Pepper Design Blog

Before & After: Antique Sideboards

I love a good before & after… especially one that involves chic restyling of antique/vintage pieces that are usually lost in the bustle of an over-crowded thrift shop.

Anyone might dismiss these original sideboards as too dated, too much work, too time consuming… but a careful eye might spot the beautiful curves in those legs, the ornate detail of the carved doors or the solid wood core of a well-made vintage find.

I fell in love with antique-buffets-turned-new after we spotted this one in a local shop:

For photos sake, I wish I could say I knew her before that brilliant coat of turquoise! With the remodel well under way I borrowed these picture from a previous “Favorite Spot” guest post a while back – the dining room now resembles a bit of a stack and pile area.

We love our antique buffet and have slowly added restoration fixes ourselves – new handles, lined cabinets and next on the list is reinforcing those fragile legs.

Here’s a bit more inspiration for a weekend DIY project, each of these thrift finds have been beautifully restored to their former {or improved} life:

Sources: Country Living, House in Progress & Harpers Bazaar.

And a few DIY before & after photos that look incredible!

Navy blue sideboard by LivingEtc via CasaSugar and white dresser-turned-buffet by Holly of Life in the Fun Lane via Simply Elegance.

A bold coat of paint and new handles over at Live, Lush & Laugh:

And a white credenza makeover by Verity and a new yellow buffet by Michelle of Three Men & a Lady {both via design*sponge}.

Top amazing red sideboard before & after image by Jenny of Little Green Notebook.

Happy Goodwill hunting!

Just in Time for Fall: Recycled Sweater Vases

I recently found this tutorial and immediately began searching for a time this week to swing by the local Goodwill for a few chunky sweaters.

Under the Table and Dreaming created these beautiful vase and candle holder covers, see the full tutorial here. Sleeves create the easiest slip-on cover, but Stephanie Lynn shares how to turn the rest of your old sweaters into creative and cozy liners as well.

Doesn’t the soft fabric make you ready for cool weather and warm fires? And how great would these be grouped on the mantel or as a centerpiece for an upcoming Fall dinner? Thank you, One Pretty Thing for sharing!

DIY Artwork: A New Map Board for the Bedroom

A while back I found this very cool mirror at a local refurbishing shop. The actual mirror was yellowed and discolored, but it had an ‘antique-y’ feel that I loved.

My first attempt to make it over was to create an upholstered magnet board for the future office.

I used the Aviary print in Robin teal from Calico Corners as the face for the new board and simply flipped the mirror over and painted with three coats of magnetic primer. I didn’t love the way the magnets held (I’d imagine 3 more coats might have done the trick!) but I loved how the board turned out and was very excited to put it to good use. (The above image is from a recent San Diego design show that I did a guest presentation at.)

But then Cali experienced one of those little earth shakers that caused zero damage to the house with the exception of my new magnet board. I found the mirror shattered and the fabric ripped the next day after it had fallen on it’s side.

So project #2 came about:

I don’t know if this map board will find it’s final spot hanging above my dresser (not propped as it currently is) in the new master bedroom or above the desk in the future office (renovation project #2 after the kitchen remodel), but I do love how it turned out!

Here’s a quick recap.

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{Before & After: Dresser Mirror to Map Board}

a
Materials: Mirror with a sturdy frame (a picture frame with a back would work well too), corkboard squares or strips (from your local craft store, mine are from Michaels), map pins (found mine at Staples), spray paint, tack nails (1/2″ or smaller, depending on frame size), hammer, glue, scissors, photos and a map (I found mine at Papyrus).

1. Remove the back of the mirror from your frame and spray paint with two coats.

2. Organize your cork squares or cork strip (much thinner than the squares and sold rolled up) so that the final look of the cork on the back of the mirror is proportional on all sides. I prefer the squares but considered rolling the cork strip over the top for fewer seams (the rolled cork on it’s own might be too thin to hold pins). In the end the raw square look won out.

3. Cut your squares and clue to board, be sure to leave enough room for frame to sit snugly against backing. My mirror had an indent in the frame to securely hold backing on, yours might not and you could cover the entire backing in cork.

4. Flip the mirror over and tack backing back onto frame. I used small 1/2″ tack nails because both my backing and frame were thick and sturdy. You might opt for a staple gun or smaller nails if you have a thinner frame.

5. I attached the paper map to the very center of the board and printed photos from our travels for the edges (I love the look of the thin white line around the outer edge and had them printed that way by Costco). I then used map pins (pins with the little round balls at the end) to mark our travel destinations!

Red pins designated cities/countries Kevin and I had traveled to together, yellow were spots I had visited and blue areas that Kevin had traveled to.

The final board is a neat tribute to our travels and allows us to keep adding as we go.

I love the shape of the frame and how easy it’s been to turn an old dresser mirror into various forms of diy art – who knows, this might receive a glossy coat of red in the next year and end up in the nursery to mark Baby S’s big events!