wasn’t nearly big enough for him and all his junk…all his precious possessions.   He needed drawers to hide all his stuff, so this at $20 fit the bill.   And of course I have to start with the before:     There is so much to tell about about this one. Lot’s of improvisation, creativity, and experimentation was called for, and I’m glad it turned out well because it was for my DH’s Christmas gift.   I used a ton of resources for this project – I’ll list links below, … Read more

A Christmas Gift for Jillian

  My DD, Jillian, is my Social Media Specialist for my furniture flipping business and is way under paid. Picture her holding up a sign that says, “I work for paint.” Not to mention the patience her DH, Taylor, has shown in regard to her time spent on the forum. So I figured I’d grab one of the pieces she’s hinted that she’d like to have one day with a, “So…what do you plan to do with that piece?”  We find so many cool pieces, and she spends so much time on my social media accounts, how could I not paint her something for Christmas? So here is the “before.” Nothing special, just an old outdated three tiered plant stand. BUT, “nothing special” can be so easily turned into, “This is amazing,” with a little paint and creativity.   BEFORE   I never did get any ideas out of her … Read more

MCM End Table {Love My DIY Home}

An MCM Road Rescue by the DH

#sponsored DH brought home a side of the road freebie last summer. 14 months ago I cleaned and sanded it. A few months ago I primed it. Just yesterday I finally got to painting it.   Go Bold or Go home, right?   So here it is in the raw…sad and unwanted, tossed out for the garbage truck. It’s a Mersman MCM. And it was Uggg-Lee.           Here is my disclaimer regarding the MCM label in case anyone cares: When researching this table, we could find nothing that placed it into the mid-century or mid-century modern category. Though Mersman tables are plenteous, there aren’t any out there like this one. So who knows? Mid-Century…Mid-Century Modern? Vintage? Antique? Either way, it’s old and not from this era. The store closed down in the mid 90s and produced more than their share of tables for around 100 years. … Read more

Pure & Original Meets HomeRight to Create a Sweet Bedroom Suite

#sponsored  NOTE: All affiliate links are in BOLD red. Gathering pieces of furniture all over town and making them all match is a huge project – but it can be fun if you have a plan. Decide what pieces you need and the sizes. Do you want them matching or of the same style? Set a budget Look for garage sales, estate sales, Craig’s List postings, etc. Patiently wait to find just right pieces. As you look for your pieces, decide on the look you are going for – search blogs, Pinterest, Facebook forums, etc. for ideas. Choose colors and buy your supplies to repair, prep, paint and protect your pieces. We had a little help HomeRight furnished the Finish Max Extra (now called the Super Finish Max) and a Large Spray Shelter. Pure & Original gave us two quarts of Classico, Silk White to paint all of Jillian’s pieces. … Read more

Mission Beautify Ivy by Saltwash and Pure & Original

#sponsored Have you tried Saltwash yet? While at the General Finishes Conference, we met the Salt Wash originator, Carol Hunter, and she gave us a 10 oz. can of Saltwash to try. Pure & Original had already given me two of their classic colors, Poetic Blue and Steel Blue, so we chose them to combine with the Saltwash.   The combination was stellar. The Saltwash gave it a unique look – one that will fit into any home from a classically traditional to Coastal, to Farmhouse. Not many designs can pull that off, but this one can.   “The Before”         “Ivy” was sitting in an abandoned house amidst piles of trash. We almost missed her. We brought her home, cleaned her up, sanded and got her ready to try out a new look. She had great bones. We named her “Ivy” because she is no longer … Read more

A Picnic Table Flips for Our Family – OFMP Beautified

  Sponsored Post Another Estate Sale Jillian, Isaac, and I went to another estate sale a few weeks ago. I know. Big surprise. Has there ever been a piece of non-descript furniture that you look and look for but just can’t settle on one? I’ve wanted a picnic table every since we moved from Michigan to Wisconsin but never found one I was willing to pay for. They’re kinda expensive. Or maybe I’m just cheap. But either way…I FOUND ONE!   I walked right past it not even noticing it on the way in. We looked around for a few minutes and then got in line o pay for a few little things we found, an ax for Adam, a jack knife for Isaac, a few this’s and thats. Then Jillian said, “Hey, did you see that?” She pointed out a picnic table – with a $20 price tag. I … Read more

Lighting for Staging Furniture {Love My DIY Home}

Furniture Staging – Lighting

Natural Light is Fickle I went a couple of years without proper lighting for my furniture staging. But, I checked out modern custom cabinetry Gamma Cabinetry, to decorate my house with my furniture. It proved to be very difficult to catch natural light and eliminate distracting shadows. I would often have to fix any lighting errors on Photoshop before I was able to post my projects. Frustrating didn’t cover it. It made me crazy to spend hours trying to create a quality representation of my piece. The worst moment was when I needed to get my post out and I hadn’t taken pictures yet and the sun was fading. Ugh. It wasn’t pretty. Homeowners may also look at a Modern seus lighting collection if you want to improve your home’s lighting. Choosing the Right Light Kit My DH finally decided to just go on ahead and buy me a light … Read more

Budget Industrial Lights Idea Board {Love My DIY Home}

Industrial Lighting on a Budget

It’s Time to Shed Some Light on Your DIY Projects Since becoming an affiliate for several online stores, I’ve got the Gimme Gots for home decor. Industrial, vintage, farmhouse…today’s styles are quite interesting and look great with the new painted/distressed/antiqued furniture look. Definition: Gimme Gots gim·me /ˈɡimē/ informal – contraction verb: gimme = give me gotz / slang for have An overwhelming feeling that one must have something that is only satisfied by the purchase of the first and last detail.   With Spring around the corner, we’re all dreaming of updates – my latest piece to my puzzle is lighting. We have two hallways in desperate need some statement lighting – you know, that just right fixture that gives you pause. You’ve painted the accent table and and hung a matching mirror. The walls have a fresh coat of paint and the flooring is done. The rugs, baskets, candles … Read more

Furniture Staging {Love My DIY Home}

Background Options for DIY Indoor Photography

Photography Backgrounds – Are They Really Necessary? Whether you are into still photography or portraiture, you have known the pain of trying to get it just right while shooting indoor. Lighting, backgrounds and flooring options can improve or limit your outcome. Some of my most frustrating moments has been trying to make due with what I have to get a good shot. But shooting outdoor isn’t the safest or easiest scenario. If it’s: too cold too hot windy  too bright intermittent shade It can be challenging or even impossible to get a good shot. But then if you take it indoors you have other issues. Background, flooring, lighting, and available space all play a part in good staging. It is challenging to find a good day for outdoor photography. A good day was overcast, warm, and not windy. If it wasn’t overcast, you’d have to run around trying to find … Read more

Love My DIY Home