Old typewriter cart upcycled....

I am in "dresser" mode these days...lots of dressers and chest of drawers being "refinished" but after 5 years, I still can't remember to take good "before and after" pictures! So while I have refinished 4-5 dressers in the last few weeks, I have no good pictures to show for it! CURSES!

My garage is packed with dressers and chests I am working on now so MAYBE I will remember to take pictures when they are done so I can share!

One little project I DID remember to take pictures of is this old metal typewriter table....

I shared here the first little table I refinished. I have found they are perfect for my portable sewing machine. I commented on the first makeover that I wish I had one with a little drawer...low and behold I found one!

It wasn't in bad shape...just a really bad paint job. So I primed it with metal primer, sanded smooth, wiped it with tack cloth and painted it with a few coats of black lacquer....

This little table makes it super simple to store away my sewing machine until I need it...

...then I can just roll it out and set it up anywhere in the house! Just roll it out and put it anywhere...no more scratching my dining room table.

If you find one of these little metal tables that has a bit of a "rust issue" I shared here how to deal with that!

I think these old metal tables can be used for many things...a portable sewing table, coffee bar, maybe even a little portable "prep" table for the laundry room, garage or kitchen. Roll it out then tuck it away when you no longer need it!

Simple!

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A new bar top and Wayfair light fixture...

As I mentioned here, change is tough for me...which is why these things haven't changed much in 19 years.

I painted the dining room light years ago (antique bronze to black)...as much as I really didn't love the actual fixture, I loved what I could do with it during the holidays....

One year I removed the little shades and I liked that a bit better, but I still wasn't digging the light fixture itself.

Just too ornate and "heavy."

But I could never find one that would allow me to decorate it for the seasons...until I did!

(As you can see, I still have the Drexel buffet...love the piece...just not the color...waiting on "inspiration.")

The install was super simple...here I share how to install a new light fixture!

Not a huge fan of the Edison bulbs, but I think those can easily be changed out...eventually. For now I can live with them knowing that come fall (right around the corner...yea!) and Christmas, I can still decorate the fixture!

I think it is more of a "farmhouse" look but the nickel accents tie in with the more "modern style" brushed nickel bar lights. So it works for me....

Which brings me to the bar top....

...it wasn't totally offensive, but in my quest to go "light and bright" in my kitchen without painting all my kitchen cabinets, I impulsively ordered a white quartz top.

Truth is, I wasn't really loving it after it was installed. Just too "stark" and soooo white!

I painted the little support corbels the same color as the trim...more "white." (They were originally black but since I didn't damage them when I removed the old top I just primed them and painted them with the trim paint...BM Swiss Coffee.)

This is what we refer to in the design world as "OMGosh what have I done" moments.

I decided what was really bugging me was the dingy old bar stool seats. They had certainly seen their better days. The bar stools are 18 years old and I still love the style dearly...heavy iron and super sturdy...but the "grey tweed" upholstery just didn't cut it any more!

Choosing fabrics is something I really struggle with...but I know I LOVE the fabric I used on this little chair makeover!

Light and bright with just a touch of grey! So I ran out and bought enough fabric to recover the bar stool seats. About 1 1/2 yards for four seat cushions. If you don't know how to figure for fabric, take your measurements with you and they will help you figure it...just make sure you add 2" on each side! (Or better yet, just take a seat with you!)

Pay CLOSE attention to the direction of the fabric. This fabric doesn't APPEAR to have a "right or wrong" way, but it does. I put a pin in the top of each piece so I would know which way to lay the fabric on the seats!

Reupholstering chair seats is a super easy DIY project...probably one of the simplest DIY projects one can tackle! And this easy little project is an excellent way to make a pretty dramatic change in any room without breaking the bank or dragging out the sewing machine! There are thousands of great tutorials online...so again, do your research and find one that makes sense to you and use it!

In this case I had no desire to paint the stools...I like the black iron...but if you want to paint a dining chair or stool, do it after you have removed the seats but BEFORE reattach them. Again, super simple project! Use the KSTP method (kilz, sand, tack, paint...here is a pretty good paint tutorial.)

I removed the seat cushions! In this case, 4 little screws! I also scrubbed down the stools...pretty nasty after 18 years of use!

Then it was just a matter of wrapping the seats with the new fabric...I didn't even remove the old fabric or bother with applying a new underside....and reattaching them.

