Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Almost Free Decorating

Decorating for free is possible, but not always so easy. Taking a free item and making it into something new and usable usually takes a little work. We are always looking for free items we can use around here. Instead looking at something and trying to think of what it could become, I think of what I need, and then see what I have that can possibly be what I need. For instance, I wanted a smaller TV cabinet and thought about the size it should be, then began to look for pieces that were about that size or could be made to that size. It would need shelves and I wanted doors too. And what do I always say? Use what you already have!




The old cabinet, very big, very dark! 
Remember last year when we had new carpet installed to replace that very blue carpet we had? While the house was empty of furniture I was really enjoying the lightness and brightness everywhere, mostly due to the lighter carpet.


Here's that blue carpet! So glad it's gone!
 When my husband started to put our old entertainment center back in it's place I stopped him. He made our entertainment center and it was something I thought we would use forever; but it was made for a larger house than this one. It was massive and went almost to the ceiling. With a new flat screen TV (thank you Mom Nelson:), we didn't need such deep cabinets and when your rooms are small scaling down furniture makes a big difference. My husband agreed we could relocate the big dark entertainment center he had made years ago.


A couple of weeks earlier, my husband had helped someone remove their old kitchen cabinets and he brought home some of the upper cabinets. The cabinets looked horrible, they were covered in white plastic laminate; they were tall and had smoked glass doors. He planned to put them in his shop for storage. I thought a section could work for a new TV cabinet as they were a good size and had the shelves I wanted and the glass doors were a plus too.  We removed the laminate and with the doors off hubby sanded well to remove the glue. 



We moved the cabinets into place to make sure the size would work. With the floor covered in plastic we began the painting with flat interior house paint. I chose a blue color that would blend in with my grey green walls so the cabinet would not visually intrude as much into the space like a contrasting color would

Hubby cut a couple of holes in the cabinet back for cords and plugs. After drying time I coated the flat paint with a clear acrylic water base sealer. Using flat paint instead of egg shell or satin finish gives a surface that won't stick to things that are placed on it; a problem with most painted furniture. Flat paint also drys much faster. A sealer then gives it a stain resistant washable finish. It is very much like chalk paint and a lot cheaper.


The cabinet was free but I did buy a quart of paint for it. I used rectangular paintings to mimic the shape of the doors to complete the composition on that wall. I couldn't get back far enough to take a good pic but here it is and I am so much happier with this look! 


I love it! Have you remade something free into something you could use?

I link as these parties.






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18 comments:

  1. Connie, you are so clever! It's nice to be thrifty, but you really have to add a large dose of smartness and creativity to the mix to get something really, really nice like this! Your cabinet is beautiful! I love your color choice and the way you balanced everything with your pictures. Of course hubby's skill at the drill helped too. Your team work has really rewarded you!

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  2. Looks great and amazing what you two did with old kitchen cabinets! :)

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  3. love this new look. i love the wall arrangement around the tv, too.

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  4. Great look! Very resourceful of you to use what you had on hand....
    Are you sure you don't miss the blue carpet?????
    :)
    “hugs” Crystelle
    Crystelle Boutique
    Happy Spring!!

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  5. Beautiful project!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope to see you on my blog:)

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  6. I love Almost Free decorating, this looks great!

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  7. Looks so nice - what a great change! Thank you for posting this. :) Gentle Joy

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  8. Very pretty! Love the color, and the size is just perfect for your room!!

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  9. What a great idea! Now I need to find a cabinet! Thanks for coming over and sharing at The Weekend Retreat!!

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  10. BTW-saw your pic from Funky Junk as our link up was of our entertainment area as well. Come check it out if you like - http://www.salvagesisterandmister.com/use-got/ And we just recently moved from Phoenix. We lived there for 15 years.

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  11. I love upcycle projects and this one looks so streamlined and beautiful! Also thanks for linking up to the "From The Farm" blog hop this week too :)

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  12. The cabinet is beautiful. I love the soft color.

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  13. That looks SO fabulous!! Thanks for sharing at The Mommy Club Link Party.

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  14. Connie, it really did turn out so nice. I really like the new look! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  15. What a great project and I love the way it turned out. Thanks you for sharing your post on the HomeAcre Hop, hope to see you again tomorrow! - Nancy The Home Acre Hop

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  16. Thanks for sharing the "almost" free decorating. Linda

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  17. THANK YOU for sharing with us on the Mostly Homemade Mondays link up! I hope you join us again this week. Enjoy your weekend :)

    Kelli @ The Sustainable Couple
    www.thesustainablecouple.com

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Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a comment!