I don't know about you guys but I get a kick out of transforming pieces that cost very little into something that look they cost a million bucks. It not only stretches your decorating budget it also gives your space a totally unique vibe. HOWEVER and there is a big however with this, too much DIY can look just that too much so you need to balance it somewhat.
I say this all the time but any DIY I do cannot look like a craft project. No beading, glittering wrapping stuff in ribbon for me, I want the things I've revamped to look pretty darn cool and not made at home.
Spray paint. One of the most successful things I have done is to buy 'brown furniture' at charity shops, flea markets, and auction houses and then take them to a garage to spray. The console below cost me £30, the spraying £50. Pretty cool hey. The thing about car spray is that is looks and feels like lacquer so you get the most incredible shine that you cannot emulate through gloss paint, hence the piece looking super expensive. The hardest thing is to find a garage to do it, mine no longer does. Am on the hunt!
Get friendly with MDF. One of the cheapest materials around and you can do so much with it (just look at Ikea). Some DIY stores cut it to size for you so I've gotten all my kitchen doors from there (£10 a pop), wardrobe doors and you can get even more creative and create a head board. Just cover in foam and then fabric as seen below in Grace Bonnyâs old Brooklyn apartment.
Change the handles. If a piece of cabinetry or door is looking a tad tired change the handles itâs a game changer!
Paint is the single most transformative thing you can do to any room. Quickest most inexpensive and the easiest. In next to know time you can transform a wall, a room or a piece of furniture into something tantalising. The trick is to be brave with your colour choices and veer if you can towards something tantalising. Sludgy and dark like moi or rich and intriguing like the home of Kate and Andy Spade. Its funny because I am a little scared of red, I've never painted a room out in it before. Yesterday as we're changing all the colours here at home I swatched (wasn't that brave to do more) a small piece of the hallway in a reddy bit black ish hue although its certainly more red than black. Result -Â Â I'm on the fence about it. It scares me , I mean really scares me because its just so different! I know I know its only paint be brave, follow what you preach Ahern. I will try more today a little bit more and see.
Talking of paint Plasti-kote is a spray paint available in a whole ton of decorative finishes you can spray something to look metallic, hand thrown ceramic even concrete, its fabulous stuff for turning something cheap looking into something fabulous.
Fun hey!
Oh and the journal is going live today. Will post as soon as its up, it the most beautiful one yet, am very proud of it.
