Furniture is our most costly home
decorating expense, but there are many ways to make your
furniture the star of the show, without breaking your budget!
Here are my top 5 furniture fixes on a dime!
*Paint. Ok, that's an obvious one, but did you know you can
paint anything these days? Yes, even that hideous laminate
bookcase from 1974. All you need is a primer made specially for
non porous surfaces. I recommend Kilz Original or BIN primer. A
coat or two of good primer, and any surface can be ready for
paint, from tile to plastic to fiberglass. Now paint with
interior enamel, and you have an ugly duckling transformation in
an afternoon!
*Slipcovers. Now making your own slipcovers is possible, there
are several patterns available at your fabric store to help you
in measuring and sewing them. However, it is no small task.
Another option to fixing up worn upholstered furniture is using
the art of disguise. Drape a pretty quilt over the back, or
cover just the bottom cushions in envelope style covers, in a
coordinating color or print. Add throw blankets draped casually
over each end of the sofa or chair. Add comfy throw pillows
along the length, and by the time you're done, people will only
notice the accessories, not the piece itself. Dining chairs with
removable seats can be recovered with fabric and a staple gun,
or a small cushion with a skirt can be made to hide the seat and
legs. You can make simple slipcovers that look similar to a
regular pillowcase to slip over the back of a dinged up ding
chair as well.
*Add character. Sometimes our furniture is in good shape, but is
simply a bit boring. Add some wood molding or appliques you can
pick up at the home improvement store. A simple line of crown
molding along the top of your kitchen cabinets can take them
from blah to custom. Change out the hardware...just pick up
cheap wood knobs and paint them for a one of a kind look. You
can also make your own drawer pulls out of just about
anything...old silverware, twigs, even toy cars! Just use your
handy drill and attach a screw. Paint the inside of bookshelves
an accent color, or add a skirt to a leggy table.
*Add tile. You can sometimes get broken tiles for free from a
flooring shop and you can break them further and attach them to
a dresser or chest in a mosaic pattern. Add a little grout and
you have a one of a kind piece, for next to nothing! You can
also just add one tile on the diagonal to the front of each
drawer or cabinet front. You can even drill through the tile
with a ceramic bit and add the drawer pull right over.
*Finally, consider adding personality and family to your pieces.
Cover your scratched coffee table with a sheet of beveled glass,
and slip under all your family snapshots. Make photo copies and
decoupage them onto your worn out work desktop with some white
glue or decoupage medium. Frame your kids masterpieces and
attach to your kitchen cabinet doors to add pizzazz.
Remember, it's not about the size of your budget, it's what you
do with it! Furnishing your house doesn't have to mean taking
out a home loan...use your creativity for one of a kind decor
your family will love! |
