Home Goods - Great Decor Source for Any Budget

Finding great accessories is key to decorating a beautiful space.  I've found that HomeGoods is one of the best stores to find decorative items for any room!  

They have a great selection of bedding, linens, art, mirrors, lighting, area rugs, small furniture pieces, baskets, seasonal decor items and more.  They carry a variety of styles and are very reasonably priced.  

These pictures were all taken by me during different trips the HomeGoods store near me.

The stores motto is "HomeGoods Happy"... and each time I visit the store it definitely makes me happy!  My wallet, maybe not so much :)

If you don't have a HomeGoods in your area, you can still find great decor items at bargain prices at both T.J. Maxx and Marshalls (as these stores are each owned by the same company as HomeGoods).  

Happy shopping!

Diana

$10 DIY Organizer & Bulletin Board

I made this multi purpose organizer board for just $10.  The solid wood shutter I found at a thrift store for only five dollars.  It was still raw wood.  When I first found it I wasn't sure what I would do with it, but for five bucks, I just had to get it!  A little paint (that I already had) and $5 worth of hooks (from Target Stores) and now it works as a garage entry board to hang our keys, hats, purses, backpacks, and whatever else we want to pop on a hook.  That door at the end of the hall is to our garage.  This is where we enter and exit the house, since our cars are parked inside... so the board is in a perfect location!

Since I found this shutter piece in raw wood, I started by painting it a creamy off white (heirloom white).

Next I used a dry brush technique to add a multitude of blue and aqua craft paints.

I lightly sanded the edges of the shutter and then used a touch of dark wax on the edges and in the crevices to give it some vintage aged character.

I love the finished look of the distressed paint!!!  This next picture shows you a close up of the finish.

I added four hooks across the bottom.  I measured and marked where they needed to go before attaching them.

My husband hung my masterpiece onto the wall for me (he's such a sweetie).  He secured it into a stud... and then I used Command Picture Hanging Strips on the back at the bottom to keep it from shifting on the wall.  Since they are velcro they worked great!

The shutter slots are awesome because they have many uses.  They easily hold outgoing mail, menus or flyers to my favorite stores.

I added a few clothes pins and now the board doubles as a bulletin board too.  It's a great place to put fun pictures and notes.  

I am loving my new piece and I love even more that I made it for only $10.

Until next time,
Happy decorating,

Diana

Thrift Store Find Turned One of a Kind Design

I am currently posting from my cell phone because I am having computer issues...  I wanted to share this beauty I just finished with you.  I found a retro/ghetto (lol) mid century modern piece at a thrift store for $25 and knew I could flip it into something fab... This chevron cutie is what I came up with.  I'm sorry I don't have better pictures. But I will post some as soon as I get my computer issue solved!

The before and after pictures are pretty dramatic on this piece.  The little three drawer before picture is seriously so ugly!!!  It looks like it came from the Brady Bunch house ;).  It is not a style that I would normally choose and I really don't like at all.  However, I knew I could somehow make something cute out of it.  Also, it was a sturdy well built piece that looked nearly new inside, so I thought I'd give it a shot.   My husband started sanding the top when I realized that I didn't have a before shot of this chest of drawers... So this is the first picture I remembered to take.

Notice the bevelled edge around the front and the ugly curve on the drawers and then those funky pull handles.  I knew I had to camouflage the front somehow because I really didn't like it!  

I am more than happy with the finished results...  What do you think?

Flea Market Fun Finds - Look What I Found

We hadn't been to our local flea market in several weeks.  I'm so glad that yesterday morning we decided to make a trip to see what we could find.  I found two vintage beauties... and the amazing part is I spent only $35.  It was only ten dollars for the old wood and gesso frame and $25 for the dresser.  I believe they are both antiques.  They both need a little TLC, but I got them for a steal!

The frame has beautiful ornate details.  It is currently painted an ugly high gloss white and some of the antique gesso is chipped off.  I will give this beauty a makeover by painting it Heirloom White (with a satin finish) and then give it an antique glaze to enhance all of the details.

