Do-It-Yourself Wednesday: Distressing Wood

Welcome to my first Do-It-Yourself Wednesday!
I've been noticing that distressed wood is making a comeback! Flip through any cottage style magazine or browse through Etsy Housewares and you will find lots of decorating pieces that have been deliberately weathered. There is an antique and charming quality to them that is quite wonderful.

I realized that I was in love with this rustic look, and being the craft-driven DIY person that I am I wondered: Is this something I can do at home? After a bit of research, I concluded that this was completely possible. I jetted off to Good Will to load up on old wooden picture frames for cheap ($0.99 - $2.99 each), and I began collecting wooden pieces from around the house that I was either bored with, or needed revamping due to wear and tear.

My old pine box with a "new" look:

This pine box was my first attempt at distressing wood. Not bad, huh? Unfortunately for this one I don't have the original box documented photographically, but I wish you could see it! It was truly ugly. It was blood red with some poorly painted flowers all over. It looked like an out-dated clearance item from Ross or Walmart. Not that there is anything wrong with shopping at these places, trust me (I will go into my favorite places to budget shop later), but I didn't want it to look like it was from a discount store. The trick is to cheat the eye by adding your own touch of elegance! That's why I went for this bold color scheme when selecting the paint: robin's egg blue with a punch of sunshine yellow. I think painting the inside yellow gives the piece a little kick! But you can keep its bold yellow hidden for more "respectable" company.

------- How to Do-It-Yourself: -------

Supplies: 

• A Wooden Item to Distress
• Sand Paper / Sanding Block (important!)
• Paint  (premium house paint is best, but acrylic craft paint also works. You will need 1-3 colors)
• Paint Brushes / Rollers (rollers are recommended for larger furniture pieces)

• Optional: Varnish for Coating the Piece when finished
• Optional: Paint Stripper for adding to the distressed effect

Steps:

1. Pick Your Piece -  I recommend browsing your local thrift store for cheap hand-me-down wooden pieces, or going through your own stuff! What are you sick of? What is already scratched up that could use a face lift? Just remember: once you've started distressing piece there is no going back so make sure you try a few practice rounds on stuff you don't care about!
2. Sand it down -  Since you'll be using your sanding block either way (it is a very important part of the distressing process), why not make things easier on yourself? Give your piece a light sanding to prep for painting.
3. Start Painting! -  I wouldn't go to the trouble to use paint primer before painting on this one. I see it as a waste of time. You will be shredding the heck out of your paint job. So go to town painting! I usually start with a dark paint or a very colorful paint as a base coat. This is the color that will be shining through. It does not have to be perfect at all though. Let it dry for about 1/2 hour.
4. Another Coat of Paint, Another Color -  The idea is to give the item some age. Going crazy with the colors is a fun way to go. If your first paint color was black, why not mix it up with a sage green next? Just make sure you save the color that you want prominent for your last coat. And remember, you will be aging this piece so don't waste your time on a perfect paint job. Lather it on sloppily. This even helps achieve texture. Let it dry for about 1/2 hour.
5. Another Coat of Paint, A Final Color -  You can stop at two coats if you want, but if you are truly mimicking age, this item should look like it's seen some years! Try using trendy colors from different time periods to create this effect if you like. Just remember: the last coat is going to be the dominant color. Let it dry fully.
6. Sand Away! -  Once the final coat of paint is dried, it's time to ruin it! Take your sanding block and start chipping away at random. The paint will slough off more depending on how much pressure you apply. This is also the time to use the paint stripper and let it pool on the piece in areas. If you are not using paint thinner, just sand away. I find that it looks more realistic if you really rough up the corners and edges of your wood because these are the areas that are most subject to wear and tear. Think about how this piece would age if you weren't forcing the look.
7. Coat with Varnish -  I listed varnish as optional because you may not necessarily want to protect your piece. Maybe you want it to get banged up even more, the natural way. The varnish does help to coat the roughed-up areas and prevent paint chips from falling off.

As I mentioned, this weathering process will basically ruin your wooden piece. That is why I wouldn't use it on expensive wooden furniture or anything you may want to have looking new again. Distressing wood is best for cheap old stuff that you want to rejuvinate.

Examples:

Distressed Wooden Picture Frames

I am planning on selling some beautiful distressed wooden pieces in my etsy shop soon, so remember to check back! Or now you can hopefully do your own. :)

Here are some etsy sellers' pieces for inspiration!

credit: LuckyMargo

credit: flowerpeddlers

credit: mushroommary

Remember to have fun!

Thrift Store Treasures!

I love thrift stores for a multitude of reasons.
A) You never know what you will find. The element of surprise is part of the experience. It isn't your typical shopping trip where you expect the latest trends and fashions. Since the items at thrift stores are usually used, they can be completely outdated or worn. Is this necessarily a bad thing? No, of course not! If they are outdated, they are vintage. Worn? Nothing a splash of paint or a new coat of varnish won't fix. Plus, this will give you a fulfilling project.

