Take a seat

I am so excited to share one of my latest piece of furniture transformations! Our family room was in desperate need of some storage to corral Maddie's toys and some extra seating. I had almost given up hope that I would find something in my shopping ventures (and we haven't quite developed our DIY chops enough to tackle a custom piece) until I saw this diamond in the rough.

The dresser looked like a castoff from a hotel. The top surface had holes where a TV or lamp had been bolted down and the front had normal wear and tear from frequent use.

But I didn't care. It was literally calling out my name when I walked into the room, begging me to take it home. The price was marked at $30, which was okay but not ideal considering the amount of work that needed to be done. But my dreams came true when I spotted the sign on the back wall that said they would negotiate on prices in the back room! Moments after finding this piece, I had haggled my way into a $15 dresser. $15! Wowza! I had to contain my excitement and refrain from buying one more dresser (BOGO right?). 

Ideally, I would have taken this piece and spray painted the living daylights out of it, but since it was a high of 40s, spray painting was out of the question. Since I didn't have the patience to wait it out until the spring, I bundled up and busted out my orbital sander in the garage. Ben has learned that when I get into a project, I.MUST.FINISH.IT. (immediately). So I bribed begged convinced Ben to help me drag the freshly prepped dresser into the family room to be painted. After a coat of primer and 2 coats of paint, she looked like this:

It was love at first sight. It was perfect. Yes, we struggled to open the drawers for a few days while I painstakingly searched every home improvement store in Rochester for the perfect cup handle. I may have gone to Home Depot and Lowes. twice. in one day. After seeing Katie Bower's dresser transformation, I knew that Martha's brushed nickel handles would complete the look.

The dresser is perfect! Not only does it hold Maddie's ever-growing collection of toys, books and our electronics, but once I get the cushion made, it will be a welcoming window seat. Once my family saw the completed project, they wanted one. Unfortunately 3 weeks later, the thrift store marked the piece up to $75! 

Here is a sneak peak at my newest thrift store purchase. At $35, this was a steal! I am so excited at the potential it has. 

Stay tuned for the transformation! 

This Little Light of Mine...

Do you remember the lamps that I bought on my thrift store shopping trip? Well, I decided that it was finally their time to shine (nice pun, huh?).

Although, I hadn't decided what I wanted to do with them yet: paint the base white, silver or keep it gold. With Kimi's recommendation, I went with white. It just seemed to match better with the crisp white duvet cover that our bed was sporting these days. Yes, the lamps are fully functional and in great condition. I even felt kind of guilty as I walked them down to be stored in our basement, but I knew that the revived lamps would look even better in the space.

So armed with my trusty tools, I got to work on makeover fit for Nate Berkus. Okay, maybe that is a stretch, but as my celebrity boyfriend, I knew that he would appreciate it.

Using a grocery bag, I cut a small slit in the bottom center of the bag and pushed the socket through the hole. I took small pieces of painter's tape to line the perimeter of the cap and cover the top of the lamp that was exposed. Taping always feels like the most unproductive part of the process, whether it be a small piece like these lamps or the walls of a room. I loathe doing it because it feels like a waste of time, but whenever I try to get away without doing it, I regret it. Since my mind was filled with visions of grandeur, I decided that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Pulling the bag tight, I cut the handles off to create an "even" opening. Removing the handles made it much easier to tape the bag closed around the base.

Wasting Using a lot of tape, I secured the bag to the base. Because of the curvature of the lamp, ensuring that only the base was exposed proved to be quite challenging. I tried to create a cone shape with the tape. In my mind, this seemed like an easy task, but not so much...

I wasn't in love with the brown cord, but knowing that it would hang behind and blend in with our nightstands, I taped the end to prevent the white from spreading. I ended up putting the length of cord in another grocery bag to keep it clean during the painting process.

Now for my favorite part of the process - PAINTING! It is so rewarding to see new life given to an item with a simple coat of paint. In my experience, I have found that Rust-oleum has the best paint. Not only do they offer a HUUUUU-GE selection of colors, but they offer "Ultra Cover" for 2x the coverage! This cuts down on the number of cans and the number of coats. Plus, it seems like it is easier to prevent drips because it is easier to control the coverage. No, I am not being compensated for saying this, but I wish I was!

Anyways for this project, I used the Ultra Cover Primer and Semi-gloss White paint - 1 coat of each. Priming really helps to provide an even final coat. (Oh I almost forgot! I covered the socket with tape to avoid painting any electrical connectors. I didn't want to get through the whole process only to find out that I damaged the connectors by painting them!)

Another benefit of the Ultra Cover Rust-oleum Paint is the short dry time! I told you that I like to see quick results! I waited about 20 minutes in between coats and about 2 hours before I moved them inside. After peeling off the tape, I was ecstatic about the results...



BEFORE



AFTER



  The lamp matches our curtains perfectly and offers the perfect pop of color in our room. Next step: Artwork for above the bed.



Have you ever purchased an item from a garage sale, thrift store or even rescued it from the dumpster with hopes for a makeover? Do you think Nate Berkus would love my results?

My Goodwill Hunting

I love a good bargain. I think it is in my blood. At a young age, Mamasita (my mom) taught my sisters and I the joys of shopping. I can remember marathon shopping trips for back-to-school clothing and the preparation for the Black Friday deals. "Newspaper-Combo-By Myself- FIRST" was my battle cry every Sunday morning as I grabbed the newspaper for the sales ads. You see I had a system for screening the ads and it couldn't be disturbed by "others".

The love of bargain shopping has stuck with me throughout the years. When I walk into a store my eyes are immediately drawn to the brightly colored clearance stickers. I can spend hours (literally) perusing the aisles of a store in search of these stickers. The thrill of the hunt is just as enjoyable as finding the "deal of the century". It is such a rush of adrenaline! I imagine it is similar to what exercise junkies feel after a good run. But really? Is there such thing as "a good run"? Anyways, I have been known to purchase items without really "needing" them purely because they were such an amazing deal with high hopes of using them in the future. This can be quite irritating to my accountant husband, but I am convinced that I actually SAVE money by purchasing items when I see them rather than when I really need them.

So all of that to say that I started the weekend off with a shopping trip at some of my favorite bargain (thrift) stores. Here are a few items that I picked up:


Small bench - $9



Table Lamps - $13 each


I am in love with these lamps. Their shape echo the gourd lamps that are everywhere these days. I have been waiting for a pair to find its way into my home and now they have! I have some ideas for where these pieces will land, but I am not convinced of whether they will get a full makeover or just a few tweaks. Any suggestions? The lamps would look perfect in our master bedroom with some new crisp white shades and I can picture the bench beneath a console table in our living room.

Should I tackle the upholstery project or leave the beige fabric? Would the lamps look better in a different color? I would love to hear your ideas!