Spring can be one of those underserved seasons for new
décor. If you’re not into little bunny
or ceramic egg figurines, you may save your shopper’s eye focus for later in
the year. Instead, take the opportunity
to scope out older pieces around your home and help them make like a flower and
bloom again this month.
Plastic fruit may have seen its hay day for being on
display. However, give old, dusty fruit
décor new life with a fresh coat of paint.
Spray paint plastic fruit pieces, minus their stems, all one color, like
a crisp white or robin’s egg blue, and fill a serving bowl to showcase on your
kitchen counter or breakfast table. A
dated set of canisters can get a do-over when you paint them to blend nicely
with your counters or to stand out in a bright pop of color. Need some new simple vases for what’s
blooming in the backyard? Line up a row
of old juice glasses, vintage milk bottles, or wine bottles and give them a
spray in a spring green or pink paint shade, and you’re ready to put small
bouquets out for show-and-smell.
The presence of digital photos has caused many of us to end
up with an old box of photo frames on a closet shelf somewhere. But you can take those old wooden or tarnished
metal frames and give them a second life with paint. Gather a grouping of frames, minus their
glass, and spray them all one color, like white, gray, or yellow; a gradient of
color by using both a darker and lighter shade of the same color on different
frames; or a metal finish like brushed nickel for an updated gallery ready to
hang and admire.
Go on a hunt for other left-behind decorations you can
spring forward. Cover the face of a wall
clock or mirror and paint the perimeter in a great shade to warrant rehanging
it. Take an old cart, crate, shelf,
galvanized bucket, or serving tray and make it look like it just came off the
showroom floor. Glass and ceramic
dishes, plates, and bowls (not used for food service) can be painted for new
display pieces for surfaces throughout your home.
Go beyond a couple of coats of one color if you want
to. Use painters tape or stencils to
create stripes, chevron patterns, and monograms. Opt for chalkboard paint to jump on that
popular bandwagon. Finish off a painted
surface with a coat or two of pearlized glaze that you spray on for an
iridescent finish and shimmery shine.
Look around for décor pieces that could use a second wind,
making old new again. Some crafting on
your part can have you turning old items into new creations fit for a new,
sunny season.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 6th.
