Thrift Store Finds for Fall

With my most-loved season almost upon us, my eyes have been drawn to all things fall at the thrift store. I love the show "Capturing Home" on the Magnolia Network. One of my favorite parts, besides their great style and design, is the mood board photos they take. They gather items that are the inspiration for the room and take a flat lay photo of them. 

Here is my version showing off some recent, autumn inspired, thrift store (and garage sale) finds.

My eye definitely was drawn to all things golden--warm mustard colors, brass and gold, rich wood tones.

I also look for textures such as the sherpa blanket and the chenille duvet cover (I am going to use these to recover a loveseat soon), the carved wood box, the brass cricket box.

I love the vintage, MCM, made in Portugal, copper creamer and sugar set I recently found.

Copper, brass, and gold are wonderful metal colors to look for for fall decorating.

Artwork is always a favorite find. The vintage paint by number with an autumn theme, the forest painting and the trio of fruit prints with the faded red velvet framing are perfect for the season, as are the vintage crewel and embroidery pieces. The ginger jar lamp with a shade that gives a lovely glow sits on my kitchen counter.

I plan on adding antique gold Rub-n-Buff to the gold frames on the fruit prints.

The very old, brown pottery bowl was a $1 garage sale find. I will probably use it to hold walnuts in the shell.

The wood box and the wood crate are fantastic for storage. I will share in a future post how I end up using them.

When you are on the hunt for autumnal decor, be sure to check out your local thrift stores. LOOK for warm colors, different textures, warm metals, fall artwork, and other items that will help bring a fall feel to your home. Happy hunting!

How to Frame Art on a Budget & Choosing Colors

I always check the art and frame section at the thrift stores.  Not only am I looking for art, but also for great frames to use for prints, photos, or personal artwork. There are typically plenty of frames and artwork to look through and choose from. For two to three dollars you can find wood frames with mats that are easy to change up to fit your needs and home decor. A recent $3 frame got a makeover to frame a fall acrylic piece I painted.

Keep reading for tips on picking mat and frame colors. 

I didn't take any before pictures of the frame, but it is a nice oak frame with a grey mat. It didn't have any picture in it. I am taking some online art classes to learn a loose, modern impressionistic style of painting and this was a piece I painted during the class. 

Matting and framing is used to not only protect art, but also to accentuate and to FRAME the art or draw the eye to the art. When choosing a mat you want to look at the art and notice which colors stand out. You don't want to pick the most prominent color, but the color that is third or fourth in dominance. Also, decide if you want to pull a color out of the art and choose that color. Art with a dark or colored background works better with a lighter mat and art with a white or lighter background works with a darker mat. 

I chose to paint the grey mat a golden, mustard yellow. I used craft acrylic paint.

Black and white mats almost always work. Again, you typically don't want to frame something with a white background with a white mat or dark with a black mat. Brightly colored art works well with white or black mats. You want to draw the eye to the artwork, not the mat.

The frame color should contrast the mat. You rarely will go wrong with a black or wood frame. White or metal frames can add a more modern feel. I chose to paint the frame black to bring out some of the blacks in the painting. I very lightly sanded the edges to bring a bit of the warm wood color, but not so much to give it a shabby chic feel. 

Here are some examples of some of the art from my home that has been professionally matted and framed.

Greens are the predominant color in this painting. The framer chose a brown mat to pull some of the browns out of the art. In the upper right corner of this photo you can see a painting with a green colored background. It was framed with a cream mat, which is a color in the artwork, but not the main color.

This poster with a white background was matted and framed with a dark mat.

Here is another watercolor painting with a light background and a dark mat.

This piece's colorful background is enhanced with a cream colored mat.

The white mat around this modern painting helps bring out its bright colors. 

A mat and frame help elevate even inexpensive and amateur art and help to 

draw the eye to the artwork. Buying frames at the thrift store and painting them is a great way to frame your pieces on a budget.  Choose colors that will make your art shine.

Three Ways to Use a Vintage Wood Folding Chair

Wood folding chairs often show up for sale at thrift stores and garage sales. I love to grab them if the price is right because there are lots of ways to use them in your home. This vintage cutie came home with me recently.

I did power wash it, vut left the paint splatters on it to show its age and previous life. I then used Wise Owl Furniture Salve (get it HERE from my friend Tina) to freshen up the dry wood.

A vintage wood chair works perfectly as a plant stand.

The warm wood and the green plant are beautiful together.

A folding chair works as a nightstand in a tight or small space.

I wouldn't want to use it as an every day nightstand because it is a little low. But, next to a guest bed, it is a great solution. It will hold a book, a phone, and other items needed next to a bed.

Another way to use a vintage, folding, wood chair is to hang it on a wall (or door in this case) to add texture and warmth. Hang a picture or mirror on it and it acts as a unique "frame".

A bonus is it gives you an extra seat when you need one. Be sure to pick these folding chairs up when you see them and think out of the box and have fun using them in your home!

Vintage Wicker Sewing Basket and Three Ways to Use It

Long time, no blog. Summer. But, I am hoping to share FIVE post over the next week about thrift store finds and three ways to use each find. Each item may or may not include a bit of a makeover or upcycle. The first thrifted find I am sharing is this vintage, wicker, sewing, storage basket and seat.

Someone had previously recovered the seat on this piece and they did it with a beautiful quilt square. I am guessing this was done in the early to mid nineties, based on the fabric colors and prints. The person actually quilted the star to the batting and the cover under the batting. 

I removed the wicker wrapped wood dowel that was attached to the back of the seat cover. The nails that acted as hinges to lift the lid had pulled out of the wood dowel. I typically leave what is on a seat cover, but I was super curious if there was original fabric underneath--there was not. But, I could tell by the pattern on the original inside and the wood on the other side, that this sewing basket seat is definitely old. I chose a thrifted, Pier One curtain panel to recover the seat. I added a tab to lift the seat.

I thought the theme on the fabric complimented with the bamboo handles and the wicker. I freshened and cleaned the wicker up with Wise Owl Furniture Salve. You can get it from my friend Tina, HERE. There is a little damage or dark spots on the corners at the same height that I didn't worry about. The sewing basket is old and the damage doesn't change the ability to use this piece. I did hot glue the wicker in a few, small spots. The inside looked as though it was redone with the quilt square was added. It was still perfectly clean.

This piece makes a great storage bench at the end of the bed. It would be perfect for storing extra blankets or sheets.

Another useful place for this sewing basket seat is in the family room.

Place it in a corner and use it for blankets, games, and extra seat when needed. It wouldn't be the most comfy seat, but would definitely work at a table or a seat grouping when you have company over. 

A third way to use this basket is as a side table next to a chair.

Store books, seasonal decor, photo albums in it and use the top for books. It is even flat enough to hold a cup of coffee on a saucer or tray. 

There isn't much about this piece that I don't love. It is versatile, vintage, unique, and adds warm texture to a space.

How would you use it?