First off, I would like to apologize for the looooong lull between posts. I could list off all the reasons why, but one word alone could sum it up…life. But I’m back now and excited to show you how I reconstructed the 1960’s/1970’s Arborite coffee table. I purchased this lovely gal for 25 bucks. While not all that gorgeous in her original state and in fact a wee bit wobbly, like in most cases, it was her awesome character that sold me.

I started this project by removing the dust cover off the bottom of the table followed by the legs. The legs were screwed into metal brackets attached to the wood frame. Here I discovered that one of the brackets was bent which was the cause of the wobble. With some gentle and precise bashing with a hammer while the bracket was held in a vise I was able to straighten it. The Walnut legs were originally done in a darker stain which was definitely showing surface damage so I sanded them down and rubbed them with lemon oil to enhance their natural tone.

Next was fabric removal followed by popping off the chunk of Arborite.

No here’s where I got a little cheeky. Instead of trying to find a piece of wood that would fit this table, I went to see my friend at a flooring store and she hooked me up with an out-of-date Acacia Wood floor sample. It was the exact size of the opening so no cutting required. On top of that, the wood tone was gorgeous and complimented the legs perfectly, but best of all…it was free! What more could you ask for? I used wood glue to adhere the wood sample to the frame then clamped it in place and let it set overnight.With the table top now secured to the frame, I added new batting over the existing foam using a putty knife to shove the batting down between the foam and the wood portion of the table.

I then covered the 2 foam portions of the table with a new tweed material secured in place by staples around the perimeter. 

After both foam sides were covered in the new fabric, I attached a piece of piping between the two sides where the wood meets the foam. This not only conceals the seam, but helps secure the wood surface to the frame of the table.To complete this project, I attached piping all the way around the table to cover the exposed stables. Using tacking strip, I then attached a strip of material that would cover the wood frame. To soften the look I added batting over the frame before I folded the material over and secured it to the underside of the table. A new dust cover was stapled in place and the project was finished by replacing the table legs.

Perfect project piece for those MCM lovers out there looking for a vintage piece on a budget price. I love this table for it’s clean simple lines and great functionality and by choosing a fabric popular in it’s time of production, this table would feel right at home in any 1960’s abode.

The cabinet had been recently painted, but the colour did not suit the space so I decided to paint it a creamy white.

Because I wanted to leave the character of the piece intact I enhanced existing worn spots with a light sanding.

The existing wooden bar along the bottom of the cabinet is the perfect spot for scarves. I added 3 hooks in the long vertical section to hold necklaces. A couple of well placed bowls hold rings and earrings. A decided to hang a metal bar along the bottom horizontal shelf to accommodate bracelets.

A perfect way to repurpose an old cabinet. Turn it into a highly functional accessory station and the beauty of designing your own is you can deck it out to suite your exact needs.

Great little weekend project!

I scored this ripped up, worn out pleather ottoman for free. Geesh, I wonder why? Although the pleather material was in awful shape, the frame and legs were solid. I decided to take this hunk of massive sumpin and transform it into a more formal feminine piece by recovering it with a silvery/green chenille and topping it off with some bling bling in the button tufting.

To begin a project like this, first remove the legs from the base as well as all mounting hardware.

Then proceed by removing staples. There are usually oodles of staples so grab a cup and joe, crank the tunes and get ready to hunker down for a while because just when you have pulled the last staple from the dust cover, a whole new row of staples holding the material in place is exposed.

Now comes the satisfying part. Take off that old tired pleather and chuck it in the lapsap tong (a little cantonese for ya), as now we get to create a whole new look.

Measure the top and the sides of the ottoman adding a 1/2 inch extra all around for sewing allowance. For example, if your top is 40″ x 40″ cut a piece that is 41″ X 41″. This will give you an extra half inch on all sides. I first cut the square top to size then sewed on the piping around the entire outside edge. After that, I sewed all the sides together ensuring they were a tight fit around the ottoman. At this point I laid the top material on the ottoman frame and pinned the sewn together sides to the top piece. Complete the cover by attaching the sides to the top.

