It's Done!....

Well almost!  I have been working hard on the hutch for my kitchen.  If you've seen a few of my recent posts you know that I bought this second hand piece for $25.

I started by giving it a light sand, a good cleaning and then a coat of primer.  Once that dried I used some extra paint that was leftover from my kitchen remodel.  I used a dark green that was actually a mishap color.  You know when you get a great color and then it's either a bit too dark, or too light, or just isn't right?  Well mine was too dark and so I took it back to Home Depot and had them play around with it a couple times until I liked it.  So I don't know what color it is exactly.  But for the inside I used a light creamy color called Hazelnut Cream by Behr.  Anyway, this is how it looked after about 3 coats of paint.

I originally wanted to use our power sprayer to paint this.  But the weather has not been cooperating to allow for a good enough day to take it outside.  So I had to paint this by hand... it was a biotch!  (Notice the inside of the cabinet isn't painted!)



After the paint dried I used Minwax Dark Walnut stain and applied liberally all over (working in sections) and then wiping off with an old t-shirt. 

After I wiped it off I went back over it with a dry brush and worked the remaining stain into the wood.  Finally after it was totally done drying (about 2 days!) I sprayed on 3 coats of satin poly.  And the final result........



I decided on no distressing.  I just thought it would look better without it.



But I do like the 2 tone with the paneling on the back.

The people I bought it from used it as a tv armoire... so that's why there's a hole right there.  But I'll just set something right over the top of it and you'll never know! hahaha!  I plan on using the bottom as storage for cookbooks, newspapers, coupons, and anything else that needs to be behind closed doors!





Now I still need to decorate it.  I have a few things in my stash that I'll use here ... and also a few more project accessories I need to work on.  So I will post that a bit later in the week. 

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New Beginnings!

Good Morning!  First thing, I can't believe I have 150 Followers!  Yay!  Thanks for joining my blog and keeping my DIY spirit alive.  I think if it weren't for blogging I probably wouldn't get as many projects done.  You guys keep me on my toes!

Another thing that has kept me on my toes lately is the job hunt.  But I'm happy to report that I was offered a really good position and I couldn't pass it up.  So I start my new job in 2 weeks!  Talk about new beginnings!  It's a little scary, but exciting at the same time.

So the race is on around here to get as much done as humanly possible.  And with that comes more projects hahaha!  So here are a few things on my to-do list:

A while back I showed you this hutch I scored for $25.... well it's just been sitting in my sun room for MONTHS!  I'm planning on putting it my new kitchen to use as extra storage... but it's been waiting for a much needed makeover.  So I busted out the paint and now have it almost ready for glaze.  I'm hoping to have this finished up by week's end because I'm hosting Bonko at my house in a month.  And we typically play out in the sun room... so it's time to make way for that!

I'm also working on repurposing this cute lamp I got at the thrift store not too long ago.  It's going to go in my bedroom as part of a spring update. 

This is another re-work in the works.  An old birdhouse that has a broken insert.  I can't wait to redo this and put it in my new kitchen hutch!

And along with those few fun projects, we've been killing it out in the yard for our Back Yard Makeover.  So an update is coming soon on that one too.

So there are a lot of new beginnings on the horizon.  I'm excited and nervous... but I know I can do this!  Thanks for joining me on the ride :)

Have a great day!







Recent Thrifty Finds

It's no secret that I love to shop at thrift stores for my home decor.  I get such a rush when I score something totally cool for almost nothing.  These past few weeks were pretty good to me too... so here are a few of my recent thrifty finds.


I SCORED this hutch for my kitchen off our local classifieds for only $25.  I had been looking for one for quite a while and they were either too far away to drive and pick up, or too much money.  So I pounced on this as soon as I saw it.

I can't wait to refinish it and get it in my new kitchen!

Next up, I found this really cool wall decor piece.  I'm not sure what it's made out of... but it has a carved detail to it.  The price tag said $15, but it has a small hairline crack in it so I talked them down to only $10.  SCORE!

