Upcycled furniture – A Diamond in the Stuff

Trunk Storage Table

Courtney Carmean — Mon, 19 May 2014 10:00:02 +0000

I have always loved old trunks. So when a friend asked if I wanted to snag this awesomely yellow trunk from her garage sale, I of course jumped at the chance. The trunk was in really great shape….it was just really….yellow. It obviously needed a makeover and I decided to take it a step further and turn it into my Trunk Storage Table.

I personally have no problem with yellow. I actually quite enjoy it at times. However this yellow and paint job was not going to hack it. I wasn’t too sure what kind of paint I wanted to use, but in the end I was afraid brush on paint would get too gooped up in places on the trunk. I ended up using some primer and Heirloom spray paint.

I wanted the trunk to have some height and be more like a table then a trunk. So I purchased some wood legs and top plates at my local hardware store. I sprayed them all black and attached the plates to the bottom of the trunk. The plate already has holes and screws for easy attaching, we just screwed them into the plywood interior of the trunk.

Is it just me or is that a beautiful transformation or what?

This trunk would make the perfect functional coffee table or a great end of bed storage spot.

Sometimes it just amazes me how just a little paint and effort can create the most amazing transformation. This trunk started out in need of a lot of help and it’s now a beautiful Trunk Storage Table. Proof that cheap can become chic.

Awesome right??? What’s your favorite cheap to chic project that you’ve done???

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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In case you missed it here’s what I’ve been working on……

Check out my Yard Stick Sewing Table for another great furniture makeover!!!

French Country Dining Set

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:22 +0000

Slowly but surly I am chipping away at the piles of furniture in my garage. I’m trying to get all of my “to do” furniture and projects checked off the list and hopefully sold before I move. I just finished up this beautiful French Country Dining Set.

I shared these chairs and table in a couple Thrifty Thursday posts. I bought them separately but they work great together. I got the chairs first, they were in good shape just very outdated. The table was at a thrift store and I loved how the oval table would look with the oval back of the chairs.

I knew I wanted to completely re-make the whole set, especially because they were a mismatched set. The only way to coordinate them was to completely make them over.

The chairs and legs of the table got a coat of paint. Well actually more like 3 coats of paint. I decided to whip up some DIY Chalk Paint for this project in a creamy off white. One of the great pluses off chalk paint is the ease in distressing and distressing I did.

When it came time to reupholster the dining chairs I went digging through my stash. I pulled out some French script fabric that I found awhile ago and never did anything with. As luck would have it there was more than enough to cover all four chairs. I think the print and colors go great with the style of the set.

I knew I wanted to paint the chairs and table legs, but I wasn’t crazy about the idea of painting the table top. So I stripped the existing light oak stain off of the table top and re-stained it a dark walnut.

This set came a long way from a mis-matched, oak, and outdated pieces. I have to say that the French Country Dining Set came out exactly as I had it pictured in my head. I think it’s just stunning. I’m a little sad to put it up for sale, but for sale it is!!!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Speaking of “for sale”….yesterday I shared a Bunch of Little Things I’ve been working on for sale in my booth.

The Bottomless Chair Makeover

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:00:46 +0000

Last summer (whoa it’s been that long?) I found a bottomless chair. Most people would probably pass a bottomless chair by….but not I. Great now I’m rhyming. It was ugly and sad but I knew it could be so much more. So let’s get to my Bottomless Chair Makeover.

Pretty sad looking isn’t it? Awful worn down green color, dirty stinky old pillow, and oh ya a hole where the seat should be. I played with a few options and I finally decided on replacing the bottom and restoring the chair.

To replace the seat I started with a piece of plywood cut to be a bit bigger than the massive hole in it. I bought some chair padding, batting, and fabric. I laid out all the layers on the floor in the order they needed to be in, then I pulled out the staple gun and got to stapling.

I decided to paint the chair Heirloom White and do a little distressing here and there. The seat was a little bit more difficult. I wrestled with it quite a bit to get it attached and in the end I used some Gorilla wood glue to do the trick!

I think that the chair may still need a little pillow for the back. What do you think?

I absolutely love this fabric that I found. It’s kind of this white and grey color with beautiful black French lettering.

There you have my Bottomless Chair Makeover, looking like a completely different chair all together. So the lesson here is: never pass up a cute piece of furniture no matter how hopeless it seems!

Linking up to these great link parites!!!

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Yesterday the Time to Shine link party went live!

I would absolutely LOVE if you would come link up your projects!

Emerald Green Dresser Makeover

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:00:25 +0000

You may remember this little beauty for a few months ago. I first introduced you to this rough looking dresser in a Thrifty Thursday post in December. Choosing the future color for this piece proved harder than usual, I flipped and flopped between an array of colors. I even took to Facebook for some color inspiration! I finally decided on a color and now it’s time to introduce you to my Emerald Green Dresser Makeover.

