Tag Archives: salvage furniture

Salvage is not all Black and White

Salvage is not all Black and White

by Joanne Palmisano
author of Salvage Secrets and Blog, SalvageSecretsBlog.com.

When I wrote my book, Salvage Secrets, I was thrilled when people from all over the country told me how they now see what is available to salvage and how to use it (i.e., recycled, repurposed, reclaimed) because of it.   No two boards are alike, bricks are different in consistency and color and everything from an antique wood to scrap metal has  its own unique design idea. The possibilities are endless!  Here are some black & white examples that prove there is a lot of gray area when it comes to Salvage Design.

RENÉ GRANSTRÖM
This is one of my favorite pictures. I love these club chairs and the black & white vintage prints make a statement. That’s it — vintage prints,  some old frames, a couple of chairs and you have made yourself a very cool design statement!  Photo by: RENÉ GRANSTRÖM

 

 

I love this antique table and fun hand-painted flooring. This is where reclaimed dimensional lumber would work great as well– sand it down and paint it. I love the repurposing of floors in unique ways.
  Another painted floor example.  Little more work but quite a wow factor. Kept simple with a couple of antiques and the room is done.

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Painting and embellishing chandeliers is one of my favorite things to do. There are thousands of 1970′s, 80′s and 90′s light fixtures that are crying to be adopted at your local recycle center and brought back to life like this one was.  Also love the second-hand metal chairs that were just clear varnish and kept the antique look.  Bravo!
  This Apartment Therapy Post is very clever. A kitchen island made from pallets that have been painted black. The most basic, everyday salvage material — pallets, turned into a stunning design.

 

 Remember when designing with salvage, whether it is vintage furniture, architectural salvaged sinks and tubs or even reclaimed wood — there is a lot of gray area for design (i.e. a lot of wiggle room to get creative) in between all that BLACK and WHITE!
This kitchen used salvaged pieces of black soapstone for the backsplash and tiles for the counter. Thinking outside the box and using salvaged stone made this project, not only beautiful but affordable as well.  This picture is in my book, Salvage Secrets! Photo:  Susan Teare

 

 

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posted by The Daily Basics, 21st February 2012 , Categories: Home & Garden Tags: ,

Four Easy Steps to “Lettered” DIY Storage

Four Easy Steps to “Lettered” DIY Storage

by Joanne Palmisano, Salvage Secrets blog.com
Author of Salvage Secrets 
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Is it just me or is everyone having a hard time finding things lately? I’ve misplaced my keys, wallet and phone, all in the same week.  Thankfully I found all of them, but my daughter’s basketball shorts and my favorite jeans…MIA for a while.  I think it’s time for me to take storage seriously, and not just any storage – but something that literally “spells it” out for me. I’ve seen some great examples of lettered dressers, end tables, desks, so I thought I’d give it a go with some salvaged finds.

As with everything I do, I try and find things recycled.  Second hand bureaus, dressers, end tables, can be found at recycle centers, second hand shops, garage sales, or online at places like Craigslist or other neighborhood online services, like front porch forum. (You don’t want to travel too far for a $20 dresser-kinda defeats the purpose of recycling.)

I ran down to my favorite local recycle shop (the ReStore Center), which carries most household goods including furniture, and picked up a three drawer nightstand to get me started.  My goal is to have everything in its place in four easy steps. One small step for mankind…or at least the storage challenged kind.

Step One - Sand

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Step 1.

Easy.  Just sand the whole thing. Make sure all the finish is off before you paint. If it is already painted then only a light sanding is necessary to have a new paint color adhere to it.

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Step 2.

Step 2 - Panit your favorite color

Paint your favorite color. Two coats. You can paint with a spray paint, and do two even coats, no sanding necessary. Or use a small roller brush and a little sanding in between coats. Both are gorgeous. I try to stick to low-VOC paints and a roller — more environmentally friendly than sprays.  This could look great in a glossy lacquer look, use a glossy paint or a semi-gloss. For more of a cottage look, I’d go with a flat or eggshell.  If you are going to put a plant or other watery products on top (like a glass of water), then you can add a vintage tray or seal the top with a shellac (couple of coats).  I just painted mine.

Step 3: Use stencils to 'write' your words on the drawers

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Step 3.

Add your words! I bought my letter stencils at Creative Habitat.  You can pick them up at any craft store, including more feminine letters, such as Martha Stewart Craft Letters at Michael’s Craft Store  or Office Max.

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Step 4: Find vintage hardware for the knobs

Step 4.

Add some vintage hardware — old drawer pulls or even glass door knobs! These can be found at your local Architectural Salvage Warehouse, or rebuild center, or online on an Etsy.

Voila! Instant Lettered Storage. You can make this feminine with pinks and creams or modern with black and white. This project would be great for an entire closet system, an office wall organizer or even the mudroom for all the hats and mittens!

Here are some other great examples of letter dressers to inspire you!

 

Have fun and remember….recycle, repurpose and reclaim… and always, share your Salvage Secrets :)  Ciao, Joanne

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For more ideas from Joanne, stay tuned to her posts here every month and take a look at her book, a great source of how-to’s and inspiration!

Don’t forget to hop over to her website, Salvage Secrets Blog.com  for more ideas!

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posted by Joanne Palmisano, 25th January 2012 , Categories: Home & Garden Tags: , ,