Fixing Frugal Furniture Finds

Ever the frugalista, I'm always on the lookout for helpful tips on feeding my money-conserving instincts. This blog post on stripping furniture is a great way to renew an existing resource (vintage furniture) and expose the diamonds in the rough you can find at your local thrift stores.

Monday Inspiration: Ikea Kitchens

It's time to start (seriously) thinking about a kitchen remodel--but, spending money always pains me. I'm thinking that Ikea might be the solution--nice cabinets at affordable prices...assembly required of course. Here's a great collection of real-life Ikea kitchens for inspiration.

Monday Inspiration: Steampunk

There's something glorious about steampunk--the elegant Victorian clutter coupled with the emergence of darker, industrial pieces just works. My leanings are decidedly mid century modern, but the hubby is looking into a steampunk office for himself--so I'm looking for ideas. Here's a den in the steampunk style--love the cluttered order of it.

Great Site: The CSI Project

Here's a great site for the craft-loving, but unfocused, like myself: The CSI Project. CSI stands for craft, share, inspire--and it does just that, with crafting challenges and nifty, inexpensive ideas for the home--you can even win prizes!

Great Site: OlioBoard

Moodboard from bmoreguy

Here's another great site for pulling your ideas together. OlioBoard is a mood board tool that has a library of items from a variety of stores (from Ikea to West Elm), even including accent items like pillows and art. Just drag and drop and you're good to go!

Monday Inspiration: Retro Bathroom Remodel

Talk about inspiration! This great post from Retro Renovation shows a great bathroom remodel in keeping with the retro style of the house.

Great Site: Ikea Family Live

I often look at catalogues and wonder, 'how did they do that'? Everything is subtly matched and elegantly disheveled. That's why I love this site, Ikea Family Live. It shows us how real people (just like us) decorate and use their spaces, and makes me feel a little better about being a little disjointed from time to time.

DI-Wednesday: Photo Collections

This is a great idea for displaying your collections if you don't have a lot of space (or want to see them in every room!). Pull together a photo collage of your treasures--you can even use a photo editing software for added affect. Great, simple and inexpensive--the trifecta!

Monday Inspiration: Dining in Color

This great combo from design*sponge is a cheery and fresh combination of vintage modern elements--the teak chairs and the white table, coupled with the tree stencils in the background, are a perfect vignette for dining.

Monday Inspiration: Vintage Cool

I just love the vintage flea-market feel of this "small cool" place in Hong Kong--a wonderful blend of finds makes the space feel like there's a story to tell.

Prints for the Francophile

Art is probably the simplest and least expensive way to change and spruce the homestead. Here is a great find for the Francophile: some wonderful vintage prints and collages you can print for yourself!

DI-Wednesday: Twig Pushpins

I just had to post these simple and clever DIY for twig pushpins--if you're taking care of spring pruning and have some leftover branches, why not use them to decorate and organize?

Monday Inspiration: Well-Curated Shelf

Nothing is quite like a well-curated shelf--something that combines items that makes one stop and observe, and wonder what the collector had in mind when they put it together.

Just For Fun: Eames House Blocks

These Eames House Blocks are pricey, but very cute--the perfect toy for baby and mama. I especially love the color blocks and the various shapes and patterns--you can never start too early when it comes to teaching proper decor.

DI-Wednesday: Pendant Lights

I love the nifty idea of turning a bowl (in my case, a thrift store find) into an eclectic pendant lamp. I imagine testing the drilling process on a few test bowls would be prudent, but after that, the sky's the limit!

Monday Inspiration: Mixing Flower Prints

Spring brings about a desire to see more flowers in the home, but flowery prints have always seemed too formal for me. That's why I love the way this arrangement blends different flower prints without being overly frilly--the secret is the simplicity of the flowers, balances with the scale and color of the leaves.

DI-Wednesday: Modern Beanbags

I've been looking for something modern and comfy that both I and the animals (cats and a dog) can use for rest and relaxation. Beanbag chairs are comfy, and with the square shape and modern fabric of these, no one can accuse you of 'basement chic'.

Monday Inspiration: Art off the Walls

This caught my eye because of the overall masculine comfort of this living room, but I also love the large scale painting leaning against the wall. I love to see art used in less than conventional ways--there's no reason to exclude a lovely painting like this just because you don't have the wall space!

Refinishing Butcher Block

Though next week's Home Cure tasks revolve around giving the kitchen a good top to bottom scrub, I can't help but envision what I want for the future, when the remodeling budget is full again. I know I want to have butcher block somewhere in the kitchen--it's durable, usable, and it warms up the space immensely. Being the far thinker I am, here's a great little tutorial on refreshing your butcher block. It's about as easy as you'd think, and it includes a great product for polishing and sealing.

DI-Wednesday: Simple Spruce for the Kitchen Table

Flipping through various inspirational sources, I came across this brilliantly simple fix for our boring oak hand-me-down kitchen table set--why not be daring and paint the legs a different color? All you'd need is a bit of sandpaper, latex paint (or oil-based paint, if you're feeling industrious) and a few brushes. Heck, if you've got the room, try spray-painting outside!