table transformation

My roommate from college just graduated from vet school and is in the process of house-hunting. (Yay!) I needed to think of a good gift, but I wanted it to be something personal, so naturally, I decided to up-cycle a piece of furniture for her! After some hunting around, I found a neglected old Drexel end-table that was full of potential.

$8 Drexel end table found at Goodwill

The top of the table had some beautiful inlaid wood detail, but was in pretty bad shape. I wasn't sure I would be able to salvage it without painting over it, but I had to try because I instantly had a vision for it.

I used my trusty Minwax Red Mahogany stain and pre-treated the worst (lightest) parts with a little paint brush. After that dried a bit, I then used a clean rag (read: old sock) to smooth the rest of the stain on, working with the grain. It was a bit difficult because of how the seams met, but the color came out beautiful, as usual.

I could have stopped here, but I wanted this little table to be special to my friend. Being that she is a total purple-aholic, I knew I could get away with a fun shade. Steeling myself, I went with a more grown-up subtle color from the Martha Stewart line of Glidden paint, called Wampum. It was the only purple I could find that had some gray undertone.

Sanded and stained top and shelf

After 1 coat of paint

I adore this color and how it turned out, but it certainly did not appear like the swatch. It's much more lilac and less gray than I'd planned. I'm still considering using the leftovers to paint our upstairs bathroom. [I'm also secretly considering keeping this lovely table and giving my friend a purple gift card!] ;)

The finished little purple table

I'd like to think I gave this little end table a new lease on life. From a dark corner of Goodwill, surrounded by other unwanted and misfit furniture, she was rescued and renewed. She is now draped in a creamy and calming hue contrasting with her glossy and dramatic mahogany wood tones.

Label inside of drawer - Ink pen sprayed with a coat of clear polyurethane

New floral knob detail

May she forever be graced with coasters, her flower-knobbed drawer be brimming with treasures and her little shelf be piled high with favorite books!

Inlaid wood detail

5 places for unique frugal finds

Whether your house looks like an IKEA catalog, an episode of "This Old House," or a barn, there are always a variety of options available for getting creative with thrifty furniture and accessories if you know where to look. I have a few favorite places to scout for unique vintage pieces that have a history. But even if you're looking for something new, you can still avoid a the mall or a furniture store.

Check out these local places first:

Vintage coffee tin - $1 at local thrift shop

1.  Thrift Shops: Thrift shops are everywhere nowadays. So much so, that you might not even realize how many are in your area until you look it up and discover new ones. Some thrift stores have more reliably awesome inventory than others, so take some time to look around. You can also always call and ask if you're looking for something specific. 

2.  ReStores: This is the place to be if you're looking for super-affordable antiques and they also often get in brand-new things from Lowes. (At least the ReStore near me.) An affiliation of Habitat for Humanity, they seem to regularly get a lot of inventory from old houses and they have everything from furniture to remodeling materials. Even if you don't have one in your neighborhood, it might be worth a little drive to check it out. Keep in mind though, these places are run by volunteers, so they often don't have many hours during the week. This results in a mad-rush on the weekend and things get picked over quickly. If you ever have a chance to scoot in during the week before everyone else, you might really get lucky! 

Fun elephant planter - $5 at L&L Fleatique

3.  Craigslist: Craigslist is nice because you can search based on keyword, area, and/or price, day or night. It might save some hassle if you can't get to the stores and things are usually "priced to sell." Just be cautious when planning your pick-up since there is some Stranger Danger.  :o

Cute old green chair - FREE from a curb! :-)

4.  Yard/Estate Sales: These  ones are actually a challenge for me. I tend to see the signs and get really excited, but then either forget to go on the date or attempt to go and can't actually find it. Community garage sales are usually better advertised, easy to find and are a goldmine for savings. People really want to get rid of that stuff, so if you get there early, you might just find a great deal.