I guess that might be an issue if you are laying on the floor looking up at the underside.

Here I do share a few helpful tips on upholstering...pretty much applies to the simplest project!

While I had the camera out I played around with a few different "centerpieces" for the bar with knick-knacks I had on hand...

But honestly, with mischievous cats who insist on knocking everything off the bar, we are better off leaving it clutter free! Same with the dining table...too many broken vases and scattered flowers!

A few relatively minor decor changes that made a subtle but significant difference!

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Breaking the "rules"....

I don't know if it is an actual "rule" or if it is something I made up in my head.

But who made the "rule" that pots and pans have to be stored in a lower cabinet next to the stove?

For years my pots and pans were in a small lower corner cabinet next to the stove. Total nightmare to dig out a pot or pan....something I use EVERY day!

A few years ago, I installed this nifty pull out for my casserole dishes and mixing bowls and eventually moved the pots and pans to the space to the left...across from the stove. (The crock pots and extra casserole dishes went into the nightmare cabinet!)

Accessing them still required that I move this little stool...

...and crawl around on the floor to get to them all.

(This is one advantage to having a small kitchen...you can put anything anywhere and still access it in just a few steps!)

When I was shuffling things around in my pantry thinking I MIGHT put a microwave in there I found that I had a bit more room than I thought! Again, I am not cooking for a family any more, so food storage is not as big a deal as it was years ago!

Truth be told, there are food items I rarely use (like my daughter-in-law's gluten free flour and boxes of dry goods) as opposed to the pots and pans I use every single day. So that got me to thinking...WHY do I store things I use daily in an inconvenient place? Is there some kind of "kitchen rule" I would be breaking and risk being fined by the kitchen police? Can I not move the things I use EVERY day to an easier space to access and store the stuff I only use occasionally in their place?

ABSOLUTELY! So I did....

I moved the pots and pans to the pantry...eye level and easy to access. I installed another slide out shelf and use it for boxed and dry goods I only need to access to occasionally.

And you know what...I LOVE it!

I guess if the kitchen police show up to inspect I will have to move it all back. In the meantime I will enjoy being just a tad rebellious.

Keep in mind I have "purged" down to the daily essentials...that is something you need to take into consideration when you feel cramped for space! Do you really use 4 identical casserole dishes...or 3 egg pans...or 2 full size crock pots on a regular basis. If you only need them during the holidays or for family gatherings, consider moving them out of the kitchen. I store my large three crock cooker in my laundry room because I only use it during Thanksgiving...no need for it to take up valuable kitchen real estate year round.

Think about it...are rarely used items taking up valuable space...are you storing every day items in a space that is "proper" but just doesn't work for you? MOVE IT!

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Change is tough....

All change...changing a hairstyle (which is why mine hasn't in 15 years!), kid's going off to college (dang near killed me), losing weight (still going slow but steady)...and then the ever dreaded "decor" changes.

That one gets me every time. I don't do big change well. But occasionally something will bug me for so long I finally take that first bite (how do you eat an elephant...one bite at a time!)

I know I need to make a change...it's all the decisions that go into it that get me every time.

Take my master bath for example.

I NEED to make a change...specifically, remove the whirlpool tub that hasn't been used in decades and put in a walk in shower. We need to do that now while we can still walk upstairs to use the other bathroom during the reno. If we wait until we break a hip, we would just have to sit around and smell for a few months. Not a good plan.

And of course if I am going to change out the wall tile, I might as well change the floor tile. Thank goodness I am still happy with my vanity and cabinets (after a recent little modification!)

Years ago I replaced my carpeted stairway with hardwood...I did it knowing there would come a day when I would not want (or be able to) drag a vacuum up and down the stairs. As much as I now dislike the color of the wood stain, I am grateful I made the change when I could...because dragging a vacuum up and down the stairs just isn't something I would want to do on a regular basis.

So where do I start. I outlined that process here a few years ago when I changed up my den a bit.

First, I had to find my inspiration. I searched the internet, Pinterest and blogs. The only thing I found that I really like is this....

I love the "river rock" look and I like the "light and bright" of the white tiles. I found some other "inspirations" I like but most have painted cabinets. I MIGHT change my doors to a shaker style and paint the vanity a lighter color...might...maybe...we'll see. But for now I am planning around the darker "modern" style vanity that is there.

