Making Do

As I’ve said before, moving every few years has its perks and challenges.  Trying to maintain (and continually improve) a sustainable, eco-friendly, low-budget, simple, organized and beautiful home on top of that can be, well –  extra challenging. 

Each home we move into has its own style, floor plan, room layout, and needs.  For me, the process of organizing and decorating a house (rental or owned) is often a frustrating and exciting endeavor.  Over the years I have learned a few things that have helped me maintain my sustainable sensibility while also creating beautiful and functional spaces. 

Here’s a peek at the guidelines I use to determine if something is worth the money, time, and effort…

Lexie’s Guidelines for Home Décor:

1.     Is it multifunctional?  Can I use it in more than one way in different spaces?

2.     Can I change it up? (paintable, switch out fabric, slipcover, etc.) 

3.     Does it break down or fold up for easy storage? (in case it won’t work in a particular space)

4.     How big and heavy is it?  (my husband’s favorite as I like to change up our rooms a lot)

5.     Is it inexpensive enough that I can sell or donate it if necessary?

6.     Does it fit in with my blended décor styles?  (cottage, rustic, farmhouse, beachy, simple, modern)

These “rules” help to ensure that our home isn’t filled with large amounts of oversized, heavy, multi-colored, miss matched, or expensive décor.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of that if that’s what you like, for us though moving every 2.4 years (our current average), it helps to keep the guidelines in mind before each and every purchase. 

So now that we’re unpacking and starting to organize and decorate house #7, I’ve been thinking of these guidelines quite a bit and I realized that #1 (Is it multifunctional?) is one of the most important rules I follow.  As I’m working in a space I’m constantly thinking about what furniture and décor we already own that I can use...what do we have that I can "make do" with?

This past week I moved all of our extra décor (that I haven’t placed already) into the basement so that I can “shop” my own home. 

Ready for some free shopping!

Yesterday I was working a bit on our sunroom.  We’ve never had a sunroom before...vaulted ceiling, french doors that lead outside, floor-to-ceiling windows on every wall, and a big opening that’s connected to the main family room.  It’s a beautiful space and also a little nerve-wracking trying to determine how we want to use the room and how the furniture placement will work. 

Two of the pieces of furniture I’ve decided to use in the room are a pair old wooden patio chairs I picked up at a thrift store in NJ a few years ago.  Originally purchased for our covered front porch in our NJ home…

Originally stained a reddish color, my mom helped me paint them with leftover exterior paint - BM Swiss Coffee

…and then used outside on our deck in VA. 

Left outside...rain or shine, snow or sleet.

Having been left outside for 3+ years, they were dirty, spiderwebbed, and rusty.  So when the movers were unloading them from the truck a few weeks ago and I said “Oh put those in the sunroom” – I got a sideways glance from Mr. MacGyver (nothing but love, I tell ya!)  

Yesterday I scrubbed those babies clean with some Dr. Bronners…

My cleaning arsenal

Half dirty, half clean

All cleaned up

 …and then painted over the rusty springs with some rust primer. 

Not the most eco-friendly I know, but it was leftover from a previous project and it does the job well.

Cleaned and primed

 I still need to go over the springs with some white metal paint and make some indoor slipcovers for the cushions. I’ll be sure to post more pix once the sunroom is complete.

So "making do" is by far one of my most used "tricks" for sustainable décor.  How do you “make do?” 

Lots-o-love,

Lexie

Upcycled Bench: Chalk Paint DIY Upholstery Redo Project

I bought this bench at a yard sale in June of 2013 for $2.

After I removed the fabric and took over sanding the wood (you do not need to sand when using chalk paint; however, I didn't know if I would be distressing this piece, so I sanded down any rough spots for a smooth, clean, painted look), I painted the wood white with two coats of chalk paint. 

After MUCH debate and polling on social media because I was so torn, I decided on the blue fabric that I bought at IKEA during the summer of 2012. 

Choosing the fabric was a very hard choice because I absolutely loved both looks. 

However, before I could upholster this piece, I had to buy a replacement piece of wood for the seat as the original wood had deteriorated over time. To save time, and so I didn't have to pull out my saw during our Northeast winter here, I had our wood cut to size (a wonderful complimentary service) at Lowe's as my girls and I watched from the sidelines.  

Once the wood was cut, I upholstered it by simply placing the fabric over the padding while pulling the fabric taunt and even while stapling it on the backside of the wood.

After I painted the wood and before I attached the cushion, I applied two coats of soft clear wax over the chalk paint. 

Here is a before and after look:

What do you think of the fabric choice? Do you think I should take this redo a step further by distressing the wood? I would love for you to share your thoughts!

