Children's Desk

I found this piece at my favorite thrift store for $19.00.  I scooped it up thinking it would make a great child or teen's desk.  When I found the desk it was covered in carvings from some kid--I don't know if this was used in a school or a home...most likely a school with the sheer amount of carving to the desk.

 I used A LOT of wood filler on this desk and did A LOT of sanding!

I had a small amount of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Duck Egg left over from another project and thought this would be a good neutral color for a boy or a girl since its a really light blue.  Two coats and this is what I had...

 I purchased these hand painted drawer pulls and replaced the old wooden knobs.

Not bad for $19.00.  I'm selling this piece so hopefully some child/teenager gets a lot of use out of this!

I know this isn't a good "BEFORE" pic, but you get the idea!'

Cheers!
Danielle

Linking up to:
Nifty Thrifty Sunday @ Nifty Thrifty Things
Twice Owned Tuesday @ House of Grace
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Manic Monday Link Party @ Serendipity & Spice
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co
Chalk Paint Link Party @ Elizabeth & Co
POWW @ Primitive & Proper
Whatever You Want Wednesday @ Free Pretty Things for You
Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
Creative Inspirations @ Embracing Change
Under $100 Link Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
Furniture Friday @ Decorating Insanity
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

DIY Tile

I'm so excited to share a friends DIY kitchen tile job!  Tile is always so intimidating to me and Jen and Scott handled it like pro's!

The recently purchased their first home which was built in the 50's.  The kitchen came complete with indoor/outdoor carpet...eek!!  Jen said once Scott spilled a gallon of milk on the floor they knew it was time to budget for a floor remodel.  They set aside $600 and got to work!!

Here is a picture of the before..looks like quite the project!

First, they ripped up the old flooring and put down hardy backer board using a pre-mixed thin set mortar and screws.

 Here is the backer board in place..

 They decided to use an 18 x 18 inch porcelain tile.  Using the same pre-mixed thin set mortar they used for the backer board they set the tile. One of their biggest challenges was cutting the tile.  I give them a lot of credit for that...I think that i the part that intimidates me the most.

Jen's dad gave them a bit of advice in the above picture--"Cross your fingers" is right..the tile is definitely more delicate than it looks and you have to be very careful in cutting it.  Once the tile was down they waited a few days and then grouted and sealed it.  How awesome does it look??

 Here is a before and after of the floor!  Their kitchen is still a work in progress according to Jen & Scott, but I'd say this change is definitely a step in the right direction. 

Thank you so much, Jen & Scott for sharing your story.  You really can tackle projects like this on your own with the right tools, materials and some guidance.

Danielle

Gray Desk ReDo

Me and the hubs found this desk at a thrift store recently and as soon as we saw it we knew it would be perfect in our office.  I frequent the thrift store A LOT and this was by far the cleanest, most organized store I have ever been to.  The staff came up to help us as soon as we walked in and kept checking back with us.  They were fabulous.  We picked this up for $40.00.  Solid wood and in perfect condition except that it was ugly, but I could fix that so I wasn't worried.

Here she is before...

 Disregard the leaves on my basement floor....

 Here is a close up of the handles and the newspaper under is the liner of the drawers.  Cute, right? 

 I soaked these handles before I sprayed them with Rustoleum Lagoon Spray Paint

And here is the after...

I painted this desk with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Paris Gray.  I sprayed the hardward with Rustoleum Spray Paint in Lagoon.  I usually always wax my chalk paint pieces, but I decided to try and polyurethane this piece and I actually love how it sealed it.

Not bad for $40.00 since I already had all of the paint on hand for other projects!

Linking up to these parties:
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Furniture Friday @ Decorating Insanity
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous
That's The Ticket Blog Hop @ Lovely Etc
Manic Monday @ Serendipity & Spice
Nifty Thrifty Sunday @ Nifty Thrifty Things
Motivated Monday @ Be Colorful
Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Whatever you want Wednesday @ Free Pretty Things for You
Wednesday's Wowzers @ Oopsey Daisy
LaThrifta's Cheap Finds @ The Scott Crib
Under $100 Link Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence
Friday Feature Party @ Redoux
Catch as Catch Can @ My Repourposed Life

Trying out CeCe Caldwell's Paints

I love painting furniture.  I love design.  I love being creative.  I can't remember a time when I didn't.  When I was young, I was always trying to make my room look different by changing it around.  I  get that from my mother--every single time I go to her house the furniture in at least one room is different.  I remember lobbying for my own room in the attic when I was a teenager.  I sketched a whole layout including where the outlets should be, the color of the rug, what I'd put on the walls and where I'd put my furniture.  I begged for dark green rugs, white bedding and ivy stenciled on the walls.  After a while of submitting proposal after proposal to my parents, my bid was accepted.  My dad dry walled the walls, had carpet installed and my mom stenciled the ivy along the walls.  I had my own retreat and I loved it!

