Week 3

Welcome to Week 3!

If you missed the results to last week CLICK HERE

You can find the projects to  WEEK 1 & 2 HERE

This week's theme is "OLD"

The rules are the same as always..... ONE project, or ONE area and the theme is to be interpreted by the contestant.

Before I turn the time over to the remaining contestants I want to quickly thank you all so much for all the lovely comments and support this competition has been getting! 

I love them, and I know the contestants do to. 

And because you are all so awesome we are having a giveaway sponsored by 

The Rusted Chain! 

So at the end of this post leave a comment and one lucky viewer will win a $30 gift certificate to her lovely store!

And now... ON TO THE SHOW!!

#1 Junk Fest- Old Photo Frame

"Old photographs are a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose"...Author Unknown

Displaying old photographs of loved ones and generations past has evolved into something of an art form. When it comes to photo display, we four JunkFest girls tend to take a "junky" approach in our homes and at our sales. We think there's a fun element when incorporating previously used interesting and unusual objects to show off old treasured photographs. It's a perfect combination of old and old.

In this vignette, we've displayed cherished old photos of loved ones in several different ways. Mixing and matching vintage treasures and rustic "found" items to display several photos in one area is tied together with the common elegance of black and white photos. The antique skirt marker pairs well with an old photograph of Grandma Grace. Next to it is an old store receipt holder displaying mom and dad in younger days. **To deter harming original photographs from sun exposure, we have printed copies of the pictures for displaying. Even though we're not sure what this square metal object was, it doesn't really matter! It is now quite the show piece with snapshots of loved ones. (Perhaps in its previous life it was a receipt or invoice holder, or held cash in a bank teller drawer).It can easily be hung on the wall, or tied to an old lamp base as seen here. Aren't the small metal numbers great?

The picture holder on the right is used farm machinery at its best. The two worn-out sickle mower guards (which just happen to fit perfectly together) are repurposed to hold a photo of days gone by. On the left, the door from a small town post office box in its perfectly aged glory holds a treasured photo. We think it's much more interesting than a plain picture frame, don't you?

Here's a close-up showing how we connected the two mower pieces.Remember, be creative when displaying groupings of old photos (and use copies!). Mix and match, and be creative with your frames. You'll love the results!

Whether it's an old photograph or a great piece of junk used for displaying it...

Old Never Looked so Good!

JunkFest
 

#2 Shabby Nest- Old Iron Bed

I just love breathing new life into something old and lovely that has been neglected. Case in point, this beautiful, antique, wrought iron bed. It has amazing details and a fabulous curved foot board that just makes me drool. It sat in my sister-in-law's barn for years because it didn't have any side rails. I asked her if I could have it, and try to bring it back to life, and she agreed, although she may have been a little skeptical that I would be able to do it.

Finding the exact rails that would work with this bed would have been very time consuming, and probably very expensive. Luckily, I had a plan that involved my metal-working father. Between the two of us, we formulated a workable solution that involved a king-size metal bed frame, bolts, welding, and lot of muscle from my Pop. Thanks, Pop!!

After my father finished rigging the frame, I gave the head and foot board a fresh coat of paint. Now this beautiful bed stands proud as a testament to what a little love and a lot of ingenuity can do. It is the crown jewel of my daughter's bedroom.

I dressed the bed in a vintage-inspired matelasse coverlet, the palest pink bed skirt, and a pile of scrumptious pillows. And because my daughter is a 7-year-old with modern sensibilities, I decided to add some funky new fabrics in addition to the soft, vintage-look floral, and the chubby chenille. A damask-inspired print in a lime green and the same pattern in a hot pink colorway really add punch and playfulness to the pretty old bed.

Add in the pretty nightstand, rehabbed with a fresh coat of white paint and a hot pink polka dot ribbon for a handle, and you have a lovely vignette. Finally, to bring a little color to the foot of the bed, I secured a green and pink berry wreath to the center post with another bit of polka dot ribbon.

And everything old is new again! To learn more about this project, please join me at my blog, The Shabby Nest

xoxo

Wendy

#3 Miss Mustard Seed- Old Display Case

  I am blessed to have inherited a lot of beautiful things from my family.  Furniture, pictures, personal items, monogrammed silver, and linens.  I don't want to leave them packed away in boxes where they can't be appreciated, so I gathered some of my favorite things together to display in an antique curio that belonged to my great aunt.  Here are some tips on decorating with antique items, whether collected or inherited. 

