Whenever I post pictures of my family room, I get questions about my sofa. And since I just splurged on a major update to it, I thought I’d give you all the details.

I am a firm believer in buying a high-quality, classic sofa whenever possible. Mostly because I’ve made several mistakes in that area and ended up with one sofa that literally fell apart in less than 2 years and another one that was so huge with it’s crazy, flared arms that it looked like a mini-van in my living room. I still have that beast, but it’s been relegated to the playroom where the kids can pretend it’s the space shuttle.

The main sofa in our family room was purchased at Ethan Allen over 8 years ago. It’s the Bennett Sofa and it comes in a huge array of fabrics and patterns. I love it’s classic rolled arms and loose cushions. Personally, I prefer the loose-back cushions because you can flip and rotate them to get more even wear.

We bought it when the store was having a floor sample clearance sale, so it was a great deal. But I can honestly tell you that I have never been happier with a furniture purchase. After 8 years, the cushions still look like new and it’s structurally perfect. The fabric was starting to fade and wear, but I think that’s to be expected with 2 boys, 1 man and lots of daily abuse.

Here’s what it looked like a few weeks ago…Your basic olive green color.

But one of the best things about this sofa is that you can buy a custom slipcover for a very reasonable (in my opinion) price. (It was about $350 on sale.) It’s one of main reasons I picked out this sofa 8. long. years. ago. Even then,
I knew I would want to slipcover it someday. Little did I know it would take me 8. long. years. to do it.

But now, I’m so excited I could squeal! In fact, I did squeal.

The brown and cream ticking stripes work so perfectly with the natural colors in room already. But it’s still neutral enough to pair up with lots of other colors. I briefly toyed with buying a white slipcover, but I learned that I’m not a white fabric girl back when I was picking out new bedding.

I love being able to take off the slipcover and wash it every once in a while. And since it’s custom-made for this sofa, it fits like a glove. No flopping around and constant straightening.

So there you go. The Big Sofa Update 2011. There’s still plenty of cush for my tush, so I’m hoping we can get another 8 years out of it.

Of course now, I’m looking around the room at all of the things that I can change since the sofa has a fresh new look. It’s a sickness.

My Most Excellent Sofa with It’s New Slipcover is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

My latest thrifting adventure started with a Facebook message from my friend Ruth Ann. Her message went like this…”Have you been to the new Thrift King store? It’s supposed to be largest thrift store in the county!”

My response went like this…”WHAT??? How on EARTH did I miss this??? This rock I live under gets soooo heavy. That store is 10 minutes from my house!!!”

So, first thing Friday morning, I packed myself and my youngest son in the van and made a trip to check out Thrift King. And it definitely lived up to it’s title. The aisles are wide and clean…not a bit of that musty thrift store smell.

If you live anywhere in Southwestern PA and haven’t made a trip to downtown Jeannette, you are missing out on some serious thrifting. In addition to the new Thrift King, there are at least 3 large antique/fleatique stores and a handful of great smaller shops all within a few block area. Maybe we need to plan a trip for the locals sometime?

Everything is beautifully organized including the clothing. It’s impeccably clean and the prices seemed very reasonable.

Of course, daily sales make the prices even more tempting. I snapped up a few pairs of nearly-new Gap shorts for my boys for $1.20 each.

The furniture area is HUGE. There is no doubt that I’ll be browsing regularly for pieces to makeover. I think I could decorate an entire room around this funky chair. It’s shape is beautiful, but the fabric was, sadly, too worn on the arms. If I knew anything about re-upholstery, I would have snapped it up in an instant. It was only $10!!!!

I was seriously tempted by this pair of glass lamps. Spray paint those brassy bases and add some modern shades. Beautiful!

This shapely dresser is BEGGING for a makeover. I actually don’t mind the wood color, but it was pretty dinged up so it would need to be sanded and either re-stained or painted. Either way it would make a perfect dining room sideboard.

And when I saw this traditional little dresser, I immediately thought of Kate’s two-toned dresser. I really wanted to bring it home and take off the batwing hardware like I did in my bedroom. It’s really screaming for some crystal knobs and a coat of fresh white (or gray…or blue…or turquoise) paint.

You’re going to have to trust me on this one, but I almost brought this round wicker coffee table home. I may go back for it this week.

You can’t tell from the pictures, but it’s HUGE…like 45″ across. It’s the perfect size for our basement. I know it looks all tacky-sunroom-Boca Raton-condo, but I love it’s shape and it’s incredibly sturdy.

But I’m thinking some new stain and maybe a paint wash could make it look like this gorgeous baby.

The weather is FINALLY breaking here. I’m dying to get my brushes and sprayer into action. Have you had any good thrift store finds lately?

Thrifting with The King is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Are you ready for the step-by-step breakdown of how I painted my new foyer cabinet? Click here for more before/after pictures of this makeover. This post might get a little long, but I’m so happy with how it turned out that I don’t want to skip anything!

The first step was to ditch those crazy grills on the front.

I was really lucky because they came off without damaging the doors or drawers. If it had been embedded in the finish, it would have been a much bigger project to get them smooth for painting.






Then I needed to fill in the extra holes that the old hardware left behind.

The trick to filling in hardware holds with wood filler is to take your time. Put a little in the hole, then let it dry before putting in another layer. The wood filler shrinks a little as it dries, so take your time and keep filling the hole. Sand the top when you’re done to make sure it’s smooth.

