Painting Furniture with Spray Paint

KIDS’ CHAIRS! Years ago our kids sat at our coloring table every day creating their masterpieces for the fridge. The table was multicolored laminate and the chairs were painted oak – in yellow, green, blue and red. We eventually gave away the table, along with one of the chairs – the green one. The yellow, red and blue chairs have sat in our basement for YEARS waiting to be updated. We’re talking about 20 years! I just couldn’t part with them. So now they are getting a facelift. One is already done, the other two are on their way to becoming a matched set, hopefully to be kept in the family. I’ve not decided if I’m going to keep the orange one featured in this post. I probably will. Here are the BEFORES: For the yellow chair, I decided to go with spray paint to save time. There are a … Read more

The Cobbler’s Children Have No Shoes

Too often I hear of furniture artists who have been putting off refinishing or redesigning their own furniture…so focused on the business of painting other people’s pieces, they neglect their own home. I determined a long time ago to not be the one who personifies the saying, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” I want to walk from room to room smiling as I see my own works of art. This video is a walk through of our home where you can see several of my own pieces of furniture art. I don’t have every piece the way I want them, for I got very tired of the wood look everywhere, but I’m making great headway. I still have two end tables, a highboy to paint and dresser to finish for my home, along with a new set of nesting tables I’ve not decided whether I’ll keep or sell. I … Read more

THANKSGIVING Tablescape {Love My DIY Home}

Fall Tablescape – Seven Days of Tips 3

Bring in a touch of the outdoors for your fall tablescape this year. Pine boughs, pine cones, pumpkins, berries, leaves, even rocks are a good choice. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s free. Time to get creative. Think outside the box. I like free. Free is good. Plus, candles work well with the outdoors because they are made of natural products. Who doesn’t like candles?     Look through your serving pieces and pair them with your candles and lanterns filling in with the natural things you scarfed from your yard.     I found this “pumpkin” at Goodwill for $3.00. The berries were clearanced at Jo-Anns for under a dollar. Pine boughs – front yard. You can even spice up nature with a little silver spray paint. Click here to read about it.     Think of how things are laid out in nature – layered naturally. … Read more

New Pop-Up ESCAPE ROOM on Facebook – DIY DECOR

COME LEARN SOME STUFF Since I mentor furniture flippers, accumulating staging props to use in photos for listings can be a big issue. So I like to help with every area of the flipping process to help members save money and increase profits. We can make our own decor and save $ – our bottom line isn’t only affected by the profit we make on a piece of furniture, but also on our expenses. So, the more staging decor we acquire easily and cheaply, the better.   NEW POP-UP GROUP ON FACEBOOK THE ESCAPE ROOM – DIY Staging Decor is open and ready for you. You can click the  name and it will take you there so you can sign up and reserve your spot. It’s going to be fun! I’m busily working on projects to share with you. It starts September 28, but you can join in on the … Read more

Create an Inviting Office Space

Since I spend 99% of my time in my home, I LIVE in my home. It’s what I see when I wake up, work, play, relax, cook, eat – you get the idea. It’s my sanctuary. It’s my castle. It’s where I AM all the time. It was especially true this past year. Don’t get me started… We have transformed nearly every room in our 4-level home, implementing significant upgrades with the assistance of a reliable service such as gresham heating and cooling. Beyond interior renovations, we’ve also dedicated efforts to enhance the exterior. This property and its surroundings were initially a chaotic mess, presenting us with the challenge of truly making it our own. Our top level has two master bedroom suites, and an office (have a peek at this web-site to find the best office spaces around your locality). It was originally 4 bedrooms, but you know, I … Read more

10 Steps to Revive an Old Nightstand

They Are Everywhere You’ve seen them. Junky pieces of furniture that no one wants. They are priced for pennies compared to the new pieces you find in retail stores. Do you pass them by? “Jillian” The Nightstand She was ugly. She was dirty. She was smelly and sitting in a garage stuffed with junk. All she needed was someone to take her home. For those of you who know our DD, Jillian, this piece was named after her because we were together when we found her, and we painted this one together…not because they looked or smelled similar. VBG Supplies (Affiliate Links for Your Convenience) Krud Kutter Zinsser’s Spray Primer Rustoleum 2x Painter’s Touch spray paint Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan Polyvine Dead Flat Wax Varnish 3M Sanding Sponge Her Steps Toward Beauty 1. Clean her up – she needed a good scrubbing. We sat her outside to air out … Read more

Old Tissue Box Revived – Spray Paint Season is Here!

  I first wrote this in the beginning of 2015, and the technique has become quite popular, so I’m playing it again, Sam…     Another consignment shop find has found itself at the end of my spray paint can. I do enjoy spray painting – it’s quick and requires no top coat. It doesn’t fit every scenario, but once in a while it’s the best choice.   Spray paint season is once upon us and so let the games begin…   While dropping off STUFF…you know that STUFF that sat in your basement for years wondering if they’d ever turn into a “real piece of decor,” I found this cool little tissue box holder slathered in hand painted foofy flowers. Not really my style, but I could picture it painted. E.A.S.I.L.Y. I had done something similar to what was floating around in my head on an antique table for … Read more

Wicker File Cabinet Re-purposed to a Paint Cart

Here is a quick example of how you can re-purpose those garage sale finds inexpensively and easily. No muss. No fuss. Just a can of spray paint, black glaze and a sponge paint brush turned this wicker file cabinet into something useful. Wicker isn’t very popular any more and you will find wicker everything out in garage sales for just a dollar or two. I bought this one at a garage sale for $2 this summer. STEP #1 Spray with Rustoleum Painters Touch spray paint. Pick a color, any color. STEP #2 Dab, wipe or brush on glaze – all over, including the metal bars. I used Wise Owl black glaze using a sponge brush. You can use a regular sponge, brush or even a paper towel. Just use what you have on hand. No need to be particular, just have at it! I took about 30 seconds to brush … Read more

Baker’s Rack Becomes a French Beauty

Short and Sweet I’m popping in here to show you a little project I just finished – you can find similar “before” pieces around and about as people often sell these at garage sales and second hand shops. Most people think that if you want to upgrade you must get rid of the old and buy new. Not true. Here is a BEFORE picture of her when she was just plain “Rachel”: “Rachelle” began her life as “Rachel,” an average nondescript baker’s rack. But she was renamed the French beauty, Rachelle after her amazing transformation. I am always in awe when I see the after affects of a little paint and some TLC.   Simple Update – Big Change After updating her with Rustoleum Espresso 2X Painter’s Touch spray paint, a satin clear spray topcoat also by Rustoleum on the metal body and French hand stenciling, with Zar oil based … Read more

Guest Master Bedroom – Before and After

Have you ever seen before and afters that seemed too expensive to duplicate? I have. Too often we look at what others do and decide we could never do it ourselves and hire contractors like www.skilledhomerenovations.ca. It only took 3 1/2 years, but we finally did it.   And we did it within our budget, in our own time, in our own way. You can too. What room do you want to flip? Our green carpeted gold sponge painted master bedroom is finally a hotel quality guest room. This was the original master bedroom, but we decided to keep it for guests. We took the other side of the top level and plan to renovate it into a master suite – some day.   We kept the green carpet for quite a while because of the expense of new, but we did at least paint the walls before we moved … Read more

Love My DIY Home