B) The thrill of the hunt. Granted, there will be a lot of useless junk to sort through. Sometimes, you will come up empty handed. Oh but how satisfying it is when you come across a precious find! You know it's meant to be if you leave it for a while and have to come back because you can't get it out of your mind. If you're not sold on the piece; however, you are better off allowing a day or two to mull it over. The last thing you need around your house is more clutter and items you can live without. You can always come back later and it usually won't be gone.

C) The price tag. The key is to feel like you're getting away with something when you swipe your card. You simply can't beat thrift store prices. This is ideal for those on a practical budget, like me.

My Thrift Store Find of the Day:
Item 1: Entryway Mirror
I found it at Good Will for $12.99. I had been looking into an entryway mirror for quite some time (I have a whole game plan for my entryway that isn't yet in effect), but did not like the prices. Hundreds of dollars can easily be dumped into a big mirror. Then I found a nine-paneled mirror buried in a bin that was almost perfect. It just needed to be painted to match the neutral color scheme I had planned for the living room.

I set to work right away! I figured I should go for it while I felt motivated. Ideally for painting, I would use a plastic sheet to cover more of the floor, but I am a big fan of working with what I already have around the house. My quick solution was:

• garbage bags
• "Behr: Ultra Pure White" house paint
• craft brushes
• craft tape
• a sanding block / sand paper

Sanding down the wood enables paint to spread on more smoothly. After using the sanding block lightly on the piece (personally I shudder at the sound of scratching sand paper so my usage of it is minimal), I taped up the corners of the mirror panels to protect them from stray paint. At this point, it is wise to use paint primer to make the painting part easier. Seeing as I had no primer around, I dove straight into painting (a dare devil, I know).

It took a few coats (and about half an hour of drying each time in between these coats); pretty soon my mirror was starting to resemble my vision.

I drew a mock-up of how I envision my new entryway (incorporating the new mirror, of course). When it has come together, I promise there will be an update!

------------------------- Disclaimer ------------------------
I am in no way affiliated with any of the products, publications, and resources I may mention. I name specific things as I deem them potentially useful but they are merely opinions and nothing more. You do not have to share in my opinions whatsoever and I respect your right to respectfully disagree.

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This is going to be a process...

Did I mention I'm still not totally unpacked?
One month in and there's still a "junk room".
Shameful, but true. Life gets in the way sometimes.

I guess I've been a little too stressed for my own good. The expense of moving (paying a new deposit, renting a truck, etc) totally and utterly drained the bank account and I am still reeling from it. Not to mention the stolen car expenses that syphoned off what I had to begin with. It's all I can do to keep treading water sometimes. Regardless, budget issues aside... So I can't go crazy buying new things to spruce up the place... you know, like I want to... What can I even do then? Isn't that half the fun? Going crazy buying new & pretty things? Well yes and no... I'm taking a new angle on this design blog. Welcome to DESIGNING ON A BUDGET. I plan on taking the DIY approach. I'm going to try to take on a DIY project every week to spruce up the place so stay tuned!

In the meantime, bare witness to my humble progress (please mind the poor quality photos, as my good camera was packed when I took these). All I've done so far is unpack my junk. I've partaken in no decorating / revamping / rejuvenating whatsoever. My place is starting out vanilla.

The Unpacking Process

The Living Room - Phase 1:

{Phase 2}:

{Phase 3}:

So my plan has been to make the community areas "liveable" and homely enough to survive in while I'm developing the look I want for the place. It is my goal to ditch the bigger (and old) couch that is hogging the space and then strip down the colors of the whole room into a more neutral and cohesive palette (with perhaps a splash of color). In the meantime I am making do with what I already own. As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. Don't worry, I'll take you along the full journey.

The Kitchen - Phase 1:

{Phase 2}:

The Office / 2nd Bedroom - Phase 1

{Phase 2}:

{Phase 3}:

The Master - Phase 1

{Phase 2}:

Don't even get me started on the bathrooms. SO yes, this is going to be a process... I promise you though, it will be worth it in the end. So I keep telling myself.

We Have Moved!

Can you believe it? At long last, I am a house renter! Okay, so it isn't home ownership by far, but I am absolutely in love with my little cottage! On Sunday, April 17th, 2011, we trucked our stuff off to the peaceful neighborhood I've been longing to call home! I'm finally in my quaint sleepy town with friendly neighbors.

Since I haven't had a weekend off yet to go through anything, much of my life remains packed away in boxes. I spent my Wednesday off of work trying to get things closer to living order. Unfortunately, that left me today in a state of exhaustion. Currently my stuff is too overwhelming to overcome. I have to organize and put stuff away before I can even think about decorating. I do not believe I will make much progress today; it is too daunting a task for the evening. On the plus side, the moving is over, and the house is ready for me... yaaaaaay!