The existing finish was really slick, so I decided to give the cabinet a good sanding. First with 220 grit sandpaper and my power hand sander. Then with a sanding sponge to get all of the rounded trim.

If you can find a cute little boy to help clean the cabinet, you’re golden.

I don’t usually dis-assemble a piece of furniture when I paint it, but I did this time. I took off all the hinges and removed the doors to make the painting process easier. Here’s a hint: Keep all the hardware and screws together in plastic baggies and label each one with it’s location. You think you’ll remember what goes where. You won’t. Trust me.

From there it was time to prime, which left me with a dilemma. I knew that an oil-based primer would give me the most durable finish, but it also required a lot of drying time which I didn’t have. I needed to get this baby out of the garage ASAP so that humans could park there again. I also didn’t want to deal with the clean-up hassle of oil-based paints.

So I compromised and used Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 primer. It’s a water-based primer so it dries quickly, but it’s made for glossy surfaces so it still sticks and creates a durable finish.

I also used Floetrol for the first time. I will never paint furniture without it again. It’s a paint conditioner that minimizes your brush strokes and makes for a MUCH smoother finish. You mix it with your paint and your primer and paint like normal. It kind of loosens up your paint without diluting it. LOVE!

Floetrol Lesson from Kimba’s School of Hard Knocks: If you’re trying out this (or any) new product, read the directions. If they say “shake well”, then shake it well! Otherwise your first coat of primer will be so full of bubbles that you’ll have to resand. You will curse me or anyone else who dares to say “Floetrol” in your presence. Then you’ll read the directions and realize that you need to be cursing yourself. End of lesson.

I used a good brush (Purdy XL Cub) and a foam roller to do all of my priming and painting. First I did all of the trim, edges and corners with the brush and went over the flat surfaces with the roller.

I used a fine (220 grit) sandpaper after every coat of primer and paint. I didn’t go over the whole piece with tremendous detail, I just used the sandpaper to smooth out any brush marks or imperfections in the finish. Then I cleaned off all the dust with a tack cloth.

I wanted a white (but not too white) color, so I chose Hushed White in Behr Premium Plus Satin. It gave me the perfect slightly soft white color I was looking for. It took 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint to get good coverage.

After I finished the body of the cabinet, I turned my attention to those interior drawers. I could have left them alone, because I’m the only one who will see them. But I wanted something a little fun inside.

I primed the drawer fronts only and painted them with a couple of coats of aqua paint that I found in the Oops section of Lowes. It’s similar to the aqua in my laundry room…just a little more gray.

I wanted a semi-subtle gray pattern on the drawers, so I used a craft store stencil and some grey craft paint mixed with pearlescent medium.

You mix 1 part paint to about 10 parts pearlescent medium to get a translucent, pearly paint. Love it!

I’m no stencil expert, so I just kept repositioning my stencil on the drawer fronts until I had them completely covered with the pattern. There was a little too much texture to the finish when I was done, I so I went over it with my 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out a bit.

After all the paint was completely dry, I gave the entire cabinet a coat of spray polycrylic to protect the finish and, hopefully, prevent chips and scratches.

This beautiful cabinet is now sitting in my foyer and I’m already filling it up with all sorts of things that we need to grab as we’re walking out the door. The storage is tremendous!

Did anyone read this whole thing? I talk too much.

How to Paint a Cabinet the Right Way is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’m so happy that I finally get to share this cabinet makeover with you. One of my house goals for this year is to makeover my foyer so that it’s more functional and a little easier on the eyes. Step 1 was to find a storage cabinet to contain hats, gloves, scarves and other articles of clothing.

I was patient in my hunt for the perfect cabinet and that patience paid off back in February when I found the perfect piece at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. It was only $25 and it was hideous. But I could see the potential behind the 1970′s veneer and metal-grill hardware. It was in perfect condition and was solid-as-a-rock. Perfect for a transformation, but it sat in the garage for 2 months before I had time to make it pretty.

Before:

And there are drawers behind the cabinet doors on the top. Perfect for organizing the kid’s gear and junk.

After:

Yes, my friends. It is the same piece. White paint and new hardware made it beautiful!

And inside? A fabulous little surprise!

Usually, I’m all about the quickie spray paint makeover, but in this case, I wanted the finish to hold up well to some abuse by my boys. So I decided to do this makeover the right way. I cobbled together my technique with tips and tricks from Centsational Girl and Miss Mustard Seed. They’re both furniture painting gurus and I knew I could trust their advice.

Click here for the step-by-step details on how I painted this cabinet.

Linking up to SAS Day.

Foyer Cabinet Makeover: The Reveal is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I always have a lot of luck thrifting (and junking) in January. I think it’s because so many of us feel the urge to purge (our homes) after the holidays that the thrift stores are usually packed with good stuff. Things like ugly lamps that could be beautiful with a coat of glossy spraypaint.

I was super tempted by those school chairs to use around a table in our basement. At $5 each, I may go back and see if they’re still at the Goodwill.

The Habitat for Humanity Re-Store was packed with dressers that need a coat of paint.

Wouldn’t this one be beautiful painted white with new hardware? It was only $25.

They also had TONS of lighting fixtures.

When I saw this 5-arm milk glass chandelier for only $10, I snapped it up. I’ve been wanting one for our family room forever, but I wasn’t willing to pay $50-$75 for one. I think I’m going to paint the fixture parts black, but that’s a project for another day.

