There are some things that I will buy new and other things that I’d prefer to find “gently used” and then refinish them (whenever I get in the DIY mood).  Well, last weekend I found this great vintage sunburst clock on ebay and won it for only $9.99!  Now I know it may not seem like much, but these things run $250 or more in the store and I’m on a budget lol.

Images via ebay

The seller disclosed that the clock didn’t work, but I wasn’t worried about that since I didn’t really want the clock part.  I wanted a solid gold sunburst to hang over my couch.  The finish on the clock was pretty close to they way I wanted it, but it was a little worn and dull and I wanted more sparkle.  So, once I received my clock I headed over to my local hardware store and bought a can of primer and a can of gold spray paint.  I used the box that the clock came in to sit the clock on outside in the grass.  I then applied a thin coat of primer onto the clock and let it dry for about an hour.

(after primer was applied)

Once the primer was dry, I applied three thin coats of gold paint to the clock (each a few minutes apart).

(after one coat of gold paint)

(after three coats of gold paint)

The last step was to just wait for the paint to dry, which was pretty quick!  The whole redo was very simple to do and saved me a whole lot of money.  Here it is in it’s new home all shiny and like new

Price Breakdown :

Vintage Sunburst clock bought on ebay : $9.99 + $8.05 shipping

Primer and Gold Spray Paint : $10.80

Total cost for my pretty new decor : $28.84

Not bad huh!?!

It took me about a year to find my condo that I am currently living in.  Part of the reason it took me so long, was due to the outrageous price of homes in the DC Metro Area (you would think we were in the middle of Manhattan or something).  The other reason it took me so long was because I was determined to find a place that had “character”.  So many condo’s were being built or renovated, that to me, they were all starting to look the same.  There were many nice condo’s that I had seen, but I felt like I wanted something with a little more “charm”.  I know it’s not for everyone, but I have a thing for old homes.  I would love to own one of those beeeaaautiful Victorian homes down in Savannah, GA.  I can picture myself sitting out on my porch, drinking a cold glass of lemon ice tea (with mint!), while my crisp sheer white curtains blow in the wind…

Image courtesy of Curious Expeditions

Image courtesy of Savannah Best

So, when I was hunting for my own place to call home, I was looking for things such as beautiful old molding, aged hardwood floors, or vintage tilework.  While I love old character and charm in a home, I also like to throw in a little new.  With so many of us looking to save money these days, and save the earth as well, vintage is more popular than ever!  For those who love that old charm, restoration is the thing, and for those who want something more modern, its all about transformation.  For a fraction of the cost of it’s modern-day equivalent, you can own a top quality vintage piece that may just need a little sprucing up.  In addition to saving money, a great benefit of buying vintage is the fact that many items constructed in years past, are much more sturdy and durable then items built today (and that goes for homes too!).  With just a few touches, you can go from something with potential, to something stunning!

Images Courtesy of This Young House

Other finds are just gorgeous and full of charm just as they are.  Throw a little windex on this mirror and it’s ready to go!

For sale on Craigslist

For those working with the interior of an older home, thinking about buying a “fixer-upper”, or trying to figure out how to enhance the look of your moldings or chair rails (such as my sister and brother-in-law), check out these awesome inspirations…

Image Courtesy of Architectural Digest

Image Courtesy of House Beautiful

Images Courtesy of The Domino Magazine Files Pool via Domino Magazine

One thing that I am big on is making your space yours.  Regardless of the size, location or resources.  Your home is your sanctuary, and being so, it should reflect you.  After all, home is where the heart is right?  EVERY person deserves to have a beautiful space they call home.  Designer Jennifer Siegal, who was featured in Dwell Magazine, is a prime example of someone who lives by this motto, helping others to live in their “dream spaces”. Jennifer Siegal owns a 1920′s Spanish Bunglow in Venice, California. When she bought the house at a probate sale in 2002, you could hardly walk through it. Today, its stunning. And the best part is, everything in her house is either refurbished, reclaimed or really cheap. In order to help others live in their own dream homes, Jennifer creates and customizes prefab homes that are anything but the usual. Regardless of the type of home or size of the home, anyone can have the home of their dreams

Check out her house…

Check out one of her prefab homes…

Images from Dwell magazine

This just goes to show that everyone can have their dream home, whether its 500 square feet or 2000. Get out there and make your home your own!!

A few years ago (about 5 maybe), after moving into my new apartment, I bought this dining room set from Ikea for a really good price.  Over the years the set stayed in really good condition (since I hardly used it lol I like to eat on the couch), however I wanted a new set to go with my next new place, but dining sets were expensive.  So, I decided to give it a facelift!

The original set looked like this …

And the newly refinished set looks like this…

At the time when I decided to give my set the facelift, my new favorite wood color was espresso, and I found some great materials for the seat cushions and table top.  Here’s what I did to make my set look brand new, very quickly.

Materials:

1. Staple gun (industrial)

2. Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Spray Paint in Espresso

3. Krylon Indoor-Outdoor – Acrylic Satin Crystal Clear

4. Hand painted turquoise fabric (for the seat cushions) from G-Street fabrics

5. White Snakeskin vinyl fabric from Jo-Ann Fabrics. Its a great material for a table top because it wipes clean very easily, or you can just use soap and water, etc.

Instructions:

1. Removed the table top from the base of the table and the cushions from the chairs.  the great thing about the set from ikea is that it is very user friendly, and can be taken apart with just a screwdriver.

2. Sanded down the surface of the table and chairs, so that the new finish of the table would adhere. ( No need to sand the table top, since it will be completely covered with the vinyl)

3. Bought some Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Spray Paint in Espresso (which is great for wood) and painted the surfaces of the table and chairs. Let them dry completely.  Most of these paints dry very quickly, under a half hour.

4. Painted the surfaces of the table and chairs with Krylon Indoor-Outdoor – Acrylic Satin Crystal Clear to seal the paint and make it more durable.  There are many different brands of sealant, you can choose the type that best suits your needs.

5. While my sealant was drying, I measured and cut the vinyl for my table top.  I cut enough vinyl to cover the entire table top and about 6 inches under the table top.

6. Laid the vinyl face down on a soft surface and then centered the table top on the vinyl. To attach the vinyl to the table top, I simple used an industiral stable gun and stapled all the way around the table top, pulling the vinyl as needed to keep the surface tight and flat.

7. Next, I measured and cut the fabric for my seat cushions.  I cut enough to cover the top of the seat as well as a couple inches on the bottom.

8. Laid the cushion on the fabric and attached the fabric to the cushion in the same way that I attached the vinyl to the table top.

9.  Once the fabric was attached to my chairs, the vinyl attached to the table top, and all the wood was dry, I re-attached the table top to its base and the cushions to the chairs.

And thats it!!  This same technique can be used to spruce up outdoor sets that have gotten a little worn, or any other piece that needs a little facelift   Summer’s comin, and we need money for vacation AND to spruce up the place!

*This set is now the property of a young couple who recently moved into the area