Category Archives: Make-overs

Old things transformed into new pieces

Boudoir Refresh

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Hey all!  I hope you’re doing well and feeling great! I’m so happy Spring is here and I’m almost  complete with my indoor projects because it’s time to be outside.  So I’m working on two projects at one time..   The Foyer and the Master bedroom.  The bedroom refresh is complete.. I chose not to paint because I painted about 3 years ago. (Besides, I don’t want my brother to strangle me…lol).  But, I will say just changing a few items and rotating two pieces of furniture not only gave me more space, but I was able to add two more pieces and the room appears more spacious. Hubby thought I took something out.. (Chuckles, Goes to show how much he really pays attention.. Smh).  Since this stuff doesn’t phase him much, I hope you’ll sit, relax, sip and enjoy the view of our vintage suite (a girl can dream right ?)

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Everytime I think about switching our furniture to something more modern, my inner being just can’t part with this set.  I love the bed plus it was custom stained for me. I spotted it in a pile of unfinished work and it had been stripped and a few of the embellishments were missing.  My dear friend Joyce was the craftswoman behind this creation.  I brought her the drawer of my nightstand and asked her to match the bed stain.  When she finished it I’ll never forget how excited I was to see how beautiful the bed looked.

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So,  that’s my bed story, it’s been with me for almost 20 years and I dont’t think I’ll ever change it.  Now moving along, it was an extremely bold move to choose white as my scheme, because my husband is an auto mechanic..(eeeeek..). But when I snagged the crochet coverlet at an estate sale (for $30.00.. what a deal)  I knew I wanted to accent it with white.  I later found the fur bedspread at another estate sale for $20.00.

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I found the the perfect white pillows at HomeGoods, except the purple one.. That’s my special pillow (read here), which is why I chose to paint the headboards purple, because that pillow will always sit on our bed.

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Last year I had them monogrammed, but they hung on the wall as window toppers..(see here) Well I’m super excited because they’re actually cornice boards now. Me and my upholsterer worked together and crafted the ends to extend the width, then attached to more wood.  This was not a hard project, but it did take time.  (kick me in the butt for not taking pics along the way, but you can see some below

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I picked out a fabulous champagne color satin fabric for the panels and she made the pleated panels and we attached with Velcro.  The sheer panels are equally beatiful., they are embellished with a satin circular pattern.  They are on extension rods inserted inside the cornice board.  I knew the design I wanted and working with her, it was awesome to see we the accomplished look and I honestly love them.  So, if you’ve got or saw some cute twin headboards, here’s a DIY project, designed by yours truly.

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(You see why I have the purple pillow)

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Sheba came in here for hubby’s dressing  corner.

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The satin panels are so soft, they actually feel like a designer ball gown.  The lucite bedside lamps were purchased from HomeGoods.  They were marked down to $25.oo and were perfect for my “vintage glam” design.

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Do you notice the beauty of the crochet coverlet..  I still haven’t found the right nightstand, so the hat boxes still serve as nightstand/storage.

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I made up my mind to not keep my dresser cluttered.  It took some time, but, I actually went through all the jewelry I don’t wear, got rid of receipts and the other “stuff” I tend to throw on there.  I want to keep it simple.. This vintage candy dish has always been a favorite of mine. My grandmother (and I’m sure many of yours) had one on the coffee table,  and I  always liked it.  I chose to use mine as powder puff jar.. It fits perfectly

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Yea, I kinda feel like a starlet when I use it.. (Giggles… Hey I’m still dreaming)

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A picture of my besties stay close by too.. The french ladies chest was another antique find I purchased from my friend Joyce some 20 years ago too.  I can’t say enough how she had so many gorgeous pieces.  This holds the organized jewelry clutter (gorgeous piece isn’t it) .  The antique brocade slipper chair was a sidewalk special.. You can see the before/after here.

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My vanity (which I call glamour girl station ) adds to the vintage glam feel of the room.. After all, there’s one in the boudoir of all the Turner Classic movies – so, I have to have one in mine ☺️

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When my nieces visit, they love playing dress up in front of this, I have to keep my eye on them or they’d have the room lit up with perfume.  The vanity chair got a new look as well…

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For a girl with a chair fettish, I came across this cute little lighter and was nice to have just for show – (not a smoker).  The only thing I’m still contemplating is taking down my dolls. I haven’t found anything to replace them so, I just decided to keep them out a little longer.

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Our room doesn’t have a certain era of furniture pieces, but they’re all blended.  That’s mostly the advantage of working with antiques.  I’ve never been the matchy-matchy kind of person, so, this allows me to use Victorian, French, Art Deco, midcentury and new items to complete the look of the Vintage Glam bedroom suite.  I hope you enjoyed the “fresh” new glam look.

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 You see, there’s beauty in vintage and I truly adore working with them.  If you ever decide you want to incorporate a bit of vintage into your decor and feel stuck.. Feel free to ask me for a bit of advice.. I’d love to help.

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I found the right mirror, so, the doll has been retired.

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 As always .. beauty doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Happy hunting and enjoy thrifting your House into a Home

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 Thanks for stopping by!  Smooches

Jamala

Living Room Makeover

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After Saving Grace, and getting excited about her new look, I decided it was time to make a few changes in the Living Room.  I initially was going to put her in the foyer, but realized #1 she’s too big … Continue reading →

Saving Grace

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Hi everyone! I  hope you’re doing well, and I thank you for hanging in there with me during my respite.   I’m back again to share with you another marvelous makeover.  This time it’s a beautiful Recamier antique chaise lounge that was left by my dear friend Joyce.  She really had some of the most gorgeous pieces but they all need TLC, (one day I’m going to do an exclusive post about her).  She gave it to my brother, who in turn, relinquished it to me – Thank God, because his dog was about to destroy it… Uggggghhhhh… I wanted to beat him up (my brother that is).   Let’s take a look at this pitiful soul..

