hi friends! i have another before and after to share with you! i found this fella at a local thrift store for $50 a while back and took him home with some big beachy plans in mind.

here’s the before, it has 6 very nice sliding drawers in it- but boy is it heavy. i’m sure you would have loved seeing us trying to get it set up in the lawn- but happy that you didn’t!

and here’s the after! i was a little uncertain about my choice of sea-green at first, but it has really grown on me. i attached 4 wheels on the bottom since it was so heavy and have paired it with a few pillows on the bed that match perfectly to help the whole room come together.

hanging above is my diy patchwork art and on the table is a little artwork from one of our favorite bicycle artists, chris koelle.

and though i’m not sure where she got it from, my sister recently sent my this birch vase. it looks so pretty with fresh flowers in it, and i think of her every time i see it. :)

wrap up: {art} {beach} {before and after} {chest of drawers} {green} {patchwork} {thrift}

you might remember that i’ve done this same project before at our last home, and i just couldn’t resist doing it again. it’s such a simple, cheap and effective way to spruce up your kitchen! you can find these unfinished wooden knobs at your local hardware store for under 50 cents each.

to achieve the look i have here, i painted the knobs white (let dry) and then put a coat of this sea green on top. after drying, i roughed up the edges with a sanding block and used a clear gloss spray paint to finish them off. what do you think? to get a more detailed outline of my instructions, you can read about the first i did this project here. now that’s what i call design on a dime!

in this photo: berry photo by wren and chickadee, color me vegan cookbook, espresso cups by ikea

wrap up: {before and after} {diy} {hardware} {kitchen} {knobs} {paint}

i have a hard time throwing away things, especially when they are as cute as these coffee tins from trader joe’s. last week, i finally made something out of them, check out my catch-all canisters!

using adhesive cork drawer liners from lowes, i cut out pieces just the right size to wrap around each canister. then (using a hot glue gun) i glued on some ribbon, taped on some japanese washi tape and tied on some bakers twine. this is what i came out with, what do you think? i love that you can pin into the cork, perfect for notes, pictures or inspiration pieces.

wrap up: {before and after} {canisters} {cans} {coffee tins} {cork} {diy}

you know me, if we ever move (which we’ve been doing a lot of lately) i’ll have several projects on my to-do-list to accomplish. since we’ve arrived at our new home, i’ve been a frequent yardsaler and regular at the hardware store. while on one of my rummage expeditions i found these chairs. i snatched them up for 50¢ each- and though they were good and sturdy, they needed a thorough cleaning up.

and that’s exactly what the got! after removing the spider webs, hosing them off and peeling back what seemed to be several years of disgusting chair covers (gross), i got down to the gold.

and voila! going for that old-beachy kind of feel, i gave them a solid sanding all over and then a good white wash (following these instructions from d*s). i recovered the chairs using some brand new batting and some of my favorite prints.

what do you think? i feel pretty good about this $1.50 spent.

wrap up: {before and after} {chairs} {diy} {project} {recover} {upholster} {white wash} {yardsale}

 
i have to admit, i was peaking through the windows into the back of the thrift store when i found this beauty.  i snagged her before anyone else even had a chance! i’ve always loved telephone tables, and the idea behind them. can’t you just see someone sitting there, chatting away? i haven’t had a land line in over 8 years!

 
so this is the after! the mirror, hat, telephone booth, vase, blanket and my orange boots are all thrifted.  i’ve become quite the skilled hunter!

the ‘scarf’ is a 1/4 yard of silk that i ran across at the fabric store. i wrapped it around my neck and called it a day.

and just in case you’re ‘ooh-ing and ahh-ing’ over my beautiful bag, it’s handmade from lightnest- and it’s one of my all time favorite accessories!

 
i’m using it as an entry way bench, with a place to hang our daily goodies above it, and a place for our boots underneath.

 
i love all the pops of color that meet me at the entry way. it sets the tone for the house and makes me feel welcome.

 
i spray painted this on using a stencil- then went over it with a stain that i quickly wiped off.

