something old something new

Revamp, reuse and up-cycle what you’ve got. Don’t spend a fortune updating your décor, create a whole new look by being creative with what you already have, and help save the planet at the same time. It’s fashionable to be frugal! One room, one weekend, one easy makeover, shop at home and reinvent yourself using what you already have. Using my clever tricks I have up-cycled existing items that would have been otherwise destined for a landfill, combined with some budget savvy buys, creating a room full of personality.

The starting point to this room was a water stained retro sideboard, with a sand and a few coats of glossy Resene Broom carefully applied with a spray gun it has truly taken on a new life in a fashionable colour. The cowhide shaped rug was a gorgeous piece of vintage Feltex Axminster ‘Summer Bouquet’ estimated to be 50 years old, I picked it up on the side of the road in our local inorganic collection, and with some clever shaping and edging it gives the room a real wow factor.

Probably the weirdest thing in the room, I took Grandpa’s old trophy out of the shed and brought it into 2009 with a coat of Resene Bianca on the antlers and some funky Florence Broadhurst fabric leftovers from recovering the chair. Topped off with a frame painted in Resene Broom it makes an eye-catching sculpture. The hot pink chair back on the wall is a painted silhouette in Resene Pink Panther, creating the illusion of more furniture in the room, but actually saving space and dollars.

One of the cheapest things in this room are the picture frames, they were around 50c each from garage sales. The ugly artwork went straight into the recycle bin, and I went to work with my brush and a selection of Resene colours in a gloss finish. A word of advice, invest in a box of disposable gloves for this delicate work! The pretty pink floral Vision wallpaper from the Esprit Home Collection, also from Resene, on the walls, and as a point of difference was carried up to cover the ceiling, now becomes an entire room of art.

Crown Lynn and other vintage and retro ceramics have become hot property, but don’t cast it aside just because it has a crack or chip, with a new coat of glossy Resene Bondi Blue the imperfections are forgotten and the ugly duckling is now a beautiful swan again! This is a great option for those who feel they have to hide most precious things away from the pitter patter of tiny feet. Get creative by raiding plants and flowers from your own garden for an inexpensive but eye-catching and unique display.

Colours used: Resene Bianca, Bondi Blue, Resene Broom, Resene Curious Blue, Resene Pink Panther.

Products used: Resene Enamacryl.

Colour Selection: LeeAnn Yare
Interior Designer: LeeAnn Yare
Photographer: Wendy Fenwick
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2010

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