The Many Shades of Gray

It is incredible to see what people get rid of.  I have the total opposite problem.  I wouldn't say that I'm a hoarder, but please don't EVER look in my garage.  Someone gave this beauty up to the Salvation Army in Washington, D.C.  I snatched her up as quickly as I could. 

Let's call her Bertha.  She's a little wide in the hips, but her overall character is to die for.

Some people get writer's block.  I get painter's block.  I couldn't figure out what color to use today.  Bertha deserved something spectacular and I couldn't decide on a color that would suit her perfectly.  Yellow seemed too bright.  Blue felt a little depressing.  White was too boring.  I kept grabbing paint cans.  (Again, no hoarding here, but I looked through all 37 cans in my garage.)  FINALLY, I decided on gray.  

 

However, there was one slight problem... I didn't have enough of ONE gray, so I had to get creative with my mixing skills.  Did you know that gray + gray + gray = GRAY???  Might have to teach that one to my fourth graders.  I mixed the two lighter grays together and then poured a darker gray into the combo until I had the perfect shade.  While I was pouring, I had another idea - this one will be shared in a minute - I don't want to ruin the surprise! 

 

Bertha is already feeling sexier with her new and improved look.

 

Ready for the surprise?  Wait for it... Okay... It's not that big of a surprise, but while we were pouring the darker gray into the lighter grays, I had a vision.  I wondered what Bertha would look like with her drawers painted the darker gray.  Her larger drawers were very plain, so I thought that this would give Bertha a little POP! 

 

I couldn't get one of the drawer pulls off because the screw was stripped, so I decided to just paint over them.  Nifty little trick on knobs... Screw them into the bottom of a box to help you paint them all the way around.  This gives them a chance to dry without messing up the edges.  

Here is the new and improved Bertha - 

And now she's officially ready for her close-up.

 

 Happy Junkin'!

Sarah

Dump Day: Paintable Wallpaper

Like chicken wire, paintable wallpaper is extremely versatile!  Before, we've used it mainly on furniture.  In fact, a little birdie told me that a certain famous magazine may be featuring one of our wallpaper pieces (more details SOON)!!!!  What! What!  (and BOOM goes the dynamite).

Here are the two pieces that we've done previously with paintable wallpaper.

    

Now that you've caught your breath and changed pants, I'd like to expose you to our latest project...the wallpaper window

Here is what the window looked like before - plain, old and BORING! 



I simply laid the wallpaper behind the window.  Notice that it took two strips to cover the entire window.  Therefore, I had to make sure the two pieces met along the middle of the window. 

While Sarah had the yellow paint out for her trunk, I grabbed the sprayer, and doused the wallpaper (2 coats please).  After it dried, I went a little staple gun Crae Crae (isn't that how kids say crazy these days...whatever happened to Fo Shizzle?). Once I was done with the staples, my job was done!!!  Remember - I'm a laborer not a decorator!  Here is Sarah's "touch"...

Don't you just love the way the texture of the wallpaper shows through the glass?!?!

 

Happy Junkin'!

Mr. Dump

All You Need Is Love (and White Paint)

Hello, Junkers!

In an effort to keep up with the rest of the blogging world, I too am here to bring you a little Valentine's Day inspiration.  I would like to show you how we celebrate...Dumped and Discovered style!!!

The theme for our celebration is...

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

(and white paint)

We inherited these end tables from Mr. Dump's parents.  They inherited them from a friend, who inherited them from a friend, who inherited them from another friend....and so on!  The main point being that they were FREE!!!!!!! (insert happy music here)  What screams LOVE more than FREE?!?!?

They had character and were in GREAT shape!!!  Unfortunately, we don't get along well with "great shape" and had to rough them up a bit.  We took some sandpaper (120 grit) and lightly sanded these babies.  Next we added some white paint (2 coats)...and VIOLA!!!!  LOVE!!!!!

Don't worry...we  aren't using them like this...

After the paint dried, we took the same 120 grit sandpaper and kissed (another Valentine's word) the edges with them!  This project was EASY-PEAZY!!!!! 

Happy Valentine's Day...and Junkin'!!!

Sarah

Dump-Day: Chicken Wire

Good morning, Junkers!  Let's start the day off with a little trivia.  Which came first...the chicken or the wire?  Well...being that we can't staple a chicken to a frame, let's say that wire came first!!!!

Project Note: For today's project, you will need a staple gun, scissors, chicken wire, and a frame.

Chicken wire has always been something we have wanted to toy with.  Thanks to Lola and her obsession with purchasing frames and mirrors, we had plenty of options to choose from.  Here is what we had lying around the garage:  

Once you can get past the weird blue suits and pink bonnets, punch Jack and Jill in the face and get them away from your beautiful frames!!!  

Before you start with the chicken wire, find a pretty color and paint your frame(s)!  It doesn't really matter what kind of paint you use (spray paint and latex is what we prefer). 

Project Note:  Whether you painted or not, place your frame on a blanket or soft surface to ensure that you don't scratch the paint on your frame when you start stapling.

