Something to Salvage

The garden’s in bloom—why shouldn’t your house be? With garage-sale season in full swing, there’s no better time to pick up pieces ripe for a makeover. Stir in some paint and fabrics in juicy hues, and you’ll have a refreshing spring haven to call your own.

Our initial investment was less than $100 for an old three-piece wicker set, a flea market lamp and a dresser mirror. Paint and fabric make the wicker look new, a fanciful wire wrap and new shade give the lamp character, and the mirror becomes a reflective tabletop. To round things out, we brought in a few garden items, including a strawberry pot and window box to make unconventional table bases. We also dressed up inexpensive shelves with patterned paper edging, framed an art print with a customized mat and turned a pair of discarded cabinet doors into quaint, colorful shutters to complement an easy-to-sew jabot valance. 

Read on for plenty of colorful, cottage-chic ways to reinvent secondhand finds!

Projects and styling: Christy Crafton, Debbie Egizio, Cindy Soldo Photography: Brian Nightengale Art direction: Dennis Morgan, Julie Woker Text: Lisa Sloan