1.) Group like things together.  I kept the arrangement in this curio monochromatic, but with lots of texture.  That makes it both pleasing and interesting to the eye.  Also, I kept mostly to ironstone, silver, wood, and natural materials.  A bunch of random treasures shoved in a curio will get lost in the chaos. 

2.) Add lots of layers.  By layering pictures in front of ironstone platters and silver on a folded tea towel, it makes the arrangements interesting and showcases smaller items that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

3.) Make the everyday important.  I love antique items that were used in daily life...a hairbrush, a shoehorn, baby booties, letters, umbrella handles, a lighter, darts, and game pieces.  By grouping them together, they become art.

4.) Let your arrangement tell a story. Almost everything in this cabinet has some significance to me.  The silver coins speak to my grandmother's collecting habit, the seashells tell of summers spent at the beach, and the duck callers remind me of my grandfather's love for hunting. 

5.) Get personal.  Displaying pictures, letters, postcards, and mementos (like my grandmother's garter that she wore on her wedding day) make an arrangement personal and unique.  Every family has a rich history.  Be a keeper and sharer of that history. 

6.) Only display things you love. It doesn't matter what you paid for it or who owned it, if you don't love it, don't display it. And no one else has to love it or "get it." A lot of people might scratch their heads at a shoe form, a rusted pump part, and a meat grinder being arranged in and on a beautiful antique curio, but I love these pieces and that's all that matters. 

I wish I could show more than five pictures in this post!  There are so many special pieces to share, so make sure you visit my  Blog to see more.

#4 Funky Junk Interiors- Box Spring Bulletin Board

~ A bouncy bulletin board ~

When the topic of OLD came up for SYTYCD, I debated, "Should I work on a priceless artifact or go after a piece of junk?"

Bet you can guess the answer to that one. :) Which would you chose to work on out of this pile? I'd bet the one I chose isn't even on your radar. But it's in there. :)

I first worked on an old plant stand thing scooped from my neighbor's trash trailer. I removed some weird center metal frilly thing leaving me a wonderful frame to work with. A stain went on without a varnish of any kind, leaving it the perfect matte patina for what I had in mind.

I hired my 10 yr old son to help me create our first ever burlap covered bulletin board to the piece. The gorgeous wood frame really took a normal shnormal bulletin board to the next level. I loved the outcome!

So, would you ever have guessed this?!? This mattress box spring whatever it's called has become a kitchen bulletin board. It has the most amazing deep rusty patina that I've ever seen.  I am very much a note person and need to see them in view to remember, so this invention is perfect for me.

Random notes are held in place with... weathered clothespins of course! The smaller bulletin board is the perfect companion, holding smaller type notes. The plant stand base provides the perfect shelf for clothespins and other office supplies.

What was once a very sleepy little bulletin board area now has a whole lotta rusty pizazz, which perfectly suites our home. I love the fact that the base doesn't darken this corner as it isn't solid. And the sky's the limit on what you could do with this idea. A pot rack, base for hanging antiques, anything is possible! My new little funky note helper sits beside my blogging office armoire.

A priceless antique? I'd say yes it is, as I don't believe I paid very much at all for it. :) For a MUCH more involved post showing all the steps of the build and accessories, visit my blog HERE . See ya there!

#5- Welcome to the Turner Farm- Stove turned Settee

I am comforted with all things old.  I feel a sense of security when there is history in the items I add to our home.  I LOVE old/vintage things, so much so, that I got lost in several barns, shops and on the family property in search for inspiration.  Wow, was I inspired.  Yet, at the end of the day, I came back to a project that I had started back in February.  My first non-construction project at the new farmhouse. After  a long dry spell of no decorating, most of my time focused on construction.  I AM THRILLED to be adding history and decor to my new home.  I came close to rushing from one project to another. Did I tell you?  Lots of Inspiration!  Once the adrenalin high slightly wore off, I convinced myself that I must finish the projects in process before I move on.  

The beginnings of My Cook Stove Settee

 I found the base in a small second hand shop. The previous owner had tried to make a coffee table.   It wasn't a success, so I got a really good deal.  I loved the base. It instantly took me back to my roots.  I had always wanted a cook stove at the farmhouse.   When I saw this I knew I would put it to use, I did not know how, just knew I would.  My first post on my first non-construction project can be found here.  Before I was educated on the benefits of Picasa.

