Vintage Glam Part Deux

So here we are. Our client Janeka's home is finally complete and we finally have some pictures to prove it. 

We dished about her amazing master bedroom/bath here and man, has that room been the belle of the ball, becoming our most popular room ever, even getting a feature on Apartment Therapy. 
This is where we started back in December with the living and dining rooms:





The walls had been painted in Coastal Fog by Benjamin Moore before we got hired. A soothing color that I loved, but y'all know that I loves me some color so I knew right away that we needed a splash of something bold so added the orange accent wall. She had already painted the main stairway wall in orange so this would connect the two areas. Now, I did this without her knowledge.  But my clients place a lot of faith in me so I hoped she'd let me get away with it. Thankfully she was happy as punch that I pulled that caper so whew. No drama there.

 

 



 



Before I meet with a client, they complete a detailed questionnaire about their likes and dislikes, their wish list for their home. From her questionnaire, I learned that Janeka loved old Hollywood and fashionable women so I thought it would be fitting to feature some icons in her space. Black and white images of Audrey Hepburn, Eartha Kitt and Dorothy Dandridge did the trick, holding court in this glam space.

Does the sofa seem familiar? I hinted about it here a few weeks ago? We selected this very budget-friendly and comfortable one from Macys. I jazzed it up with some custom designed pillows made with some very budget-friendly fabric finds. The orange/white fabric was on the pricier so I got just enough for the front and did the back using fabric that was a whopping $2 a yard! Tricks of the trade. 

We sanded and painted her old coffee table and sprayed the knobs in gold. We then dressed it up even more with a gold tray (also painted) and added some other fun candle holders, the orchid and leather storage box.



 

I turned Janeka into a lover of vintage furniture. She scored these side chairs while thrifting for clothes (among her favorite past-times). I picked them up - in Palm Beach no less - which is an hour away! Then had them reupholstered with that black and herringbone fabric combo. The legs too got a facelift with some gold paint.

Every room needs a cozy corner to snuggle up to. Her dog Pepper certainly agrees and has officially claimed this as his little zone. The chaise is from Target and we added the nail head details to give it a custom look.

 

Man, finding this foyer table was a doozy. I definitely wanted to do some repurposing on this project for budget reasons and to keep in line with her wish for a vintage vibe. After weeks of searching thrift stores from Palm Beach to Miami, we finally found this battered and bruised one for $40 bucks at one of my faves, Faith Farm. It was an old credenza and at first I thought it was way  too low but we then realized it has adjustable legs. You CANNOT imagine the hallelujah dance I did when we discovered it. Fitting it inside my SUV was no easy feat but man that truck can hold its own! We then sanded and painted and voila. I'll share details on all the DIY projects next week. 

The mirrored side tables add just the perfect touch of glamor, topped off with fun accessories for a bit of whimsy and those lamps, what a statement! I also wanted the side tables and lamps to silver to help balance out some of the gold we had on other items. Yep, it's definitely okay to mix metals.

 

The stairway was a perfect place for a gallery wall. Inexpensive frames from Ikea and Target did the trick here. The pendant is another amazing find from Overstock.com, I think I'm officially obsessed with that store. The beautiful thing about a gallery wall is that you can make it grow with you so I've encouraged her to continue to add more framed photos of other milestone moments.  



Now, let's eat. And drink. Let's check out the dining room.

 

We repurposed her original glass dining table, but spray painted the base in gold as well. Those black and white silk drapes we scored on Overstock as well. They made me swoon. Literally. They make such a statement. As does that chandelier from Eurostyle Lighting. 

 

Ohhh, these cane chairs! Talk about scouring the thrift stores once again. These I found early one Sunday morning at ChabadThrift in Fort Lauderdale. The owner was kind enough to let me have the chairs without the matching dining table. Another steal at just $75 for the four. Again, sanded and painted then adorned with that amazing fabric from another fabric store fave, Designer Discount Fabric. The base is from her original table which we reused here. 

 

No vintage inspired dining room is complete withouth a bar cart. But finding an affordable cart aint no joke - even on Craigslist! I searched for weeks and finally found this one at Home Goods at the 11th hour! Divine intervention? Did I mention that I had to ward off two other women who spotted it at the same time I did? My days of running track and field definitely paid off that night.  

 

Last but not least, her amazing pup Pepper needed to leave his stamp in this home. He received his own gallery wall on the wall facing the sofa. Love that pup, as did Xavier who tried to hug and kiss him to pieces. Priceless. That's all folks. As always, please share your thoughts, feedback. Could you live with an orange wall? What furniture have you repurposed recently and was it worth all the hard work? Holla.



What's Better Than Craigslist? South Florida's Faith Farm

Years ago, when I was a single gal living in a three bedroom condo all by my lonesome, I was a hoarder. Shameful, I know, but confession is good for the soul! The culprit? A then little known place called Faith Farm Ministries.

Like Goodwill and Salvation Army, Faith Farm sells goods donated by locals. But since much of their space is outdoors, they need to get things sold asap, which means, deals,deals and more deals. It also doesn't hurt that the workers are suckers for a girl with a smile. Let's just say my friends and I have walked outa there with some pretty amazing steals. 
I hadn't been in years. But when my friend Asanyah and I were fishing for items for the Obama pop-up store we did recently, we decided to swing by.
Since I'm now an old (I use this term loosely!) married woman with a child - whose toys have taken over the entire condo - I couldn't purchase a thing! We are literally busting at the seams in said condo and will be house hunting soon.Here are some treats we stumbled on, most of which were under $50. 
I really wanted a few of these but I'm hoping they've found some loving owners.
Here goes.... 

Look at the legs on this mama? Sexy!

Some amazing possibilities here with these nightstands/end tables. Paint, new hardware and they would be spiffy.

Frames galore for a $1 to $3 a piece.

Loads of potential here with this sea of coffee and end tables

Huge crush on this glass beauty. The shape is killer and would be quite the conversation piece don't you think?

This table and chairs would be perfect for a breakfast nook or as a dining table since it can be expanded. I'm not even sure I'd reupholster!The purple fabric looks fab.  

Please take us home and show us some love...

This thing of beauty had sold stickers plastered everywhere! Smart shopper. Someone got a really good deal here.

Loved this dresser, and I'm not usually a fan of dressers! But I could so see this as a fun piece all glossed up and pretty in a lil girl's room. Don't be fooled by that $149. I would have offered about $50, maybe even $30 if we were down to the end of the day.

I have a thing for wing back chairs. Just a stately piece of furniture that some folks don't have the sense to show some respect! I once rescued one from the trash. She is now a thing of beauty in my office. 

That's a heck of a senior citizen discount no? If this weren't in the foreign country of Fort Lauderdale, I'm pretty sure my good friend Sophia would schlep her dad along to get this hefty discount. Miami folks are funny about crossing the border. Madness.

Wickedly awesome basket, leather and tweed briefcases, perfect as a side table piece or for a photo shoot. Cost for this total haul which now sits pretty in Asanyah's loft? $3 and a wink. 


That's all folks. Can't wait to get a new home so I can find some cool/fun pieces to mingle with my very contemporary items. What piece have you found at a thrift shop that makes you squeal with delight every time you see it? And how well did you negotiate? Do tell.