Decorating on a Dime...part two.

I don't watch a lot of TV, I find most of the contents range from the ridiculous to the mundane, so when I do turn the TV on it's usually to watch HGTV.

The only complaint I have about that station is I really wish they would show how middle American's live.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the sneak peaks into beautiful homes that I can only dream of affording, but the majority of us can't afford a villa in Belize.

So this post is dedicated to all those who can't afford to hire an Interior decorator or expensive furniture.

I live paycheck to paycheck, and over the years I have learned to stretch a dollar till it screams.

Yesterday I hit pay dirt.

And for under the cost of one month's previous furniture payment, I have acquired every thing I need to furnish and decorate my room.

I had one more shop to visit, so after work, my daughter and I took off down the road.

I found these:

I took these home for $75.00 for BOTH.

I cleaned up the wooden one and put it in my room with the intentions of using it until I got the white one finished, then switching them out and painting it.

But the more I look at the finish on it, the more I think it would be a shame to paint it.  I love the different tones of wood grain, the hardware is in excellent shape and I think it's a beautiful piece of furniture.

The white one is in the basement, the hardware is off, it's been sanded and the first coat of paint applied.

It needs new hardware, the wooden knobs had so much paint on them they were hard to get off.  They also didn't match, someone had apparently replaced a couple of them.  It has one unusual element, it has wooden caster wheels on it, and they are in good shape.

I am very excited about these pieces, after haunting every junk shop and a couple yard sales, I finally found what I was looking for.

My point is, with a little work, a little paint, resourcefulness and creativity, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on decorating.

For example, this is my 'make do' headboard.  Scarf: $12.00 at Kmart.  Two hooks which you can't really see, $7.99 at Walmart.  The wrought iron decoration... $12.95 at Burke's Outlet.  The pictures and candle holders were all under $10.00 a piece at various dollar stores.

I didn't buy it all at once, a few dollars here and there doesn't break the budget.

One step at a time it's finally all coming together.

Next project!

This piece actually has a long history in my family.  It's been sitting in my basement for some time, and at one time I had two, but I believe my ex threw the other one away.

This belonged to my mother, before that it was part of a vanity, you can still see where it was attached to the central piece.  Sometime before my mom received the pair, it was taken apart and made into night stands.

Mom had painted them way back in the '70's.  She had 'antiqued' them.

When she passed away in the 80's, I somehow ended up with them.

This was an era when wood was 'in'.  So I had begun stripping and refinishing every piece of wood furniture I had, including an old oak dresser that was my sister's, then mine and had about 8 coats of paint on it.  I still have that dresser.

But anyhoo, as you can see, I refinished it at that time.

But years later, it does need a redo.

So I am painting it.

In my limited experience painting furniture, I learned to be patient.  The last piece I painted, I was in too much of a hurry to get it done, and the paint stayed 'tacky' forever.

First, I sanded it lightly with fine sandpaper, so the wood will hold the paint better.  (I've been researching.)

I also had to remove the drawer pull.

Unfortunately, it was stuck so fast that WD-40 and a butter knife (since my flathead screw driver is missing) wouldn't get it off.

Time to take out the BIG GUNS!

Gotta love power tools!  WALA!!

The prep work done, I was ready for my first coat.

Big difference all ready.

The hard part was the details.  

This will look real pretty distressed.  

But I am going to wait a couple days before I put another coat on.  

One tip, don't bend over and get your hair in the paint can.

Two reasons...you don't want hair in your paint, and you don't want paint in your hair.

I am going to go wash the paint out of my hair now.

:/