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Decorating on a Budget
If you're just
starting out in your own apartment, or would like to spruce up your
current décor without breaking the family bank account, there are
lots of options to choose from.
The price of antiques
from dealers and stores has gone through the roof, but you'd be
surprised at the things you can find at garage and yard sales. Some
of it will be genuine and occasionally valuable antiques, while
other things will simply be items of great quality, that need a
little loving care to make them shine for you.
One of the most popular decorating styles today, is called Shabby
Chic. This was around in the early 20th century and then passed out
of fashion, but has made an incredible comeback. Shabby Chic
furniture and accessories are white, with what is sometimes referred
to as a "distressed" look or finish. That can mean it has been
painted white, and then "antiqued", a technique you can achieve
yourself on those yard sale treasures.
If you need little items like end tables, a dresser, or perhaps a
cabinet, then get out there early, especially for weekend sales.
Even if the advertised time was 9a.m. you can be sure that the
bargain hunters were up long before that.
Don't get caught up in the excitement of buying, though. If you're
working on a shoestring budget, don't be tempted to buy things like
a particularly nice mirror that is so tarnished on the back, you'll
never see anything in it. Make the round of sales with a list of
"really need" and "would like to have", and stick to it.
Wood items are by far the easiest to refinish, although you may find
that others had the same idea, but not the patience. You could come
across a real prize, like a low table/cupboard that at one time was
used to hold the bowl or jug of butter in a farmhouse, but it's
wearing four coats of paint. That will require a trip to the
hardware store for a good remover, then you'll have to provide a lot
of elbow grease to get it off. There might also be nicks or small
dents to be repaired with filler. Afterwards, all you need to do is
paint it white, to add to your Shabby Chic décor. For extra touches
of elegance, when a piece has a molded edge, back, or even a raised
design on a headboard, you can add gold "antiquing". After painting
it white, take a gold paint, and thin it with water or spirits, as
recommended. You may have to tinker with the proportion to get the
look you want, but start out with 75% gold paint and 25% thinner.
Make sure your white paint is well dried, then quickly paint over
the raised design with the gold paint, and wipe immediately with a
well-dampened cloth. This will remove the bulk of the gold and
leave it in the crevices of the design. This looks really nice on
bathroom shelves, cabinets, and dressers or headboards for bedrooms.
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