Is decor gender specific?

When Shabby Chic burst on the decorating scene several years 
ago its distinctive femininity appealed to many of us.  The Laura 
Ashley ruffles of the previous design wave met antiquity head 
on and distressed elegance was created.


Not only did it encompass many different aspects of design, 
Shabby Chic revived our interest in the different textures of 
vintage pieces and was the precursor to our current design 
phase - Stark Eclecticism (a term I made up!) 


Where as Shabby Chic is girlish, Stark Eclecticism is
a unique mix of classic design, industrial chic, midcentury
modern, vintage, and retro decor - often with quite 
charmingly masculine results.

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As much as I like it, I just have too many

pretty things to be a minimalist.

We can't have a Friday without a little repurposefulness:

(another word I made up!)

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Two examples of using vintage bed springs as a 

posting board or organizational tool.

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Got extra belts lying around?!

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Remember when plumbing use to be hidden behind the wall?

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I love wood crates.  They're so rugged and versatile.

Have a great weekend.  If you get a chance, go thrifting!

Before & After Thursday

Glad you stopped by.  Enough small talk, let's get started:

  BEFORE:

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We've all seen nightstands like this one sitting

on the side of the road waiting for the trash man.

A treatment of sanding and painting was all it
needed to be darling.

        

AFTER 


Here's another night stand transformation:                      

BEFORE

After

Just about every department store (i.e., Walmart, Target, Big Lots)

sells similar TV trays quite inexpensively. 

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What a nautical difference!  

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BEFORE:  a dated bedroom suite

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AFTER:  elegant and charming!

BEFORE:  beyond salvaging?

AFTER:  rescued! 

Before & After doesn't necessarily call for a 
drastic change.  The paint on this chair was
fine, the fabric just needed refreshing.

You know how excited you get when you run across a great blog devoted to Before & After projects?  
Well, prepare to be excited.  Meet Kristy of  4 The Love of Wood:

Kristy's mission is to salvage any piece of furniture that has even a glimmer of promise.  

 

New 'feet' and a paint treatment
completely changed the look of
these night stands.

Sorry that the Before photo below is blurred but you 

can clearly see it was FREE, sitting on the side of the road:

The AFTER word of the day:  WOW!

Stop by Kristy's site for more inspiration and photos of amazing renovations.  She truly is an artist.


Today's post is pretty much what fleaChic is all about - giving new life to discarded or dated furniture 
and decorative items.  Economical and imaginative - it's so fleaChic!