Furniture makeover

I love to go junking!  It is a wonderful experience to find something old and used and turn it into a great looking piece of furniture that fills an empty space.  It does take a special eye to find something that most people would walk past and think " Wow, with a little paint, that would look great!"
My kids, from a very early age, have realized their mother will break for anything abandoned on the side of the road.  Old window frames, chairs, ottoman....you get the picture.  They now, at the tender age of 25 and 20, see that look in my eye and say "Mama, don't even think about it!".  Party poopers!

Things to consider when you are hunting for junk

Hate the color?  Paint, stain, distress, mod podge it

Two of a kind?  Buy both and work out the details, later.

If it looks expensive, who will know you picked it up for cheap.

Hunt everywhere!  Goodwill, consignment shops, yard sales...

Don't do matchy-matchy!  Mix it up and things become interesting!

Sometimes, for the right price and the rules above, I have been known to buy something that fits a space but overall I don't care for its look.  It can take a while to find out what you want that piece to become.  When I found this piece in a storage unit in North Carolina, it looked pretty rough.  It has sat in my foyer for almost a year and I couldn't figure out what to do to it.  A piece of silk fabric I was considering for some drapery panels gave me my inspiration.  I loved the vertical lines and wanted to convey that to the desk.  With some new, funky hardware and a little paint it turned out great!  I still want to rub some tinted wax over the whole thing to give it a worn look.  As you can see from the before picture, my foyer doesn't have a big wall to display furniture on so the piece was the perfect fit.

The mirror above the desk that I found for $5.00 at a flea market was a dresser mirror that I turned upside down and put a couple of screw eyes and wire on and it had all the character I wanted for the first impression of my home.
Have patience, look beyond the ugly, battered, worn out object and you too may find the treasure you seek!

Happy Decorating!

Little secretary- before 

Little secretary-after

I love it!!!