A before and after of our front room!

I came across photos of our house listing before we moved in so I wanted to share a before and after with you of our front "sitting" room.

Here is the before:

And here is the after:

I love this room!  My husband built the bar from scratch himself!  When we have company over this is our most utilized room and it's very inviting and cozy.  I hope you enjoyed!

Affordable DIY wall art project!

We had an empty wall behind our grey, tufted, tuxedo couch that only recently began to bother me so when I stopped by the Goodwill and found a large framed canvas print for only $7.99 I knew I had to buy and transform it.

(This is not our exact frame but it is the exact print.  I just didn't take a before photo before I started painting)

The checkout lady said "Oh!  You're taking home the Zorro picture!"  Haha! Yeah, kind of lady.

As soon I got home I got to work and painted the entire canvas and frame, white.

It might be good to mention that I also typed in whatever info I could online to make sure this bad boy wasn't worth money before I began painting. 

Once everything was white and dry I started to think of a good short phrase to be painted on here. 

I knew I wanted something gender neutral and not too lovey dovey so I settled on "Cheers".  Cheers is a great little word that represents something my husband I often do with our friends and family.  I then headed to Pinterest to find a good font.  

I found this one and my husband began hand pinstriping it.  

http://www.theperfectpalette.com/2015/01/im-so-fancy-new-years-wedding.html?m=1

I knew it needed something else so we added a wreath below in grey.

Now it sits above our sofa in style and for only $7.99 and some paint and artistic ability!  

Sorry for the glare!

DIY "Mongolian fur" seats!

Found these delicious Mongolian fur seats on Pinterest and decided to search for them on the web to possibly purchase for our front room.  Well, for $400 each I passed but I remembered I put together a similar look for our guest room months ago for the cost of an #ikearens I had on hand $29.99 and a vanity chair I had from the Shabby Chic vanity I had prior purchased years ago from Target.  Voila!  I could have completely "reupholstered" it by getting out the drill and tucking the excess fur under but I like that it hangs over the sides and also that it is easily removable.  Side note: Trust and believe I like to spend money I'm far from a cheapo but I love when my money can go further (to buy more home goods of course!) and I also love to be creative. 😉 

Thrift Store Advice, Tips and My Own Personal Finds!

I have never been a great saver when it comes to money but I've always been smart about how I spend it.  I always want my money to go further and with my love of unique and vintage, thrift stores are just the solution!

I recently read on a blog that said to go to upscale neighborhood vintage and thrift stores.  I personally have found quite the opposite.  The same furniture at the same thrift store can be as much as $39 cheaper!  

Case and example:

This potentially beautiful side board/buffet table was only $11 in the hood. 

Where are the buffet tables I purchased below were $50 each.

No, they weren't in that condition when I bought them.  They were brown wood color and rather hideous but you need to see the potential in items and be patient and handy with a paint brush.  

The black mirror above the buffet in the last photo was only $14 from a thrift store and round mirrors are all the rage right now in home decor.  

The acrylic table lamps were only $7.99 each and I purchased all there for sale!

They came without the 3 piece harp and shades so purchasing those, the total came out to $19!!  That's under $20 and it has the same effect as my three crystal table lamps that cost me $60 each from Home Goods.

I found this huge, quality 60 x 15 coffee table for $29.99 with some high gloss paint it looks nearly brand new and I've gotten so many compliments on it!

My most recent find was these side tables for $9.99 which were originally only $14.99.

See what some sanding and paint does?  

Here's my advice when it comes to thrift shopping:

Be patient and go often.  I sometimes get embarrassed that the workers see me there so frequently and even more so embarrassed because last week I dropped and shattered a gold vase there. They do get new things in weekly and if there are other DIY gals in the area like me quality pieces with ton of potential will be gone before you know it.

Look for the potential in pieces. A lot of times these pieces look rough but with the right TLC they can look fabulous!  If the piece is rickety can you fix it by tightening it or is it a lost cause?  Water damage can be sanded or covered with a nice fur throw but are the bones of the piece quality?  

Never forget your measuring tape!

It helps to know the dimension of the area in your home that you are looking to fill but it is especially important to carry  measuring tape to measure the furniture piece and your trunk to make sure it will fit. :) 

Take photos of the rooms in your house.  I always think I have a good spot for something but if I'm unsure I won't buy it and can potentially miss out on a great opportunity.  I've learned that taking photos of each room and walking around with them and comparing furniture to the room helps immensely.  It takes the guess work out of "Will that look good next to my entryway?"

If you are on a super tight budget, factor in paint or other supplies you will need for the beautification process.  The paint I purchase from Home Depot is $13 so I factor that into the piece I'll be purchasing to get my total cost.  You don't want to be unprepared and run out of money on a project.  

DIY FRAMED FLOWER WALL ART INSTRUCTIONS

I purchased this amazing vintage frame from the Tustin Flea Market for $25.  It was just the frame by itself so I didn't have to worry about removing a photo or glass (although I would not have minded!) It was a dull gold color so I spray painted it white.  

I used it many times in my photography shoots but also displayed it in my home when it was not being used for shoots.

  I was inspired to do this DIY after seeing a photo on Instagram of a cute cake table display that spelled out the child's name in big letters using flowers. 

I ran out the 99 Cent Store and purchased at least 10 bouquet bundles ($10) of light pink and dark pink flowers and roses.  You can also try the Dollar Tree but I liked the selection at the 99 Cent Store better.

I found a standard size cardboard box in my hall closet since we recently moved into our house and outlined the back of the frame with a Sharpie marker.

I then cut out the outline using a box cutter and pair of scissors.

I took a hot glue gun to the cardboard to adhere it to the frame.

As that was drying I cut the flowers from their stems.

Be sure to leave a little of the stem so that the flowers, which are constructed of multiple flowers, are held together via the "leaves" at the bottom (see picture).

If not, you are left with this:

Don't worry if this happens.  You can use these as fillers but try to keep the green bottoms on as much as you can!

Once all of the flowers were cut from their stems it's time to randomly place them and hot glue them down.

Here is the outcome!  I hung it in my office and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

The project took a total of 30 minutes and only 5 supplies and cost $35 dollars total including the frame.

If you have a vintage frame I highly suggest trying this out!  It's a great quik and easy DIY for a beginner!

Supply list:

Empty frame

10 bouquets of faux flowers or more in the color scheme of your choice.

Cardboard

Sharpie

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Enjoy and let me know what you think below!

xo,

Summer Couture Decor!

Allow me to introduce myself...

I haven't always adored home decor as I do now.  When I worked a full time corporate job I was always too tired to be interested.  My condo at the time was eccentric and looking back, pretty thrown together.  My husband and I were renting the condo and the home owner had painted the walls of her condo at least 5 different colors: yellow, orange, light green, olive green, and maroon.  I think my favorite part of that condo was the "hardwood" laminate flooring but unfortunately it wasn't throughout and the carpet was a hideous shag carpet.  It was very difficult to work with to say the least.  Once I quit my job to pursue my photography business full time I spent a lot more time working from home and had the chance to really look around and focus my attention on decorating.  It started small, figuring out how to incorporate a home office in a 800 sq foot space and expanded from there.  With Pinterest's help my small focus has expanded into a full blown love affair.  Now, I get anxiety when I buy the wrong piece of furniture or I find an amazing piece and it doesn't fit in my car.  You'll notice that many of my projects are money saving or inexpensive, it's not because of a lack of money but because I want to use the extra money to buy even more furniture and home decor!  It's fun to creatively express myself through my vintage store finds and DIY.  I hope you enjoy my tips, projects, and what I have to offer!