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Good Rental Karma
A lot of you will think I'm nuts but I'm going to share my latest project with you anyway. The bathroom tiles in my soon to be former apartment are original to the 1952 building and look it thanks to years of paint splatters and God knows what else. I knew that an easy fix would be to give the floor a once-over with my favorite paint stripper, a biodegradable, green product (if you can believe it) available through Lee Valley (below). What a difference!
Smells Like a Makeover
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by Chris
StyleNorth reader Debbie wrote to me with her latest project, the dining chair makeover above. "I found the chairs on Craigslist for $15 (for all 4!!)," writes Debbie. "The beige fabric seat cover was grungy and stinky, so I got rid of it right away. A little bit of steel wool and elbow grease revived the chrome, a few coats of white paint on the cane backs and new Ikea fabric for the seats, and they look pretty good to me."
Mid-Century Chair Overhaul
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 by Chris
The amazing, mid-century modern dining chairs looked terrific in the ad but it wasn't until we got them home that we appreciated just how much work would be involved to renew them. The lacquer was worn revealing a yellowish undercoat, dings needed patching, the foam had completely disintegrated and nearly half the feet were missing. I didn't doubt that they'd be fantastic, I just underestimated what it would take to get them there.
The DIY Learning Curve
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 by Chris
Last week I spent what turned out to be a "wasted" hour removing paint stains from this Duncan Phyfe dining table. I say wasted because it wasn't until I got the piece cleaned up that I fully appreciated how damaged the finish really is. The table top will have to be completely stripped after all, making all of my cleaning effort redundant. But the process taught me a valuable lesson, which I then applied to our coffee table with superb results.
Do It Yourself: House Names and Numbers
Saturday, October 17, 2009 by Susan Forint
In the English tradition of naming houses, my Mom and Dad decided that "Idyllwood" wold be a fitting moniker for their 1928 Tudor-style home, which is set on the edge of an ancient, wooded ravine. And since you can't have a name without a sign, I set about creating an appropriate plaque with the help of Toronto's iCOPY Express, a local print and sign business. They cut the peel-and-stick letters while I waited for less than $20. Many homeowners use these vinyl cut letters to mark their house number and street name.
Friday, April 2, 2010 by Chris
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