I'm Being Featured Today!

Roechel over at The DIY Showoff has graciously featured my trunk transformation on her Fabulous Furniture Makeovers today. There are some other GREAT makeover ideas - go on over and check 'em out!

DIY Lamp Makeover

Most of you know that thrift stores can yield some real treasures. That is where I bought the pair of lamps I'm featuring today. I liked the lines and design of them but I wasn't wild about the brassy finish. I bought them with the vague idea that I would do something with them someday. We needed lamps in the living room and new lamps are SO expensive. So I brought them home, put bulbs in them and snap! They didn't work. :( Always a chance you take when buying used items. I did think of the possibility that they wouldn't work but this thrift store advertises that their stuff works.... I also knew that hardware stores and home improvement store sell rewiring kits so I wasn't too bothered about the fact that they ended up not working. I went and bought 2 rewiring kits for around $5 each and rewired them. Now I just needed to find some cheap shades that didn't look cheap. (HA!) I looked but wasn't finding what I wanted. So, the lamps sat.... Until the other day when I saw this post on Stephanie's blog. It was a light bulb moment (no pun intended) - I wanted to try that on these lamps! I could so see it!

Here they are before:

 (Sorry about the poor pictures...)

And here they are after - in their 'oil rubbed bronze paint with Spanish Copper Rub-n-Buff' loveliness.

And here are a few things that happened in between. When I took them apart to rewire them, I discovered the one was broken.

So, I raided DH's shop and found this:

Brushed it on and let it 'set'.

Here it is after I put the lamp back together - you can see it a little but it's proof that I 'did it myself'.

Much less noticeable after it's painted -

Some shots of the work in progress. Yup, I did it in the kitchen. It was too cold outside and I was inspired to get it done NOW. Do you ever get that kind of inspiration? When you have a vision/mission and nothing's gonna stop you from accomplishing it? That's how it came about that I used my kitchen table for this lamp redo. :)

So, what do you think? I think they're much more elegant now - not so dated. Now to find the perfect shade without paying a fortune.....

I'm linking this post to: Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Transformation Thursday, 

Remodelaholics Anonymous, and Metamorphosis Monday

Find their buttons under "My Favorite Places" tab.

The Guest Room

First of all, WELCOME to my new followers. I'm so glad you're joining me in my new venture of blogging. If you like what you see, tell your friends. And, thank you for sharing the knowledge of YOUR blog. I'm really liking what I see. :)

And now, as promised, a peek into my Victorian Room. There are still things needing done in this room (as you will notice). I don't just go out and buy what I need - I watch sales, thrift stores, auctions, etc. and try to buy as frugally as possible. Money doesn't grow on trees, ya know!

So here it is. You can see this is home for the trunk I featured yesterday.

I found this 3 piece oak bedroom set at an auction. I had been watching for one for a long time but they always went higher than my price range. I was sure this one would definitely go to high since it's 3 matching pieces and most sets are 2 pieces. I stressed the whole week before the Saturday auction. I had a certain amount of money to spend and I wanted this set..... No, it's not perfect but what antique is? It's perfect for me, though. The best thing, as you can see, is that it sold in my price range! I was one happy lady the day I acquired this set. :)

I'm still looking for shams and pillows to dress up the bed a little. I'm looking for the perfect thing to hang over the bed. And I need to paint the trim and add a moulding between the 2 different wallpapers. These aren't high on my priority list right now since we only use this for a guest room.

I found this mirror on eBay. While it's not a perfect match, I think it goes well.

Aren't these little shoes just adorable?!

There it is.... what did you think? What ideas do you have for future additions or suggestions of what I should do different? I'd love to hear from you!

My Antique Trunk Transformation

I love digging around at estate sales and auctions. I acquired this beauty from one such event.

This is the 'after' picture. Warm and beautiful.

 Here it is before the transformation - flat, cold, plain jane.

 Inside before the transformation -

This one was in very good structural shape and I could see promise. I really liked the leather corners as opposed to the metal that most trunks have. To begin the transformation, I took a utility knife and carefully cut each canvas panel. (The brown area between the leather and wooden stays.) After cutting it, it had to be peeled up with a stiff scraper. I don't have any pictures of the process but let's just say, it's painstaking! The brown canvas leaves behind a hard glue layer. After the canvas was removed, I took the trunk outside and began using the garden hose and a stiff scrub brush. This got most of the glue off. The rest I sanded off. I sanded the whole trunk down (except the hard leather corners). I wish I had some between pictures to show you but unfortunately, I don't. I then chose a warm brown stain and covered the whole thing. Finally, I gave it several coats of polyurathane. I recommend satin finish to keep the old look.

 I was able to keep the original handles - they are mostly intact.

 The metal banding on the lid and the corner/edge brackets I left alone other than coat them with poly. They were a nice brown and blended well with the trunk after I put the stain on. If they're rusty, some people opt to paint them. Personally, I think that makes it look too 'new'.

To finish off the inside, I chose an 'antiquey' looking fabric. First I took poster board and cut a piece the size of each panel. Then, using spray glue, I put quilt batting on each piece - trimming the edges carefully. Finally, I cut the fabric for each piece, leaving a 2 - 3 inch margin around each poster board piece. Next, I laid the fabric piece face-down on my work surface. On top of that, I laid the poster board piece batting side down. Working one side, then the opposing side, I wrapped the 'margin' around behind and glued to the poster board. I did this to every panel. Now I'm ready to insert the panels into the trunk. Using a heavy duty glue, I glued the back of each panel and put in place inside the trunk. I did one side at a time and laid out heavy books evenly over it all to hold in place until the glue was dry. I did this until each surface inside was lined.

Edited to add: This lining that you see is actually the second lining for this trunk since I've had it. I changed my mind on the first fabric I lined it with and had my Mom redo it in this fabric.

 Finally, a few more photos....

 Come back tomorrow for a peek into my Victorian Room.

Linking this post to Between Naps On The Porch - Metamorphasis Monday,  Debbiedoo's Newbie party,  DIYbyDesign's Swing Into Spring Party, and Vintage Furniture party @ Three boys