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| Budget Stretcher's Articles |
Furniture Fixes on a Dime!
By Kathy Wilson
The Budget Decorator
Furniture is our most costly home decorating expense, but
there are many ways to make your furniture the star of the
show, without breaking your budget! Here are my top 5
furniture fixes on a dime!
*Paint. Ok, that's an obvious one, but did you know you can
paint anything these days? Yes, even that hideous laminate
bookcase from 1974. All you need is a primer made specially
for non porous surfaces. I recommend Kilz Original or BIN
primer. A coat or two of good primer, and any surface can be
ready for paint, from tile to plastic to fiberglass. Now
paint with interior enamel, and you have an ugly duckling
transformation in an afternoon!
*Slipcovers. Now making your own slipcovers is possible,
there are several patterns available at your fabric store to
help you in measuring and sewing them. However, it is no
small task. Another option to fixing up worn upholstered
furniture is using the art of disguise. Drape a pretty quilt
over the back, or cover just the bottom cushions in envelope
style covers, in a coordinating color or print. Add throw
blankets draped casually over each end of the sofa or chair.
Add comfy throw pillows along the length, and by the time
you're done, people will only notice the accessories, not
the piece itself. Dining chairs with removable seats can be
recovered with fabric and a staple gun, or a small cushion
with a skirt can be made to hide the seat and legs. You can
make simple slipcovers that look similar to a regular
pillowcase to slip over the back of a dinged up ding chair
as well.
*Add character. Sometimes our furniture is in good shape,
but is simply a bit boring. Add some wood molding or
appliqués you can pick up at the home improvement store. A
simple line of crown molding along the top of your kitchen
cabinets can take them from blah to custom. Change out the
hardware…just pick up cheap wood knobs and paint them for a
one of a kind look. You can also make your own drawer pulls
out of just about anything…old silverware, twigs, even toy
cars! Just use your handy drill and attach a screw. Paint
the inside of bookshelves an accent color, or add a skirt to
a leggy table.
*Add tile. You can sometimes get broken tiles for free from
a flooring shop and you can break them further and attach
them to a dresser or chest in a mosaic pattern. Add a little
grout and you have a one of a kind piece, for next to
nothing! You can also just add one tile on the diagonal to
the front of each drawer or cabinet front. You can even
drill through the tile with a ceramic bit and add the drawer
pull right over.
*Finally, consider adding personality and family to your
pieces. Cover your scratched coffee table with a sheet of
beveled glass, and slip under all your family snapshots.
Make photo copies and decoupage them onto your worn out work
desktop with some white glue or decoupage medium. Frame your
kids masterpieces and attach to your kitchen cabinet doors
to add pizzazz.
Remember, it's not about the size of your budget, it's what
you do with it! Furnishing your house doesn't have to mean
taking out a home loan…use your creativity for one of a kind
décor your family will love!
Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The
Budget Decorator. For thousands of free home decorating
ideas on a budget, visit her at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com and be sure to sign up for her free newsletter while you're there!
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