Being that chicken wire comes in rolls (like wallpaper), roll out the amount you want to use and cut it! If you try to work with the wire on the roll, there's a chance you'll end up like I did:

This is the proper way:

Once you roll out the wire you need, put it where you want it and start stapling it to the back of the frame like a crazy person!  In my humble opinion, the more staples the better!

Project Note: Don't worry about what the back looks like, people only look at the front!!!!

Here are what the frames looked like once I finished stapling.  IT'S THAT EASY!!!!!!

DISCLOSURE:  Mr. Dump (yes I'm talking in 3rd person) paints, pounds, staples, hammers, hits, and hangs.  Sarah decorates!  Here is what she and YOU can do with chicken wire frames. 

Happy Junkin'!

Mr. Dump

Junk in the Trunk

Okay...I lied just a little bit, there is no junk in this trunk.  When I found it, there was a lot of junk ON the trunk, but nothing really inside (except an old, musty smell and a few cobwebs).  I immediately saw that this baby had potential!!!  I HAD to have it!

I am a little bit ashamed to tell you this, but I practically stole this from a sweet, old man at my favorite antique store (the store was discussed in a previous blog entry:  Click here to learn more!).  The price said $50, and without ANY negotiation, the old man told me that I could have the trunk for only $12.00!!!!  After several more hugs and attempted kisses, I brought it home (the trunk, not the old man).  I used heavy-duty cleaners and a lot of elbow grease to give it the scrub down that it needed.

I liked the trunk the way that it was and debated about whether or not to paint it.  The original, unusual details were great...just not Dumped and Discovered great!  I felt that it needed a little makeover...something slightly different....something more versatile...something YELLOW!!!!

When I started this project, I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to distress the final product.  For all you do-it-yourselfers, you should always prep a lighter colored piece with a darker color that you would like to show through if you plan on distressing.  So just in case, I started with red.  I know...the next picture looks like a crime scene.

After the red dried (all you need is ONE coat), I painted the whole trunk - hardware and all - a beautiful yellow. 

When I finished with the yellow (it only took two coats), I liked the trunk so much that I decided not to distress it!  Of course if it gets a little banged up in the future, I won't be too upset!  Trunks are fantastic because they can be used as coffee tables, end tables, hiding places for kids, or as a great focal point in any room.

Happy Junkin' (in the trunk)!

Sarah

Dump-Day - Rooster Window

Good morning junkers...I'm Mr. Dump!

Sarah has had such a fun time blogging, that I decided I would jump in on some of the action.  I recently went to her with an idea in mind, and my only demands (which were more like softly spoken requests) were that I be allowed to do this edit-free and without any suggestions.  She agreed (hesitantly), and thought it might add a different dimension for her friends that follow along in our adventures.

I will be running a series of posts that occur every Wednesday.  These posts will often give a more intimate, behind-the-scenes approach to life as a Dumped and Discovered addict.  Most will be project related, while others full of mistakes and blunders.  So in an attempt to mock the ever-so-infamous "Hump-Day," I bring to you: 

Dump-Day with Mr. Dump

Today's project:  Rooster Window

Don't mind the crazy shenanigans behind the glass, I'd like for you to focus your attention on the actual window!

 

Old windows are fantastic and often look great on their own.  Being that I NEVER leave anything alone (I think it has something to do with being an only child), I had to tamper...

Prior to this rooster project, I thought old windows would make a great table:

The table turned out somewhat sturdy, but what was I thinking with that GREEN?  Needless to say, this didn't make the cut and has been sitting in our garage ever since.

Back to the project at hand...a Rooster Window...

I've always had a slight talent for drawing/tracing cartoon characters (yes mother, this talent is from you), so I decided I would try to draw and paint a rooster on the window.  I HAVE to look at something to draw it, so I found a website that children frequent to color pictures.  For this project, I chose Rooster 2. 

I started by drawing on the glass of the window with a red dry-erase marker.  Project Note:  Draw on the "pretty" side of the window that you want to display.  If you're not an artist, don't worry!!!!  Find a picture that you like, save it to a removable disk/USB, and go to your closest Staples or Office Max.  They will print the picture as large as you want it.  Then you can put it under the window and TRACE!!!!

 After you finish drawing, flip the window over and this is what it will look like.

Next, I took a paint brush (the smaller the better) and traced the dry-erase marker with a black, latex paint (it took two coats).  Project Note:  If you mess up...grab a razor blade!!!!  The paint will scrape right off!  

Your window should now look something like this (notice the red marker behind it).

 

Turn the window over (back to the "pretty" side), and with a wet rag, wipe off the dry-erase marker.  Now your window should resemble something like this.

Now flip the window again.  It's time to add some color!!!!!  Project Note:  If you're not sure what colors you want to use, go back and test out your coloring combinations on the website mentioned above.

I went to our local craft store, and picked up some window paint.  For windows, I prefer this over latex paint because it gives your project a little more depth, a little more gloss, and a little more AWESOME!  Here is what I purchased:

Finally...I started painting (I'd like to thank Sarah for capturing me in perfect form...and for not capturing my bald spot)!!!  Project Note:  It will probably take you two coats.  Paint with the darker colors first!

Finally, your window is complete!  Now doesn't this look better than a green table?

Happy Junkin'!!!

Mr. Dump