 
so there you have it! yet another piece of my home.  here’s to happy hunting!

wrap up: {before and after} {bench} {entry way} {foyer} {phone} {table} {telephone} {thrited}

i found this odd book shelf at the thrift store, and quickly saw the potential.  after a little wood glue and lots of paint, it turned out to be one of my favorite pieces!

ta da! there’s a lot going on here, so let’s break it down:

- mirror: thrifted and painted
- antlers: found
- cork: sticky on the back; from the hardware store

yup, I FOUND THESE!! yes, i was that excited, they’re huge!  david and i went on a long trail run this weekend and at the top of this heinous hill, i looked down to find these deer antlers.  it make the whole run worth it!  i made dave carry them back the whole way, so glad he didn’t trip and poke his eye out!

at first, i couldn’t figure out what to do with the blank slate on front that was screaming for attention.  then i remembered i had a roll of sticky cork board!  perfect for little notes, inspiration pieces or orders to fill- it’s my favorite part of this makeover.

remember all the little things i found on our nature walk? i finally figured out what to do with them!  i found this shadow box while out thrifting and gave it a coat of grey spray paint- then pinned all my little foundlings to it.

it even has shelves on the side, which make it the perfect craft organizer for my sewing room. everything’s neatly organized (for now) and easy to get to.

wrap up: {antlers} {before and after} {bookshelf} {cork} {mirror} {paint} {refurbished} {shadow box} {thrifted}

i found this little tray table at the thrift store for $5. i love it’s little tapered legs and rolling wheels!

after painting it with yellow zig zags, it’s now a little planter table and adds the perfect splash of color to our dining room.

i used love natalie’s grow print as inspiration, can you tell?  though her shop is temporarily closed, {update! her shop is now open!} you can see all of her watercolor paintings and diy projects on her blog- love, natalie.

method:

i only bought one shade of yellow paint, but mixed up a little batch of it with some added white to make the lighter color.  i first painted the top light yellow, then used this technique of painting chevrons to tape off the design.  after painting the whole piece darker yellow, i removed the tape and finished it off with a top coat.

did you notice my little collection of blue bottles? i got inspired by johnny miller a while back, and have been collection blue and green bottles and jars ever since.  mine needs some work to be anywhere near as beautiful as his, but i think it’s pretty catching the afternoon light.

wrap up: {before and after} {blue} {bottles} {chevron} {collection} {planter} {table} {yellow} {zig zag}

thifted. ugly. brown. old. veneer. $20.

functional. pretty. sturdy. revived. teal!

• -chair is an antique find made form an old trough.
• -blanket, picture frames and both lamps are thrifted.
• -the map is of colorado springs (macvan maps; $10) (borders are a piece of molding from the hardware store that i spray painted black and stapled to the map to for easy hanging).
• top picture is a piece of silk that i couldn’t turn down at the fabric store- so i framed it!

i refinished the desk by starting with a really good primer that would adhere to shiny surfaces (without sanding).  then, i painted it using two coats of teal latex paint.  once dry, i hit all the corners with a sander to give it that ‘new but old’ look and applied a stain to the entire surface (minwax, ebony).  after wiping off the stain and letting it dry, i topped it off with two coats of enamel.  it sounds like a lot, but i was done in two afternoons- and that was just because i had to let things dry!

i lined the drawers with this pretty handmade paper (from the local art store) using permanent spray adhesive on the bottom and a polyurethane top coat to keep it from getting stained, scratched or torn.

(i had to make at least one drawer manly)

i repainted the old brass handles- a good primer, two coats of yellow latex paint, a cover of stain and then a protective coat of enamel (spray paint) did the trick.

so there you have it! it’s where i’m sitting right now- can you picture me in the chair?

happy weekend to you! and be safe on this halloween. :) david signed us up for a 5.5 mile trail run on sunday (eeks!) so i’ll be sure to eat lots of candy afterwards. ;) see you monday! xo, bonnie

wrap up: {before and after} {computer} {desk} {drawers} {lamps} {map} {teal}