I haven't decided exactly what I will do with the dresser yet.  I have a few ideas, but I'm thinking I might try something new with this one.  I usually go for a shabby cottage white (safe), but I'm thinking of maybe putting some color on this one.  Possibly aqua :) 

I love shopping at flea markets!  You never know what you will find and there are so many great deals to be found :)

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Yard Sale Super Finds - Don't Be Afraid to Make a Low Offer

Last summer while visiting a neighborhood garage sale I saw an old buffet that I was very interested in.  Solid wood, dovetail drawers and a quality built piece.  They were selling it with a dining table and chairs and said they did not want to break up the set.  I told them that I lived just down the street and that I was interested in just the buffet.  He was asking a high price for the set and I figured he would never go for my "cheap" offer on just the buffet, but what the heck.  It never hurts to ask!  I got out a piece of scrap paper and wrote my name and cell phone number on it,  then I wrote buffet offer $50.  I told him if you aren't able to sell it, please consider my offer.  He basically laughed at me and said if he didn't sell it at the garage sale that he would post it online.  I figured I would never hear from him again.  

Six months later, I get a phone call.  "Hi, this is the guy from the garage sale down the street.  You offered $50 for the buffet we were selling."  I was shocked!  I couldn't believe this guy even kept the piece of scrap paper with my phone number on it.  He said "If you still want it, it's yours".  I told him "I can pick it up tonight at 7:00 if that works for you".  Up to this point I still hadn't found a buffet, so I was doing the happy dance!

I waited for my husband to get home from work, and we drove our little SUV down the street and brought our $50 beauty home.   I never ever expected to hear from the guy... especially after several months.  Apparently he tried to sell it via eBay and lost fees trying to sell it.  I didn't mention to him that eBay was not the best way to sell large furniture items.  If he had listed it on Craigslist (which would have been FREE), he likely wouldn't have had a problem selling it!

I was thrilled with my $50 find!  I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to paint it white.  I was so excited that I had my husband start sanding the rough spots out right away.  I forgot to take a before picture of the project (ooops)!  But here it is after the hardware had been removed and some light sanding had taken place on it.

Here it is after white paint and some light distressing to the edges.

I used the original hardware.  It was a bit retro and I didn't like the look of high gloss dirty brass so I painted it a dark brown.  The one thing I am still thinking of doing to it is using a dark wax on the distressed areas so they show up more. What do you think?  Should I add the dark wax to this piece? 

I can't wait to hear from you!

Blessings,
Diana

Linking up -
Miss Mustard Seed

Domestically Speaking

Top 12 DIY Projects from 2012

As we begin 2013, I thought I would first take a look back at 2012 and see what the most popular projects and posts were on the blog.  A few of them I had expected, but I was completely shocked by the top post of the year!

If you missed any of these this past year, you can just click on their link to read the full post and see all of the pictures.

The most popular projects/posts from 2012 on Anyone Can Decorate were as follows:

Coming in at number 12.....

12 - My $10 Kitchen Backsplash - Chalkboard

11 - Organized Craft Space - Greeting Card Organizer

10 - $5 DIY Memo Board - Thrifty Crafty Chic

9 - Chandeliers I've Made

8 - Homemade DIY Paint Booth

7 - DIY Mason Jar Snow Globes - Anthropologie Inspired

6 - DIY Chalkboard - Total Cost Only $10

5 - Pumpkin Painting - Fall Decorating Ideas

4 - DIY Burlap Christmas Tree Garland Wrap

3 - A GLAMPING We Will Go - Glamorous Camping

Our DIY Glamping trip was my favorite project of the year.  A lot of time went into the planning of the trip, and designing all of the stuff that would decorate the campsite. But, it came off beautifully and it was a wonderful romantic weekend for my hubby and I.  I think we will be doing this again next summer!

2 - How to Antique Glaze - DIY Tutorial

And the top post of 2012 is...

1 - Hot Tip - .25 Cents to Clean Stubborn Toilet Bowl Ring

I was shocked that this was the most popular post of the year.  It wasn't really a project, it was just a tip that I discovered that worked well on my nasty hard water toilet bowl ring.  This post has by far received the most views of everything I did this year.  Who would have thought that sharing a random cleaning tip would be so hugely popular.  It just goes to show, you never know what people want to hear about... lol.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!  I look forward to sharing more creative crafts, projects and ideas with you this year!

Blessings,
Diana

DIY'd Wood Panel Wall - Master Makeover Progress Report

Our Master Bedroom makeover has made allot of progress.  All of the construction type projects are finally complete (yeah!).  The project is taking a bit longer than I had thought it would.  But then again, I think projects always take longer than we expect!  
  
We have recently finished the Faux Wood Panel Wall, installation of 6" baseboards and we've painted the room a light silver sage color.  I wanted a wood plank/panel wall to add texture and architectural interest in the room.  Being that wood is very expensive these days.  I came up with a way to get the look of expensive tongue and groove paneled walls, but without the high cost!  This wood panel wall cost only $44 and a bit of DIY labor.

