A Taller End Table Makeover and Using Color in the Home

I shared in my previous post that we bought a new to us couch and that changing up one thing leads to more changes. With the new sofa with taller arm, I decided I wanted a taller end table on my end so that I wasn't reaching over the arm to get my coffee or water (or cocktail). Luckily, I could "shop" my home and found a table in my stash that is a perfect fit.

I hadn't used this table since we moved back to Montana two years ago. It was previously painted grey. I had started sanding it and had unfortunately broke through the veneer while sanding which meant the top had to be painted. This is what it looked like when it was grey.

I knew I had to paint the top, hmm, now to choose a color. I love all the colors and will never have an all white interior. Nature is full of color and the outdoors make me happy and give me a sense of peace so I want the colors of nature in my home. Currently I am using greens and blues (calming colors) and yellows and oranges (warm, energetic colors) in my great room. I decided to use the golden yellow color that is on this end table next to the comfy chair. 

I don't use matchy-matchy furniture. I would never want someone to come into my home and think that it looks like a catalog or a furniture showroom. Using the same color in different areas in a room gives the space a cohesive look that isn't boring, but rather cohesion with personality and uniqueness. 

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The color I used for the top is called Golden Yellow from the Folk Art One Decor Paint line. You can buy it HERE.
I stained the legs with early American MinWax Stain.

I thought it looked a little bare under the taller end table so I decided to make my own set of Nesting tables by adding this stool table I repainted. This can be pulled out when needed if we add more seats when we have lots of company over. I am a big believer in having a place next to every seat to set a drink on. The small er stool under the taller table is a little unconventional looking, which I love. I just showed this small, stool table next to the chair by my newly wallpapered space. For now I plopped a little table that I have had sitting under my library puzzle table next to the chair now.

Remotes for my cordless lightbulbs sit in the vintage McCoy frog planter.

I like to keep a basket or tray on an end table to corral all of the things and keep it looking less cluttered.

I keep remotes, reading glasses, books, and tissues on my end table. 

On the table underneath I have a notebook and an art workbook. I figure I might as well give the dust different places to settle. Shopping my home, adding a little paint and stain, and thinking outside of the box resulted in an unconventional end table that is perfect for my space. 

Today's takeaways are: use color in your home to warm it up and give it life, repeat colors to create a more unified look without being matchy-matchy, no need to spend a lot of money for new pieces, simply shop your home or thrift stores for inexpensive solutions, gather items together on a tray or basket to reduce clutter, try something different and break decorating rules to create a truly cozy and personable home.

Adding Interest to a Small Space and a New Old Sofa

If I am not a if you Give a Mouse a Cookie kind of a decorator then I don't know what I am. I enjoy restyling my home and changing and updating my decor. But, goodness, one thing or one change sure leads to another, and another, and...

So, a new to us couch recently made its way home from the thrift store. I have always said couches and beds are one thing I like purchase new, but now make that just mattresses. I bought a new sectional four years ago. When we moved back to Montana from our one year in Idaho, I sold the sectional because I knew there was no way it was going to fit in the Uhaul and because I was ready to leave grey home furnishings behind. We have been using our old, brown, leather, reclining couch for the past two years since we moved back. Not that we haven't tried to find something new, but there is not a lot out there locally that I love. So, when I spied a velvet (velour, fake velvet, whatever) sofa with a chaise on one end that was also clean at our Goodwill for $70, I bought it. 

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I cleaned it up with my Bissell spot shampooer and donated the reclining couch to a family in need. (I love the Bissell shampooer!! You can get it HERE)

We won't keep this new to us sofa forever, but it is very comfortable and will hold us over until we find the perfect replacement. The new couch in a more taupe than tan color meant furniture rearrangement and replacement. My tan covered chair and funky ottoman didn't work next to the chaise part.

The ottoman got moved to the other side of the sofa as a foot rest for both that end of the couch and for the rocking bamboo chair. The ottoman is on wheels so it moves nicely between the two seats. 

The tan chair is still floating (you can see it behind this chair) and I put this thrifted chair here instead. I added a footstool that I recovered with a Pier One thrifted curtain panel. I think the footstool is quite old, perhaps an antique. It had been recovered at some point in the fabric yu see on it below.

Okay, so this camel colored chair that I moved near the couch was sitting as "second row seating" on the small library stairway wall. With it gone, I saw the map on the wall more.

Remember when maps and globes were all the rage eight+ years ago? I put this thrift store map on the wall shortly after we moved in eight years ago. The map was appropriate for our old schoolhouse home and I was decorating with a lot of aqua color at the time. I put it up with homemade flour paste and it has held well. But with the chair gone, I decided I wanted to freshen up this spot.

I chose a peel and stick wallpaper with a vibrant design. I bought it off Amazon HERE.

Because our walls have quite a bit of texture, I chose to stick the wallpaper right over the map since it is fairly smooth. It went up easily. I was able to pull it off and re-stick it when needed. It is a nice and heavy paper so it laid well with very few wrinkles. I I cut the edges with a sharp exacto knife.

It is a busy pattern that I wouldn't want to have a lot of. This wall space is the perfect size for it. The interest and color it brings to the area is perfect.

I placed this upcycled chair (see the BEFORE HERE) along with the thrift store stool I redid against the newly wallpapered wall. The color addition draws the eye to this spot and it makes me smile. Have you tried peel and stick wallpaper?

Thrifted Curated Vintage Fruit Art

Certain curated items seem to find me at thrift stores and garage sales. One such item as of late that keeps making its way into my shopping cart is vintage fruit art. Sometimes you just have to listen to the thrift gods and get and use what you constantly find. I decided to start hanging the fruity pictures on the door between my kitchen and mudroom.

I decided to hang it in one vertical line to just make it a little funky and different.

When I recently spied a tapestry style fruit pillow at the thrift store I decided I would make my own fruit art. I cut the pillow out and found an oval, thrifted frame I liked.

I decided I wanted to use the bit with the strawberries after moving the glass around on the fabric pillow to find the perfect section to use for the art.

I traced it and cut it out and framed it.

Under it I hung another thrifted, vintage piece. I got four different fruit pictures like this, but decided to use just one. These are hung on the door with Command Adhesive picture hanging strips.

I found this strawberry embroidery in BIG hoop with a ruffle glued to it.

I painted a frame dark green and reframed the strawberries.

This pair of frame needlepoint fruit art was another thrift store find (everything on the door is).

I found a small, needlepoint, fruit pillow that was a perfect addition to the antique children's chair that sits near the kitchen/mudroom door. 

I will keep collecting vintage fruit art from the thrift stores until i reach the bottom of the door. 

Hang art in unexpected places and in unusual ways to keep it fresh and unique. Look at all the fabric things at thrift stores and use it in ways other than its original purpose. And if you keep finding similar items, it may be a sign that you NEED them in your life.