How to Successfully Reupholster a Curvaceous Modern Chair with a Sweater

By: Modhomeecteacher Apr 19, 2010

created at: 04/19/2010

The Indy Thrift Score Social Club has it's first event this Saturday. Yes, I've found a group of enablers and we're gathering in the morning for a Tour de' Junk. I've been told that the terms secondhand, thrift, or secondary market would be more appropriate. Anyway, we're hitting downtown Indianapolis for our greedy little secondhand fix. Most of the scouts are mid century modern fans and that's where things can get sticky. Chances are that if anyone comes across a tattered chair of the MCM kind, it usually has beautiful soft curves and reupholstering this treasure becomes a dilemma since woven fabrics don't generally cooperate with soft round curves. So, how do you reupholster such a modern… Continue Reading

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Make It! Secondhand Chic: Quick & Easy Garden Decor

By: Diy maven Apr 12, 2010

created at: 04/12/2010

Looking for some simple, quick and CHEAP garden decor that the birdies will love? Check it out...with a few supplies you can make bird baths and feeders in less than a minute. Yes, you read that correctly. Less than a minute! Here's what you'll need to make… Continue Reading

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Curbly Giveaway: Win a Free Copy of Make It! Secondhand Chic, Plus a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate

By: Chrisjob Apr 12, 2010

created at: 03/02/2010

Curbly's second publication - Make It! Secondhand Chic - is now available! Last week, we celebrated by giving away a free PDF-copy and a $50 Amazon.com giftcard. And the response was great, so we're doing it again this week!

created at: 04/06/2010

Make It! Secondhand Chic features fourteen original projects that will show you how to transform common thrift-store finds into useful, stylish gems, and well as some tips for finding and using secondhand… Continue Reading

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Suitcase Side Table

By: Diy maven Apr 12, 2010

vintage_table_2-24.jpg

One of the 14 original projects in Make It! Secondhand Chic, is a circa 1970's suitcase turned side table, but its maker, Chris, gave it that fresh mid-mod vibe that we've come to expect from him. In this option, an old folding director's chair serves as the legs of the side table while the vintage suitcase on top gives the whole look a steampunk feel. 

If you wanna see Chris's version, you'll have to snag a copy of Make It!… Continue Reading

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Please Welcome Guest Blogger and Thrift Master Stan Williams

By: Chrisjob Apr 12, 2010

created at: 04/12/2010

Hellllloooooo, Curbly! Today, April 12th, is the release of Curbly's second publication -Make It! Secondhand Chic. All week, we'll be celebrating with lots of thrifty goodness, new how-tos, magic makeovers,  and tips for getting great secondhand goodies. We've also invited Stan Williams, blogger of "The Elegant Thrifter" and author of The Find, to offer some tips for working and decorating with thrift shop treasures and flea market… Continue Reading

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Win a $30,000 Makeover for Your Neighborhood Park

By: Diy maven Apr 08, 2010

created at: 04/08/2010

Is your backyard a neighborhood park or ball field? Does it need some TLC? If so, Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew is ready to give you the manpower and $30K to make it over. The contest, called More Green Across America, runs now until April 16th, thats a week from tomorrow. To enter you'll need to log on to More Green Across America and submit up to four photos of the park and an essay of 250 words or less telling why your park or ball field… Continue Reading

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Stark Front Porch Makeover

By: Modhomeecteacher Apr 05, 2010

created at: 04/05/2010

For the past two years I've been thinking about a porch makeover. My porch is full of kind of cool collected furniture but the color of the brick walls and the cushions need to be completely re-thought.  Thus, I've been searching high and low for… Continue Reading

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How To Reupholster a $15.00 Garage Sale Wingback Chair

By: Modhomeecteacher Apr 05, 2010

created at: 04/05/2010

Everybody asks me if they can handle reupholstering the classic Wingback chair.  Unless you're a skilled slipcover seamstress, you might get overly ambitious and find yourself elbow deep in cotton batting before you know it. Before you remove the first… Continue Reading

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Art Deco Before and After

By: Diy maven Apr 05, 2010

52-54 Iris: The Original Facade

Usually before and after images elicit a positive reaction. This one may not. Located in Laurel Heights, (San Francisco) the art deco two-unit building pictured above underwent a major renovation a few years back. Here's what it looked like after the… Continue Reading

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Second-hand Chic: Wallpapered Dressing Table

By: Diy maven Apr 05, 2010

Wallpapered dressing table - before

Abby's use of wallpaper to turn this sad dressing table into a lovely piece of furniture is an exciting technique to add to our quiver of tricks to turn secondhand items into chic additions to our… Continue Reading

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How to Enhance What You Have in a Guest Bedroom Makeover

By: Modhomeecteacher Mar 29, 2010

created at: 03/29/2010

We've all had white rooms where furniture was dumped and that was that. One day you look in and decide you can't stand it for one more minute. This guest room was in serious need of some TLC.

The homeowner wanted to keep the four poster bed and her grandfather's desk. Instead of limiting the options of the decorator, this seemed to have set up a nice roadmap for the trip. Take a look at how designer, Anne Turner Carroll turned this blank slate into an eye-popping cozy guest… Continue Reading

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From Frumpy to Fresh: Rachel's Chair

By: Diy maven Mar 29, 2010

michellechairbefore

A chair that looks like the one above could easily be passed-over in a thrift store or at a rummage sale. But Rachel saw beyond its forlorn state and got down to business. Although it was her first re-upholstery project, she successfully took it from frumpy to… Continue Reading

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Second-hand Chic: Utensil Decor

By: Diy maven Mar 29, 2010

created at: 03/29/2010

Second hand shops and rummage sales are FULL of eating utensils. For these projects from HGTV's Decorating Cents, we don't even need matching utensils. Actually, mis-matched would even be… Continue Reading

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Second-hand Chic: a Milk Crate Turned Stool

By: Diy maven Mar 22, 2010

I have exciting news! Our esteemed leader, Bruno, is putting the finishing touches on the next installment of the Curbly Make It! Library, Make It! Second Hand Chic. Much as Make It! Mid-Century Modern, this volume shows you, step by step, how to turn second hand items into stylish additions to your decor. Fifteen projects in all, there's something for every room in your house. 

To gear up for the release of Make It! Second Hand Chic, we've decided to cull the internets for some fabulous trash to treasure projects that will make you look at cast-offs in a brand new way.

created at: 03/22/2010

First up is this so clever and cute Milk Crate… Continue Reading

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Painted Paneling is a Budget Friendly Room Changer

By: Modhomeecteacher Mar 22, 2010

created at: 03/22/2010

Photo:Sunset

We've had our share of wood paneling (good and bad) to deal with in the past. It can pose a huge  design problem to many people. If you've ever seen wood paneling redone right, it adds an interesting textural surface to the walls of a  room. For the mere cost of high gloss white marine paint and an ebony stain for the floor, the room takes on an entirely different look and feel.… Continue Reading

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