Author Archive
Blast From The Past Freebie Winner!
Seriously, you guys never fail to amuse us. If actually hanging out with each of you is even half as entertaining as reading about it, then this group must be quite a blast. We’d also like to taste some of those “mean” cupcakes, cookies and cocktails that were mentioned…
But before we take you up on your cooking skills, we suggest you take our giveaway host up on her special offer to Young House Love readers. That’s right, Alia over at Sweetshorn Vintage is offering 10% off all items through the month of March by entering the code “YHL” upon check-out. So if the giveaway doesn’t go your way, you can always snag another unique retro item from Sweetshorn’s eclectic collection at a special rate. And remember, three of the four prizes below will still be available… but probably not for long!
Now on to our winner. The lucky person, as chosen by random.org, who “loves to laugh” and is getting their choice of one prize from the four items above is… Rachel. Congratulations! We can’t wait to hear which amazing prize you’re going to choose – the Porcelain Birds, the Trio of Vases , the Mod Glasses or the Anchor Plate? Do tell… especially so people know what’s still on the market.
Learn more in our Giveaway FAQs here. Images courtesy of Sweetshorn Vintage.
Thrift Store Chair Rescue
A lot of people were interested in the details when it came to the thrift store chair that we refreshed for our latest column in R. Home magazine. Here’s the play by play.
We picked up the chair for $10 at Diversity Thrift here in Richmond. Then we lugged it home and I got down to business sanding it. We used 100 grit sandpaper to rough up the semi-shiny finish until we got down to the bare wood. Another way to prepare a piece for painting is to prime it with oil-based primer. However, since the chair was very old and we were able to get down to the bare wood with some gentle sanding, we opted to skip that step. Had we been planning to paint it white or any other pale color, we probably would have primed it as well.
Then we applied three thin, even coats of semi-gloss latex paint (in Valspar’s Fabulous Red- the same color we used on our front door). Red always calls for at least one more coat than most other colors to capture that true tone without any hints of pink. The key to getting a smooth finish when it comes to painting furniture is to use a brush. You can see that we briefly used a mini roller, but any roller creates small pricks (tiny spiky things) as it applies the paint, so we went back to our trusty paint brush for a smooth, even finish. You might also notice some leaves in the background of this picture. That shows you how far ahead we work when it comes to our column (we actually completed this project last fall for the March/April issue of this year).
After three coats of the semi-gloss red paint, we just waited for that baby to dry (we always give things at least 24-48 hours to avoid hair-pullingly-frustrating smudges or dings). Sometimes we suggest an optional coat of protective polyurethane for pieces that should be super durable and wipe-able (a kitchen table for example) but because this piece is more of an accent chair, we left it well enough alone (and the semi-gloss finish of the paint still gives it a nice sheen, along with a functional wipe-able finish).
Not only was this total chair makeover quick and easy, it was also super affordable. The entire makeover cost us just $25 for the $10 chair and some paint. And if you use semi-gloss paint that you already have laying around, you can transform a thrift store chair for even less in under a few hours.
You may ask what happened to this lovely chair. Well, R. Home is actually giving it away to one lucky local, so if you live in or around Richmond you could make this totally refreshed accent chair yours. And if you’re not local, just make your own! We promise it’s easy. And totally rewarding too.
Leave a comment
Fab Freebie: Blast From The Past
It’s Monday. Or, as we like to call it: Giveaway Day.
This week’s prize comes from Sweetshorn Vintage, a truly one-of-a-kind Etsy shop that boasts an eclectic collection of old school goodies. Their fun mixture of home decor, art and “tiny treasures” are sure to inject equal parts fun, quirk and retro style to your home.
We couldn’t do this unique shop justice by offering up just one prize – so we’ve got four that our winner can choose from. There’s a Pair of Porcelain Birds or a Trio of Tiered Vases that would look great atop a bookshelf. Or if kitchen decor is on your mind lately, you can pick a Set of Five Mod Glasses (they’re so Mrs. Robinson) or the Copper Anchor Plate (Sherry is dying over this one). In short: no matter what the winner chooses, they can’t go wrong.
