Unifying mismatched furniture with paint and hardware

Here's another example of what you can do with mismatched furniture.

Daughter Gracie wanted a purple and black bedroom with zebra print.

Mom wants to use this existing furniture, 

so she had SheShe over for a consult.

Here's the current chest of drawers....

 ...lingerie chest...

 ...and dresser with mirror.

 They just purchased this espresso black desk...

 ...and love these cup pulls.

I found similar ones at Home Depot.

Here's the little lavender lingerie chest with the new pulls.

I painted the wood pieces in Behr Espresso Bean, 

and added similar pulls that were wider.

 Here's the chest of drawers.

 Side by side, with the wainscoting color, 

works beautifully!!!!!

And I repurposed some existing white shelves 

by painting in the same espresso color, 

and placing them together to make one long bookshelf above the desk.

Now the bedroom furniture is unified.

Another example of working with what you have!

Radio Cabinet Turned Bar

Check out this old radio cabinet I found at a thrift shop last week....

Of course, there are no insides......which is great!!!!!! 

I see tons of possibilities here!!

 Great legs...

 I started this transformation by painting all the raised woodwork 

in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.

 The rest of the flat surfaces, I painted in ASCP Graphite.

 Next, I distress sanded and waxed all the surfaces.

 I painted the interior in turquoise and added a shelf to hold glasses, barware, etc.

 I lined the shelf in a damask style self adhesive shelf paper.........

 Here it is for sale in my booth at Greenwood Antiques & Uniques. 

$185. 

Totally rad!

Teenager's Bedroom: Mismatched Bookcases Become a Set

Here's a project I just completed last week for a new client.

It was a very unique assignment and I loved doing it!

The setting: Teenage daughter's room.

The mission:

Paint two mismatched bookcases to look like a pair.

This one was to the left of a fireplace...

...and this one was to the right.

Between them, was this awesome fireplace.

On the other side of the room was the bed with this comforter.

 So....

what color would you have painted them?

The client was thinking perhaps white with a dark taupe,

and suggested removing the glass doors to the one cabinet 

to make both pieces look alike.

But I was thinking color.....
and I couldn't stop thinking about this gorgeous tile
in the fireplace surround.

It would be nice to play off that.

This is when it is really helpful for me to take photos.

I then return home and study them to determine a plan.

In this case,

I thought an intense greek blue would be beautiful on the bookcases,

to pull out the blue in the surround....

but the bedding was a total disconnect.

I also suggested, instead of just painting the interiors,

that perhaps we could line the backs of the bookcases in fabric or wallpaper.

So I took a trip to the fabric store,

and found these two options 

that I thought would work with the two key elements;

The fireplace tile and the bedding.

We ended up with this one.

 Great choice! 

The blues and greens from the fireplace tile are here, 

as well as the browns and pinks from the comforter.

Time to get to work.

I started by painted the exteriors of both cabinets in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Greek Blue.

Inside I primed and painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove.

Next I lined the back of this one with the fabric selection.

I purchased  large milkcrate baskets to hold clothes on the shelves behind the doors.

And added smaller baskets and books for the display shelves.

On this one, instead of removing the doors, 

I just made little gathered panels to go on the inside of the glass.

Rod pockets on the top and bottom hold dowels.

Inside, a special surprise: 

A little makeup/vanity area, complete with shelf,

mirror, hooks....

...and at the top, a battery operated LED light.

How perfect. 

(It also automatically shuts off after 30 mins.)

I waxed and buffed both exteriors.

They look great.

We brought up a chair from the basement to recover, 

and I added a footstool I recently reupholstered.

We've come a long way, baby!

Alley Find: Move over, Restoration Hardware!

On my walk this yesterday morning, 

I veered off onto the alley behind West Ave, 

and spied this ugly-ass Ikea looking chest of drawers.....

Obviously this had been someone's funky apt. decor project.........

But I saw potential.  Besides, it was F R E E.

So I went back with the car and hauled this thing home.

 After painting the base and drawers in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Greek Blue, 

I ran to Lowes and purchased these steel casters 

which I screwed onto each corner of the bottom.

 Next, I brushed on MinWax stain in Jacobean...then wiped it off.

While at Lowes, I had looked for some chunky cup pulls,
but found nothing.

So over in the gate hardware section,
I found these galvanized zinc industrial pulls.

They're perfect!

And less than $4 each.

So I screwed those in.

 Now to address the top....

Actually, I didn't address the top 

because all along I was planning to upholster the top 

with this canvas printed rug I got on sale at  HomeGoods.....

and make this piece into a window seat.

And then........

I had an epiphany.

Why the hell am I going to mess with this top?

This top is BRILLIANT.  

Urban graffiti art in all its glory!

 I sanded it down a bit, 

and finished the top off with a stain layer.

It's a frigging masterpiece, I tell ya!

And it's already in my living room, full of crap.

SheShe's Guest Bedroom Loft

I decorate and reinvent and transform spaces for a living.

Why then is my house TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL?

A couple of weeks ago,

 it was at the point where I was considering a torch.

I could just barely walk in the front door......

A freelance stylist called with a possible photo opportunity.

And then my Aunt Bet decided to book a flight...

And let me tell ya, 

the dust bunnies have been flying around here!

Getting it in order...

Oh man, it's freeing....

It feels really good.

Since I'm having a houseguest, the first priority was the guest bedroom.

Here's the "before" of the guest loft:

Neglected.....

 Unkept...

 There was no....cohesion......

I certainly wouldn't want to spend an extended visit here!

 The Reveal: 

But now, it's the guest room haven!!!!!!!! 

Who says all your colors have to match?

I hate matchy matchy.......

I decided to do this room in a host of blues, bluegreens, turquoises.....

 I kept the bedding neutral, tho.
And added softness under foot with a flokati rug.

At the foot of the bed, 

I placed an antique quilt that was handmade by a family friend.

 You might remember the headboard that I wrote about previously...

It was too big to get in the car, so, it's mine!

I moved it up to the loft.......

The old window on the wall came from my old childhood church.

On either side of the bed are lamps for some quality late-night reading.

I made the lamp on the left from a store mannequin 

and some hardware from a wall sconce.......

I made the lampshade by wrapping an old wire shade frame with strips of ticking..

 This little chest of drawers that I recently painted came from a landfill.

Only the best for my house guests!

The shelf displays my collection of old enamelware pitchers.

 And I gave this old bench a facelift this weekend.  

I built a new top with slats from a disassembled Ikea bed...

painted in a variety of....yep, blue-greens!!!!!! 

The perfect place for luggage.

 Bet, your room is ready!

And just outside, your very own rooftop retreat!

More room transformations will be forthcoming!