Happy Upcycling!

Priscilla

Distressed Painted Furniture Redo: Yard Sale Table Upcycled with Chalk Paint

During one of our many yard sale adventures, Lexie and I found this table priced for $1.00, and I immediately envisioned a distressed, antiqued beauty.

I initially envisioned this table painted white, distressed and finished with a dark wax so that the detail would be accentuated. However, after painting it white, my vision changed.

Before I started painting, I thoroughly scrubbed the table with white vinegar and water (50/50) while scraping the grime out of the crevices. I then sanded the top of the table several times while lightly sanding the rest of the table before painting a thick coat of white chalk paint. You do not normally need to sand before painting with chalk paint, but what you cannot see in these pictures is the small amount of water damage on the table top. The wood was a bit too swollen in areas to not sand. 

After I painted a thick coat of white chalk paint, I thought that it needed more than a distressed and dark wax finish, so I decided to have a bit of fun with it as I painted the second coat blue (most chalk paints go on thick, but I did need to touch up areas after the second coat dried thoroughly). 

I then distressed the entire table with sand paper and extra fine steel wool with the intention to expose both the white paint and natural wood.

The pictures below are before I applied the clear wax. If you compare the images in the collage below with the first picture in this post, you can see how the blue got brighter after I applied the wax.

After I distressed the table, I applied two coats of clear wax (I may apply a third coat to the table top because of all the daily use it will endure. I must admit, however, that I still have the urge to add a dark wax antiqued finish. 

What do you think? Should I stop at the clear wax or go for a more distressed/antiqued finish that the dark wax creates? 

Happy Painting!

Priscilla 

Upcycled Pallet Coffee Table

A few weeks ago when we first started sharing our sustainable adventures online, Priscilla posted a picture on Facebook of one of my favorite DIY projects that I completed a few years ago:

My upcycled pallet coffee table

I had wanted to change out our old coffee table for something with more storage for books, magazines, and our laptops.  After perusing the local thrift stores and not finding anything that would work, I figured I might have to DIY a table – enter: Pinterest. 

With lots of inspiration (er, pinspiration) I came across the following pix:

http://www.caisak.com/

http://3girls1apartment.blogspot.com/

http://design-shimmer.blogspot.com/

http://emilypaigeoslie.blogspot.com/

Swoon worthy, right?!

I told my ever-thrifty sidekick (aka: Priscilla) that I was in need of a few pallets.  A week or so later, three, free, dumpster-bound, now-salvaged pallets showed up at my door (that girl Priscilla has some mad skills!) 

I read a handful of “how-to’s” – but not being one to follow directions, I just used the pictures from Pinterest as a guide.

Because I wanted two levels (allowing for 8 shelves: four shelves on one side for me, four shelves on the other side for Mr. MacGyver – my husband) I used two pallets for the table and one for spare parts.

I flipped one pallet over (the base) and set another pallet on top of it (the top).  Of course, being pallets and not perfect – I had to fill in the missing spaces with the spare boards from the third pallet.

Once I had the whole table figured out, I pulled out my handy-dandy hand sander and began sanding (80 grit to 100 grit to 150 grit to 220 grit)…Lots and lots and lots of sanding. 

After all the pieces were smooth, I primed everything (top, bottom, sides, inside and out) with Zinsser Water-based Primer.  After all was dry, I went over all the knotty areas with primer again to seal them in (FYI: over time, the primer has not stopped the knots from bleeding through the paint which kinda bothers me so I may at some point research how to fix this problem).

A day later, I lightly sanded and wiped down all the pieces and painted two coats of white paint (not sure which white, brand, or finish…sorry).

When all the pieces were dry, I assembled the table and nailed it all together matching the original nail lines on the pallets.  Once assembled, I used my hand sander again to distress the edges and then wiped the whole thing with watered down brown acrylic paint (my own version of antiquing) and quickly wiped off the excess.  I wanted a rustic and worn look but not too dirty or dingy.

Before attaching the casters, I had to fasten two extra boards on the bottom (double decker style) to reinforce the area where the casters would go (pallet wood can be very brittle and weak - third picture below, note the hairline crack on the bottom pallet). Oh and I orderedthe locking casters from Amazon. 

When it was all assembled, antiqued, and dry, I applied a light coat of Deft (non-yellowing satin brushing lacquer) to the top and as far inside the shelf cubbies as possible.  It’s not the most eco-friendly product but I needed something that wouldn’t yellow over time and would hold up to the use and abuse of a daily-used coffee table (read: propped up feet, many-a-meals eaten here, TV remotes tossed around, mail collection piled up, etc. etc.).

