Restore Your Furniture:
Furniture Made by You in a Weekend
Furniture Bargains in High Point
Wake Up Tired Furniture
New Style for Old Furniture
Furniture You Can Build
Outdoor Furniture
Furniture Shopping
Antiquing Furniture
Furniture You Can Build
The Southern Living Furniture Collection
Clever Cover-ups to Freshen Furniture
 


Cottage Living

Eye-Popping Color
Artist, author, and entrepreneur Carol Bass painted her Maine island cottage with a palette of intense color.
 
Jazz up a Plant Stand From a Flea Market
All it takes is a little paint and a sunny morning to create a plant stand you can use anywhere.
By Ellen Ruoff Riley / Photography by Van Chaplin / Styling by Rose Nguyen

We set out one Saturday morning to find a plant stand. The secrets to success: Take your time, ramble and roam, and size things up. Don't be hasty in discounting an item. We found this great three-step stool and turned it into a colorful addition to the garden.

Paint and Plants
 Here's how you can do the same with your own flea market find in three easy steps.

  • Step 1: Choose a color: Bright colors stand out, while dark shades blend into the surroundings. Spray paint is quick, but using a brush allows you time to relax and think about other ways to use the piece.
  • Step 2: Spray your pots with color. Containers in a different shade add pizzazz to the display.
  • Step 3: Choose a few flowering plants and some with pretty foliage for a nice mix. Plant them in your painted pots. Use moist potting soil, and top it with a handful of mulch or decorative stone.

    • A Bonus
     There's always more than one way to enjoy a found item. Use the plant stand in your garden until fall. Then move it indoors, where the ladder might double as a bookshelf. Or clear it off, and place votive candles on each of the steps. Change the color to suit your indoor decor, and tuck it beside a chair as a side table.

    Healthy Benefits

  • Simple success: Creating a personal piece of art lifts spirits and provides a sense of achievement.
  • Play with color: Nothing makes you feel better than a great new shade--whether it's a new lipstick or a painted gem in the garden.
  • Enjoy the satisfaction of finding the perfect item. We all love a bargain.
    •

    Dig in for Fun

  • Explore every inch of the flea market. Sometimes the best treasures are hidden. You may see an everyday item in a new light.
    •


    "Flea Market Finds" is from the June 2006 issue of Southern Living.

    Advertisement