5.  The Curb: I drive through an area of beautiful old Victorian and Colonial houses on my way to work. Every week now, I keep my eyes peeled and my fingers crossed on their garbage day. It might sound trashy (pun-intended), but I've seen some gorgeous pieces of furniture that I've either been too bashful to snag, could have never loaded alone, or someone else was already in the process of taking! I've missed enough opportunities now to get over any shame. Afterall, if the owner wasn't too lazy to donate these things, it would literally be the same stuff I'm PURCHASING from these other places!

When you're looking for something specific like a lamp or a piece of furniture, look for a shape you like. Don't pass up something because of a bad finish, ugly knobs or other things that can be easily changed with a can of spray paint or a bit of elbow grease. Sometimes those things have the most potential for a great project! It's fun to browse, get creative and then make it your own. (Check out this fun lantern project)

One man's trash really is another man's treasure! Happy hunting!

out with the new, in with the old

Accumulating furniture to fill a big empty house takes patience. And money. I can't say I have an abundance of either of these things, but I do have a local Habitat for Humanity Restore. If you haven't heard of it or don't have one near you, the basic concept is that they receive donations (building materials, appliances, furniture) from houses that are being torn down, remodeled or cleaned out. The inventory varies every week, but usually includes a lot of awesome vintage stuff. Sometimes they also receive brand new items from Lowes or Home Depot, but when they have too much of anything, the whole store goes 50% off. I usually poke around on the weekends and there is almost always a sign posted announcing, "BIG SALE TODAY!" And they mean it.

I am usually in some state of excitement. It might be a sunny day, a good lunch, a picnic next month or maybe I'm just brewing with dreams, but I generally have something to be enthused about. A good project to work on can quickly push me right over the edge. I see the end product in my head. The potential of a piece of furniture, a garden or a room practically screams at me to get moving! I'm easily obsessed when there's something exciting to putz on and this project was no different.

The "before" $35 china cupboard. Found at Habitat for Humanity Restore.

It was my very first trip to the Restore. I was only going to browse. (The same way I've "browsed" for every animal I've ever owned). I spotted it across the crowded room right when I walked in. It was love at first sight.  

I made a b-line for the price tag, but was sure there was some mistake. "Thirty five dollars?" I asked. "For the whole thing?"
"Yup!" replied the smiling clerk. I'm sure they get these dumb questions all the time. "We have too much furniture right now, so it's gotta go. If you want it, take the price tag off."
I ran back to it to claw at the tag, just as another couple was drooling over it. "Oh, sorry. This one's not for sale." Suckers.


Other than the silly, modern and polished knobs, the cheapy spray-paint frosted glass and the busted leg, I loved everything about it. I wasn't planning to change much else, that is until my husband suggested that it looked "too imposing" as black. Once he said it, it was immediately creepy, overbearing and possibly haunted. I couldn't get the thought out of my head. A total remodel was in order.

After only one coat of Kilz primer.

So here's what I did:
- Wiped off all the cobwebs and removed all the stinking stink bugs from their hiding places
- Removed the glass door and knobs
- Scraped, chiseled and scratched off the cheapy glass frosting
- Reattached some loose panels in the back
- Painted the whole thing, inside and out, with Kilz primer. Highly recommend it. 
- Went over the whole thing, inside and out, with 1-2 coats of white spray paint
- Poured over all the knob options at Anthropologie.com. [swoon]
- Applied Martha Stewart Metallic Silver Glazing to carved detail areas with a damp rag. Hate Martha, but love this.
- Received $35 knobs (yes, I realize that is the same price as the cupboard) and attached them along with the glass

The "after" linen closet.

So here it is! The "after" linen closet. It is currently residing in our rather ridiculously large upstairs bathroom. It is taking up space, making it look homey, and storing a vase, old curtains, a picnic blanket, white rags, and toilet paper. Nothing in the drawer yet, but I'm sure it will be filled with crap within the next few years.


The best part? (Besides the price and the end-product) I didn't sand a darn thing. :)

So as I continue on my journey of making our big old house cozy, I will continue to search for old things with character. I will check local places like Restore. I will continue to reject big-box stores in favor of reusing and recycling old pieces and giving them a new life. And I will continue (hopefully) to post about it. :)