Lastly, this cute little wall picture caught my eye... and when I saw the $0.75 price tag I said "that's mine!".  

What's funny is I saw this same piece at my friend's house when we had Bonko a couple weeks ago.  (Yes it's Bonko, not Bunco, but that's another story).  Anyway, I told her I found the same thing at the DI for $0.75 and she couldn't believe it.... she paid $25 for hers!  But her home is absolutely gorgeous and she definitely has good taste.... and a talent for DIY projects.  I'll have to get some photos from her to show you.

But like I said before, I love a great deal and good decor doesn't have to cost a fortune.  Happy Thrifting!

Chest Redo

I am many things in this world... but a furniture re-finisher is not one of the things I'm best at.  I've made a few meager attempts at it, but it takes practice.  Thank goodness for thrift store furniture! 

I've been working on a piece I've had stashed away in the basement for quite a while.  When I first got it (MANY moons ago) it was just a plain old brown ugly thing I got from the thrift store.  I don't recall how much it was, but back then things were priced pretty well.  That was way before thrifting became so popular and prices starting skyrocketing!  (But that's a whole other topic!)

I am excellent at painting walls... so why not this?  I thought I'd try my hand at it.  At the time (again, MANY moons ago), crackle finish was all the rage.  I didn't want to put it all over my walls, so this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.  Who knows what I was thinking because this is how it turned out.

I KNOW!  Hideous right?  Okay, so do-over time! 

Anyway, it really is a good solid piece of furniture and just the right size to store all of our extra winter blankets.  I wanted to try something a little different and I've seen a few ideas in the blogoshpere that looked interesting.  I had never stained wood over paint, but apparently it can be done. 

So I started with some old paint I had in the garage... I was surprised it could still be mixed up.  But I'm cheap and didn't want to go buy anything special for it.  So it would have to do.  It's just a creamy whitish tan color.  Two coats of that and left to dry.

Next I used Minwax stain in Ebony.  I wanted something different.  Once I got it on there and started to wipe it off, it just looked too gray for my taste.  So I experimented and put some Dark Walnut stain over the top of that.  Ooooh... that looks cool!

I basically had to play around with it and work it onto the surface to get the look I wanted.  So I applied it on with a brush and then wiped it off with an old t-shirt.  Then took a dry brush and worked it in some more.  

When it was FINALLY dry... like after 2 days!... I applied a thin coat of satin poly and added some cute knobs from Hobby Lobby.  Here's how my second attempt turned out.

I love how some of the previous crackle still shows through! 

I think it looks MUCH better!  But I've contemplated adding just a little something else on the top.  Maybe a monogram?  Or a stencil of some sort?  What do you think?  Any suggestions would be awesome!

And as always, I was born to party!  Click here to link back to one of the many great link-up parties I join each week.  

  

A Good Piece Of.....

FURNITURE... Can be Great with just a little paint!


I bought this little nightstand at the thrift store for $15. It's an Ethan Allen so it's solid wood and really sturdy. Good buy right? Well it was pretty ugly in it's original state... so I updated it with a distressing technique that anybody can do.




First I gave it a good sand job! Then wiped it clean. Next I painted it using some leftover paint I had on hand (Behr interior satin in Hazelnut Cream). Once the paint dried I gave it a good beating. A chain or some bolts strung on a rope work great. I did this after painting cause I wanted the paint to chip off in a few places. Then gave it another good sand job... this time only on the edges and anywhere that would naturally have a weathered appearance. Wipe it clean again.


Next comes the glazing. I used Valspar Translucent Color Glaze in Mocha (you can get it at Lowes). There's no rhyme or reason with applying it in this case. Working in sections, just use an old brush and swipe it on there. Wait a couple minutes and then gently start to wipe it off using a soft cloth. You can take off as much or as little as you like, depending on the darkness you prefer. The more you wipe off the lighter and less noticeable the glaze will appear. Here's how it turned out. Cute right? Plus super easy and cheap!













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