Have you had any great thrift store finds lately?

January is For Thrifting is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I haven’t written about the on-going master bedroom redo lately. Mostly because summer is here and the living is easy at Casa Kimba. OK. Not exactly easy. Just really, really busy, which leaves precious little time for spray painting. The HORRORS!

I have a couple of other projects in the works, but before anything else, I needed to find a place to toss the dirty laundry sit. Even if it occasionally catches yesterday’s jeans, every bedroom place (besides the bed) to park your rear.

I had this empty corner between the dresser and the window. The perfect spot for a chair.

And, (lucky me!), I had this junk store wicker chair just sitting in the basement waiting for a makeover.

A little spray paint and some new cushions and (poof-voila!) the perfect chair for my Zen Traditional bedroom.

I splurged a little on the cushion and pillows, but they were still on great sale. The seat cushion came from Pier 1 and the throw pillows came from Kohls. The chocolate color coordinates perfectly with my bedding and the throw pillows bring in some of the green color that I wanted.

Want to catch up with the rest of the Master Bedroom Makeover? Start here:

The Evolution of a Bedroom ~ Why Your Bedroom Matters
The Master Bedroom Before
The Bedding Reveal
The Window Treatments
A Lamp Makeover

Don’t forget! DIY Day ~ The Outdoor Edition will be happening here starting tomorrow! Link up with your latest outdoor projects!

The Master Bedroom ~ A Place to Sit is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’ve been on the hunt for a small cabinet for our master bathroom for months and months. We needed a little extra storage for towels and toiletries. Is there such a thing as too much storage in the bathroom? I think not.

My patience paid off when I found this shapely, but raggedy, cabinet at my favorite flea-tique a few weeks ago. I was happy to pay the $15 listed on the price tag. Imagine the squeals when I saw the “Everything 1/2 Off” sign! That’s $7.50, baby!!! Yeeehaaaw!

After a little elbow grease and some paint, it’s perfect for our bathroom. Love it!

I’ve been wanting to try the Behr Paint and Primer and this seemed like a good opportunity. Mostly because I was feeling super lazy and using two products was way too much work.

My thoughts? I like it! It’s a little more expensive than regular paint, but I didn’t have to buy primer so I guess it evens out. I think I put on 3 coats of paint (4 on the door fronts) and the paint went on beautifully and covered really well. The color I used is called Polar White and it’s a semi-gloss finish.

I gave the cabinet a (very) light sanding, then I used the brush to paint the edges and corners. I love those small sized rollers (NOT the foam ones) for painting furniture. I know that purists will say that you MUST use a brush because a roller won’t cover, give you a smooth finish, fly you to the moon, whatever. But they’re easy. And I’m all about keeping things easy.

Some new knobs that I picked up at Hobby Lobby the last time I was in NC and it’s ready to go!

Isn’t it amazing what a few coats of paint can do? What’s on your list of things to paint this summer?

Related posts:

My Painted Kitchen Stools

How to Paint a Kitchen Table

A $7.50 Cabinet Makeover is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I keep these 3 things in my purse at all times:
1. A small notebook
2. A pen
3. A small tape measure

In the notebook, I keep track of all the things that I’m watching for as I shop the thrift stores and garage sales. When you’re thrifting, you need to be prepared to make a decision quickly. If you come back tomorrow, that perfect cabinet you were eyeing may be gone.

Since I know that I need a cabinet that is no more than 49″ wide and 49″ tall for my entryway, I’m prepared to make a quick decision. And since I have that teeny tiny tape measure in my purse, I don’t have to try and guess what size it is.

The notebook keeps me from making impulsive purchases that end up not working in my house. I have enough of those in the basement already. I am really bad at estimating sizes, so I need to write down the dimensions that will work in my house.

That tape measure has prevented me from making many a bad purchase. And helped me make some great ones!

What is your can’t-do-without decorating tool?

My Favorite Decorating Tools is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you’ve probably seen this stool before.

It was a thrift store find that I fancied up with bright yellow paint and some damask fabric. It’s been used in several different spots in my house over the last 1-1/2 years. But I had grown weary of it’s bright color, so it was time to rehab the rehab.

I primed the wooden frame with Rustoleum white primer and painted it with Rustoleum American Accents white paint in a glossy finish. I usually prefer a satin finish but this was a “use what you have” project.

Recovering the seat of a stool or a chair is super easy if you use a staple gun. Check out this old post for detailed instructions for recovering a seat.

It’s perfect for a new spot that I’ll be sharing with you later this week.

What about you? Have you ever rehabbed a rehab?

Can You Rehab a Rehab? is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

My family room is smiling at me today. Why? Because my glorious door coffee table is done and it’s perfect for this room.

A couple of month’s ago, my dear, talented, gorgeous friend, Layla from The Lettered Cottage, did a design consultation on my family room. This coffee table creation was her recommendation because I have a large room and it fills the space so much better than a small table or ottoman. Not to mention, it’s just plain-old cool.

As soon as Layla recommended making a coffee table from an old door, I started scouring salvage yards and junk stores until I found this one perfect door. I love the large, single panel. It was perfect for a table.

There’s still a bunch of work to be done in this room (board and batten, anyone?), but this table was a huge step in the right direction. It’s the perfect spot to set my morning coffee or play games with the kids. The Hubster can rest his feet there and I could probably throw a mattress on top of it for sleepovers.

