Search Results for: flea market tips

DIY Sweater Top Table

October 29, 2013

It’s not everyday that I jump on a design trend but after writing about the trend of cable knits in this post, I decided I loved the look and wanted to do a little diy project so I could add this trendy style statement to my home for fall.

This cute flea market table (actually its a stool) was the starting point

and after covering it in a thrift store cable knit sweater and adding nail heads it looks like this.

The perfect little beverage table for fall.

The table had a wood top and metal legs and it folds up flat for storage (bonus)!

The table is the perfect size to sit next to a chair and the top is the perfect size for mug of hot chocolate and a favorite book.

I used antique bronze nail heads I picked up at Hobby Lobby ($4.99 less 40%) to detail the top edge and I painted the tips of the legs antique bronze to make the table a bit more sassy!

It took me and my husband working together to get the nail heads positioned and nailed in. But if you want to try this, my friend Tina shared a great tip for placing nail heads on a rounded surface. Cut a piece of plastic cross-stitch mesh to fit your surface area and use the open squares as a guide for placing your nail heads. Brilliant!

I couldn’t be more pleased with my table and I absolutely love the texture of the cable knit and the cozy touch it adds for fall.

Cost Breakdown:

Flea Market Stool $4.00

Cable Knit Sweater (Goodwill) $4.97 less 50%

Nail heads (Hobby Lobby) $4.99 less 40%

Ant. Bronze Rub-n-Buff (from my stash)

Total cost less than $ 10.00

design tip: never pass up a small stool, bench or table if it’s a good price because they can be used in so many areas and in so many ways.

I’m using the rest of the cable knit sweater on a few other projects and will show you those soon.

Great Reads: New Books for the Library

August 6, 2013

I was down at the gift and furniture mart here in Atlanta last week and took a moment to stop by a few showrooms to check out some of the new design books coming out this fall. During the fall months, there are always a slew of new books being published which in turn means the UPS man will be stopping by once or twice.

I’m somewhat of a book snob and really don’t like to buy books unless I can take a sneak peek it be before hand. That’s one of the good things about have the mart here in Atlanta. While many of the books are in mock-up form I at least get to check out the cover and look at a few of the pages. The cover says a lot about a book and if it is mostly text heavy, and has little visual inspiration, it’s usually not at the top of my purchase list.

Anyhow, here are some of the books I was able to spy and I’ve noted the ones that will definitely be making their way to my home. All of these books are available for pre-order on Amazon so you too can start you book buying planning too! Enjoy and let me know which title(s) you’ll be adding to your bookshelf.

I am so excited that Mary Carol Garrity is coming out with a new book Nell Hill’s Rooms We Love. Like all of her books, this one is filled with beautiful images of comfortable, stylish rooms each with a distinct personality. Mary Carol, the owner of the specialty retail stores Nell Hill, shares her design tips, design approach and design tricks in this book. And you’ll get to look inside Mary Carol’s home which is a design dream. This one’s a definite!

p.s. All of the other Nell Hill titles are worth investing in too!

I hadn’t really followed the career and life of Aerin Lauder until I started seeing images of her home appear on Pinterest and saw this article on ElleDecor. Ever since them I’ve been in love with her style and her fashion sense. Her new book, Beauty at Home looks like it is going to be stunning and the cover alone should make you want to buy it. This one is getting added to my Christmas list!

Anything Veranda is worthy of a place on the bookshelf and I am definitely looking forward to reading this new title, The Art of Outdoor Living. This book looks like it will provide a photo tour of some of the most beautiful gardens and homes ever designs. Yes please, get here as soon as you can!

While Rachel Ashwell’s style is not totally in sync with mine, I am looking forward to reading Couture Prairie because it includes a tour of Round Top, Texas and the world-famous flea market that takes place there every year. I am also excited to get a look at Rachel’s home and see how you creates her signature style using flea market finds, salvage items and architectural treasures. I’m for sure getting this book and planning a trip to Round Top.

I love all things illustrations and know I will love this book filled with just for that reason. Fashion House is all about showcasing the interiors of design and fashion icons through hand-drawn images. When I can tap into my love of fashion and design I know I’ve found my happy place. On the Order List!

If you love beautiful illustrations too, you’ll also want to check out A Life of Style by Rebecca Moses. This book has been out for a few years but it one of my favorite design books of all times.