Thankfully I've come a long way in my design aesthetic!  I strive personally and professionally when I am in an environment that fits me and makes me comfortable.  Since leaving Los Angeles and moving to Nashville I have been incredibly happy.  I love decorating our cabin in the woods (technically we live in the city, but to me a creek on one side, river on the other and 2 neighbors I can see constitutes living in the woods!).  The hubs and I have been working on our master bedroom for a little while trying to decide what to do with it.  Our house was built in the 30's and is part of the Arts and Crafts Movement.  It really is cozy and wonderful, but there is wood everywhere.  The floors, the walls, the doors, the windows...good, solid wood...not cheesy paneling.  Its gorgeous, but we really have to bring in some light colors to brighten the space.

I found this dresser at goodwill for $49.00.  It's more than I usually spend on furniture at the thrift store, but I went for it.  In comparison to what you'd find in the stores, its a steal.  And its wood--solid--not some wobbly, falling apart piece of particle board.  Sturdy and HEAVY! Trust me on that one.  We had to carry it from our basement out and around our house in through the front door because the stairwell in my basement was to tight to fit this.  Here she is before...

And here she is after...

For this project I used CeCe Caldwell's paint in Vintage White.  I recently heard of this paint from Mr. Smith @ TheSmithGarage.  He does a lot of great stuff--check him and his lovely wifey @ The Smith Hotel..
I love trying new paints and I liked this one. It was a little watery at first, but once had it open for a while it got a little thicker.  Cece Caldwell's has no VOC's, no odor and is non-toxic.  It is naturally GREEN and seriously has no smell.  Have any of you used it?  For the handles I sprayed them with Rutsoleum Spray Paint in Copper.  I really wanted to replace them but they are 6 inch handles and I couldn't find any I liked, but its still a possibility. 
Danielle
Linking up to these fabulous parties!

Frugal Firday @ The Shabby Nest
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Weekend Wrap Party @ Tatertots & Jello
Fab Not Drab @ Our DIY Diaries
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Free for All @ Young & Crafty
Whatcha Got Weekend @ Lolly Jane
Cheap Finds & Transformations @ The Scott's Crib
Just Something I Whipped up @ The Girl Creative
Manic Monday @ Serendipidity & Spice
Nifty Thrifty Sunday @ Nifty Thrifty Things
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Piece of Work Wednesday @ Primitive & Proper
Wow Us Wednesday's @ Savvy Southern Style
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Hutch in my FAVORITE color!

Once you've been around here for a while you will see a pattern.  I love the color blue....all shades--I don't discriminate!  Light aqua all the way to dark teal...you will see many pieces in this color.  I'm warning you now. 

I found this piece at one of my favorite places--Goodwill!  It was a "Blue Tag Special"-50% off!  I ended up paying $19.00 for this solid wood hutch.  It had 3 different types of handles--Three of them were eagles--yes, like the bird.  Who does that??? 

A steal at $19.00!

Love the detail

I gave her a light sand and then primed her.  She received two coats of Rustoleum Spray Paint in Aqua.  The same color as my sisters side tables and dressers .  I love the coverage that spray paint gives.  If you haven't tried spray paint dont be afraid!  Just keep spraying in a continuous motion side to side.  Start and end OFF of the piece. 

Sometimes I just paint the old hardware to give it a new life, but these needed to be changed.  I opted for these crystal knobs from Home Depot.

 The square white plates are from Crate & Barrel and the awesome funky plates were a wedding gift from a great friend.  They are Villeroy & Boch and I adore them!!  I love the color, shape and everything about them.  I picked up the blue plate at a student pottery sale at Penn. 

 Those beautiful hydrangea's are my valentines flowers.  Simple and beautiful!  Love it!

 My lovely neighbor gave us this beautiful handmade bowl as a wedding gift.  I absolutely love it and its one of our favorite gifts. 

My hubs picked up this deer skull at an antique store.  I like the look, but I still won't pick it up...I make him move it and clean it.


Danielle
Linking up to these fabulous parties!