Recession Decorating 101

Monday, February 1, 2010

"I strongly believe that people may not want, or may not be able to, start again from scratch, so giving old furniture a new lease on life is at the heart of my philosophy," - Nina Campbell

Hey, it's no secret that a lot of us are struggling during these tough economic time and  so that's why I've decided to create this post about getting your chic on the cheap!  These tips are nothing new but they are common sense ideas that challenge us to tap into our creative sides and look at the items you already have with fresh eyes.  Possibilities are all around us if we carpe "design"!!  : )

This is about the 4th incarnation of my camelback sofa. It has been dressed in a mauve colored mini-print (remember country cute)?, a blue flamestich fabric, a denim slipcover and now this chenille paisley.  It is a great quality piece that has been with me for years!

I have had this mirror for decades and it started off life with a nondescript brown stain.  I freshened it up with a can of glossy white rustoleum and it has a clean new look.  I love the way white accessories "jump" off the wall.  So sculptural and modern.

This is actually a coffee table I bought at a yard sale for $25.  I snagged the animal print fabric on ebay and off I went to my upholsterer to create this luxe bench.  It's great for extra seating at my dining room table !

Speaking of my dining room, would you believe my dining table and chairs were FREE??!! Yep, I got them from a friend who was about to begin renovation on a flip house and the dining room set had been left behind by the previous owners  Lots of cleaning and some fresh upholstery gave me a dining room I have been enjoying for years!

What more can you say about this?

. . . except maybe this!  I love the colored glass of wine bottles and found a few ways to use them in design!

This collection of audobon prints are actually pages from a calender I bought a Barnes & Noble a few years ago.  Pre-matted frames came from Southeast Salvage to create this thrifty art collection!

These "curtains" in my breakfast room are really tablecloths I found at HomeGoods for about $15. They are a nice heavy fabric and they are hung from a cafe curtain rod with ring clips.  Tiebacks are grosgrain ribbon.


I hope this post inspires you to look at the things you already have with fresh eyes.  Just think, your new look could be as close as your local hardware store for that $4 can of Rustoleum!


0 comments: