Tips and Tricks for Pickin'

by Tanya McQueen and Tracy Hutson

Here is a list of guidelines to keep in mind when taking on your own refurb projects. Be smart, be brave, be fabulous, and you too can be the designer of gorgeous furniture pieces that are as unique as you are.

1. Inspiration Everywhere — We draw inspiration and ideas from everything around us all the time. Magazines, the Internet and nature itself are brimming with interesting, evocative images and objects that may spark a thought that you can incorporate into your own design. The most original ideas can come from the most unlikely places. So keep your eyes open and your creative goggles on, and draw inspiration from the great big world around you.

2. Think Outside the Acrylic Box — With a little imagination and ingenuity, even the most banal items can have amazing home decor potential. However, looking at random pieces and envisioning them transformed can take some practice. A good place to start is to consider whether the size/shape/color of a found object resembles a design element. If an item has a silhouette similar to a lampshade or is the perfect width for a side table, it will be less of a stretch and probably easier to execute. In time, you’ll get more adventurous and will, no doubt, get more daring with your design plans. And, in turn, you’ll start to get funny looks from people, like we do, when you see a piece of rusty farm equipment and involuntarily point and blurt out, “Lighting fixture!”

3. You Can’t Fake Patina — As you’ve probably already gathered, we get giddy over aged items that wear their history on their ragged sleeve. To us, rust rules, and we find the authenticity of well-worn pieces infinitely more interesting than their shiny, factory-made counterparts that are easily found on page 52 of your average big-box furniture catalog. Older pieces lend a richness and coziness to your space. A natural patina, worn edges, tears and dents do an interesting piece make. We love the idea of embracing the imperfections of items you love, giving them a new use and adding new pages to the stories of their already rich lives.

4. Embrace the Eclectic — It’s natural to gravitate toward certain design styles, eras and colors. But don’t feel that you need to pick a theme and stick to it. Actually, we tend to adore the opposite. Mixing old with new, modern with antique, or rustic with mid-century can bring a freshness to your style and breathe new life into your space. And the good part is, you can choose items you like, not what you think you need to like to make it all work.

5. Size Matters — Like any shopping addicts, we can get carried away in the moment and be tempted by the impulse buy. But make sure to consider the scale and weight of the object. We love industrial pieces, but the reality is that much of that stuff is way too heavy to deal with. Measure the spaces in your house so you know the dimensions of the areas you’re trying to fill. Revere your tape measure like a precious limb. Keep it at the ready so you can make wise choices about the logistics of your purchases.

6. Practically Practical — This is a hard one for us, since we tend to care the most about the aesthetics of objects. But we, like our customers, live real lives with families and busy schedules. We need our creations to be beautiful and functional. As a designer, it’s essential to think about how a piece will function. Will the item get lots of use and have to withstand daily beatings? If so, stay away from acrylic tabletops — we love them, but they scratch easily — and choose glass instead. Are there kids in the house? Beware of heavy industrial pieces with sharp edges and awkward corners. Make mental note of who will be using the pieces and how often, and design your projects using materials that will suit your lifestyle.

7. Raw-Material Roundup — When we’re on the road, we tend to fall madly in love with big statement pieces. However, equally important are the smaller, supplemental purchases. We always keep an eye out for unique materials that can serve as legs, bases and the connective tissue for our projects. We snatch up cool rope, interesting chain, wire, and any bits of metal and wood that may come in handy later. When you’re back home and looking for ways to make your pieces come to life, you’ll be happy you grabbed them when you did.

8. Beware of Budget — Even when an item seems affordable, it’s important to remember that it’s still in its raw state. Think about what needs to be done to this item to realize your vision. Carpentry, fabrication and upholstery can break the bank. Shop around and price out vendors ahead of time so you know how much you can spend on raw materials and what you’ll be in for down the line.

9. Know Your Limits — We enjoy nothing more than letting our imaginations run wild, envisioning the creation of the most innovative, out-of-the-box, life-changing pieces of decor we can fathom. Transforming raw materials into usable furniture is another thing altogether. With unlimited time, budget, resources and skill, the sky is the limit. However, it’s important to gauge how much you can realistically take on. Heck, we do this for a living and we still need to constantly rein ourselves in. If the piece you’re eyeing is an easy fix that you can handle in an afternoon, by all means snap it up. But if you know it’s just going to sit in your garage since it’s a colossal undertaking, it’s probably better to save yourself the money and the aggravation and put your efforts into a project that’s easier to conquer.

10. The Only Opinion That Counts Is Yours — Your home is your castle, and you are the master of your own decorating domain. Your living space is your refuge and your solace, and really needs to make only one person happy and comfortable: you (and your family, and possibly your roommates, but you get the drift). Your taste is the most important; don’t worry about trends or what your friends’ houses look like — unless you want to. It’s all up to you. Design, like art, is subjective, so there are no right or wrong answers. Have faith in yourself and be confident — you know what you like. Create a space as unique as you are, and we guarantee there will be nowhere you’d rather spend time than in your own home sweet home.