Suzanne Kasler is one of my favorite designers and just like her first book, Timeless Style is going to showcase her work from homes across the country. I’m looking forward to adding this classic design book to my library. On order!

I’ve never owned a Candice Olson design book before since I watch her shows and admire her style and design approach I’m looking forward to checking Everyday Elegance out. What I like most about Candice’s style is how elegant she can make a room look using simple and practical design ideas. I know the before and after photos of this book will offer up lots of design lessons. Another one added to the Christmas list.

And finally, while not a design book, I adore Ree Drummond so The Pioneer Woman Cooks a Year of Holidays is a must have book.

I’m a faithful viewer of the Pioneer Woman cooking show every Saturday morning and just love how easy and effortless Ree makes cooking look like. She is so down to earth and makes cooking look fun, which has even prompted a non-cooker like me to try a few of her dishes. And being from Oklahoma myself, I can’t help but love an Oklahoma gal!

So there you have it…what I’ll be reading this fall and winter?

Happy Reading!

Office Organization Made Easy {and Pretty}

January 23, 2013

Since the month of January at my house is all about organizing, I thought I’d share some of my favorite office and work space inspiration with you. And as an added bonus I’ve included three of my tested and proven organizing tips.

Organizing Tip #1: A Pretty Workspace=A Productive Workspace

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be work in a space that is uninspiring and lacks a sense of style. Creating a stylish workspace can be done by simply investing in a few colorful and chic desk accessories to hold your office tools and papers. Head to your local big box store and shop the kitchen section for decorative glass jars, platters and baskets.

Flea markets and thrift stores are also a great resource of silver trays, bowls and dishes that will add an elegant touch to your desk.

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Organizing Tip#2: Organize From the Floor Up

The floor space under your desk or next to it is often unused. This valuable space can help you stay organized if put to use in the right way. Stack decorative boxes or lidded baskets under or to the side of your desk. Use them to hold extra printer paper, notebooks or other large office supplies that would normally sit on the top of your desk. If the space allows, build a shelf under the desk to hold file and magazine boxes which you can easily reach when needed.

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Organizing Tip#3: Keep your projects Close to Keep you on Track

One of the best and most stylish ways to set up function and organization in your office is by incorporating a decorative bulletin/inspiration board. The board becomes a great place to hang to-do list, materials for projects in progress and inspirational photos. Incorporate a bulletin board that coordinates with your décor for added style! Even in a limited space, you can make a bulletin board would for you.

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A final note on organizing…be creative! I love this idea of using a picture frame and a piece of fabric to create a desktop organization station! The link to the original source is not working but it looks like a pretty simple DIY!

I’d love to know if you have a favorite organizing tip for your home office so please leave a comment and share!

Tabletop Inspiration: Vintage Style

August 15, 2012

One of the best parts of entertaining is pulling together a unique party decor. Right now I’m all about vintage looks and the charm that goes with it so I thought I’d share a few style tips and design ideas on how to pull a vintage look together.

Entertaining Vintage Style

Style Tip: A foundation to any vintage table setting is a mix of vintage china and dinnerware. Collecting pieces with different colors, patterns and styles will give your table true vintage personality and layering from larger to smaller pieces will create dimension at each place setting. Shop thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales to score your best deals.

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Style Tip: A really simple and inexpensive way to add a vintage touch to your table is with vintage dinner napkins. While vintage napkins can be found at flea markets you can also shop for vintage sheets and pillowcase, cut them into napkin squares, pick the edges and use them as napkins! I love this idea not only for its ease but also because the napkins are wash and go.

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Style Tip: Use vintage dinnerware in unexpected ways. As a teacup collector, I love the idea of using teacups for things other than tea. Teacups as mini flower vases will add an elegant touch to your table and I also like the idea of using teacups to serve dessert in.

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Style Tip: Lace=Vintage. The addition of a lace tablecloth or topper will add instant vintage charm as well as make your table pretty. If you want an even more eclectic look, try dying your lace in a fun color.

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Style Tip: What fun it is to mix and match your silverware? Start collecting pieces you like and before you know it you’ll be able to create a fun look at your next party. And, don’t be afraid to mix gold and silver pieces together.