I’m still fooling around with the display that I want to put on it. I’m not exactly thrilled with this one but it’s working for the moment. I want something a little more natural, so I’ll be outside hunting for rocks today. And I fear that my succulent apothecary terrarium will become victim to a flying ball at some point. Boys.

If you want to know more about this glorious new/old table, click here I’ll tell you a little about how it was made including the colors I used for the top and the legs. In the meantime, here’s some more inspiration about projects to do with old doors.

Door dining room table ~ Design Sponge
Another door dining table ~ Apartment Therapy
The Nester is The Queen of hanging old doors on her walls…Here is take 1 and take 2 and take 3. ~ Nesting Place
Screen door as kitchen table ~ ASPTL

The Door Coffee Table is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Yesterday, I promised a video that would show the steps I used when I tried Caromal Colors Distressed for Success kit on my Goodwill dresser. Today, you are going to learn why I am a blogger and not a vlogger. I hope you’ll still be my friend after watching me wreck up this video.

Do you notice how I keep talking about the brush strokes during the video? It’s because I didn’t really “get it” until the end when I put on the toner. I’m so used to working with spray paint and rollers that I couldn’t let go of my image of perfectly smooth paint. DUMB!

The whole point is that it doesn’t need to be a perfectly applied finish. It can be brushy or pouncy (that’s Patty’s word) or stippley. The texture it totally your choice. Patty sent me that picture to show what she meant about the texture. It’s gorgeous! (Click on the picture for a closer look.)

If you posted a question on yesterday’s post, make sure you go back and look at the comment section. Patty from Fabulous Finishes has answered each and every one of your questions there.

And since so many of you asked about painting laminate, Patty wrote a post specifically on the topic. You can click here to see what she has to say.

You can still throw your name in the hat to win a Distressed for Success kit to try out on your own furniture rehab project. All the details are in yesterday’s post. We will be picking the winner by the end of the week.

If you would like to make a purchase from Caromal Colors, you can click here to go directly to their store. Make sure that you use the code PattyH in the Discount Coupon field. That’s the only way that Patty gets credit for the sale and you get a discount on the shipping.

Dining Room Dresser Rehab – The Video is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’ve mentioned before, that my dining room is a bit of a catch-all room, since I do much of my creating in there. I finally decided that I needed some dedicated storage for my paints, papers, glues and beads. A few months ago, I scored a dated old dresser at the Goodwill for a glorious $12! It’s been sitting in there since looking very sad and bedraggled (but still functional).

I knew that I would rehab him, but I was waiting for inspiration to strike. And inspiration struck in the form of my new advertiser, Caromal Colors via Patty Henning at Fabulous Finishes! Patty is a Regional Director for Caromal Colors and she graciously sent me a Distressed for Success kit from their line so that I could try it out on a furniture rehab project and share the results with you.

Note: As always, when I have a sponsor on my blog, the advertisement is payed for. My opinion is not.

Here’s what I used for this project:

• Caromal Colors textured base coat in parchment
• Caromal Colors toner
• Chip brush (natural bristle paint brush)
• Sandpaper

The minute that I opened the jar of paint, I knew there was something different about these products. The paint is SUPER thick…like the texture of pudding. According to their website, that’s why you get such fantastic coverage without primer. Yeah, you read that right. Without primer! Or sanding! I love that!

I don’t have photos of the step-by-step process. If you want to see that, you’ll have to come back tomorrow, when I’ll post a completely embarrassing video of me actually doing this project. There’s a reason that I blog and not vlog, people.

Today, I’ll just tell you that this stuff is awesome. It went on easily without any sanding or priming which saved tons of time. The coverage is fantastic too.

It gives you the most wonderful texture, (either brushy or bumpy or stippled…you choose) that grabs hold of the toner and gives a beautifully aged, antiqued or distressed finish (again, you choose). I made it way harder than it needed to be by stressing over the fact that the finish had texture in it. It’s supposed to be there and it looks beautiful when it’s done.

If I were going to paint my kitchen or bath cabinets, I would definitely use these products. They are so flexible because of all the beautiful colors which can be layered and used with the toner to create stunning farmhouse-y, Pottery Barn looking cabinets and furniture.

Since so many of you are budding or experienced DIYers, Patty with Caromal Colors has offered to provide one of you with a Distressed for Success kit ($47.50 value) in the color of your choice. The only requirement if you win is that you use it within a few weeks and photograph the results. Patty will be available by phone or email to answer any questions you may have. I will feature your finished project right here on ASPTL. You do NOT have to be a blogger to enter, you’ll just email me your pictures directly.

Here’s how to enter:
1. Take a look at the projects I have listed below from Patty’s blog and tell us which one you like best.
AND
2. Tell us how you would use the Distressed for Success kit. Are you going to paint a cabinet? A table? A bookcase? Just let us know your plans.

You can also get extra entries for tweeting or blogging about this contest.

Here are some projects from Patty’s blog:
Kitchen cabinet makeover for less than $100
Updating an oak desk
Updating an old armoire
Easy light fixture facelifts

If you would like to make a purchase from Caromal Colors, you can click here to go directly to their store. Make sure that you use the code PattyH in the Discount Coupon field. That’s the only way that Patty gets credit for the sale and you get a discount on the shipping.