Here is how we achieved the high end look on a tight budget.  We bought  four utility grade 4' x 8' sheets of underlayment ply (thin plywood) from Home Depot for only $11.17 each.  It took four sheets to do this wall.  My hubby is a Veteran (Marine Corp.) so we got a 10% discount, which covered our tax and took a few cents off too.  So the wood wall only cost $44... I love a bargain!!! 

We had Home Depot cut the panels into 6" wide planks for us.  Cutting/ripping wood is a free service that Home Depot does, which made our job so so so much easier!!!  The boards being eight feet tall were perfect for our bedroom walls since our upstairs ceilings are exactly eight feet tall.

The thickness of the boards is less than 1/4 inch.  We used a piece of a cut board to create the spacing between the wood planks on the wall.  We used our nail gun to adhere the planks to the wall.  Board after board we went across the wall until we were finished.

My husband, Jim cut around the windows and electrical sockets with a jigsaw.  I of course made him go up and down the stairs each and every cut because I didn't want a bunch of dust in the house... and luckily he didn't complain!  This board is fairly easy to cut since it is thin.

Here is what the finished wall looks like after being painted in a light silver sage color.  The color inspiration came from the Restoration Hardware paint line.

I love how the finished wood wall looks!  Next I will be putting a collage of vintage mirrors and/or frames on this wall.  I will play with them a bit until I decide what looks best.

This next picture I took with the panorama feature on my new iPhone 5.  I love how I can get the entire room in one picture (so cool)!  This picture shows our progress so far.  

There are still several things to do in order to complete the bedroom makeover. We have already gotten curtains from Ikea for the large window wall.  I need to hem, iron and then hang them.  The armoire and bookshelves need to be painted and distressed.  We need to make and upholster the two headboards.  Also I have two pendant fixtures to make that will be going on the outer edge of the beds.  Although we finally have the room construction projects completed, we now have a bunch of furniture projects to do.  I will share each project with you as we progress...   

I do need your help with one thing...  I am looking for just the right bed linens.  I am thinking duvet covers, tailored dust ruffles and shams in a high thread count.  Probably in white, like most finer hotels have.  What do you think?  I'd love to hear your opinions and ideas.

Thanks a bunch!
Diana

One Year Blogiversary & Revisit Very First Post

Today is day 365 since I first started blogging and first started Anyone Can Decorate.  Happy Anniversary or should I say Blogiversary to me and ACD tomorrow... Woohoo!  I can't believe how fast this year has gone...  It seems to have flown by!

I thought it would be fun to revisit my very first blog post from day one of Anyone Can Decorate.  Since I didn't have any followers when I first started, most of you probably have never seen it.  So here it is, I hope you enjoy it :)

Baby Nursery - Under $500 Complete

This entire baby girls room was decorated for less than $500.  The crib and mattress were purchased new. The Bellini dresser/changing table was found at a garage sale for $60, to which I added furniture appliques and re-finished in an antique white.  The rocking chair was found at a vintage shop for $25 (it used to be a neon yellow).  I added the furniture appliques to the rocker then painted and distressed it.  The bedding set and mobile were purchased new from eBay.  The canopy I made with a half round piece of plywood and L-brackets, with sheer fabric and trim simply attached around the edging of the board with a staple gun. The chandelier was designed by me and assembled by my hubby.  The table lamp, wall shelves, bulletin board, wall hooks, wood organizer box and wall cherubs were all old vintage pieces from flea markets and garages sales that I refurbished/painted for the room. It is amazing to see how much can be done on a a limited tight budget.  We started with a completely empty room and when we were finished it looked like we had spent thousands.

The chandelier above is dripping with teardrop crystals and petite pink roses.  I designed it from scratch using a combination of both vintage and new lamp parts.  It is painted with Rustoleum satain spray paint in Heirloom White. My amazing hubby wired this beauty and hung it for me.  We added the ceiling medallion to add to the sweet cottage chic look.  We used silicone dipped light bulbs for a soft glow. The floral pillow on the rocking chair is from Target, from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic line.  We later added a soft sage green, cream and rose colored area rug to the floor in front of the crib.
  
The bulletin memo board was made from a vintage frame, painted with the same Heirloom White spray paint, and has distressed edging.  I used a pretty pink floral girly fabric and lace ribbon in a criss crossing pattern across the front. This was an easy DIY project.  I had my hubby cut a piece of fiber board the size of the inner frame..  I added a layer of batting, wrapped the fabric around it and used a staple gun to fasten everything to the rear of the board.

