Category Archives: on a dime

03.01.12

4 Little Ghosts.

I LUST after these lucite stools from CB2.  I hunted them down after seeing them in this kitchen.
That being said, they were a little to big for my kitchen, and my budget.
We have a small galley between our kitchen island and our refrigerator.   But the girls love to cook with me and get tired of standing on step stools.
 So, I found the perfect acrylic stools to fit my kitchen and my budget.  ($199.95 for two!)
To upholster or not to upholster, that is the question.

02.28.12

Ikea Rast to Dorothy Draper.

I had been searching for the perfect side tables for our living room for what seems like forever.  I saw a few Rast DIY’s on various blogs and figured if I couldn’t buy them, I’d make them.  Much to Mike’s dismay, this was a project that I (ahem) we were going to take on.  These tables were a true labor of love.

 I thought it would be easy, but it took many weekends and trips to Home Depot.   Here’s what we started with: two Ikea Rast Dressers  (At $34.99 the price can’t be beat!)

 and a cart full of spray paint.  That little spray grip was a lifesaver, because I practically went through every last can of spray paint that you see below.
 Here is the how-to.  You may want to eliminate some of these steps and learn from my mistakes.
1.) Assemble the bases, but not the drawers (or have your husband do it while he is watching football.)
2) Spray on on two coats of primer.  BE SURE TO SAND THOROUGHLY between coats. (I wish I had)  I recommend sanding blocks versus sandpaper for this one.
3.) I sprayed on a lacquer and I am not sure if it was the fact that it was 20 degrees outside, or that the lacquer wasn’t cutting it (see those spots?) After six cans of black lacquer I had to switch gears.
4.)  After a SERIOUS sanding, I repainted everything with a black oil-based polyurethane.  I used a roller to apply it.  Polyurethane takes at least 12 hours to dry.  I gave it 2 days.  (Helpful hint: Skip the lacquer paint and go right to this step.)

5.) Next I Sanded and painted my O’verlays with Krylon Gold Spray paint. I love the rose-gold undertones in that paint.  I also used that paint for my Intaglio frames in the dining room.   I let them dry for a day and sealed with a clear lacquer.

6.) Attempted to assemble the dressers.  Mike had to bail me out on this one.

7.) Installed 12 of this brass hardware. (Burnished Bronze, 51 mm x 43 mm)
8.) Super glued the O’verlays on as well as a few of my fingers together.

And here is the final result:

Recognize that lamp?  Next week I will post how I gave it a make-over in 20 minutes.

02.23.12

Home Goods Homerun.

I was feeling a little down on HomeGoods after the holidays as the place seemed cleaned out.  But I had a few projects which warranted a visit, and I am happy to report that they have restocked and my local store is chock full of great buys.
Beautiful Suzanis.
LOVE this purple rug.
 How great would this be in a little girl’s room?
I would love to paint this.
How great would these look reupholstered?
Moroccan tables galore.
This would look fabulous painted a bright color.
I am a sucker for apothecaries.
Gorg!
$500 is a little steep to pay for a chair that I’d turn around and reupholster, but I’ve got my eye on this baby for a markdown.
Great side table.
I am in love with these pink velvet benches.
Two of these in an office?  Yes, please.
Lotus flower chandy.  Looks a lot like this baby.
Pair of Ikat chairs.
Couldn’t resist this lamp at $18.00. This DEFINITELY needs a make-over, but it’s got good bones.
I came looking for two lamps that would be perfect candidates for our living room.  Tune in next week for their new look.
I bought this lamp because I loved it so, but it’s really, really tall.  I am desperately looking for a home for it, but it wasn’t cheap, so I may need to return it.  Sigh.

02.09.12

Trim it Out.

I seem to be all about trim this week (its all in the details!) Adding a custom trim to a pillow is like adding a pair of designer heels to the perfect ensemble.  It takes everything up a notch. In looking for the perfect jacquard for a project, I came across the most amazing online trim wholesaler and couldn’t wait to share it with all of you.  Here are some of my favorites:

02.06.12

DIY Rast Project Update.

I received many emails about my little project in the garage.  Here is the current status.
With a little help from my friends at Duron, I sanded those babies down and applied a few thin coats of oil-based polyurethane.  I think it may have done the trick.  The down side is that it takes FOREVER to dry.  If you try this project yourself, here are a few tips:
1.) Make sure that you sand in between coats… I learned that the hard way.
2.) Prime it, spray one coat of spray paint to build a base, then roll on the next layer of paint.
3.) Don’t do this project when it is 26 degrees outside.
As you can see my O’verlays arrived and they were much thinner than I expected, but I think that will be a good thing.  Also, I was under the impression that they were wood… Not the case.  They are more like a waxy foam board material.
I sanded them down (on top of our trashcan, I was running out of space another reason to wait until Spring!)
Then I sprayed them with a metallic gold paint. I love Krylon.
And now it’s all drying. Tonight I will assemble them.
Stay tuned for the big reveal!

10.27.11

Basement Design Process.

Last week after tweeting about having to replace the floors in our basement (our sump pump broke) I received an email from a reader asking to show pictures of our basement.  Well, I have never really shown you our basement because the project is essentially on hold until we save up enough money to really do it right.  We are slowly working on it.  With that said, I do have enough snapshots to show you the makings of our bar.  As most of you know, I am a BIG FAN of Ikea, and all of the cabinets in our bar are actually from Ikea.  The entire set cost us $3,400.  Not bad considering our bar is the size of a small kitchen.  The quality is outstanding.  We love them.  Here is a taste of our long journey (apologies on the photo quality, they were all taken with my iPhone.)
 May 2009
July 2009: I had to use the planners at Ikea because they are not compatible with a Mac.  If you have a PC, you can do it at home.
 
November 2009: Searching for countertops.  We decided on a combination of AKRUM Brown/Black and White uppers with glass.
 May 2010:  Ultimately, we decided on Carrara.  As you can see, this piece had to be replaced because it was cut from a different slab.
 September, 2010:  The marble was fixed, but when my tiler hung the tile incorrectly, I almost had a heart attack.  (Can you see the lines?)  They had to come back and dig out individual rocks and reconstruct the wall.
October 2010:  Better.  If I could make one suggestion to Ikea, it would be to sell a stain that matches their cabinets.  As you can see, we added wood paneling to the other side of the bar to match the lower cabinets.  It took me 5 hours and several trips to Benjamin Moore to have a paint mixed that would match it perfectly.  We lightly painted it on the wood paneling, I think it looks great.!
I apologize, these are the only pictures that I have.  Once we get the floors fixed, I will be sure to share more!

10.25.11

The Cheapest Art Around….

Because it’s free!  I am currently renovating a loft for one very special teenager.  There is a lot to be done, and while the client has champagne wishes and caviar dreams, mom and dad have a strict budget.  So, we are looking to invest in a few pieces that will make the room and leave the rest to a lot of creativity and elbow grease.  With that in mind, one thing that I do not want to blow our budget on is artwork.  Let’s face it,  she’s 16 now and the reality is that her taste will become more… ahem… refined in the next few years.  So, using my Google wizardry, I was able to find a fantastic selection of free, yes, FREE printables that are just perfect for a teenager.