The Secret to Blending Thrifted Furniture

I learned something about myself this morning (when I was called to substitute at the last minute).  I can get myself ready (including a shower) and to the kids’ school in less than a half an hour.  So why does it sometimes take me half the day to get dressed?  Hmmm.  Now that the kids are all in school, it seems way too easy to postpone getting ready for the day.  Anyone else suffer from the same illness?  Sorry, I’m rambling . . . you are really here to learn my secret to blending thrifted furniture!

Blending Thrifted Furniture

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We all love free furniture, but sometimes it doesn’t quite match the decor or the rest of the furniture.  Let me share how I solved the problem and created fun, unique pieces for my children.

My hubby and I were blessed with free furniture for our girls’ rooms when they were very little.  There was just one problem.  They didn’t match each other — at all.  (I wish I had before pictures, but it’s been 10 years.  These furniture redos were done long before I had any thoughts–or time–for blogging.)  One dresser was cream, while the other two were white.  One had outdated gold frilly handles, another painted knobs, and the other simple drawer pulls.  Two pieces were in perfect condition, while the third sported at least six layers of paint and had been repaired several times.  They did have one thing in common, though.  They were each perfect for little girls.

Since the dressers will soon need to be changed to match new rooms, I thought I’d show you my trick to make them look like they belong together.  The secret? Paint, matching drawer pulls, and a coordinating motif.

• Replace all drawer pulls with matching hardware.  I chose simple wooden drawer knobs from a craft store.  (A very inexpensive choice!)

• Paint the furniture in the same color (or colors).  These three pieces had very different styles–so I had to get creative with my painting!  If you like a more simple look, there’s no need to go crazy with the colors like I did.  At the time I painted this furniture, we were apartment dwellers with no real chance to decorate.  I chose to add color to the furniture instead of to the walls.  That way, the decor could travel with us as we changed apartments–which we did at least once a year!

• Add a fun motif that ties the pieces together.  I chose dragonflies.  I even used a wooden dragonfly to cover a drawer repair on dresser #1.
• Most importantly–have fun!  (Especially if the furniture is for kids.)  Kids’ rooms are great places to decorate with color and whimsy.

Visit both of my Organizing Drawers for Kids posts to see how I made these dressers even better! (Click on the images below to visit the posts.)

Thanks for visiting!