For me, choosing a color is a bit easier because I have access to a multitude of idea books and color swatches. I often get the urge to change a room color when I see a color scheme I like in a trade magazine or home decorating magazine and every so often I am even inspired by the color of a simple object…such as a piece of beach glass.

When helping customers pick a paint color I like to simplify it by asking them two basic questions:

What is your favorite color and what colors typically makes you feel good?

Now, homeowners and designers alike can use Glidden’s MyColortopia which helps take the guess work out of trying to choose the perfect paint color!

Take the quiz below and find out what colors fit you and your lifestyle!

The views provided in this review are the personal views of Nifty Thrifty Girl and are not the views of AkzoNobel or any other company. I received compensation in return for this article.

the retro dresser I found at the local thrift store and made into our tv stand? What are the chances that I would find another dresser just like this one? Apparently, pretty good because I found another at our local thrift store…exactly like the first one! This dresser wasn’t as pristine as the last one but it was marked down to $17. YES, $17!!! I knew I could work my magic for that price. In typical Nifty Thrifty Girl fashion, I was so anxious to transform the piece that I forgot to take some before pics to show how ugly it was. I did snap some photos of the drawers so you can get the idea of its gold/yellow ugliness…

And a shot of it primed…

And…the finished product…

Our new dining room buffet. I thought the original drawer pulls & knobs were pretty cool so I painted them with a satin nickel spray paint and re-installed them.

Not bad for a mere $17, eh? I spent more on the paint & spray paint than I did on the dresser!

Have a project you’d like help with? Don’t hesitate to contact me!  Stay tuned for more re-dos that I will be offering for sale.

Stairs make up an integral part of any home and are important in determining the impression your home gives off. Whether you want your home to be classic and rustic or  chic and modern, you do have to keep your staircase’s image in mind. This article will give you a few things to think about when it comes to stairs.

Appearance

As stated above, the way your stairs look is very important. A staircase will often dominate the room or entire section of the house it is located in so you just can’t afford for it to look anything less than perfect. There is a massive selection of designs of stair parts to choose from to suit any home. Balustrades are a great way to make a dramatic difference to the appearance of your stairs at a very low cost. A balustrade is very easy to construct by yourself as there are often instructions detailing what to do enclosed with the parts.

Materials

When you’re in the market for stair parts or new stairs you have to ensure that the parts you buy are of premium quality. Your stairs have to put up with the daily strain of people walking up and down them every day so clearly you need wood that won’t suffer under the pressure. Furthermore you can always tell poor quality wood by its cheap looking appearance.

DIY

When you want to make improvements to your stairs then preferably you want to be able to do it all by yourself. When you start hiring professionals that’s when the costs start to skyrocket. Luckily most stair parts and balustrades come with detailed instructions telling you exactly what to do. If you get stuck then usually the suppliers will have a support team you can contact who will point you in the right direction.

Cost

As the stairs form such an integral part of the home its worth spending some money to make sure they look the best they can. However that doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune to get the look you want. The best way to save money when it comes to stairs is to shop online. These online stores have a far more extensive range than their high street alternatives and can often beat their prices by a substantial margin as well.

So when you’re looking for stairs or stair parts then make sure that you bear all the above points in mind. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to purchase the parts from a reputable supplier so you don’t get any unpleasant surprises.

It will do…for now. The fun thing about canvas is that it can be reworked and reused over and over!

I bought this horrendous plastic faux gold mirror last month at a thrift store for $6.99.

I originally thought I would paint it a lovely shade of lime green…or perhaps hot pink…but opted to use it at the head of the stairs…

…and figured white would be best.

My child complains that the hallway now looks like a “baby’s room”, but I’m happy with it…for now. That’s the joy of paint, it can be changed in a few short hours!

This year, however, because I am trying to purge I decided I would avoid looking. Ha. When I took my dogs out for a walk early on the first ‘trash’ day they stopped at a roadside pile and sniffed. And what to my wondering eyes did appear…but two vintage basket weave metal patio chairs. I gazed at them, pondered, shrugged them off and decided to go on my way. Hours later I could not stop thinking about them! So…I went back and they must have been meant to be mine because they were still there.

Here is their before and after:

After much scraping, metal brushing, rust removal, priming and painting, I have a lovely pair of pink patio chairs!

I installed one in my bedroom and will use the other on the patio (that is, if the weather ever cooperates). Even though they are a bit time consuming to make, I love the look of them so much I may even make another for my hallway!

I’ve been wanting to replace my giant, cottage-looking armoire that held my tv for some time now and I knew this piece would make the perfect contemporary tv console. So…with a little paint and some new drawer pulls…let me introduce you to my new tv console…

I’m thrilled with the results. It’s a much needed change from the old armoire, plus, it makes the living room look so much bigger.

Oh, so many things to be made…purses, pillows, coffee cozies and needle caddies. First, a few pillows:

I’d better get off the computer and back to work. Needle caddies coming up next! Stay tuned for updates. Many of these pieces can be purchased from my etsy shop…but some will not be listed as I have to work on my stock for this year’s Farmer’s Market booth.

Stay warm!

One of my favorite places to find great bargains is my local Family Dollar store. For a fraction of what you would pay for high-end home decorating pieces Family Dollar has tons of  low-priced items to choose from. And, if you aren’t fond of a particular gold mirror – just paint it a different color to match your decor! I can’t even count on both hands the number of items I’ve purchased from Family Dollar and re-worked to fit in my decor. From wicker baskets, mirrors, frames, lamps and curtains, I’ve transformed some inexpensive pieces into eye-catching decor items.

One of my favorite transformations are the hand-stamped curtains in my dining room. I wanted some graphic curtains but couldn’t afford the designer price tag so I decided to make my own. I purchased 4 Family Dollar sheer panels:

…and proceeded to stamp them with a stamp I created. The finished product:

Need inexpensive lighting? Family Dollar offers a great variety of lamps and although the shades may not be what you want, you can easily change out or dress up any shade! Here is a $10 Family Dollar lamp I purchased for my kitchen. I added some fabric and pompom fringe and voila!, a super cute, custom lamp:

So, what are you waiting for? Get to your local Family Dollar and find some great home decor bargains! PLUS – this week get $5 off your $25 Home purchase! Click HERE to get your coupon.