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Poor baby- ?? .. I’m going to name her Grace.  She is a gorgeous, handmade chaise lounge, that has gone decades needing attention, and was looking really disgraceful.  This piece was appraised to be over 200 years old, (I know what you’re saying.. WOW!!).  Recamier chaises are also known as “ladies fainting sofas”  and you can read more about them here.   This particular lounge has more of a Caribbean feel because of the handcarved details, and choosing the right fabric wasn’t easy.  I chose a vanilla, tone on tone fabric that has a slight raised texture.  I also chose to use nailhead instead of gimp for the trim.  After two bottles of oil and a trip to the upholsterer for a magic makeover – she’s now full of Grace.

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Isn’t she lovely!!

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One thing I love about choosing an antique is some pieces are so rare which makes it more special.  I love her new look.  I chose to have a varied animal print pillow selection just to spice things up a bit.

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The nailhead trim really enhances the beauty and I really dig her sexy curves and carved details.

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I’m so happy about the new look and extremely happy she’s mine.

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After this makeover, I think it’s time to do an “ORC” one room challenge.  Like the Dining Room, I’m doing the same thing with the Living Room.. The $100.00 dollar makeover.   So– Stay tuned ..  If anyone else is up to the challenge, join me and let’s decorate together.  I’d love to see your “design on a dime” new look you create.  As for Grace, holla at your girl and let me know what you think.. I’d love to hear from you .. Until next time .. Happy hunting ?

Jamala

Old Chair New Life

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What do you do with a chair no one wants?  Well ask me that question and my answer is keep it!  That’s exactly what I did with my new addition.  Like an unwanted puppy, I decided to be her new owner.  Give her love and affection and breathe new life in her just like I did Clarissa (and still working on Don).

I decided to do some research on this chair and found it’s a Louis XV style Fauteuil armchair.  These chairs were beginning to be made in the 1600’s and were considered French by Royal Design and was designed with a woman’s figure in mind, by having delicate curves.  The backs were round for the softness of the woman’s shoulders and the carvings were considered the ornaments (like a woman wears jewelry).   This particular chair was made during the turn of the 19th century (between 1880 – 1900).  The chair had it’s original needlepoint fabric, however, as you see, it pretty much took a beating.  But, one thing for sure, she’s a real McCoy, a Louis XV french chair.  So, I’m thrilled that I couldn’t sell it for the mere $25.00 I was asking for it at the yard sale.    The average price for these chairs is $500.00, so yes, she is definitely worth investing in.  I’m going to name her Kittra.  Luckily, the frame was strong, but the wood stain was a bit drab.  I decided to paint the frame using Martha Stewart antique gold (please don’t squeal 🙂 )

The gold paint gives it a new look, without taking away from the beauty and not making it gawdy.

For the fabric, I chose a soft chenile pile white fabric and wanted to incorporate cheetah print with it.  I also wanted the authenticity of the chair to remain intact, so I had the upholsterer keep the straw stuffing but add enough cushion for a better seat.  Keep in mind that if you ever get a chair or sofa and discover it’s an antique, it’s always best to preserve some of its history.

Here’s Kittra’s new look

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Time to bring her home and find a space for her.

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I’m in the process of making a few changes in the living room, nothing big, but changing up the wall color and adding a few reupholstered items.  But for now, she’ll rest here.  I was just so excited with her new look I wanted to share it with you.

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I’ve never used white before on furniture, and now that we’re empty nesters and no little ones around, I thought I’d give it a whirl (for at least one piece) and the cheetah print has always been my fettish.  I plan to add a bit more of that around.  I hope you like Kittra’s new look as much as I do.  Have you done a makeover lately?  I’d love to hear all about it.  Until next time, Happy hunting and enjoy thrifting your house into a home!  Smooches

Jamala

 

 

Monday Makeover

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While most bloggers are gearing up for fall new looks and colors… I’m still holding on to summer like a kid kicking and screaming “Don’t go” – grabbing on his mommy’s leg when she’s leaving…lol..

I can’t help it.. I love summer..  So I’m sharing, I guess, my final makeover for the garden.  I found these mirrors at a yard sale for $5.00ea.  I had no idea what I was going to use them for when I bought them, but I figure, at $10.00 bucks – I’ll find something.  They were sturdy mirrors made of some type of hard plastic and quite heavy.  I left them outside for a few days (not intentionally – during heavy rainstorms and saw they withheld it) so that’s when it hit me… They could be my outdoor mirrors.  I’ve been wanting a mirror in the garden, but outdoor mirrors are so expensive (WHY?????)  Here are the pair of mirrors – I really liked the scrolling on top but the color…YIKES!! talk about ugly… blah….

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So with my trusty paint can in hand.. I gave them a new look…

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I know it’s not a fall color – but I don’t care.. I love the summer look.. and besides.. it’s still 90’s here and I’m loving it.. even though the leaves are beginning to fall.. (I’m dreading it..)… but anyway, I’m just going to enjoy my mirrors in the garden for the next few weeks..

For a whimsical touch, I used Martha Stewart’s gold paint to outline the scroll detail.

Pretty huh??

I may not keep it here, but I do like how it goes with the bistro set (and it blocks the view of the dead tree). I’ll worry more about that next summer, but at least I have my outdoor mirrors. ☺️

To see other mirrors in the garden inspiration .. Check out my Pinterest board and remember to follow along with me pinning away!  Until next time… Tah-tah.. Smooches