DIY and Home Repair

[Hannahrain]

Hannah: what kind of paint did you use? I just bought an antique dresser and I'd like to paint it and an IKEA bookshelf I have to match the rest of my furniture (dark mahogany).

It wasn't a planned project, so I just used acrylic paints that I had lying around. The dresser is falling apart and probably isn't going to make it past this apartment, anyway, so I figured it didn't matter how archival the paint job was.

Are you looking to paint it with large blocks of color, or are you going to do detailwork?

Edit. Uh, from higher up in the page:

It was actually a spontaneous effort to make the dresser look less like it was falling apart, so I just used some acrylics I had on hand. They won't last forever, but I don't really expect the dresser to make it beyond my current apartment.

[guedita]

I thought you knew about the medical condition I have that prevents me from scrolling up.

I want to paint the entire dresser/bookshelf one solid color, no detailwork.

[Hannahrain]

I would probably take it outside in pieces and use spraypaint to avoid brushstrokes. Or don't take it outside and enjoy the noxious, noxious fumes.

[Courtney]

Cara, what kind of material is the dresser currently? Raw wood? Varnish?

[guedita]

I don't know...I guess I would have to test it out to know if it has varnish. I've never done anything in terms of home repair before, so this will be an adventure.

[Courtney]

As a general rule, paint affixes to furniture better if you sand it down first with some fine grade sandpaper. Otherwise surfaces (especially glossy) will repel new paint.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

my roommate built a giant cage outside of the house so his indoor cats could go hang outside and not scamper off. it's the one thing he's built that's not a complete clusterfuck. He often gets the idea to build ridiculous things because it will save him money and it usually not only ends up costing more to build, but it's a piece of shit and he just buys what he was trying to build in the first place. I think most of this has to do with the fact that he gets really impatient when he gets the idea to do something and almost never figures out how to do it right. And then proceeds to get drunk during the process.

[Hannahrain]

The booze is no detriment if you're going to do it wrong anyway.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

True, it mostly makes the process a little less painful I think. I tend to hear a lot of screaming and shouting while he's building things.

[weeklymix]

DIY project I thought I'd share with the board, doesn't quite fit with the home stuff but:

Guts of this:


Transplanted into body of this:


Just gutted the G3 Tangerine iBook. If anybody's actually interested in the process I'll post progress photos.

[PlayaDelWes]

So. This seems to be more about home repair. And I'm looking for more of a interior design thread. But I'll shoehorn it in here anyway, mostly because I'm an avid fan of shoehorning in general. Anyone have any recommendations for cheap and impermanent DIY projects to decorate an apartment that is largely empty? I really like my apartment, it's spacious and comfortable, but it's not quite "home" yet. We're renting, so obviously I can't do anything that's going to leave any marks. Basically, I'm looking for things that'll fill up some space, bring in some color, and add some atmosphere to the place. Personal suggestions and ideas are good, as are websites, books, magazines/articles, etc. that are full of good ideas.

To decorate the girls' rooms I took soundboard, cut it into various sizes and covered it with fabric. Clearly the fabric they chose is quite girly, but you can cover it with any combination of fabric, sheets, or even t-shirt designs.

That alone is enough to hang throughout a room to use as bulletin or picture boards using pushpins or thumbtacks. I also strung ribbon across each board so you can hang pictures or artwork without needing pins or tacks.

Hang just one to use as a bulletin board or several with different shapes, sizes, and angles to take up an entire wall.

[Courtney]

Ok Hannah and all you have inspired me. I have been having trouble finding a coffee table I like, and all I really want is a marble-top white Saarinen, which I can't afford. So I decided that I just need to get something for now until I find my dream table so my guests don't have to put their glasses on my haphazard piles of art books.

So I pulled a black inlaid lacquer, Chinese-looking coffee table with curvy legs off the curb the other day and I'm going to paint it white and then maybe do other fun things to it. Wish me luck.

[J~$$$$]

I love those Saarinen side tables. I have one from E3. Polished metal base with 3' deep wood top and glass. I <3 it. 50'-60s modern needs to go back to being uncool so I can afford it again.

Good luck with your restoration project.

[miscorrections]

50'-60s modern needs to go back to being uncool so I can afford it again.

FUCKING FOR REALS. And those old Electrohome Apollo 860 turntables need to magically get cheap so I can have a mid-century home and a bubble record player.