Now the work begins.

Longing for a Place to Grow

To say that finding an affordable home to rent in my ideal city is difficult is an understatement! I thought that by this point I would be writing about the toils of moving, not mulling over how renting a home from a private party in a small town is as tricky as a job interview.

My search was also put a bit on the wayside when my car was stolen on March 18 (a cruel reminder of my desire for a safe city to call home). These speed bumps have meant I haven't yet moved, decorated, or made any progress whatsoever towards decorating :(

On the plus side, this passed weekend has offered the first rays of sunshine after what turned out to be a very long winter. Now that the weather is suddenly pleasantly warm, I have the inspiration to garden. Granted, my flowers are confined to pots on the patio for the time being. That doesn't mean they won't get the chance to roam free and blossom if I ever when I get a place with a yard.

So far, my meager collection consists of cream Rananculus, a purple Mona Lisa Anemone, some ivy, & a white hyacinth (smells wonderful!). I hope they can find the ground soon.

~*~ Happy Gardening. ~*~

Catching the Bug!

The Decorating Bug is a little seed of inspiration that seems to bite when I'm just about to move to a brand new place. The men in my life have referred to this behavioral shift as "nesting", but I call it catching the decorating bug! Symptoms include (but are not limited to): Obsessively "window-shopping" online (i.e. patrolling eBay for hours for the perfect new dinner plates), loading up on decorating books (I officially love you "Domino: The Book of Decorating"), sketching your ideal bedroom, literally dreaming about the perfect house... (to name a few).

Tip #1: Starting from scratch can be overwhelming, so why not start with what you have?

I've even gone so far as as to start taking a visual inventory of just about everything in my apartment with snapshots (I know, crazy - but this is also useful for insurance purposes). I've already uploaded hundreds of pictures into my computer and have sorted my decorative pieces into 5 categories:

• keep! - perfect as is
• change! - keep but with new paint, fabric, etc.
• upgrade - same exact idea, whole new piece! 
• sell - item no longer needed, but could still potentially be worth $
• donate - item no longer needed and deserves a new home!

              (I credit this basic categorizing technique to that "Domino: The Book of Decorating" book I mentioned)

Seeing my furniture, vases, curtains, rugs, and so on isolated in individual snapshots has given me a whole new perspective on them. I can now print them out, cut them out, and mix and match my stuff. Isolating your stuff forces you to see it in a whole new light. Maybe this one lamp that keeps ending up in your bedroom over and over matches your living room motif better after all. You just never quite noticed it before. Humans are creatures of habit and they stick with safe choices that have worked for them in the past. Change can be good though too. It can add that little zest to your home style recipe.

Tip #2: Don't conform to a style just because it's trendy. What do you already love? That can be timeless.

My infatuation with cobalt blue:

Cobalt blue glass is something I've always had an affinity for. And one of the best places to find these pieces for a good deal? Thrift stores. My bubbly blue vase (with an inventive texture that has grown on me) was a Five Dollar Find & my lovely set of 4 coffee/juice glasses were $2.50. After photographing my cobalt blue collection, I filed it all under keep! and decided my new kitchen is to include cobalt blue in its palette (it currently has no real focus or color scheme).
Tip #3: Fuel your motivation with inspired rooms & designs that already exist!

I've also started an official Home Decorating Binder that I've filled with magazine clippings of inspirational rooms + an official Home Decorating Folder on my laptop which is now full of word documents covering the color schemes and themes I've envisioned on a room-by-room basis.

The tenant who lived in my apartment before me is still on the mailing list for West Elm and Pottery Barn, two catalogues I would have recently ignored in my top roman college days. Thumbing through the pages depicting those perfect unattainable rooms would have been cruel to my younger self. Now I see these perfect rooms as perfect pictures of hope for what could be mine.

Don't get me wrong: I am still cheap and on a tight budget (those student loans don't pay themselves); however, my fleeting disposable income can now be spent on curtains as opposed to the umpteen amounts of ink, paper, and supplies it took me to get through art school alive. No more cardboard night stands for me!

The problem? 
I don't exactly have a new place lined up yet. This is the one huge obstacle holding me back right now. So for the next month or so, all I can do is imagine what my place will look like. At the moment, I am searching for a 2 bedroom 2 bath small home to rent, ideally with the semblance of a yard for the dog. My decorating visions are planning for such, but only once the place is stapled down can I really, truly fulfill my need to decorate! It seems I'm going to have this bug for a while.

------------------------- Disclaimer ------------------------
I am in no way affiliated with any of the products, publications, and resources I may mention. I name specific things as I deem them potentially useful but they are merely opinions and nothing more. You do not have to share in my opinions whatsoever and I respect your right to respectfully disagree.

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