Here a few more gratuitous shots of our beauty…

This was an easy enough upcycled project that has more than earned its keep in our home.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lots-o-love,

Lexie

Dipped Leg Chair: Upcycling Furniture with Chalk Paint

Completed chair in its new home!

This chair was the first furniture redo piece that I've sold, and I love the story behind it!

This past spring, I bought several pieces from a woman who was liquidating her shop.

Needless to say, I loved this chair in its raw form and was excited to give it a new life.

This past summer, I posted a picture of the chair on my Facebook page, and one of my friends asserted that she just had to have it. I told her that I planned on refinishing it, and she replied that if I planned to sell it after I refinished to please contact her. Cindy had no idea of my plans: stain vs paint, colors, et cetera.

So my project began...

Without any dialogue with Cindy regarding my plans for the chair, I started painting it with Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint.

I started with the intention of giving it a white washed look: 2 parts paint to 1 part water to get a white washed look.

As I was painting it white, my intuition screamed that it needed to be grey and not white!

As Lexie and I texted back and forth during my DIY project, she thought the white would look great but that grey would look good too. Since I couldn't continue with the white because the color did not feel right, I switched to Annie Sloan Paris Grey.

After I painted the entire chair grey and then waxed it after the paint dried, I lightly distressed it with 220 grit sandpaper.

I love how the white subtly shows through after I distressed the grey paint.

After I finished painting and distressing the chair, I thought that a dipped leg would complete it, and minutes after I thought about dipping one leg, Lexie suggested a dipped leg after I texted her a picture of the painted chair.

However, even with Lexie's encouragement, following my intuition took some time. I kept thinking, "What if Cindy doesn't like it?" "What if it doesn't come out the way I imagined."

After several weeks, I took the plunge (I took the plunge mainly because my youngest had developed a 11-week-long, head-to-toe rash that I recently realized appeared 2 hours after I started using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for the first time on 24 September 2013, so I felt the need to complete all the chalk paint projects and to get the chalk paint as well as the furniture painted with chalk paint out of my house).

Once the chair was completed with its Annie Sloan Duck Egg dipped leg, Lexie and I both loved it! After it was completed, I posted a picture of it on my Facebook page. When Cindy saw it completed, she said that she absolutely had to have it. She loved the chair with its dipped leg, and it matched her office decor perfectly (I have never seen the interior of her home so the outcome was completely serendipitous)!

When painting the dipped leg, I used Frog Tape to guarantee a clean line and then I brush on the paint below the tape. After the dipped leg was dry, I sealed the entire chair a second time with clear wax.

Not only do I love the story behind this chair and am so happy that this chair has an awesome new home, I also love the constant reminders from the universe for me to trust my intuition.

Much Love!
Priscilla

Craiglist Dresser Transformed Into a Beautifully Distressed Painted Piece

Here's an upcycled painted dresser by Lexie.

Lexie scored this dresser on Craiglist for $50.00 and then planned out its new look. She knew that she wanted the hardware to blend in (vs leaving them their original tarnished brass color), but she didn't know how well the hardware would hold the paint...

Lexie first sanded the dresser with 220 grit sandpaper and then wiped it down with water and vinegar (50/50) just to remove and extra dust and/or residue.

As for the hardware, she also wiped it down with the same cleaner, and to her surprise, not only did it take the paint well, her painted hardware is still holding strong.

Lexie painted this piece, both the wood and the hardware, with Olympic No-VOC paint in Swiss Coffee and then distressed it to complete the look: "I did lightly distress the edges of each drawer (there was some damage and missing detailed pieces) and a little distressing on the handles...not too shabby, but not too perfect)." 

This dresser happily resides in Lexie's home and follows her wherever she moves (she is currently moving for the second time in less than two years in the middle of her completing her graduate degree in Humane Education).

I personally love the final product, and I also love how she decorated the dresser with white distressed stacked mirrors and antique Ball jars. In my opinion, it not only enhances this piece, it also completes the look.

Wait until you get many more peeks into the rest of her house! Lexie's home is my getaway oasis!

Thank you for reading our first post here at Sustainable Decor! We are pleased that you took the time to stop by and we hope that you plan to come back for more.

Moving forward, we decided that Lexie will be posting on Mondays, that we will alternate with Wordless Wednesdays where you will get an intimate peek at the decor in both of our homes, and I will be posting on Fridays.

We both are beyond excited to share our sustainable adventures with you and hope to see you soon!

Please visit us on Facebook. We are also on Instagram too!

Much Love!
Priscilla

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