Furniture Rehab and a DIY Giveaway! is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’ve mentioned before, that my dining room is a bit of a catch-all room, since I do much of my creating in there. I finally decided that I needed some dedicated storage for my paints, papers, glues and beads. A few months ago, I scored a dated old dresser at the Goodwill for a glorious $12! It’s been sitting in there since looking very sad and bedraggled (but still functional).

I knew that I would rehab him, but I was waiting for inspiration to strike. And inspiration struck in the form of my new advertiser, Caromal Colors via Patty Henning at Fabulous Finishes! Patty is a Regional Director for Caromal Colors and she graciously sent me a Distressed for Success kit from their line so that I could try it out on a furniture rehab project and share the results with you.

Note: As always, when I have a sponsor on my blog, the advertisement is payed for. My opinion is not.

Here’s what I used for this project:

• Caromal Colors textured base coat in parchment
• Caromal Colors toner
• Chip brush (natural bristle paint brush)
• Sandpaper

The minute that I opened the jar of paint, I knew there was something different about these products. The paint is SUPER thick…like the texture of pudding. According to their website, that’s why you get such fantastic coverage without primer. Yeah, you read that right. Without primer! Or sanding! I love that!

I don’t have photos of the step-by-step process. If you want to see that, you’ll have to come back tomorrow, when I’ll post a completely embarrassing video of me actually doing this project. There’s a reason that I blog and not vlog, people.

Today, I’ll just tell you that this stuff is awesome. It went on easily without any sanding or priming which saved tons of time. The coverage is fantastic too.

It gives you the most wonderful texture, (either brushy or bumpy or stippled…you choose) that grabs hold of the toner and gives a beautifully aged, antiqued or distressed finish (again, you choose). I made it way harder than it needed to be by stressing over the fact that the finish had texture in it. It’s supposed to be there and it looks beautiful when it’s done.

If I were going to paint my kitchen or bath cabinets, I would definitely use these products. They are so flexible because of all the beautiful colors which can be layered and used with the toner to create stunning farmhouse-y, Pottery Barn looking cabinets and furniture.

Here are some projects from Patty’s blog:
Kitchen cabinet makeover for less than $100
Updating an oak desk
Updating an old armoire
Easy light fixture facelifts

If you would like to make a purchase from Caromal Colors, you can click here to go directly to their store. Make sure that you use the code PattyH in the Discount Coupon field. That’s the only way that Patty gets credit for the sale and you get a discount on the shipping.

Furniture Rehab with Caromal Colors is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’m not quite done sharing pictures from my vacation shopping trip that ended at Beach House Chic. If you missed yesterday’s post, click here to see more.

Stop. The. World. She took two sets of bi-fold doors, attached a wooden shelf with wood supports and created a bar height counter. I don’t need a bar in my house, but if I didn’t have a fireplace, I would totally do this to create a mantle-like focal point in my family room. You could put more shelving or even a buffet underneath.

And how about this greenhouse made from old window panes?

I would love some of these hand tool candle holder thingies for my back porch.

Seriously! Look how cute they are!

And really. How beautiful is this river rock table runner? Just gorgeous!

This last picture came from “The Coop” where most of the rehab work for Beach House Chic was done. I told you yesterday that Diane is a master thrifter. She races her way through garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores every weekend looking for pieces that can be made beautiful with a few repairs and a coat of paint.

I nearly fell over laughing when I saw this glorious pile of chairs waiting to be rehabbed. This stack had to be 15-20 feet tall. Diane called it Chair Jenga and swore that she knew exactly what was in there and how to find it. Hilarious, no?

More furniture rehab inspiration:
Painting the pine armoire ~ Nesting Place
1970′s china cabinet makeover ~ Life in the Fun Lane
Cabinet makeover with a pop of color ~ Scatter Sunshine
Adorable vanity bench makeover ~ our daily chocolate

Furniture Rehab ~ The Beach Edition Part 2 is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Vacation means 2 things to me…beach and shopping. This year it was more browsing than buying, but it was still fun.

My cousin-in-law (Hi Kathy!!!) and I share a love for home decorating projects, so we spent some time browsing around the beach community where we vacationed. During our hunt, we stumbled on an outdoor sale that was jammed full of thrifty furniture that had been made beautiful again with some simple repairs and a coat of paint.

Heaven! It was called Beach House Chic and it was being run by my soul-sister, Diane. She was tan, barefoot and covered in a fine layer of white paint. I adored her instantly. She is a master thrifter and furniture rehabber and she has turned her talent into a semi-annual sale.

We spent ages chatting and comparing technique and tips…birds of a feather, we are. I asked if she minded if I shared some of her creations with my readers and she graciously said “yes”. Like this beautiful bench created from an old sleigh bed.

I nearly flipped when I saw this old screen door that had been turned into a kitchen table!

They cut a piece of glass to fit the top of the table and added a frame around the edge to hold it all in place.

And how about this bench made from an old crib?

If I had room in my van, I would have snapped up this chair with the toile seat and matching pillow. Totally reasonable at $58, I think. Look at that sweet ruffle on the pillow.

I’ll have more inspiration from Beach House Chic for you tomorrow plus a shot from inside “The Coop” where all of the rehab magic happens. After chatting with Diane for nearly an hour, she invited us back to her workshop so we could look through some of her pieces before they were finished.

