Mint and Gold Coffee Table

Remember that coffee table project I posted a couple of weeks ago? Here it is in the beginning stages:

And in progress:

And, voila! The finished product!

I decided to go with a very light mint green because a) I've been really wanting to paint something mint green lately and b) I already had a can of light mint green paint. The paint was actually a reject paint from True Value, so I got it for around $3 (score!). I love checking out the reject paints -- you never know what you'll find! I also used reject paint from True Value for this project that I did a couple of summers ago.

Anyway, the fact that I already had this paint was the driving factor behind the re-design of this coffee table. I also decided that I wanted to try out the dipped-leg look that's so popular. And, I already had gold spray paint, so BAM! Another decision made! And I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Not bad, eh? Now it just needs somewhere to live!

before + after: buffet turned bedroom storage

One of my favorite things ever is to pick up old pieces of furniture from thrift stores or salvage places and fix them up. I love it. If I could, I would do it all the time. Unfortunately, I would probably run out of space real fast. There's something so satisfying about taking an ugly piece of furniture and completely turning it around. 

This summer, I decided that I needed some storage in my bedroom. Since I moved back to my parents' house, I now have like double the stuff. The stuff that I accumulated while living in Savannah PLUS all the stuff that had been sitting in my room. So, I needed some serious storage.

So, the search began. I looked at antique places. I looked at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I went to the Brimfield Antiques Show (stuff was way overpriced if you ask me. But I did get a really cool old-fashioned picnic basket for half price! I'm not sure what to do with it yet, but it's cute!) Finally, after what felt like eons of searching, I found the piece at a second-hand furniture place in Holbrook. It wasn't pretty, as you can see. The hardware had to go. It was actually already falling off. And I wasn't crazy about the wood tone. But, the amount of storage was perfect. And it was a really solid piece. Dovetail joints, solid wood back, drawers slid without protest, and the cabinets opened nicely. Check, check, check and check!

So, I trucked back home and got to work! I hit up True Value for some paint and scored with a reject can of paint for $4. I was looking for a really dark charcoal and when I showed the paint sample to the paint lady. she told me that someone had returned a can of paint that was similar to the paint sample I had picked out. Bingo! $4 for a can of paint? Yes, please! I believe the color was California Paint's Dark Engine in a matte finish. PLUS, this paint was a paint AND primer in one. YES. Score.

I have to say, I love the look of the matte finish, however, it scratches really easily. If you decide to use a matte finish on a piece of furniture, use it on something that won't see a ton of use. So far, the scratches on this piece of furniture aren't too bad. I can deal with it because I just love the matte finish so much.

I decided to only paint the exterior because a) I'm lazy, and b) I really like the contrast of the warm wood tone with the painted black. Why not save yourself some work? The interior was in really good shape and only needed to be wiped down and vacuumed (there were a few spiders that decided this buffet would make an excellent home). So I figured, why not leave it as is?

And, as you saw, this piece seriously needed some new hardware. Anthropologie to the rescue! I absolutely adore their knobs and hardware and have been dying to use them somehow for years. I knew straight away that I was definitely using some Anthropologie knobs for the doors, but I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the upper drawers. I looked at Home Depot for handles since I really didn't feel like filling in the holes and drilling new ones. But nothing really spoke to me at Home Depot. Plus, the distance between the existing holes in the drawers was weird. None of the standard handle sizes fit. And the handles in the weird middle part there were smaller than the other two. Enter wood filler, sandpaper, a drill, and some more paint. 

Then came the new knobs. The upper drawers have the white ceramic melon knobs and the lower cabinet doors have the caricature knob. Omigosh, how I love these knobs. I love, love, love the hand-painted detail on the caricature knob. So pretty! And, while we're talking about Anthropologie knobs, I'm itching to use these gorgeous knobs on some future project. Or these.

Check out all that storage.

And please ignore all the dust on my floor.

Thanks.

 

Voila. The perfect piece for storage!

some of my favorite [ikea] things

One thing that pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Ikea. Love, love, love it. If I could, I would fill and decorate my entire house with Ikea things. Of course, I don't have a house right now. Or even an apartment. But my imaginary house and apartment are completely decked out in all things Ikea. A girl can dream, right? Last weekend, I went to Ikea and seriously had to restrain myself from buying the entire store. A gray and white dish set was just calling my name -- and it was on, like, SUPER sale. However, I already have a lot of dishes. And they are all currently sitting in boxes in my parents' basement. So it wouldn't do much good to buy more dishes. It was a challenge, not placing those dishes in the cart and blissfully skipping off to the check out. Well, more like not placing the dishes in the cart and then not getting lost in the maze that is the Ikea marketplace and convincing myself that I need a silverware drawer organizer (which I also already have) or a new throw for the end of my bed. Oh, Ikea. Here are some Ikea things that I'm really digging:

1. I love these Blomster candle holders. Okay, so I don't have a dining room right now, but I think these would look really fantastic on a dining table. Or a mantle. They're so graceful and modern -- everything you could ever want in a candle holder. 

2. This pendant lamp is really pretty awesome. It's so futuristic and whimsical. If I had a living room, this would totally be in it. Or over a dining table. 

3. I am so into this gray Karlstad sofa. The lines of this sofa are so clean, simple and modern. And I've decided that when I have a living room, I want a gray couch and yellow accents. This couch as the perfect gray. Plus, it has a little bit of texture, which is perfect! Gray is such an awesome color -- I'm really into gray lately. The color pairing possibilities are endless! 

4. This pillow is so colorful and happy! The print has somewhat of a tropical feel to it, but not super tropical, like palm trees. A subtle tropical quality. And I just love that green. 

5. This little side table is so cute! I love the curved legs and the fact that there are two surfaces for things. This is an important quality in furniture.

6. I am so into rattan lately too. Hm, the tropical pillow, the rattan chairs -- is my subconscious trying to tell me something? Anyhow -- I love the natural color and quality of rattan and this chair is super comfy. It's big enough to curl up in -- also a highly important factor in furniture. 

7. These plates. Oh, how I love these plates! The pattern is so much fun and whimsical, and the light green color is just so pretty. These would look gorgeous on a dark, rustic wooden farm table or on a super sleek, modern white table. Versatile!

I'm planning on another Ikea trip tomorrow. We'll see if I can stop myself again from buying the whole store. I'm not making any promises!

This Summer, I Want To...

Among various other things, one thing I for sure, most definitely don't want to miss this summer is the Brimfield Antique and Collectible Show.

I mean, look at all this fantastic stuff! It's a treasure trove of vintage items, pieces that are just waiting to be refurbished, renovated, and loved.

I love looking through salvaged items. You never know what you might find! This looks like an excellent opportunity to look through all sorts of things and find loads of inspiration.

For the Brimfield Antique and Collectible Show website, click here!

Images from Apartment Therapy, Orange Street Design Studio and Country Living.