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Style Tip: Sometimes a more casual dinner party does not need a tablecloth. Instead, bring vintage style to the table by creating a runner using vintage tiles. When it’s time for another party, use the tiles as placemats to change things up a bit.

If you’re really crafty, try decopauging vintage fabric pieces on to plain tiles to create a custom look.

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Design Idea: I love a good vintage inspired DIY project like this bandana tablecloth. This look is great for an outdoor party or old-fashioned BBQ.

Michael’s or Hobby Lobby carry a vast range of bandana colors so the color possibilities are endless.

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Design Idea: If you’re looking for an inexpensive and versatile centerpiece, try grouping a collection of vintage vases and glassware together and adding a flowers all in the same color family.

For a quick DIY project, try painting thrift store glassware in soft, vintage pastel colors.

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Style Tip: Layering is a key part of vintage charm and this table setting is a great example of how to get the look. Layer from the bottom up, using different textures and materials.

Larger Vintage Dollies make great placemats and smaller sizes are great to wrap around a plain napkin.

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Design Idea: Silverware Caddies are a look that has been used for years with more antique and vintage inspired table decor. Simple pockets like this one made of burlap can be dressed up with vintage looking flowers, pearls and lace ribbon.

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Style Tip: Another great idea of using something for what it’s not meant for….curtain rings as napkin rings!

Vintage curtain rings are another thing to add to your thrift store shopping list. Look for rings in antique gold or brass with clasp the resemble claw foots.

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Entertaining in vintage style is all about the combination of items you use..mixing, matching and layering. The beauty is not in repetition but in the randomness of things.

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Thanks for stopping by today!

We Drove, We Shopped and We Survived (barley)!

August 6, 2012

Well, the adventures of the 2012 Longest Yard Sale are over. It was a fantastic trip, one that I’m already planning on for next year. Although I didn’t take as many pictures as I had planned or hoped to (cause I was busy looking and shopping), I did manage enough photos to give you a pretty good summary of our trip. Sit back and enjoy the tour of my Longest Yard Sale Adventure.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Longest Yard Sale, it is one massive and long outdoor yard sale/flea market event that takes place the first weekend in August each year. The sale route runs across the country from Gadsden, Alabama north to Addison, Michigan, a total of 690 miles! The yard sale celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year and celebrations were found all along the route.

I don’t know if or how anyone could fully shop the entire route during the 4 day sale, but I’m sure there are people out there that have tried. Donna from Funky Junk Interiors traveled from Canada and met up with a group of bloggers to travel as part of a GMC sponsored event. They started in Michigan on Thursday and made it all the way to Gadsden by Saturday evening (whoo!) but I don’t know how often they were able to stop and shop along the route. You can read all about Jenna’s yard sale trip and here experience being in the south for the first time here.

The hubs and I started our trip on Thursday by driving to Louisville, KY and staying the night with my brother. The trip also gave me the opportunity to see my cute-as-pie nephew Derek before he heads off to his first year of college to play football and STUDY LOTS!!

On Friday morning we made our way to Frankfort, KY and picked up the yard sale route there. We were only on the route about 10 minutes before we made our first stop! It was non-stop driving and shopping from there on out so without further a due, here are the pics of our trip with bits of commentary.

There are really no fancy yard sale set-ups along the route, just lots of tented stalls, umbrellas and plastic tables.

Just about every open area of countryside had a yard sale set-up.

This is a view from the road of an area in Kentucky that was set up for the sale. Many of the farmers rented out their proptery to sellers…a quick and easy way to make some cash!

See that white van in the front…that’s my goal for next year!

And, many of the vendor spots were free!

There was lots of painted wood pieces for sale. I suspect this seller makes these pieces themselves, especially since the heart theme was on just about every piece they had.

I loved this painted chest. I was channeling Miss Mustard Seed when I saw it and imagined what she could do with this it.

Not my style but there were lots of incredible handpainted pieces of art for sale at great prices. This Mexican building scene was only $5.00 and would look great as part of an eclectic gallery wall.

These portraits were pretty cool and only $3.50 each.

If buttons are your thing, there were lots to choose from..most in vintage mason jars.

There were tons of metal road signs for sale.

This signed stopped me in my tracks! Tons of stuff (mostly good stuff) for $1.00 each. Needless to say this spot was hopping with shoppers.