The foam on the ottoman was in good shape so I did not replace it, but the batting was a bit worn so I opted to add new. With the new batting in place, the new material can then get stapled onto the frame.

Because of the size of this ottoman I decided to break up the great expanse by adding tufting. To add tufting, you will need to fall back on some of your math skills – I know…I know! – and measure the top surface and depending on how many buttons you wish to add you need to figure out the button spacing. I like to do this on a piece of paper first as I am a visual person. Once I have it clear in my head, I measure and mark the button locations on the furniture piece. Then, using an upholstery needle and some waxed string, add the buttons in place.

On the underside of the ottoman, tie off the waxed thread with a bit of material shoved in there. The material is there to keep the knot from pulling through the foam. Some of the buttons were simply knotted in place, while depending on location, I was able to anchor some of the buttons by stapling the string to the frame.

With the tufting done, the ottoman is almost complete. To finish up, simply staple the dust cover back in place, replace leg mounting hardware and pop the legs back on.

All there is to do now is find a buddy and carry this beast to the desired location. Sit down, put your feet up and enjoy.

Over the past several months, I have embarked on many furniture revival projects. Although some of the projects have proven very challenging, once completed, they always prove rewarding.

Bringing a 1980’s Teak Furniture Set Back to Life

I fell in love with this Danish Teak love seat and chair on site. Although the fabric was very well used and tired, structurally, these pieces were in fantastic condition which makes for a great starting off point. All the exposed teak was given a light sanding and re-oiled while the cushions were reupholstered in a mid-century inspired avocado green. Classic in design, this furniture set will always be in style.

Restoring a 1970’s Arborite Cabinet

This 1970’s cabinet was given a completely new lease on life with a fresh coat of high gloss paint. The colour I chose was a mid-century tone green called Jalapeno by Benjamin Moore. I was totally inspired by the clean lines and lovely legs on this cabinet. In the end, I decided to emphasize the legs by leaving them and the shelving area in a natural wood tone. The tricky thing about this cabinet was that it was Arborite which requires a slightly different painting procedure. After a bit a research, I sanded the cabinet following the grain. I then primed the piece and let the primer cure for several days. Once primer was fully adhered to the cabinet, I then painted it, again allowing several days for curing between coats.

Giving This Masculine Bench the Lift it Needed

This beautiful bench was a special request from a client. To begin, I wiped the legs down with turpentine to remove marks. I then touched up the wood with a stain pen and gave it a rub with some Lemon Oil. I love me the Lemon Oil. It leaves a beautiful finish on the wood and has a great lemony fragrance. To reupholster, I decided to add some piping between the wood base and the padded top just to add a little sumpin, sumpin. The foam was then recovered with the new fabric and reattached.

Repurposed Piano Bench 

I picked up this tired, but solid piano bench from a local Salvation Army store for a steal of a deal. A piano bench is a great size for adding a little extra seating for just about anywhere in your home. I love the clean lines of this bench and with a new bright fabric it will add a pop of colour and interest to any room. Of course, like many piano benches the seat lifts for storage which is perfect if using by the front door or in the bathroom. Any hidden storage is always a bonus.

And now for a few other ottoman’s that have been given a new look.

The top ottoman holds a special place for me, as it was my first try at Tufting. The bottom photo is of what was once a typical tired and torn brown leather storage ottoman that will now certainly be a pop of colour and style that every room needs.

This Queen Ann style bench was painted white and upholstered in a silvery blue fabric to create a more modern look.

One of the biggest transformations would be this 1970’s footstool. All solid wood and metal construction and updated with new fabric this footstool will last for many years to come. I chose a funky maud material to recover the stool and eliminated the ruffle bottom so the cute legs were exposed. Now the challenge with this sucker was the bottom is considerably narrower than the top so I discovered that I couldn’t just sew it and then slip the fabric over the frame so I had to pull out my handy dandy curved needle and practice the invisible stitch, sewing the sides while the fabric was in place. Learning something new with every project.

