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Tag Archive | "Do It Yourself!"

Upholstery Class Wrap Up

Saturday, December 10, 2011

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Last Saturday was a happy day, my upholstery class ended giving me back my weekends and I brought my chair home completed and comfortable, not perfect, but what is? And that description neatly sums up the class itself, which was frustrating in lots of ways but ultimately satisfying because instructor Robby, pictured, was able to guide me to a good result. In the end, I felt a lot of empathy for Robby and a bit of resentment toward the Toronto District School Board, which runs the class without nearly enough resources. There was one sewing machine and three staple guns for 11 students. Madness.

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Turning to a Pro For Help

Thursday, December 1, 2011

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StyleNorth reader Liza wrote to me seeking some help finding a well-priced coffee table (up to $250). Liza lives in North Bay, Ontario, where the Craigslist pickings are slim to non-existent so after discussing size and style, I pulled scads of Toronto-area options for her to consider. Liza found the winner herself, above, but there was a caveat (or two, as it turned out). There were a couple of pronounced, white watermarks on the surface that I was pretty sure I could tackle and turn into a good blog post (this one!).

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Valspar Spray Paint Contest

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

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Now this is a contest I can get behind. Paint and coatings expert Valspar is introducing a new spray paint formula and can design with a contest encouraging DIYers to send them a photo of an item you'd like to make over for your chance to win a spray paint kit. Just visit the company's facebook contest page and upload a photo of an item in your household that could use a new look. Then encourage your friends, fans, followers and family to vote for you. The 10 entrants with the most votes will win a kit that includes five cans of spray.

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Begged, Borrowed and Staged

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

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When home stager Dennis Battler showed me photos of his most recent project, a small semi in Toronto's Riverside neighbourhood, I was instantly struck by how much personality he had injected into the spaces. His blend of vintage furnishings from different eras mixed with industrial and rustic pieces revealed a very definite point of view that runs counter to everything you see on TV staging shows where the mantra is always, "neutralize, depersonalize and de-clutter." The house had been neglected and fallen into disrepair but Dennis and the real estate agent rallied friends and neighbours who pitched in to strip and clean the property. Furniture was then borrowed or purchased for as little as possible on Craigslist — the set of dining chairs were sourced for just $50 — and thrift stores. Dennis blended the wall colour himself from paint store mis-tints.

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Do It Yourself Tray Table

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

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When I'm thrifting, I always keep my eyes open for great table legs, even if they're attached to a piece-of-crap top. The legs above are a case in point: I found them at Value Village a few weeks ago attached to an Arborite top so crummy I balked at the $9.99 price tag. But the legs were awesome and I knew they'd be a great match for my daybed so I plunked down my tenner. I intended to use the legs on another project but they weren't quite tall enough so I decided to turn them into the little side table, above, with the addition of a brass tray I already owned.

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