Here is a little refresher in case you didn’t remember what it looked like before. See all that lighter colored wood? Ya that’s peeled off veneer. See that broken drawer? Ya it had some issues…but I loved it.

I fixed the rough areas that were missing veneer by adding some textured paintable wallpaper. I’ve used the stuff before on a couple projects here and there. I ended up using some Mod Podge to get it to attach to the rough surface and it worked like a charm. Isn’t it just beautiful?

After all the back and forth on choosing the paint color, I ended up choosing the color of the year: Emerald Green. I used some spray paint in Emerald Green by Krylon.

I love how you can paint right over the wallpaper and you have instant interest and texture. Oh and in a beautiful damask pattern I might add!

I picked up the new ivory colored knobs at Hobby Lobby. I’m a little obsessed with them right now and it just completes the whole look.

I am more than thrilled with the way that my first Emerald colored project turned out. I am really glad I choose this color, it seems to fit so well. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my Emerald Green Dresser Makeover.

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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The Time to Shine link party is OPEN and ready for your projects!!! You’ll also find an awesome giveaway from Sassy Steals….make sure you enter NOW!!!

Drop Leaf Farmhouse Coffee Table

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:45:05 +0000

Furniture projects have been a little light since my hubby left for his deployment. It’s just not as easy to lug furniture around with only one pair of hands. It feels so good to be working on a few big pieces recently. Not just because it’s freeing up space in my already packed garage but I just love transforming furniture pieces….watching them go from broken, shabby, or outdated to beautiful and new. This Drop Leaf Farmhouse Coffee Table is not an exception.

Yesterday I shared this very shabby coffee table in my latest Thrifty Thursday post. It was a complete wreck. The top of it was rough and spotty to say the least. However, I snagged it at a great price.

The first thing this table needed was a good sanding. A really good sanding. The bottom and legs of the table were in ok shape, but the top needed a lot of work. Luckily it’s just a large flat surface which makes sanding easier, oh and my handy power sander.

I decided that I wanted the table to have a farmhouse feel to it, so I painted the bottom half and stained the top.

Once the top had been completely sanded down it was time to stain it. I used Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut. Because the wood was so weathered and rough there are slight variations in the new stain. It goes perfectly with the farmhouse look. I topped the new stain job with some wipe on poly.

I painted the bottom part of the table with some good ole DIY Chalk Paint. In white of course. I gave all the edges a bit of sanding to show the wood underneath. I used some Minwax Finishing Paste as a protective coat.

Who knew that this little shabby table could turn out so lovely? I absolutely adore how this little Drop Leaf Farmhouse Coffee Table turned out.

I love how the sides can be put down for everyday use but extended when more surface space is needed!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

Plain Armoire into Office Space

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:00:00 +0000

One thing my current home is lacking is office space. My crafting room is a overflow pantry space in my laundry room. So usually my “office” work is done wherever I am at the moment. Which has resulted in not the best organization practices. I decided that I needed to create an real office and since I couldn’t add a room on to the house, I turned a Plain Armoire into Office Space.

This is the armoire that I started out with. I bought it years ago from Walmart. The good news is, it’s made of real wood. The bad news is, it’s pretty plain and boring! That’s where I come in.

I wanted to paint the armoire a color, but still wanted it to be fairly neutral. So I ended up deciding on a dark grey.

I also wanted to add some extra detailing to the piece. I happened to have some textured paintable wallpaper left over from my Entertainment Center. I added 4 pieces to the from of each door on the armoire. Isn’t it beautiful?

Ready for the inside? Before the makeover the inside was completely plain. I removed the original backing and added a peg board in it’s place. It is a great way to hang tools and keep everything organized a close reach.

The inside of the top two doors were turned into magnetic chalkboard. The bottom right door was turned into a fabric covered cork board. The bottom left door has a wire basket handing on it for easy paper organization. I also used a couple storage boxes under my printer to store printer paper and other stationary.

I made two more cork boards out of some wood frames that I found at Michael’s. I covered the cork with some pretty grey and white fabric. They were hung on either side of the armoire. I love having lots of places to pin inspiration and reminders.

I think one of my favorite features of my office armoire is these old locker baskets. I have all of my office supplies hidden away and stored in these rusty treasures.

Obviously I needed a chair for my new office. I happened to have a set of these folding wood chairs in the garage. I grabbed one, painted it white, and covered the seat in the same fabric I have used throughout the armoire.

Want to know the best part of the chair? It folds right up and can be tucked in between the armoire and wall. Awesome right?

So what do you think of my Plain Armoire into Office Space??? I’m so glad it not only turned out functional but beautiful too!!!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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The Time to Shine party opened up yesterday!!! I also shared a bit of exciting news. So come stop by and check out all the fun!!!