To enter, just comment on this post with the words “I’M A BLAST!” by Wednesday, March 11 at 8pm EST. Then go ahead and tell us what makes you a blast to be around (besides your good taste in blogs). Is it your sense of humor or dry sarcasm? Do you play a mean game of Scrabble? Or perhaps you have an uncanny ability to belt out Britney songs? Don’t be shy – we wanna know what hanging out with you in real life might be like. Oh, and the winner’s choice of the four prize options can be shipped to the US and Canada. Only one entry per e-mail as usual.
Wanna know more about our freebies? Check out the Giveaway FAQs. Images courtesy of Sweetshorn Vintage.
Feelin’ Thrifty: Embrace Diversity
Back when we showed you around Love of Jesus Thrift Store, we promised more posts about our favorite secondhand spots here in Richmond. So I’m back to take you inside Diversity Thrift, another goldmine when it comes to finding cast-off furniture and home goods in need of a little TLC.
Diversity Thrift is part of the Gay Community Center of Richmond and all proceeds go to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community here. It’s located at 1407 Sherwood Avenue (kinda near the Diamond and the SPCA). If you’re driving on I-95 past Richmond you’ve probably spotted the distinctive rainbow-striped building from the highway.
While Diversity Thrift carries appliances, books, clothes, music, kitchenware and a whole bunch of other stuff, its overflowing collection of furniture truly makes it a top choice for people looking to decorate on a budget. There’s so much inventory that you can see how they’ve had to stack it just to cram it all in:
We’ve had lots of luck hunting at Diversity Thrift in the three years we’ve lived in Richmond. Some items that we’ve scored include: the white Ikea chair in our den for $10 (we purchased a new slipcover from Ikea for that crisp new look), the pedestal base of the table that we made in our sunroom (for $30) and the often-asked-about glass coffee table in our living room (it’s a dead ringer for a pricier Pottery Barn version and it was only $35). On our latest visit we spotted another promising collection of coffee tables, like this sleek low-profile table with glass inserts that just needed a little bit of polish (or a coat of white or black paint for a whole new look):
We also saw some intriguing higher-profile furniture, like this moroccan-meets-traditional hutch. We immediately began picturing it with a fresh coat of paint (you know us)… maybe a muted gray, an antique blue or a classic white. It would also look amazing in a deep charcoal or navy tone. We forgot to note the price so we can’t quantify how much of a steal this was, but our best guess is around $100. Rest assured that Diversity is definitely far from overpriced.
And if we ever created a formal office in our house, something like this chunky teacher’s desk would be the perfect anchor to a classic workspace. It too could take on new life with a fresh coat of paint, but in this case I’d lean towards the charm of worn wood (and maybe some chunky new handles).
There’s also a wide collection of upholstered finds, especially in the couch department. Many fall into the “old lady” or “cheap motel” category, but we did spot this charming sofa. I don’t think the Jonathan Adler-esque blue and green patterned fabric would work in our house, but it definitely could shine in the right space (as long as it were thoroughly cleaned!). And of course getting it reupholstered would emphasize those great lines and give it a whole new life (it could look really high-end in gray or chocolate velvet).
Beyond the furniture section, Diversity Thrift has loads of little trinkets for your home, kitchen and bathroom. We generally breeze through this section pretty quickly, but just had to share their collection of glass vases – most going for only a dollar or less.
And lastly, it wouldn’t be a successful trip to a thrift store without enjoying some of the weirder finds (I’m still waiting for the sequel to Kelly’s Hero to come out, btw). This time I was relishing in the collection of trophies- mostly bowling- that I could snag on the cheap. Sherry noted that spray painted trophies have been popping up in design magazines lately as a new form of kitschy art, which is a good alternative to pretending you’re a champion bowler (note: I once received an actual bowling trophy from the one season I played in an elementary school league- sorry ladies, I’m taken).
So that’s our little peek around Diversity Thrift, which we highly recommend for all you Richmonders (or others driving through on I-95). And we’d love to know if anyone has scored anything stellar from Diversity, or any other thrift store for that matter. Sound off about your favorite secondhand pieces.
Earlier this week we posted about our latest article in R.Home magazine that features a slew of thrifted finds that we made over (the chair hailed from here!) so check it out if you missed it.
