I'm an artist and writer, and own a house in Seattle's U-District. I hate spending money on furniture, even when I can afford it, and it doesn't help that nearly all the furniture I like is well out of my price range.

However, I love bringing scruffy old pieces back to life by refinishing and reupholstering them. There's something really satisfying about finding a discarded piece of furniture on the street and reviving it with the right paint, stain, or fabric. Not only do I end up with a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture for very little money, but I've kept it out of a landfill.

I also love Ikea because I can buy something cheap and use it as a starting point for a much more interesting piece of furniture. I don't think I've ever bought anything at Ikea that stayed in its original form or color for more than six months. Either I take it apart and reconfigure it, or make drastic changes before I even put it together.

I don't do as much thrift shopping as I used to because I end up buying too many things I don't need. My thrift store mainstays, however, are picture frames and lamps. Just as a scruffy old chair can be made new again by reupholstering it, a lamp in an ugly color can be transformed with paint, gold leaf, or decoupage. Once I've added a new or refurbished shade, I've got an expensive-looking lamp for very little money. And I'm always on the lookout for picture frames that can be painted black, or gold-leafed, or both.

My style is probably best exemplified by Tim Gunn's "Make it work!" mantra. I take things as they come, and try to figure out how to make them harmonize with what I've already got. Whether it's modernizing a Mission-style sofa, or painting my kitchen cabinets, or trying to figure out how to make a recliner look less recliner-y, it's all about problem-solving.