Vintage Wood Desk

Gorgeous vintage desk that just needed a few tweaks here and there. A fresh coat of paint, a couple of new drawer pulls and a touch of wood glue in spots equals a lovely desk that would work well in any room. In the end though, this piece found it’s place in a clients walk-in closet to purpose as a jewellery stand.

And lastly I leave you with this antique solid wood table. Gorgeous curvy legs, original casters and a coat of graphite black paint make this table a statement piece in any home.

Okay, okay, so I know she doesn’t look like much with the dated original fabric, but I fell in love with this beauty on site. The gorgeous lines of the solid Oak bentwood frame made this chair not only virtually indestructible and unique, but beautiful from every angle.

The frame was in great condition and only required a quick vacuum and wipe down.

Now for the fabric. I choose this fabric for a couple of reasons. The first was that it was in the sale bin and the second was because I LOVED IT! I knew this chair was going to require a fare chunk of material so in order to keep costs down I was on the hunt for something less expensive, but good quality. After measuring, I purchased 5 meters of this mid century inspired fabric that would transform the look of this chair entirely. At less than $10.00 a meter and a couple spools of thread, I was out of the fabric store having spent less than 60 bucks.

I then used the cushions to mark, cut and sew my new fabric. I typically like to reuse as much as possible, as this not only keeps costs down, but also keeps perfectly usable items out of the rubbish bin. For this reason, I took the time to remove the zippers from the old material and sewed them onto the new fabric. A bit fiddly and time consuming, but a venture that I consider worth taking.

After the main cushions were complete I covered the 3 throw cushions. I decided to offset the pattern by doing the 2 smaller cushions in a creamy white. Super happy with the end result of this chair that would look perfect in an open concept room where it could be viewed from every angle.

Okay, so she didn’t look like much when I picked her up for 25 bucks, but I could see the potential in this lovely lady. A prize piece that just needed a little TLC. Well, let’s face it, she needed a complete overhall.

To start this project, I began by completely dismantling the bench.

The curvy lines of the bench legs were fantastic, but were falling apart and badly damaged so they needed to be re-glued and refinished. Even though I loved the wood, I decided to paint the legs as busting through the thick layer of varnish to bring them back to their glory days would require a LOT of work.

Next, I removed the orange pleather material, which as you can see was done by pulling mmmm maybe a thousand randomly placed staples.

With the bench now down to it’s bare bones, it was time to start the reconstruction and transformation. The legs were painted in a warm white called Etiquette by Benjamin Moore and new batting and material was stapled on to the bench frame.

Out of pocket for this bench including the purchase price of 25 bucks, was $50.00 as I had to purchase new material and batting. A lovely little piece that compliments the room just nicely.

I began by first painting over the board with white primer. I had some Benjamin Moore Fresh Start kicking around so that it was.Once the frame was dry, I gathered up the materials I would need to complete the job. A hammer, needle nose pliers, a screwdriver, a staple gun and some staples.

I started by centering the material on the board. I then carefully flipped the board over while holding the material in place. I then tacked the material down by adding one staple in the middle of each side. With the material now held in place, I double checked the placement and I highly recommend the double check before moving ahead with the staple gun because if you have to make any adjustments this is the time to do it.

While stapling, I worked my way out from the middle of all sides then completed my corners last.

And there you have it…a quick, easy and affordable way to frame your painting.

Even though I loved it, the Restoration Hardware desk was way out of budget and really was far too large for our particular application. But from here, I had an idea of what I wanted and I was off and running (ok, walking…not a lot makes me run these days). I went to a local used building supply store and found some super cool corbels that were removed from an old building. For those that don’t know (I did not know myself when I started this search), but a corbel is a structural, sometimes decorative item found on buildings and can be made of wood, metal, stone or other materials.

This is an example of a concrete corbel.

The corbels I found were made of wood and were very simple in design. Something to keep in mind when shopping for corbels, is the height. I wanted mine to be typical desk height so I had to ensure that the ones I found were the right measurement from floor to desk surface. It just so happened that I found the perfect pair of corbels. Right height and right paint color. I did not have to do a thing to these beauties other than mount them on my wall.

