Dresser turned TV Stand/Bookshelf

Found this cute dresser and had my boys help carry in each drawer down to my work area.   Then they proceeded 

to wrestle and 

flattened a drawer.  

It is these situations that force my creative side to come out.

  

Needless to say, I was not happy, but sat there staring to figure out what to do next 

...and here is my solution.

I decided to move all the drawers down to the lower slots and keep the 

top area open as a shelf.

 I used the bottom of the flattened drawer as the base/floor for the shelf and secured it 

with finishing nails. 

It covered the uneven surface 

as you can see below. 

 Then I added a fresh coat of paint and distressed edges.

 This niche is perfect for books, baskets, or for storage or tv electronics.   

The Power of Paint

I get excited anytime I see a vintage chair with upholstery in great shape.  I found these chairs that needed a simple change to refresh them...paint. 

I taped off around the 

fabric areas to protect it.

With a coat of antique white paint, some distressing, and a cute accent pillow to coordinate with the upholstery, it changed the entire feeling of the chair.

This chair is currently for sale at Jackson Square Mall in Lagrange, IL for $48.

It would make a perfect addition to a shabby chic decor or a girl's bedroom.

TAKE TWO

A cute accent pillow from Target added after the paint dried finished the look.

So simple for a dramatic new look....

Painted buffet.... before and after

I was looking around my dining room space and thought that things were feeling a little dark and I had too much of the same wood tones all in one room.   

I have a dark wood dining room table and chair set, a dark wood antique chest of drawers, a dark wood bar cabinet and the dark wood buffet shown below. 

See the pattern???? 

I love the mix of different wood tones and painted finishes and thought everything was "matching" too much...not my cup of tea!

  

   The buffet was one of my first furniture pieces my husband and I bought together.   It is 16 years old and a little worn out and felt like the best piece in the group to change.

I asked my husband if he would not mind if I painted the buffet.   He was confused as I am always panting things and I don't think he even notices anymore, 

but thought I would be courteous.

Communication is key to a good marriage.

   

His response was...."What is a buffet?"

Then I was trying to tell him what is is and where it was located, but he looked at me like ...why are you asking...so I got out my paint and got to work.

Before

 I love the painted distressed look of furniture but have to be careful since I live in a brick bungalow.  I don't want it too look to "shabby chic"  I save that look for the bedrooms.   I want it to look like it fits in with 

the style of my home.

So...I chose to do a creamy gold all over and a grey green for the top.  

          

After

 Then I added these mismatched crystal knobs from Anthropologie that have all the colors of the stained glass windows in my living room which is open to the dining room.  

 I distressed the edges a bit by scraping off the dried paint with a razor.

 I love how it turned out... and I am sure my husband will too once he notices it!   

Stripes... Before and After

I was working with a client and we wanted to make some changes to his space to make it more dramatic.   I suggested stripes on the horizontal since his style was a bit more contemporary.   He was having a hard time visualizing it, so that night I went home and stripped my own wall for him to come see.

(I am not a good sleeper and my family gets to wake up to new decor all the time!)

  

 I used a piece of notebook paper as my spacer and drew a thin pencil line all the way across.  Then I used that line as a guide to apply the blue tape.  

This wall was cream and I use an army green paint color left over from another project. 

 I left the wall like that for a few days before my husband started to complain that he was starting to feel like Austin Powers lived here, so I toned down the contrast by washing over the whole wall with the base cream color. The stripes turned greyish/bluish green and I loved the result.    

I love to experiment with paint and color.   It is a great way to add a little drama to your decor.  

Adding Color with Paint

Here is a beat up wood chest I found at an estate sale.   I loved the long handles and the drawers worked well...always a bonus with older furniture.   I thought it had a lot of potential with a simple fix of fresh paint.   I cleaned it up and lightly sanded the piece and added a few coats of red paint.   

Here is the after:

I distressed the edges with a razor blade to expose the wood below the surface.   I put it in my space at Jackson Square Antique Mall in LaGrange for $85. I am on the lower level...#002 if you ever head over there to shop.   I added some Christmas decor to it in my space and it really looks sharp...almost kept it...occupational hazard!

If I have a client afraid to put a bold color on the wall, this is where I advise them to put it.   Adding a pop of color to a space though accents, window treatments, or small pieces of furniture is what adds interest to any space.  Hope this idea inspires you to look around your own home and see where you can add some color!