Sweet Dreams Baby Girl !!!

So there you have it.  My first post as written 365 days ago.  The blogging community has been so supportive and loving.  Thank you all very much!  I have enjoyed getting to know many of you and I look forward to seeing what this next year brings.

Blessings,

Diana

A Day of Treasure Hunting, Thrifting & Junkin'

Today started with a trip to our local Flea Market, where for the first time ever I didn't spend anything (except the 50 cents to get in... lol).  Afterwards I decided I had to go thrifting because my $23 was burning a hole in my purse :)   

I did run across this fun jeep front that I think would be a totally fun inspiration piece to decorate a young boys room around!  I have two girls and most of my friends have girls, so all of the kids rooms I have decorated have been for girls.  This is the first time I've even had inspiration for a boys theme... but it could be super cute!  Jeep, outdoorsy, nature, off-roading, it would be so much fun.   Hey, my hubby has been wanting a Jeep, do you think this would suffice?   

I also came across these lamps which a couple are great fixer uppers.  Myself, I just don't need any lamps right now... and I'm trying to control my adding things to the "someday" pile in the garage.  Doesn't everyone have one of those piles?

At my first thrift shop I spent a whoppin $8.50 on three vintage frames, an old chunky wooden candlestick and a vintage mason jar that I hadn't seen before.  I must admit that I have a bit of a mason jar addiction!

The frames and chunky candlestick will be getting painted and you can see the before and after pictures in the future.

While I was driving I saw a junk yard along side our freeway (which was screaming out to me "come here") and I decided to pop in and see what they had. They referred to most of their stuff as antiques, which most of it was, but it was all outside rusting away so I really wanted to buy something for cheap :) Yeah, I'm a total bargain shopper...  I can't help it!  My $15 surely wasn't going to get me anything that I wanted!  There was a beautiful (completely rusty) iron headboard and foot-board that I envisioned in my garden with vines growing up it... but I wasn't willing to pay the over $100 the guy wanted for it.  He told me to come back in a few weeks, and then he may lower his prices.  I won't be holding my breath... but I will check back in a month or so.

You have to be a junk lover to see the potential in some of these images/items.  But there are so many things that can be done with all of these beauties!!!  I hate to see them just sitting rusting away... Then again, rust is like gold to some junkers :)  Many of these pieces would add tons of character and charm to an outdoor space or garden.  Unfortunately for now, they are sitting in a weed pile just waiting for a new home.


Check out this wheelbarrow full of rusty barbed wire.  Had to be careful around this place, I'm not sure if my tetanus shot is up to date!

I think everyone can appreciate this old cast iron claw-foot tub...

This stove is nice, but I really like the old wooden sled that is in front of it.  I can imagine it hanging at a winter vacation cabin in the mountains above an amazing stone fireplace (dreaming a bit here).

After the antique overpriced junk yard, I drove a little further up the road... and imagine how excited I got when I saw this sign:

I'd never seen this place before and it's less than 10 minutes from my house... It even amazes me how excited I get over this sort of thing!  It's sorta like the sky opens up and angels start singing.  My husband thinks I'm a little crazy, but he is used to it.

I found a $12 chair that is kind of interesting (sorry the picture is a bit blurry).  The chair is a standard style old oak chair but it has a cutout with an interesting embossed nailhead leather seat center.  I don't like the look of the chair in wood, but it would be pretty painted and distressed (like the picture I posted to the right of it). The blue chair I saw at a store a couple of weeks ago, for a whole lot more than $12.

I also found a funky old brass pendant light fixture.  It doesn't look like much now, but it will.  Can you see that there is a bunch of holes around the bottom of it in the scalloped edging.  Those holes are perfect to hang crystals from!  

A $12 chair and a $4 light fixture... Hmmm.... I figured I could scrounge all the change at the bottom of my purse and probably get both.  I have the perfect spot for that the vintage light (which will become a beautiful petite chandelier when I am done with it) to go above a vanity that I am currently working on.  The chair, although it would be cute, I'm not so sure about painting the leather seat, so I passed on the chair.  I got my little $4 light fixture and still had money left over for lunch!  

Okay, so I actually had my bank card on me, so after some lunch I headed to Home Depot for a few necessary items... paint, primer, chicken wire and a generic plain mailbox.  Interesting list of goodies don't you think???  I'm working on several more projects (currently in my head), and these items are needed to complete them!

As for all of these new projects, I'm thinking I will work on the chicken wire project first.  I will post it in the next few days.

Until next time,
Happy decorating!