After mounting the corbels to the wall I had a piece of glass made that would become the desk surface. I chose a fairly thick piece of glass and made sure it was tempered so it would be safe. I then topped off the desk with a phone and computer and we were set. Because I was trying not to take up much floor or visual space, I added a simple lucite chair.

The corbels were $75.00 a piece and the glass was $120.00. I purchased the chair for around $80.00. This corbel desk stayed well within budget and was definitely less expensive than the Restoration Hardware desk, however, arguably not nearly as ornate.

I love the look of banquette seating in the kitchen and our galley style kitchen was the perfect configuration for it. Of course, we were hoping to accomplish our new kitchen banquette on a tight budget which often leads to creative thinking and reusing materials. We decided a twin captains bed frame would be the perfect solution for size, storage needs and budget restraints. We found a bed frame at our local Salvation Army store for $30.00. By using a captains bed the drawers were already in place and eliminated a lot of work right off the bat. We created the bench by cutting off the back aft of the bed (the side without the drawers) to the desired depth. We (now know that when I say we, I mean my husband) then built a frame on the floor that the seat would sit on. The frame was built the same height as the kick plate under the kitchen cupboards. We also added bead board that would run the length of the wall behind the seat and took it to counter height to create a uniform look.

This is similar to what we started with.

This is what we were finished with.

This project turned out great and we were able to keep costs way down by staying away from a custom build. To complete the job, we purchased a piece of foam and had it covered in a durable material that could be wiped down daily, as we have two children and this bench would see it all, from glitter glue to Play Doh to red wine on card night. The extra storage is perfect to hold craft supplies that are easily accessible. We purchased new hardware to match the rest of the kitchen and threw in a few throw pillows.

We were so happy with the way this banquette turned out that we decided to buy another used captains bed frame and build a window seat in our office/spare room. The bed itself was too short for the space we needed so my husband built little side tables on either end to sandwich between the wall and the bed frame. Again, the bed was cut to the desired width to create a bench and a frame was built for the bench to sit on. We chose a durable material that could be machine washed in the washer, but this seat did not require the constant wiping as did the one in the kitchen.

The beds were less than 50 bucks each and the material covered foam seats were less than 100 dollars each for all the materials and professional sewing job. The sewing job included piping all around on both sides and a zipper on one side to remove cover completely for washing. We painted the seats with existing paint. Kitchen banquette was painted in Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover to match the kitchen cupboards and the window seat and side tables in the home office/spare room were painted in Benjamin Moore Cloud White.

Extremely happy with the end result!

The first is my driftwood wall. This wall has it all; a painting from the Nanaimo Art Gallery, a sign from a second-hand store and pieces of driftwood found at local beaches. This display will continue to grow and evolve as I add items and I love that!

The next items are in my sons room. One picture is of a large sign I found in someone’s yard and offered to buy on the spot and the other is of a minion wall decal. Little creepy for me, but my son loves it. This sign is large and takes up one wall in his room. Huge impact in a small room.

I found an old hook and pulley at a second-hand store and just knew I could put it to use someplace. And as luck would have it, I won a vintage clothes line from the Salvation Army Thrift Shop Auction and “BAM” there u have it!  An outdoor lantern/chandelier holder. The nice thing is you can move your lantern or chandelier up or down depending on your needs. Highly functional and beautiful to boot.

A treasure I brought home from China was a drawer front from an antique dresser. This was the inspiration for a wood bowl that I painted red and distressed, a couple old stools, a Buddha statue from Cambodia and some Chinese shoes with little red straps.

My mother and father-in-law came home from a trip down south where they visited a cotton plantation and they brought back a piece of cotton picked right off the plant. Kids thought it was cool, but mom thought it was super-duper cool. I put the cotton in a shadow box with some nice paper and then grouped it with a hand whittled fork and spoon and a primitive butter spoon.

The last picture I chose was taken in my living room. It is a couple of old steamer trunks stacked so they can be used as a side table, an antique vinegar bottle, a pair of wooden shoe forms and a charcoal nude done by local artist Gerda Hofman.

Look for inspiration everywhere. You may surprise yourself on the home you create and how it can be uniquely….you.