Desperate Housediva | Boring Chair to Awesome Chair Makeover: Before & After

In the next installment in the Desperate Housediva goes DIY home-makeover chronicles, I share with you the before/after shots of my sad and sorry desk/living room chair which found new life after a quick restaining (using a stain pen. It literally took minutes) and reupholstering (who knew reupholstering chairs was so easy and satisfying!? I can't wait to do it to the kitchen chairs!)

So, the living room has been a bit of a problem area. We have quite a mix of furniture from various life stages (and craigslist purchases) and I had a difficult time figuring out a cohesive design plan. But then it hit me: I shouldn't work AROUND what I had, I should incorporate it into the design. If my design was all about white and blue, but my couch was huge and black, then something was off. Now, all is well. I'm not living in design fantasyland. I'm using what I have and making it awesome by throwing in a few new things.

The new design aesthetic includes the firebird fabric shown on the AFTER of the chair. The main colors are black and white with red and turquoise accents. I'm really excited to continue building the look in the room but the chair makeover was the first step. I just love this fabric.

If you are interested in how to do a chair makeover, click HERE.

Chair before:

Chair After:

Desperate Housediva | Ikea Dresser Decoupage and chair Makeovers: Before & After

As it's literally freeeezing out these days and I haven't the fortitude nor the wherewithal to face the frigid temps, I have been working on our Midwestia nest. The latest nesting projects I've taken up are the boring/ugly Ikea dresser I have in our room and a chair that lives in the living room that needed a serious makeover. Let's start with the dresser. It was your typical, white, boxy, boring Ikea dresser. Reliable enough, I suppose, but entirely without personality.

It never reflected my taste, it never felt like my own and it always stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the vintage-y bohemian style of the room. Hence the decoupage makeover.

Literally, like five year ago, my friend Meredith (who is an insanely talented singer/actress in addition to a truly inspired and creative decorator,) upon hearing me complain about said dresser, advised that I decoupage it and add pretty drawer pulls, thus making it my own. At the time that seemed like more work/commitment than I was up for. But the idea stuck in my head. And last week I finally did it.

Using some gorgeous decoupage paper from Cavallini (featuring vintage postcards written in French,) some ModPodge glue, and some Anthropologie-style vintage glass drawer pulls I remade this un-inspired piece of furniture into an ecclectic part of the room's vintage/bohemian aesthetic.

It may not be your style, but perhaps it can inspire your own decoupage adventures. Decoupage is really fast, easy (directions can be found HERE) and surprisingly fun and relaxing.

BEFORE

AFTER

Closeup of drawer pulls

Closeup of one of the vintage letters

Closeup of the photos of my late Grandparents in photos from the late '30's, early '40's that live on the dresser.

Desperate Housediva | Brass chandelier makeover Part I

Living in a rental space can be frustrating for many reasons. The more superficial of them being the lack of freedom to make big design changes. The space in which Prof. Hubs' and I live here in Midwestia has very little to recommend it, design-wise. It's a very boring layout, with white walls, and little to no charming architectural details. I think the best thing about the space's design is the large, exposed brick wall, and the worst would definitely be the tacky '70's brown kitchen cabinets and stove-ick!

I've lately found myself very interested in breathing new life and style into our home where I can. Therefore, the next few weeks will feature posts about my DIY changes around our space. The first of which deals with the eyesore of a brass chandelier which was hanging in the kitchen over our table. I thought I was stuck with this hideous light until I perused several DIY design blogs and learned about this great way to makeover an old brass chandelier.

Here is my chandelier before:

Here it is after, though still in the middle stages of the makeover. I still need to add some hanging do-dads. I'll update you next week. Still, I find it to be a HUGE improvement.

I can't decide whether or not to also add chandelier shades. Any ideas?

There are 2 ways to makeover your chandelier. I did the more stupid way, because I didn't want to take down the chandelier and spray paint it, blah blah... So instead, I cleaned the chandelier well and then hand painted 3 coats of white latex, satin finish, paint. I'm very happy with the result. Home DIY makeover part I in progress!

Future projects include:

-applying French letters to my dresser (decoupage) and replacing the drawer pulls with pretty Anthropologie replacements.

-adding do-dads to chandelier

-applying a 12'X8' blue photographic backdrop to a living room wall of the same size (as I cannot paint, but I love a fabric wall!)

-repainting and reupholstering 4 antique chairs for our kitchen (which I picked up for a total of $60!)

-repainting several vintage frames and lamp bases in fun colors.