So really the wall tile (large white subway) and the shower floor and niche accent tile (pebble) are pretty easy choices. What is hanging me up is the floor tile.

As I said before, I like the tile choices I made 19 years ago. Not really liking the ole' 12x12 with a 1/4" grout line that was popular 19 years ago, but I like the color and the texture of the tile itself.

Picking a new tile has been a real challenge. Some people can do design boards...me, I have to bring home every sample I think I MIGHT like and lay it on the floor...these are the last three choices...the first four have already been returned....

And I have ordered a few more online...so we'll see!

Hopefully I can make a decision in the next week. I am actually hiring this done so I am meeting with two contractors this week for bids.

My half bath hasn't had a real "makeover" in years.

So I was thinking I might want to change it up a bit...I'm just kind of "bored" with it. It is a tiny space and wouldn't take much to change it up! But truthfully, I still like the color of the walls and the vanity.

I was digging around in 410 Vintage a few weeks ago and found these two vintage prints by "M. Devoe." A tad more than I usually spend on art, but I like the style and I like that they were vintage. I know they are a tad quirky (or as my daughter said...ewwww!) But I like "different" and they are that....

I had two "ho-hum" prints hanging on this wall for Lord-knows-how-long...just a change in the wall decor freshened up the space...now I don't feel an itch to change the entire space. (I ordered a new wreath...I think boxwood wreaths have run their course!)

Sometimes change is as easy as changing the wall decor or moving a few pieces of furniture around. Sometimes it requires weeks of fretting and nail biting over expensive and long-term choices....

Good thing I have trained my self to take things in stride and I quit biting my nails!

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Simple "before and afters"...

Some of the simplest "befores" turn out to be my favorite "afters."

Which explains why I often don't have decent "before" pictures...I think "oh, that's no biggy" and dive right in to giving them a simple little makeover. Then they turn out so stinking cute I wonder why I didn't take time to take "before" pictures.

They are a reminder of why do this blog...to show you how easy it is to take a simple, boring, out-dated, dark piece of furniture and turn it into something you will want in your home rather than in your yard at the next garage sale!

We DIYers live for those hidden treasures...pieces of furniture that people want to get rid of... they drop them at their local thrift store or sell them for pennies in garage sales or just set them out on the curb...we take them home, clean them up and work a little DIY magic.

The worst...you live with the ugly, dark furniture because you can't afford to replace it!

I get it...you paid a small fortune for your "matchy-matchy" bedroom furniture so you can't bring yourself to get rid of it.

I've shared "makeovers" hundreds of time...too many times to link ALL the pieces I have "upcycled" over the years. But I would bet money you still have a few pieces lurking around your house that serve a purpose or are "family heirlooms" or you paid too much to get rid of it...so you just live with it.

Don't fret...take the plunge...buy some primer and some paint AND CHANGE IT!

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO LIVE WITH UGLY FURNITURE!

This shelf was your typical Target cheapo...dark finish...no I did not take a picture of it "before." Honestly, I think it was a piece someone left at the apartments so I loaded it up and brought it home.

I removed the back panels...primed and painted the frame and shelves with one of my "sample" pots of white (KSTP). I painted the back panels with a sample pot of teal and then reattached them.

Super simple and too stinking cute!

This little bedside table came with a set I bought at an auction. Someone bought the dresser, chest and bed but didn't want this little table.

Meh....

Simple makeover! I removed the drawer and simply brightened it up with some Restorafinish. I primed the cabinet, sand, tack and white gloss paint. It was missing a knob so I ordered two new ones...

....again, SUPER SIMPLE and so stinking cute!

This old oak dresser...the finish and the little applique' really dated the piece.

I popped off the appliques using a chisel...lift carefully...chances are they are applied with a little bit of glue and a few tiny nails.

... sanded the old glue, stained the top with gel stain (no need to strip the old finish) and chalked painted the rest of it....distressed and sealed the whole thing with poly...

Too stinking cute!

Simple...simple...simple!

Nothing earth shattering on any of the pieces...just super simple little makeovers that updated the pieces and gave them new life!

Walk around your house...what simple little piece can you haul out to the garage and work a little "DIY magic." Trust me...if you don't like it when you are done, you won't get any less for it at a garage sale!