Blogger Babble: Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

By Emily Hsieh
April 5, 2010

One of our favorite aspects of Design*Sponge, Grace Bonney’s hugely popular style blog, is seeing before and after photos of clever, inspirational do-it-yourself projects that reaffirm the notion that one man’s trash is another’s treasure. “It’s amazing what a can of paint can do,” claims the Brooklynite, who also says re-fabbing furniture doesn’t require an advanced skill set: “I do a ton of upgrades, and I’m honestly not the craftiest person. I’m handy with a paint brush and I can nail things together, but that’s about it.”

When it comes to tracking down furniture to revive, Bonney says, “I tend to like things made of veneer, things that are chipped or scuffed—the cheaper the better for the most part. The whole point is to keep the price low, and eBay is great resource for this, especially if you can find a local pick-up option.” To whittle down the tangle of products on the site, Bonney says it helps to concentrate on the goods in the antiques section. “People don’t always know how to identify pieces, and that can be a good catchall,” she advises. Using generic keywords can also be to your advantage, according to Bonney: “Most people aren’t aware of the proper design terms for things, so it’s good to plug in phrases like ‘wine jug’ or ‘big green glass jug’ if you’re searching for a demijohn. I always think, ‘How would I describe this to my husband, who’s not a design guy?’ when I’m thinking of keywords.”

Some of her favorite items to hunt for include floral wallpaper, anything striped (“I’m from the South, and I definitely have a preppy streak,” Bonney says), and all things related to influential interior decorator Dorothy Draper. “I do really regular Dorothy Draper searches. I got some great old postcards announcing the redesign of the Greenbrier Hotel, which is a special place to me and my family.”

Recently, Bonney came up with five ideas to breathe new life into tired vintage pieces, and used eBay as the resource for her makeover contenders and supplies. Read on for all the goods and tips you need to complete these chic and easy transformations.

GOSSIP BENCH

The foundation: Mid-Century Gossip Bench (sold for $99)

Upgrade Materials: Liquitex Acrylic Teak Stain in Teak (sold for $0.25); Mexican Otomi Bedspread (sold for $185); Uzbek Silk Suzani (solf for $67.66)

The finished product: Telephone Table

“Telephone or 'Gossip' Benches are one of the most popular pieces of makeover furniture I see these days. Inexpensive versions in wood and metal pop up on eBay, in thrift stores, and at flea markets on a regular basis, so it's easy to find one in your price range. With a piece like this, I like to keep things simple, and take advantage of the small size of the seat. To upgrade the frame, I usually like to apply a simple stain to the wood to add shine and cover up any stains that typically come with used pieces. A simple teak stain like this one I found on eBay for only $0.25 would add some depth to the wood without masking the grain. Recovering a bench seat like this is a snap—all you have to do is unscrew it from the bottom, pop it out, and staple gun new material on top. I'm partial to colorful Otomi fabric these days, a bold embroidered fabric created by the Otomi people of Mexico. You can find great swatches of this fabric on eBay, or you can take advantage of the small size of the seat and snap up an inexpensive set of embroidered Suzani pillowcases on ebay to finish the seat. It's always fun to add a bright pop of color when you're dealing with a small upholstery job.”

BOOKCASE

The foundation: Dark Cherry Veneer Barrister Style Bookcase (sold for $39.99)

Upgrade Materials: Black and White Polka Dots On Metallic Dark Gold Wallpaper (buy it now price, $19.99) or Red Flocked Damask Wallpaper (sold for $16.28)

The finished product: Bookshelves

“Bookcases are great ways to bring unexpected spots of color to a room. This affordable bookcase could easily be used as a display case, or [you could] have the doors removed to act as a simple bookshelf. Either way, I'm assuming the wood is a veneer (based on the price and finish in the pictures). so I wouldn't feel bad about priming the entire piece, removing the doors and painting it a nice glossy white.

"If I went with a white finish, I'd cover the back of the bookcase (the inside portion) with a bold wallpaper like these playful dots or a bright red damask. Then I'd replace the shelves (also painted white) and doors (if desired, also painted white) and fill with my favorite collectibles or books.

"If wallpaper is too much of a commitment, you could also use some great modern peel-and-stick wall decals on the back wall of the bookcase, too.”

SUITCASE

The foundation: Vintage Lipstick Pink Suitcase (sold for $21.50)

Upgrade Materials: Tapered Legs (buy it now price, $29.99); Ebony Stain (buy it now price, $10.99); Red Ticking Fabric (buy it now price, $7)

Finished product: Suitcase Table

“Transforming suitcases tends to be a controversial topic on Design*Sponge. I think any time you can give an old piece of furniture a new life, it's a good thing, so I tend to love these projects because they let you re-imagine something that may have ended up in the junk yard.

"This cute red suitcase could easily be transformed into an adorable bedside table/ ewelry box with a little elbow grease. I'd clean the outside and wash it with a mild soap and water solution, then use some simple wooden tapered legs (stained with an Ebony Minwax finish) to create a table/storage unit.

"On the inside, I'd replace the original grey lining (and cover the screws from the legs) with a soft red ticking fabric. I could keep accessories like jewelry inside, or use it as a place to store keys and cell phones if i used it as an entryway table.

"Because I'd be opening the top so much, I'd mount a sconce above it in either room, so I wouldn't have to move it each time. Maybe something like this."

WOODEN CRATES

The foundation: Vintage Wood Dairy Advertising Crate (sold for $11) or Vintage Wooden Yeast Foam Crate (sold for $13)

Upgrades: Set of Four Vintage Porcelain Furniture Casters Wheels 4.5" (buy it now price, $36.99)

The Finished Product: Storage Box on Wheels

"I'm obsessed with old wooden crates. There, I admitted it. It's hard to get me in a thrift shop without leaving packed to the gills with old wooden boxes. I'm not sure if it's the worn-in wood that I love or the old stamps and labels, but I bring them home on a regular basis and turn them into rolling storage, benches, and tables.

"These small crates (you can search for wine crates, too) would be perfect with a little bit of wallpaper or gift wrap glued to the inside and then screwed into the wall to create storage shelves. But if you want to tackle something bigger, one of the larger boxes would be perfect for a rolling coffee table/ottoman/bench storage unit.

"All you need is a set of casters (eBay has great vintage styles that add an extra bit of detail to the piece) and then you can screw them into the bottom of each box. If you want to use them as storage, just cut a simple piece of wood, or even foam, to fit the bottom of the box, so you don't damage anything by ripping it on the screws from the casters that poke through the bottom of the box. I use mine to hold extra bedding and towels.

"If you want to turn it into a coffee table, talk to your local glass shop and have them cut a piece of glass to fit on top. Then you can fill the inside with magazines, books, or other living room accessories.

"I bought a particular large box at a fleamarket and turned it into a rolling storage bench by cutting a piece of wood to fit the top, adding a piece of inexpensive foam and staple gunning leftover fabric to the top to create a bench/lid. I use it to hide our embarassingly large collection of video game equipment and it also doubles as a bench when we have extra guests!"

DEMIJOHN

The foundation: Demijohn (buy it now price, $49.99)

Upgrade materials: New Make A Lamp Kit (buy it now price, $9.45); Vintage Red Linen Lamp Shade (winning bid, $6.99)

The finished product: Demijohn Table Lamp

"I grew up with wine bottle lamps in almost all of my grandparents' homes, so I'm really happy that this trend is back. You can easily pick up a vintage demijohn on eBay and plug in a simple cork lamp kit and attach a shade—voila! A new lamp."

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