Monday, May 7, 2018

Repurpose, Upcycle, Handmade, DIY, Vintage Collectibles


Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Repurpose, Upcycle, Restore, Handmade, DIY, Vintage Collectibles, and many many more words I could use that we can all relate to in one way, or another for our interests. I love to Junk, Thrift Stores, Garage Sales, Flea Markets, Curb side pick up, Dumpster diving once in a great while, and wherever a treasure can be found. Sometimes it's in front of you in a store, and sometimes you have to do a little digging for it too. That is all within the fun of the hunt. 

I Love painted furniture, wood, etc! If it's junk, cheap pine, damaged is where the joy of restoring, or repurposing is done instead of throwing it away. It's something that can be treasured by you. If you happen to get a piece that is already beautiful keep it and treasure it, or sell it so someone else that can enjoy it the same way. 

Now, when you find some of the pieces that you are going to keep for yourself, or maybe resell them you have some decisions to make. Did you happen to find a valuable antique? I am no expert myself, and the best thing to do is a little research before you decide what you will be doing. Some of your pieces will lose value if the original finish is not preserved. Wood grain, some aged patina, warm wood tones, and sometimes pieces are in great condition that they just need a little cleaning. Nothing else. Ok, so again is it a valuable antique, is the wood in good condition, will painting improve the value, and will painting make the piece more beautiful, or desirable for resale? Just a few questions to consider, and ask yourself when you are deciding whether or not to paint.

Is the wood in good condition? A lot of your pieces found can be in fair condition to poor, or very poor condition. Sometimes you'll see pieces of veneer missing maybe extremely scuffed finish, scratched, worn, etc. With these kind of cases painting would probably be a great option. Also, some pieces may just need a good cleaning with a bit of a restore of a finish to make it shine again. Many pieces can look fabulous painted, and sometimes the original finish is the best too. These are decisions that you will have to make. 

I, myself, like a mix of painting, and natural wood within each room of a home. Doing a mix like this can add some interest with the wood tones, provide some warmth, and adds a little depth to a natural or a white room too. 

It's like an art deciding whether the wood is beautiful, or not. This would be a personal decision on your part. What I may consider beautiful others might not like. Remember that sometimes just a simple cleaning can be good enough to bring an item to life too. 

Some pieces are really stunning in person, they are in amazing condition inside and out. You might feel that painting it would diminish the value, and of course the beauty too. Again, how the item is beautified is entirely subjective. Many pieces can be either way really. It truly can be a tough call when restoring, repurposing, upcycling, and so on. If it's for my own personal use I would consider what would look best with the space it is to be used in. Now, if you intend to sell a piece you need to consider if painting will make it easier to sell. Most of the finds we come across need some kind of help to live again, and I am willing to revive it too! 

These are just a few thoughts I am sharing with you about painting versus a no paint decision. It can be a tough call. So, what do you think?

I shared a few thoughts pertaining to painting of items. There is sooo much more that can be discussed when we get into this area of repurposing, restoring, restyling, handmade, diy, and all of the above. It excites me as it does many others. Unfortunately, I cannot cover everything all at once. I hope to cover a little bit of this, little bit of that, and am willing to have you offer some ideas too. 

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams, and don't be afraid to leave a comment if you feel like doing so. All are welcome. I just ask that everyone plays nice, and enjoy sharing things with each other please.  

   

  

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