my summer projects! {before and afters}

For the past 5 years, my house has been decorated in lots of earthy tones – browns, greens, anything neutral… but lately I’ve decided I need more color in my life. :-) I don’t have the funds to completely redecorate, so thrift stores, garage sales and antique shops have become my new obsession. My goal: Find old, beat up (and sometimes plain ugly) furniture to refinish in bright, random colors. I didn’t want to start with anything too big (I’ve never painted furniture in my life, after all)… so I started with a small corner hutch and a nightstand. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Mission “More Color” is officially underway!

-Kaylinn

For starters, a corner hutch. Jenn found this shelf for me a couple of years ago, and it’s been in my kitchen (collecting dust) ever since. I couldn’t decide what to do with it until this summer. I’ve fallen in love with the mustard/grey color combo and decided to just go for it. My mom and grandma (who helped me with these projects) both said the color combo was ridiculous and would never work, but once I set my mind to something, there’s no talking me out of it. I’m glad I stuck to my guns. :-) We repainted with a golden/mustard color, decoupaged fabric onto the back of each shelf, and added turquoise knobs. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the finished product!

Project #2… I found this nightstand at Goodwill for $7. I’ll admit, the nightstand was so ugly I wasn’t sure if it could be saved. But a little bit of paint and one drawer pull later… ta da!  I’m all about budget decorating, so I’m really proud of this room (my guest room). I got almost everything for free (doesn’t get much better than that)! The comforter came from my grandma, the lamp came from Jenn, the headboard came Tonya (my sis-in-law) and I already had the pillows around the house. Nothing was purchased to “go together”… but after throwing it all into this room, I think it’s a beautiful color disaster. :-)  Annnnd just for fun… below are two shots of my dog (Libby) who just couldn’t resist being part of the photo shoot. She’s kind of an attention hog. :-)