A Garbage Can with Style

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there living with pets in the house. This next project was inspired by my dog Julius the Weimeraner.

This guy is usually awesome in the house, even when we leave the house to run errands. He has a doggie door and fenced yard and doesn't chew on naughty things while we're gone. He does have on horrible habit I have yet to fix. Without a doubt, every time we leave the house, he will go straight to the trash can to rummage for the goods. I thought a can with a lid would do the trick, but no. We've just come to accept that we have to take the garbage out when we leave, or lock it up in the bathroom.

Well, I came across this cool garbage idea on Pinterest. This was one project my hubby jumped right into. He hates having to move the trash and I hate having to clean up the mess when he forgets.

Here's how to make one for yourself.

The wood was pretty expensive, this isn't the most budget friendly project. Since the wood was new and beautiful, I didn't want to paint it. I've been wanting to incorporate more natural wood into my kitchen anyways. I stained it with a Minwax English chestnut and painted the bead board with some chalk paint. Ta Dah, the finished project. I'm happy to report it has done it's job and Julius has yet to break into it :)

Jenine



savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com

Patio Table

Here's a fun piece I finished up this week. I've had these chairs and table sitting in my garage for ages gathering a lot of dust. These chairs were a garbage day find on the side of the road. They were missing the screws that hold the cushions on, the previous owner had masking taped the crap out of the seats to try and keep them on :) The chairs were a tacky silver and gold metal. I updated them with several different Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors. I used some material I had from another project. It's a fun colorful fabric with word scripts and birds, too cute. I covered the fabric with plastic. I debated over this for a long time. I didn't want to come off like Raymond's mother, on the show Everybody Loves Raymond- she had her whole couch covered in plastic. I just felt like if it was going to be outside, it needed protection from the rain, sun, pets, and food from the bbq.

The table is very heavy. It is painted in Duck Egg Blue and dark waxed to have an aged appearance. This item will be for sale on my shop page as well as Etsy, and Las Vegas Craigslist.

Linking back to...
savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com
www.kammyskorner.com
primitiveandproper.blogspot.com
romantichome.blogspot.com
www.funkyjunkinteriors.net

A Little Secret

I usually don't share the original price of furniture when I plan to upcycle it. I feel like it's okay for me to share the price if it is something I bought for myself.   I don't want to devalue my beautiful product by showing it's original price.

Today, and today only, I will share some of the "business" side of my furniture refinishing. I do all of my buying from thrift stores or raigslist. Yards sales are an awesome way to find great furniture, but I struggle to get out the door early Saturday morning. Who doesn't have breakfast, chores, and a dog walk to fit in in those early hours?

My general rule of thumb is to stay around the $50 range for larger items like armoires and dressers. If I can find something decent  for lower, I'm all about that! My cheapest dresser purchase to this day was $20. I will occasionally spend $100 on something if it is huge and going to be amazing. Side tables and smaller items I expect to pay $10-$15.

Here's  a dresser I just finished.  I'll walk you through the cost breakdown and how I determine my
pricing. This is a smaller dresser a purchased at a thrift store for $35. I was drawn to it because of it's vintage hardware with original patina. I'm a sucker for this hardware, I purchase anything with it. Similar vintage hardware costs about $11 a piece so I figured I got my money's worth just out of hardware.

This particular dresser is not real solid wood, except for the drawer fronts. It's also small, right there I know it will need to be priced on the lower end.

I wanted to use this ballet slipper pink "oops" paint I purchased on a whim for $5.00. That means I'm not using my usual chalk paint that requires no priming or sanding. Because this dresser isn't wood, I know I'll need a primer that sticks to any glossy surfaces and doesn't require sanding. Yes, they make that, make sure to read your label. I use the "bulls eye" primer, approx $7- 9, it can be found at Lowes in the paint section.

Since I was working with latex paint I have the advantage of using  my air compressor spray gun. It saves me a lot of time and gives a smooth finish with latex paint. I primed and then, true to it's label, the paint stuck right on my no-wood glossy surface.

I applied painters tape and added stripes with some A.S.C.P Old Ochre that I already had on hand for my own project. I used my dark wax to give it an aged look, I already had dark wax so those count as free.

I lined each drawer with some shabby chic angel self adhesive drawer liner that I purchased at the dollar store. $1.

This adorable dresser will be for sale on my shop page, Etsy, and Las Vegas Craigslist for $150. I like to price reasonable, I don't like to hold on to pieces very long. I also think everyone should be able to afford a unique piece in their home.

Total cost= $50

My profit= $100

Hours to finish dresser: 3-4ish counting paint drying time

As you can see, I'm not going to be a millionaire anytime soon. I enjoy what I do. I love to see the changes I can make in something.

My Shop Feature

I sell most of my furniture through Craigslist and Etsy. I usually don't worry about painting my pieces a typical black and white to sell on Craigslist. I kind of just let my artistic vibe take me where I want to go that week. I will admit my bolder pieces sell on Etsy more easily than Craigslist.

I had an "aha" moment today and realized that other people can't envision what kind of space I had in mind when I painted a piece of furniture. I've decided to include some photos of beautiful rooms and color schemes that help inspire my furniture painting.

The first piece is a coral armoire... and the rooms that inspired it. ( I apologize, I've had these saved on my computer but I don't have the source to cite them)

The purple paloma dresser and some beautiful photos of inspiration.

Painted Kitchen Cabinets

I finished the largest portion of my kitchen makeover, the kitchen cabinets! I've always wanted white kitchen cabinets. The cabinets in my kitchen weren't a tragedy, but they were starting to show some wear and they were just your average builder-grade cabinets. Our student budget isn't even close enough to being able to afford custom cabinetry, so painting them is the next best thing.

I just love how it opens up my home and gives it a much fresher feel.It goes with the countertops and laminate flooring so much better as well. I have yet to restyle above my cabinets and such so bear with me there.

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White for the cabinets and Graphite for our kitchen island. In case you're not familair with A.S.C.P., it requires no priming or sanding. See why I chose it for such a large project? It also doesn't give the same look as latex paint, it doesn't have a factory finish look to it.

First I tried applying it with a roller for a smooth finish. The chalk paint didn't cover well with my roller and I hated the way it looked. I found I much prefered the look of a paint brush, paint strokes included. It took two coats to cover the old wood. I then sanded down the edges for a well-worn and loved look. When it comes to chalk paint, you usually cover it with a wax or even a laquer. There is no doubt in my mind that the dark wax would have been amazing, but I had to keep in mind I'd be trying to sell my home down the road and too much "well-worn with love" isn't for everyone.

We don't have any Annie Sloan distrubutors here in Vegas and I didn't want to spend$50 or upwards for her laquer I wouldn't use very much of. I chose to seal and protect my cabinets with shellac. It doesn't yellow with age, it dries quickly, and it can be wiped on. It took two thin coats. I find wiping on helps you avoid those ugly brush strokes I don't enjoy in my sealer.

Linking back to...
www.bystephanielynn.com
savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com
www.kammyskorner.com
fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com
primitiveandproper.blogspot.com