If you’re going to be anywhere near the Delaware Shore during the last weekend in July, you MUST check out this incredible sale. There will be all sorts of vendors with beautiful home furnishings and decor. It will be open July 31-August 2, 10am-5pm at 528 Atlantic Avenue/Route 26 (3.2 miles from the Bethany Totem Pole).

Furniture Rehab ~ The Beach Edition Part 1 is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Taking a little break today…This article was originally published in June of ’08. It’s one of my favorite furniture rehab projects. Enjoy!

I found this old gossip/telephone bench at the fleatique store and wanted to try something a little different. I loved how this old piece looked and it was really sturdy. The detailing on the side is so beautiful!

I’m sure lots of people would say, “DON’T DO IT!” It really is pretty just the way it is but I wanted to do something totally different with it.

I like the idea of using an unexpected color so I went with a bright red, almost lacquer finish. The fabric is the same fabric I used on the yellow stool here. I got some good mileage out of 1 yard of fabric!

Now I just need to find a place to put it!

Here’s some more furniture rehab inspiration:

Beautiful bench makeover with a tutorial for filling in dated carvings in wood, cabinetry or paneling ~ Sanctuary Arts at Home
DIY: Painted thrift store cabinet ~ Centsational Girl
Refashioned dining table ~ Poppies at Play
Salvaged window = walllpaper frames ~ Crafty Nest
Side table refashion: Poppies at Play
Boring pantry cabinet makeover ~ Fireflies and Jellybeans

Rehab Rehash is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’ve been wanting to makeover my kitchen stools for ages and I finally got around to it this weekend.

Here’s the before…There was nothing wrong with them. They are sturdy Target stools that I got on clearance when we were living in our old house. They matched our cabinets remarkably well and saved me from spending hundreds of dollars on fancy stools for the island.

And the after…I’m so happy with them! Black would have been the obvious choice for the kitchen, but the white brightens things up. And I have some other projects in this area that will be white so it will all tie together eventually.

Here’s how I did it:

1. Deglossed the surfaces with Klean-Strip Liquid Sander/Deglosser (you can get it at any hardware store). I LOVE this stuff. I may never sand again. It removes the shine from the finish and preps the surface for painting. So easy!
2. Primed with Zinzer Bullseye 1-2-3 primer. Thanks for the recommendation Lindsay! The hardest part was letting the primer dry really well before I painted. I’m so impatient.
3. Applied two coats of white paint (Fence Post by Glidden in semi-gloss) with my spray gun. If I didn’t have the sprayer, I would have used a brush because I really wanted to use this color. It’s a perfect white for painted furniture. Thanks for the recommendation, Layla!
4. Used number stencils to add numbers to each seat with black latex paint. There was a good bit of touching up by hand for this part. If I wasn’t in such a hurry, I may have ordered vinyl wall stickers instead.
5. Done!

Since this project isn’t a makeover of a Goodwill find, I won’t link it up to Thrifty Decor Chicks Goodwill party but I did link up a couple of older posts. You should check out her party!

Want to see some other decorating projects using typography?
Shelves, a pillow and a school desk: {happy day}
Numbered dining chairs: The Shabby Nest
Kitchen stools and a pillow: The Shabby Nest
Number buckets: Therapy by Decorating

Kitchen Stool Makeover is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

It’s no secret that I’m always on the lookout for a furniture bargain that I can rehab and turn into something that I love. Whenever I post about a furniture rehab project like this one, this one or this one, I get comments from people saying that they just can’t see the potential in a thrift store mess.

So come shopping with me at one of my favorite places to find furniture bargains, Craigslist, and I’ll share some tips for finding pieces that you can makeover for your home.

If you leave in Houston, you NEED to go snap up this sofa ($75). It will be stunning when you paint the frame a creamy white and recover the cushions with a ticking stripe or burlap.

Would you like to do a headboard like I did in this post? If you live in Chicago, you’re in luck because you can pick up this headboard for only $10. And it looks like the trimwork is already done for you. Just paint it!

Did you see this post from Thrifty Decor Chick? That picture is her “after”.

Well. here’s another one for you Chicagoland folks. This coffee table can be had for $25 and will look beautiful with the same distressed black finish that Thrifty Decor Chick used.

Are you in Portland? This $75 chair may look dated now, but paint the wood white and recover the cushions in a bold print and you’ll have a showstopping piece better than anything from the Pottery Barn catalogue.

If you live anywhere near me in Pittsburgh, then keep your mitts off this wooden desk that I’ll be tracking down today. It’s the perfect size for The Hubster’s office and at $30 it’s perfect for a rehab project.

If you’re in Minneapolis, these two chairs can be had for $5 each!

I don’t think that it takes a brilliant imagination to see that they could handle a Mod Makeover like this one from Eddie Ross.

These patio chairs in Miami are a no-brainer. At $45 for the set of 4, they’re a bargain that could be madeover with some paint and fabric. I’m thinking black for the metal frame and a toile for the seat.

Tips for shopping on Craigslist:

• Look at the shape. Try and look past the current finish or fabric and imagine it with a coat of paint or new fabric.
• Ask for dimensions. Before you spend time driving around looking at pieces you see online, make sure they are the right size for your space. Take a tape measure with you when you go looking.
• Keep an open mind. Maybe that buffet can be used as a TV stand or maybe you can shorten the legs of that small kitchen table and use it as a coffee table.
• You CAN negotiate. Nicely, of course. A simple question like, “Can you do a little better on the price?” can often lead to a much better deal.

