trashed. I did a nice white-wash (leaving some rusti- ness visible), layered several coats of gloss sealer and reupholstered the seat cushions for a set of cool and funky dining chairs. Leg broken off that old dresser? Cut off the other
three and let it sit on the floor! Or bolt on wooden finials from your local home goods store, paint it and you have a winner. A beat up old umbrella painted nicely then hung upside-down with compact fluorescent creates the greatest up-light. I recently ran across a chandelier made of old wine bottles with the bottoms cut off, strung with a light bulb in each one’s center, then clus- tered together over a dining table—stunning. I once had hideous wall sconces that I hated; I found
4.Nature knows best. Okay, you have the majors covered and you’re on
your way to the best spring/summer makeover you can imagine. Now you have to accessorize. I’m going to ask you to step out of “ye old box” and
ing! Or better yet, choose natural sisal. Put a freshly painted white coffee table on top, with white side tables. Add your old lamps with crisp white shades and white toss pillows (maybe one or two in a burlap/ tan tone). White candles, white pots with plants (no silly, the plants can be green) and shells in white, white, white! Don’t want to paint any of your furniture you say?
What a perfect time for a garage sale tour. Buy a table for its appropriate size. Be it end, coffee, console or even dining, get out your can of white paint. The beauty of garage sale glamour is that the condition, shape and style don’t really matter—they’re all going to be white so the design consistency’s in that. NOTE: Custom slipcovers can get expensive, so
keep your costs down by choosing inexpensive but durable fabrics. Better yet, shop a discount fabric supply house for bargains. Many places online sell pre-made muslin slipcovers, starting around $80 or $90 for a sofa. Measure carefully and choose simplic- ity over “foofiness” every time. (It’s not a word, I know. But it is descriptive, isn’t it?)
try to look at the pieces you choose a little differently. My rule of thumb when accessorizing for a lighter summer look is to keep things as close to nature as possible…or to at least “reflect it.” Sisals, natural cottons, linens, even burlaps are great for summer looks and are generally quite comfortable (except of course in the case of burlap—can we say itchy?) Plants are wonderful. Or, if you kill them, dried florals often work too. Bamboo is favorite accessory tool for this type of environment, it is truly amazing and there isn’t much made that you can’t find done in bamboo fibers. I found a great towel line made beautifully from the fibers. The best ways to lighten things up in a room-
redo is with mirrors and glass objects d’art. There I go again—outside the box—in French this time. NOTE: Mirror, Mirror on the wall...time to hit the
garage sale circuit to find funky old picture frames and other odd bits. Search out a large frame, paint it white, stick a mirror in it and voilà... fabulousness for pennies. I once found a dirty old set of domed hub- caps at a flea market, buffed them up and hung’em on the wall for the best convex mirror collection ever!
5.Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s bad. The classic adage plays out well here, “One man’s
trash is another man’s treasure.” Some of my favorite design elements have come from somebody else’s garbage. Years ago, a friend was throwing away a set of bi-fold louvered closet doors at just the moment I needed a privacy screen. I took the four doors (with hinges intact), painted them and I suddenly had the best room screen—ever. My grandparents were tossing out an old set of rusty folding chairs because the vinyl seats were
a heat-resistant paper and made shades large enough to cover them completely. I similarly solved another lighting dilemma in an office with long-tube fluores- cent fixtures throughout by drooping chains from side to side every 12 inches and inserting decorative paper sheets between. NOTE: Heat and paper don’t mix. Use only heat-
resistant paper or compact fluorescents that don’t warm up, or you may have a fire on your hands. The point here is to encourage you to push the boundaries of your imagination. See those bike gears? One is inter- esting. 12 on a wall is a groovy collection. It’s all about perception, baby.
The only rule here, my friends, is that
there aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to design. It’s easier for some than for others. But that’s what a designer is for. So don’t hesitate to enlist some help. Start with one room, clean it out, leave
the largest pieces and work your way up to accessories once they’re placed. Remember to watch those yard sales, al- leyways and flea markets for treasures. And remember—change is good.
MARCH 2013 | RAGE monthly 43
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