[J~$$$$]

3 years ago if I had the money I could have bought a fix-up modern for 160,000 its now selling for 325,000. Im kicking myself so bad for not doing what it takes to get into it.

These goddamn cock suckers are snatching up all the fix ups before they hit they market.

mile-hi modern
http://www.milehimodern.com/

[J~$$$$]

This was going for 220 like a year ago!

http://www.milehimodern.com/1815sJersey/index.php

[Courtney]

Justin, you are nice and have a pretty wife and have excellent taste in housing. Let's be friends.

My favorite Craigslist score of all time was a pair of Saarinen white tulip armchairs. Second favorite is my Olympia Deluxe 1968 pink typewriter. Almost justifies the ungodly amount of time I spend browsing that site's classifieds.

[Hannahrain]

Ok Hannah and all you have inspired me. I have been having trouble finding a coffee table I like, and all I really want is a marble-top white Saarinen, which I can't afford. So I decided that I just need to get something for now until I find my dream table so my guests don't have to put their glasses on my haphazard piles of art books.

So I pulled a black inlaid lacquer, Chinese-looking coffee table with curvy legs off the curb the other day and I'm going to paint it white and then maybe do other fun things to it. Wish me luck.

Please document your progress with photography.

[SoulDischarge]

Speaking of coffee/end tables, the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park has one of the coolest ones I've ever seen:

[tessalasset]

To purchase? Why does a Whole Foods have that?

[SoulDischarge]

Not to purchase. Just functional next to some couches they have. This one is fucking huge and has lots of little areas to just hang out and eat at and use their free wi-fi. I really hope I can get transferred there eventually.

[tessalasset]

Holy shit. I have never seen a Whole Foods used for anything but grocery shopping over here.

[SoulDischarge]

This one has a full bar, a wine & cheese bar, an Asian noodle bar, a diner food stand, a river side patio, a massage table, etcetcetc. It's fucking ridiculous.

[tessalasset]

what. the. fuck.

where do you live again?

[SoulDischarge]

Chicago. I think most of the other stores in the city are pretty scaled back compared to that. The one I work at in the suburbs pretty much just has a salad bar and a hot bar, plus a few other prepared foods. Mostly it's just a straight up grocery store though.

[J~$$$$]

Justin, you are nice and have a pretty wife and have excellent taste in housing. Let's be friends.

My favorite Craigslist score of all time was a pair of Saarinen white tulip armchairs. Second favorite is my Olympia Deluxe 1968 pink typewriter. Almost justifies the ungodly amount of time I spend browsing that site's classifieds.

BFFS! I love this entire area, the desk! My grandpa had a "Eames" metal green desk and I was fascinated by it.

Im currently looking for a drafting table from that era that I can afford.

[J~$$$$]

The huge thing Im scouring the intrawebs for is kentetic art that sits on the desk, it has a cylinder base on in would rest a needle with a 12' long wire with a little metal surfer that would act as counterbalance. You could push the surfer and it would spin around the cylinder base and look like it was surfing.

I am so fascinated with mid century modern mobiles and stuff like this...



Oh and coo-coo clocks. I have two, I want a few more but the wife is not a fan so I cant put them up til we get a larger house.

[I.F.A.]

So, I just refinished these chairs this weekend, and am rather proud of them so I want to show them off. I don't have "before" pictures, so just imagine that they were grimey off-white with black specks and goldenrod yellow crushed velvet cushions. And also looked like something that your senile grandmother might have had hidden in her garage for the last 30 years. Excuse the quality of the pictures - the camera on my phone kinda blows.

[Courtney]

I am so fascinated with mid century modern mobiles and stuff like this...



Oh and coo-coo clocks. I have two, I want a few more but the wife is not a fan so I cant put them up til we get a larger house.

J, I saw a reproduction of that wall decoration on Overstock.com the other day. If you're into it:



Personally, although I prefer shopping vintage through garage sales and craigslist and whatnot, I'm fine with most interior decor reproductions because my budget is limited and for me it's more about enjoying the design than worrying too much about authenticity.

[Courtney]

So, I just refinished these chairs this weekend, and am rather proud of them so I want to show them off. I don't have "before" pictures, so just imagine that they were grimey off-white with black specks and goldenrod yellow crushed velvet cushions. And also looked like something that your senile grandmother might have had hidden in her garage for the last 30 years. Excuse the quality of the pictures - the camera on my phone kinda blows.

This is adorable. I have always wanted to refinish a chair. How difficult is it?