You can still enter our giveaway from Purple Lemon. A winner will be chosen tomorrow.

Need some inspiration to get your furniture rehab mojo working?
A trash to treasure makeover: Creations by Kara
You CAN paint laminate furniture: Living with Lindsay
Chair makeover: Design*Sponge
Desk makeover: Design*Sponge
Bench makeover: Sanctuary Arts at Home

Let’s Go Shopping is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’ve wanted a real headboard for my older son’s bedroom for a couple of years, but just haven’t been able to justify the expense. That doesn’t stop me from oogling and drooling over those beautiful pieces of furniture in the Pottery Barn catalogue.

When I saw this old headboard tucked in the corner of the Salvation Army, I knew I could make it work for my older son’s room. And at only $20, it was worth the risk even if it didn’t work. I used liquid sander on the whole thing to get rid of the shine. This was the first time I’ve used it and I was really happy with the results.

Since it was so plain, a little trim work seemed like a natural addition. I attached two rectangles of premade molding that is usually used to create wainscoting. They are in with the molding at Lowes or Home Depot. If I had any patience at all, I would have waited until The Hubster got home and let him use the miter saw to make my own. They’re attached with wood glue and a few finishing nails.

Then a couple of coats of Kilz primer. Oops! Forgot to take a picture before I started painting.

Can you believe that this Pottery Barn-ish bed only cost me $40 total? That’s the cost of the bed and the framing. I already had the paint.

Edited to add: The paint color is an Olympic color (from Lowes) called Star Spangled. It’s a perfect blue for this project…not too bright…not too navy.

A Headboard Makeover is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

1. Do what YOU like. I’m not telling you to paint grandma’s priceless armoire, but what good does it do to live with a piece of furniture that you don’t like just because someone says, “But it’s WOOD”?
2. Start small. Pick something inexpensive and small to practice on. A old wood chair is a perfect first project.
3. Clean it really well. A good scrubbing with soap and water will do a long way for creating a surface that will hold paint. If it’s really greasy or grimy, there are products you can use to clean it better but I’ve never used them.
4. Evaluate the surface. If its slick and shiny, you’re going to need to sand or use a liquid deglosser (liquid sandpaper). If not, you can skip the sanding step.
5. You may not need to prime. I only prime if it’s a piece that will get heavy use. If it’s just going to get looked at vs. sat on, jumped off and banged around, I usually won’t prime.
6. If you’re using a dark color, get a tinted primer (in black or grey). It makes getting an even finish so much easier.
7. If you want a really durable finish, you can use an oil-based primer with a latex paint. Just don’t use latex paint over oil-based PAINT. That will make you a big ole mess.
8. Take care of any drips or streaks when they happen. When I’m spray painting, I keep a foam brush handy to wipe away and runs or drips.
9. If you miss one, wait for the paint to dry REALLY well and sand it away then repaint.
10. Be patient! This is the hardest step for me. Letting your piece dry well between coats will go a long way toward avoiding problems in the finish like bubbles and crackling.

I had grand plans to show you my latest project for Edie’s painted wood project party at her blog, Life In Grace. Unfortunately, it was way too windy to spraypaint outside this weekend and The Hubster has had about enough of my spray painting in the basement.

Here are some other painted wood projects. Some are mine…some not.

Detailed tutorial for painting a wooden chair: ASPTL
Dresser makeover: Sanctuary Art at Home
Thrift store desk makeover (It’s amazing. Seriously): Living with Lindsay
Painting porch chairs: This Young House

Painting Wood Furniture: 10 Tips is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Sunday Afternoon is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

The weather is finally warming a bit up and my thoughts have turned to the boatload of rehab projects that I have planned for spring. All winter, I have been collecting bits and pieces of bedraggled and beaten furniture that I know will be beautiful again with some paint, fabric and love.

Since garage sale and flea market season is here for most of the country, here are a few tips for when you’re hunting for pieces that you can rehab for your home.

1. Look past the surface- Forget the 1980′s sponge paint job and see the shape of that dresser or chair. Does it have a traditional, modern or classic shape that would work well in your house? Some new paint and hardware can transform that horrible mess into something that you love.

2. Can it be repurposed? – Can that old changing table be made into a storage shelf or book shelf? Wouldn’t that old door make a great headboard? Maybe the old TV armoire could be used for storage in the baby’s room.

3. Is it fixable? – Simple repairs like smoothing out a scratched top or fixing a broken chair rung can turn that major bargain into a beautiful piece. When I want to try a repair, I google whatever I need to do and go from there…”fix a broken chair rung”, “repair damaged laminate” or “replace rattan seat”. But you need to know yourself. That $5 chair isn’t worth it if it’s going to sit in your basement, unrepaired.

4. Know where to look – Some thrift stores focus on clothing while others carry a nice mix. Check them out a few times or even call ahead to find out if they carry furniture. Some of the best pieces can be found at garage sales and on Craigslist so keep your eyes open.

5. What’s it made of? – Is it real wood or particle board and laminate? Personally, I prefer to find pieces that are real wood. They’re usually well made and are easier to paint. But don’t let that stop you if you want to try making over that laminate bookcase. It can still be beautiful!

