Recession Decorating 101

"I strongly believe that people may not want, or may not be able to, start again from scratch, so giving old furniture a new lease on life is at the heart of my philosophy," - Nina Campbell

Hey, it's no secret that a lot of us are struggling during these tough economic time and  so that's why I've decided to create this post about getting your chic on the cheap!  These tips are nothing new but they are common sense ideas that challenge us to tap into our creative sides and look at the items you already have with fresh eyes.  Possibilities are all around us if we carpe "design"!!  : )

This is about the 4th incarnation of my camelback sofa. It has been dressed in a mauve colored mini-print (remember country cute)?, a blue flamestich fabric, a denim slipcover and now this chenille paisley.  It is a great quality piece that has been with me for years!

I have had this mirror for decades and it started off life with a nondescript brown stain.  I freshened it up with a can of glossy white rustoleum and it has a clean new look.  I love the way white accessories "jump" off the wall.  So sculptural and modern.

This is actually a coffee table I bought at a yard sale for $25.  I snagged the animal print fabric on ebay and off I went to my upholsterer to create this luxe bench.  It's great for extra seating at my dining room table !

Speaking of my dining room, would you believe my dining table and chairs were FREE??!! Yep, I got them from a friend who was about to begin renovation on a flip house and the dining room set had been left behind by the previous owners  Lots of cleaning and some fresh upholstery gave me a dining room I have been enjoying for years!

What more can you say about this?

. . . except maybe this!  I love the colored glass of wine bottles and found a few ways to use them in design!

This collection of audobon prints are actually pages from a calender I bought a Barnes & Noble a few years ago.  Pre-matted frames came from Southeast Salvage to create this thrifty art collection!

These "curtains" in my breakfast room are really tablecloths I found at HomeGoods for about $15. They are a nice heavy fabric and they are hung from a cafe curtain rod with ring clips.  Tiebacks are grosgrain ribbon.

I hope this post inspires you to look at the things you already have with fresh eyes.  Just think, your new look could be as close as your local hardware store for that $4 can of Rustoleum!

Why Chattafabulous??

"I started this career because I love doing houses.  I'd done three of my own and I couldn't keep moving my family all the time, so I decided to decorate other people's homes and buildings." -  Dorothy Draper

Well, I know where Dorothy's coming from.  I have moved three times in the past nine years after redoing each house and I have redone a dozen more in the same time period.  Luckily, I have discovered a new (and much less costly) vehicle for my design fixation through this blog!  Hope you enjoy the photos of my current home ... and did I mention it's for sale?  After all, we HAVE been here for nearly two years

Living Room.  Walls are painted Grant Beige by Benjamin Moore.  Painting is an original piece I got at Tuesday morning.  Those big white urns came from Target a few years back.  I got them at the same time I got my dining room lamps (see below).

Family Room - Wall Paint - Ben. Moore, Hawthorne Yellow; Rug - Pottery Barn via ebay Coffee Table - HomeGoods; Side Tables - Target; Lamps - Hancock Fabrics; Turquoise Jars - Steinmart

Foo dogs and folk art in the family room

Breakfast Room

This is the sitting room that adjoins the master bedroom (below).  If a I had a fridge and microwave in here, I would probably never leave this space! And if you are wondering - YES, that is "Blogging for Dummies" on the table.  Seemed appropriate.

Master Bedroom -Wall Paint - Sweet Dreams by Benjamin Moore.  This color is great with a lot of light - like being in the clouds! French side tables - Lakewood Antiques Market (no longer there and I'm not over it) Blue lamp - TJ Maxx

Master Bedroom, another perspective.  I got the Campaign side table from Pier 1.

Dining Room Sideboard with Hydrangeas from Mom' s Garden. I love the buff and celadon colors in the dried blooms and the papery texture against the glossy white ceramics. I got those great lamps at Target a few years ago when they had their "Global Design" event.

Dining Room.  The walls are painted Hollingsworth Green by Benjamin Moore. This color is beautiful  with dark wood pieces. The oriental looking birds on the table came from TJ Maxx. I scored those on clearance!

A favorite spot for reading (design mags!) Taupe pillows came from Target and the pink striped pillows are from Tuesday morning.

That rounds out the first tour! Looking forward to sharing more Chattanooga home tours, design tips and where-to-find-it resources.