Proceed With Caution

My husband loves his nightstand but it has only
a teeny tiny drawer for storage. I tried to solve the storage problem with a collection of boxes
that I painted and numbered. But they ended up looking too big and clunky for the space.
So I went to Plan B.

I had this great, vintage basket that was a thrift store find.
It was nice, but not all that masculine. A nice coat of gray spray paint helped, but it still needed a little more.
Since my husband did service in Germany in his youth I asked him to pick a German word that he thought would be appropriate for the basket. I printed off the word in a font that resembled one found on old shipping crates.
Then I cut out the letters to make a stencil. Next I sprayed the paper with adhesive and placed it on top of a piece of scrap wood that I had already painted the same gray as the basket.I spray painted the stencil and when the paint was dry I aged the sign with a little sanding and a light top coat of stain. Then I attached it to the basket with wire.I love that the basket now looks like it came from an old ship, complete with the German word for CAUTION. It fits perfectly under the nightstand and is a great storage solution for hubby's odds and ends.

His Favorite

It all began with a piece of slate that was destined for the garbage dump. I found it in the corner of my in-laws storage room as we were de-cluttering and packing for my MIL's move to a smaller home. It was a piece left over from the entry floor of the house that had been their home for several years."Why do you want that?!?!" my hubby asked as I carted it to his truck (you would think that he would have learned by now that his wife has an eye for good junk).
He rolled his eyes as I gave him a list of reasons.
When we arrived home I hauled my newly acquired piece of slate into our home and plopped it on top of another junk find, an old sewing machine cabinet that hubby had picked at the thrift store. Amazingly the slate piece was the PERFECT size!We cut and nailed molding to the top of the cabinet so the slate would rest inside. I painted it the same blue-gray as the slate.It's now my husband's night stand and his favorite piece of furniture. It's a beautiful reminder of the family memories made in the home of his youth.

He Said I Should

I spotted this huge tray at the thrift store for $1. When my husband questioned my choice I told him that I wanted a big tray for our coffee table and we could either build one or I could invest in this one for a dollar. He said I should spend the dollar (I'm sure he just didn't want to have to build anything in this summer heat.)
The tray is over two feet wide---it's an ugly old restaurant tray that it's previous owner gave makeover using contact paper.

That's one way to improve it's appearance.
But as any good DIYer knows,
spray paint is really the ultimate fix!Now that dollar tray looks at least ten times the price!

A Thrifted Nook

I have an unusual little nook in my family room. It's a small spot in between the fireplace and the hall. One of my first furniture thrift store purchases for this home was this bookcase. I fell in love with it's shape and size the moment I saw it.

It was the perfect piece for this nook. I filled it and topped it with more thrifted items. Yes, everything you see here (with the exception of the large finial)
were thrift store bargains costing no more than a dollar or two. Even the beautiful framed photograph of doorways
was a thrift treasure. It just proves that
it doesn't have to cost a lot to decorate
even the most unusual spaces in your home!