A staple in the vintage product arena, these soda crates were a great find at 2 or more for $8.00 each. After seeing these the cheapest I saw crates was $15.00 a piece.

And, check out all those wood chairs in the background…all under $25 a piece! If you are into furniture refinishing this area was liking walking into heaven.

I adore old vintage trunks and there were lots at good prices. Well worn of course!

Great bar cart or storage options for cheap!

If I had room, I would definitely have purchased an old vintage bike. Some even had cute wire baskets on the front.

This booth selling beautiful purple glassware was inside a building with over 400 vendors. I scored some good finds here.

Vintage Corning bowls were everywhere! This set was priced at $75.00, really overpriced in my book.

Lots of retro vintage signs for $18 or less. A collection of these in a basement game area would be so cool.

I saw lots of furniture repurposing going on. Soda crates were used to create this very unique drawer unit with a checker board top.

This area was in Danville, Ky and was massive. There was also a full fairgrounds barn to the left that was filled with vendors.

I saw lots of these vintage oil bottles and most, like this one ($400) had a hefty price tag. Must be highly collectible.

This was another fairground area in Liberty, KY that had over a 100 vendors. Just so happened we were inside when a major rain shower hit.

There were beautiful pieces of antique furniture at just about every stop. Luckily this piece was inside a building and did not get exposed to the rain like so many pieces along the route. It was so sad to see rain soaked wood chairs and tables!

In between stops there was beautiful countryside and mountain views to take in. Kentucky has such lush green pastures.

Day one we made our way from Kentucky to Crossville, TN were we bunked at a local hotel and rested up for another day of fun.

After leaving Crossville Saturday morning, we made our way through several shopping spots and ran into lots of traffic.

A view from the car of all the cars parked along the side of the road. It was definitely slow going in some areas as cars were darting in an out.

We ran into some major rain showers along the route. Some people took shelter and others just took it all in stride. Being from the Seattle area and use to a lot of rain, the hubs and I really didn’t use our umbrellas a lot. {That’s why you aren’t seeing any pictures of me ’cause I looked like a drowned rat most of the trip.}

One area we stopped at in Tennessee had some old wood buildings on the property.

I spotted this antique gold leaf wall hanging for several hundred dollars. I immediately called my mom who owns the exact same piece to see how much she paid for hers. She bought the piece about 30 years ago in Washington State and thinks she paid around $30 for it.

All along the route even the country fire stations got in on the act!

This tour bus was from Georgia carrying a load of shoppers. We saw them along the route and the driver stopped at just about every major shopping area. I know he must have been tired at the end of the day.

Bathroom stops were few and far between and most were of the portable kind!

Right outside Chattanooga we ran into several HGTV film crews filming the Longest Yard Sale special that will air in October. The two women on the right were one of teams selected to be apart of the show and participate in the shopping challenges.

I never let y’all in on it, but a couple of months ago I was asked by the HGTV production company to submit a video for consideration for the show special but unfortunately was not selected! Maybe next year.

I saw lots of items that reminded me of my childhood. These cast iron cornbread pans were hot property and selling for between $25 and $40 each.

There were also lots of cast iron skillets for sale at a premium. I saw one priced at $165.00!

This was a regular scene…trucks loaded with furniture finds. This tuck was driven by two women who obviously were on a mission.

Just about anything you can image could be found at the sale. This lovely metal pig BBQ grill was handcrafted and for sale for $475.00. Something for everyone!

I loved the large metal typography letters…rusted and antiqued. $22 for the small and $40 for the large.

Lots of seasonal items including these pumpkins.

And, a cool vintage Coca-Cola sign!

In addition to lots of awesome vintage and antique items there were loads of food stalls selling your typical fair foods like funnel cake, corn on the cob, shaved ice and kettle corn. It all made for a really festive atmosphere.

During our three-day trip we saw cars from all over the US including Texas, New York, Ohio, Mississippi, Michigan, Oklahoma and even Washington.

Because any and everyone could participate in the yard sale, there was also lots of authentic JUNK to be had. Many people along the route just pulled stuff out of the garage and attic, laid down a tarp and had a sale. Not totally unexpected because after all the event is called The Longest Yard Sale!

After reaching Alabama late Saturday evening we made the decision to head on home and not go all the way to Gadsden. We arrived home tired but filled with joy from our experience and lots of memories. The heat almost got the best of us but we survived!