Wallpapered teacart: Crafty Nest
Secondhand furniture makeover: squirrels & tea
Her very first makeover: Creations by Kara
Before & After: Design Sponge
3 makeovers from BHG
Entertainment center into laundry station: BHG

Two fantastic giveaways going on today!
$100 in CASH from The Inspired Room
Customized canvas prints from 4 Reluctant Entertainers

Furniture Rehab: 5 Tips for Finding Pieces to Makeover is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

You all left such sweet comments about my painted kitchen table the other day. {blush} And a bunch of you asked questions about how I did it, so here’s a quick run-down. Unfortunately, this was done in my PBD (pre-blogging days) so I don’t have pictures.

We sanded down all of the flat surfaces (tabletop, apron) with a power hand sander. We weren’t trying to get down to bare wood or anything…just roughing it up enough for the primer to stick well.

We sanded the legs of the table and the chairs by hand. Honestly, if I were doing it again, I wouldn’t spend nearly as much time on this step. I don’t think it made much of a difference.

We primed everything with grey Kilz primer (any good primer would work). We used a roller and brushes for the whole thing. If I were doing it again, I would have the primer tinted black. It would make applying the paint a little easier.

Next was 2 or 3 coats of black satin latex paint applied with a brush and rollers. Let the paint dry really well between coats. Like a day or so. If it doesn’t dry really well, the paint will always feel a little bit soft.

Then two coats of satin polyurethane. Next time, I’ll probably skip this step. I don’t think it really added anything.

That’s it! You may notice that there were a lot of “we’s” thrown around in this post. That’s because when The Hubster read the last post, there were a whole lot of raised eyebrows and “ah-hems” flying around. I think those meant “Who is this “I” that you speak of so much. I clearly remember there being a “We” involved with this project.” So there you go…we…we…we…all the way home. Love ya, honey!

Here are some furniture painting tutorials that I’ve posted in the past.

Painting a kitchen chair
Painting a piano bench and recovering the seat
A technique for distressing a painted chair
Repairing wood veneer and painting a large dresser

And here’s one of my my favorite tutorials on painting furniture from Rhoda at Southern Hospitality. She rehabbed her kitchen chairs and gave them a beautifully distressed finish.

Oh! That rug under the table? An indoor outdoor rug from Overstock. One of my favorite places for rugs.

PS – Clearly I’m hooked on painting furniture. You can visit Hooked on Houses to see what some other fine ladies are hooked on.

The Kitchen Table – A Tutorial is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Some of you asked to see pictures of my kitchen table and chairs when I showed you the bench that I rehabbed for the kitchen. So here you go…

In it’s younger days, it was the typical yellow pine, butcher block kitchen table. Very sturdy and practical but not my style anymore. I don’t have a before picture but it was just like this one. This was all done BB (Before Blogging) when I didn’t occur to me to document everything I do in photos.

I painted the table and chairs nearly six years ago…before I developed a deep and abiding love for spray paint. (Hard to believe, I know) I actually painted this with a gallon of satin black paint and a brush. Shocking, no? Then I added a few coats of satin polyurethane for durability. It took FOREVER to paint all of those legs and spindles with a brush. FOREVER!

It’s worn remarkably well over the years. Some people have furniture that’s been distressed by design. Mine has been distressed by life (mainly two little boys) but I still like it.

If I had it to do again, I would probably use an oil-based paint in my new power sprayer. Oil-based paint gives you a tougher finish for things that get heavy use like the top of kitchen table.

I’ve been toying with the idea of changing it up again. Maybe stripping all of the paint off the table top and staining it the color of my cabinets. What do you think? Any ideas?

The Painted Kitchen Table is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’ve been wanting to add some extra seating to our kitchen table for a while and when I saw an ugly old padded bench at the thrift store a few months ago, I knew that it was the perfect size and scale to work with my kitchen table.

It’s been a while since I’ve rehabbed any thrift store finds and I think I was going through a bit of spray-paint withdrawal. So yes, I spray painted in my basement in January.

Making over a bench like this one is really easy. If you want a complete tutorial, you can read this post where I gave detailed directions on a previous project.

A quick summary is:
Remove the seat (it’s held on with screws from underneath)
Clean, prime and paint the wood parts
Recover the seat
Reattach the seat
Take pictures

And if you can do it while sitting in front of one of these, all the better.

This time, I wanted to try something a little different and tuft the top of the seat because I love the look of a tufted chair. Let me show you how I did it. I don’t know if I used the Tufting Institute (I made that up) approved tufting method. As usual, I just kind of figured out how I wanted it to look and how to make that happen.

First, I took all of the fabric and padding off of the top of the bench. Then I drilled two holes in the wood part of the seat where I’ll want the tufting buttons to go.

I reused the foam padding because it was still in good shape and covered it with a couple of layers of batting for extra fluff.

Then I covered the whole seat with the new fabric.

Now for the tufting…I wanted to use buttons covered in the same fabric as the seat. You can find self-covering buttons at the craft or fabric store and they’re really easy to use.

Take a long piece of upholstery thread (or any thick, heavy thread) and make a slip-knot through the button shank. Then pull both pieces of thread through an upholstery needle (or other long needle).

Using the needle, pull the tread through the seat then through the hole that you drilled previously. Repeat for any other buttons.

Turn the seat over and pull the thread as tightly as you want your tufting to be. You’re just eyeballing this until it looks right. You have both ends of the thread that you can secure by pulling them through a regular button and tying to secure.

Those directions are probably hard to follow. I hope the pictures help.

Pull Up a (Tufted) Seat is a post from: A Soft Place to Land