The Problem:  We needed a temporary breakfast nook and I needed a work station.  I do a lot of computer work for menu planning from home.  For 3 years, we have used fold up camp chairs for work, relaxing, and dining.  We were in need of comfort.  Yet, something that could be moved easily as construction proceeds.

The Solution:  My cook stove settee has become the rest center of our home.  Add a couple of antique ironing boards and a few favorite  accessories.  Work, Rest, and Dining.  Who knew that one settee could make such a difference in the lives of two farmers/builders/professionals.

Can you spot another project I've been working on.

Hint: A gift from my dad.

 It will be featured on my blog soon.

Make a cup of tea, put your feet up and visit awhile.
THE TURNER FARM WELCOMES YOU!

#6- FleaMarket Trixie- Closet Door Headboard

For the category "old" I'm showing the headboard that I made using a vintage settee and vintage closet doors. The total cost to make was only 10.00 dollars, $6.00 for molding, $3.00 for settee, free closet doors, free scrap molding and leftover house paint.

I wanted the headboard to look old and chippy, so I applied several different paint colors to add texture and depth.

For more info and to see the before pictures visit me Here.

#7- The Feminist Housewife- Window Bulletin Board

In a time when aging is fought with miracles creams, injections, surgeries, and thousands of dollars, "old" has lost it's value. Amongst the young and the beautiful, their are aged gems that deserve respect. Hidden jewels that have more character and beauty than any manufactured piece could ever attain. It's about finding a weathered item, and helping it show it's true value to the modern world.

I started this theme with an old window...I don't know it's story, or the many storms that it's braved. It lost it's glass at some point in it's life. But, that did not stop me from seeing so much potential.

Dmitri enjoyed crawling in between the window panes.

And what became of the weathered old window? It will live a second life as a memo board. Complete with a magnetic surface, chalkboard, and cork board! Hooks line the bottom for keys and accessories to fall.

The hooks fall between the original hardware which was left intact. The striped surface is beadboard, which I primed with magnetic primer so that it could hold photos and notes!

Rustic, yet functional. The perfect message center for a busy woman in modern world, while paying tribute to the beauty that comes with age, and the joy found in recycling.

For a tutorial visit The Feminist Housewife!

#8- All Things Thrifty- Old Hutch

One of our favorite quotes over at All Things Thrifty comes from Edward de Bono. He said, "Too many people believe that creativity is a talent with which some people are born and the rest of us can only envy. This is a negative attitude that is completely mistaken. Creativity is a skill that can be learned, developed and applied."

Using creativity to transform old things into new takes courage, but ANYONE can do it. Teaching people how to do it is what All Things Thrifty is all about.

As you all know, the category this week was "OLD." We love refinishing furniture, and we make old things new and hip by re-creating them. Isn't it great to have a vision and exciting to get those creative juices flowing to discover how to accomplish that vision? These transformations are extremely rewarding, and before and after pictures are always fun in our book. Below are the "before" pictures of this week's highlighted project. Click on the image to make it larger.

I had been searching for a hutch for awhile, but I had a large challenge (literally)...My hubby got a 50" flat screen. UMMMM....only hutches on steroids would hold the giant thing. Instantly, the television took the focal point spot in the room. I was NOT ok with that. Then I found her. She was beautiful....well, at least my vision of her was. She was a whopping $35.00 on Craigslist.

With a little love and effort, we went for it. We made a few alterations by removing the doors, we built cubbyholes for the electronics, we painted the hutch, and, finally, we glazed it to give it an extra "pop."

Glazing furniture is a GREAT way to bring out the details of old furniture. This furniture has a LOT of character, and I love all the ornate details. I also sprayed the hardware an oil rubbed bronze color for contrast. We accomplished our next goal to make the family room area sizzle by incorporating some of our own personalities into the room. We made our own stencil for the wall behind the hutch out of plastic folders for only $4.00! I love how the stenciled wall turned out.

Here is the entire area with the stenciled wall and the hutch to share the spotlight.

We love making "old" things new! If you would like detailed instructions on how to create this look with paint and glaze, please visit All Things Thrifty.

I just love the sassy new look in our family room!

Thank you Ladies! Ya done good! (as usual) 

Now scroll on up to the top and pick your favorite 2! 

And leave a comment if you'd like a chance to win that gift certificate from The Rusted Chain!

See you Wednesday for the announcement of the winner of the giveaway!!