I’ve already starting thinking about next years trip and am planning a bigger and better event.

Come back tomorrow to see what I bought at the sale, tips I have for shopping the sale & the plans I have for the 2013 Longest Yard Sale.

Thanks for stopping by!

For more yard sale trip highlights, head over to my friend Tina’s blog, Encore Creations to read about her trip from Alabama to Tennessee!

Pretty Packaging

June 26, 2012

While I’ve shown you some of my personal tricks of the trade when it comes to gift wrapping, it’s been a while since I did a round-up on the packaging that inspires me. So many beautiful and creative ways people and wrapping gifts!

Enjoy the eye candy (and the tips I’ve included)!

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Wrapping with a color theme in mind is a great way to keep the overall look cohesive but interesting.

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Always keep a lookout for paper, fabric and ribbon flowers at the craft stores. They are a great way to add pizzaz to simple wrap. P.S. check the hair accessory area in store for inexpensive flowers on pin and clips too!

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I love this combination of bold, graphic wrapping paper with solid colored satin ribbons. Easy elements to keep on hand for a quick gift wrap job!

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Create paper buckles from decorative scrapbook paper, add ribbon and wrap! So chic for the holidays!

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Creating pretty packaging has a lot to do with thinking outside the box. Here, a strip of candy buttons was used to create a bow for a gift bag and pretzels were added along with yarn to dress up a plain gift bag.

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Just about anything can be used to create a beautifully wrapped gift. Keep your eyes open for bargain utensils, buttons and round containers while you’re out thrifting.

p.s. love the embellishment created from cupcake wrappers (top photo)!

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Pom Poms on a stick…so adorable! A great fall wrapping idea!

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For some reason I have a slew of old stamps and just have never put them to use. This great package above gives me inspiration for a unique way to seal gift wrap.

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Scott Antique Market, which I attend each month has a slew of plastic vintage buckles for $1.00 or less. I love the idea of putting these to use with pretty ribbon.

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Adore this wrap. Sheet music and vintage baubles which can be found at yard sales and flea markets for a song!

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Another color coordinated look with solid paper and varied embellishments. The details are what count!

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A truly fabulous was to turn a plain white box into a stunning package! Add buttons and ribbon!

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I’ve stacked up on paper dollies (which are very inexpensive) and adore this vintage inspired gift wrap they help to create above and below!

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If you’re into beautiful gift wrap like me, you’ll want to be sure and check out one of my favorite on-line paper sources, Paper Mojo. I just ordered a slew of new papers and can’t wait to get them in my hands.

I have a few gifts I’m in the process of wrapping and will share the finished looks with you on Saturday. It involves buckles, pins and clips.

Also, be sure to head over to my Pretty Packaging and Ribbon boards on Pinterest for inspiration galore!

Now, go wrap something beautiful!

It’s Never to Early to Plan–Thrift Shopping 101

May 21, 2012

While many of my weekends are spent shopping flea markets and antique stores, it’s all prep work for my big thrifting adventure coming in August….The Longest Yard Sale (August 2-5th)

Last year the hubby and I dabbled in the Longest Yard Sale, making our way from Gadsden, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee in one day. This year we have bigger plans, allocating three days for the sale. Our plans are to drive to Kentucky, stay overnight with my brother in Louisville and then the next day start our yard sale adventure in Frankfort, Kentucky. Over the course of three days we plan to make our way from Kentucky all the way back to Atlanta. Rumor has it that Kentucky has some of the best deals and items along the entire route!

The Longest Yard Sale Route

To say that I was a bit overwhelmed at the sale last year would be an understatement. I didn’t know what to expect, wasn’t fully prepared for how hot it was and definitely did not dress the part of a Longest Yard Sale attendee. This year I’m going to have all my ducks in a row and will shop the sale like a veteran.

Whether you’re shopping the Longest Yard Sale or staying closer to home, here are a few of the thrifting tips I use now and plan to use in August to make the most of my shopping adventure.

Develop a Plan–when you hit the road to shop, it’s always a good idea to map out where you’re going, what stores you want to see and to check whether the stores are having events or sales. I get emails from all my favorite stores and plan my shopping to take advantage of all their sale and promotions. For the yard sale, we’re planning to cover a set number of miles each day ensuring we make it back home by Sunday evening.

What to Bring—over the last two years of thrift shopping I’ve learned what to bring with me to make the trip more successful.

—Tape Measure: Make sure to measure an item not only to make sure it will fit in your vehicle but also through the door of your home.

—Smart Phone: A smart phone is always good to have on hand to compare prices on sites like eBay and Etsy and to check facts about antique pieces.

–Camera: Thrift shopping is bound to expose you to lots of inspiration so make sure to take pictures of any and everything that inspires you.

—Photos of my home/client projects: Helps you remember the holes you’re looking to fill in your decor and the other items that surround it. In addition to item photos, make sure to take photos of the fabrics and textile in the area.

–Gloves: Keep your hand safe for ragged edges, sharp points and the dirt and grime that often comes with thrifting. Gloves are especially helpful when sorting through vintage jewelry.

—Wipes: Keep your hands clean and wipe the dirt off items to see the makers mark.

–Hand Sanitizer: Trust me, thrifting is not a clean sport and you never know where some items have been!

–Magnet: Use on metal– brass won’t stick to the magnet but plated metal will.

–Notepad and pen: For taking notes and jotting down ideas. If you have an online shop it’s great to write down information you might learn from the seller, to use in your product description.

—Water- & snacks: Keep hydrated and energized with granola bars or nuts you’ll be able to shop all day long.

Make a List–I keep a running list of items I’m looking for in my purse and on my iPhone. You can easily get overwhelmed when thrifting and having a list to reference will make sure your don’t overlook something or over spend. My shopping list for the Longest Yard Sale is growing daily but includes things like vintage papers and ribbons, lamps, picture frames china and vintage jewelry.

Dress Comfortably–It only took several thrifting trips for me to realize that wearing my cute stuff was not the way to go when “junkin”. Thrift shopping calls for comfortable shoes and clothes. The Longest Yard Sale is mostly outdoors, in extreme heat, so dressing comfortable is a necessity. Closed toe shoes are also a good idea since you may be climbing over bad junk to get to the good stuff.

Roll while you Walk–When I shop locally I carry a large tote bag with me instead of my purse. A tote bag makes it easy to carry your purchases and keep your hands free for more shopping. For the Longest Yard Sale I plan to carry a collapsible rolling cart that will make shopping a breeze. A rolling cart is a good investment if you do a lot of thrifting. Here’s the one I’ve purchased.

Jumbo Shopping Cart–Wal-Mart $44.00

Negotiate—I learned with thrifting that you should always ask a seller if “is the best price you can do”? Nine times out of 10 they will reduce the price for you. Don’t be afraid to negotiate especially if you’re paying case for something. Cash is king and it usually will get you better deal.

Break and Rethink–It’s always a good idea when you’re spending the day shopping to walk around a store once before you make a purchase. Check things out and then take a moment to stop and think about what you’ve seen and what you really want to purchase. Of course if you see something you absolutely love grab it up right away and then think about it as you walk to make sure! During the Longest Yard Sale you’re driving from one spot to another so you’ll have to make decisions more quickly… back-tracking is really not an option. Last year I passed up a couple of amazing things because I was pondering the purchase and by the time I had made the decision to buy, we were already about 10 miles down the road.

Read Up and Research–I consider myself a pretty good shopper, knowing what details to look for in most pieces. To increase my knowledge base for the yard sale I’ve been reading several books on thrifting and vintage goods. All of these books offer great tips on shopping and pricing and have loads of creative ideas on how to repurpose vintage pieces into your decor.

Lara Spencer’s book is AWESOME! It’s loaded with beautiful images of her reworked flea market and garage sales finds and shows the price she paid for each. Her favorite shopping spots are included in the book and she offers up some great tips to make the most of your money and shopping skills.

This book is loaded with great ideas on repurposing vintage finds. My personal decor is nowhere near shabby chic or cottage but there is lots of inspiration in this book that will work with any style of decor.

Matthew Meads book is all about visual inspiration. From entertaining ideas and displaying collections to restyling furniture and accessorizing, this is a book you’ll refer to on many occasions. The book-a-zine version of this publication can be purchased at your local bookstore or you can buy the Amazon version which has about 10 added pages in it.

Another good book full of ideas and inspiration. Also, check out the blog, JunkMarket Style that Sue Whitney pens!

My big trip is about 3 months away but it’s never to early to start planning! I hope you find my thrifting tips helpful and that you find good stuff when you’re out shopping!

What’s your favorite part of thrifting or junkin? And, what’s on your shopping list??

Style AND Budget

March 15, 2012

As designers, more times than not the projects we work have a budget associated with them…an amount the homeowner has agreed to spend in lieu of creating the space they dream of and envision in their heads. More times than not, that budget falls short of achieving every little thing we want in a space and the budget gets manipulated to achieve the best results possible. More times than not us designers have to work our magic, challenge our creativity and in the words of Tim Gunn, “make it work” so that the end result is nothing less than the vision.

Room designs by Massuco Warner Miller Interior Design & Decoration

When it comes to designing a beautiful space and wanting to save money along the way, there are a few tricks you can employ. Using the room images above, I’m going to point out FIVE cost cutting measures you could make without negatively impacting the look of the room.

1. Instead of purchasing an expensive woven area rug, head to your local carpet store and find a broadloom carpet, otherwise known as your wall-to-wall carpeting, and have it cut and bound to fit your space. And don’t fret, the designs, textures and pattern options now available in broadloom are endless. Creating an area rug from broadloom is far less expensive than a typical pre-designed woven area rug and it’s a great way to maintain the style the your room while saving money.

2. Pillows are one the most important decorative accents within a beautifully designed room. While my personal taste seems to be for fabrics that cost upwards of $80 a yard, I know that making pillows with yardage this expensive is not always in the cards. Rather than give up on the look I want, I create pillows with split personalities. I use the expensive fabric for the front of the pillow and use a less expensive fabric for the back side which is less visible. Taking this approach, you can create a designer pillow for a fraction of the cost.

Here’s a great example using Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon fabric which is so popular right now. At about $135 a yard, this pillow with Chiang Mai front and back can be found on Etsy for $230.00.

CALICO CORNER SLICK AQUAMARINE $26.99/YD

If you take the split personality approach and use Chiang Mai fabric on the front, with a less expensive complimentary fabric on the back, you could get your Chiang Mai pillow for about $ 150.00

p.s. one thing I dont’ skimp on is the pillow inserts–down or a down mix is the only way to go!

3. When it comes to the furniture in a space, I’m always on the lookout for accent pieces at flea markets, thrift stores and online shops. My goal is not to find a “cheap” piece of furniture but rather pieces constructed well but maybe needing a little TLC to bring it back to life. See the round wood side table in the room image…you can find looks like this for less than $100 at flea markets and antique stores. Here’s almost the same style table on sell via Etsy for $75.00. Just refinish and you’ve got the look.

4. Accent seating can make or break the look of a living room or family room. While I am all for investing in high quality upholstered arm chairs, I do think you can take the flea market, thrift store or big box discount store approach when it comes to wood accent chairs. The red chair in the room image definitely creates a focal point in the space and because it’s a unique color, finding a less expensive chair that you can paint and achieve the look will save you money.

I’ve seen this chair style at HomeGoods on may occasions and found this one below at Overstock.com for $176.99.

Also, when it comes to accent chairs keep your mind open to slight variations in the style of chair. You might find a chair like the style above ($128.99) that is a bit different from what you originally planned but keeps the overall look and feel of the room intact.

Again, all it would take is a little DIY and you’ve saved a lot of money without compromising the look.

5. And the last cost cutting measure for decorating High Style and On A Budget is don’t go overboard with the drapes. Curtains are a great addition to any space, adding softness and texture while in many cases making a room feel taller too. One of the ways I would save money in the room image above is to eliminate the center panels. The impact of the curtains comes from the color, the valances and the overall scale of the window treatments. Eliminating the center panels would not impact the look and in my opinion would actually be a bit less distracting to the room. Side panels hung on a great curtain rod are your first choice for drapes and will give any room in your home the impact your desire.

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I love designing and love working with spaces where budget is of no concern but since that is rarely the situation and given the economy, it’s great to know a few shortcuts you can take in the design process and still come out with a space that’s everything you want!

If you have any cost cutting tips you use when decorating, I’d love to hear about them and share them with everyone via my Facebook page. And, if you haven’t LIKED ConfettiStyle Interiors on Facebook yet, hop over there now and hit that button.

Thanks for joining me today….see you back here tomorrow.