Are you a treasure hunter? Have you heard of the saying - One man's junk is another man's treasure? I never quite grasp the mentality of that until I met the wife of a fellow employee. This lady would scour the city and the countryside in search of bargains. She went to yard sales, garage sales, estate sales, thrift shops, flea markets, discount outlet stores, stores going out of business and the list went on and on. It was like she had built-in radar as she drove around; always keeping her eyes open for a bargain. She became so good at finding great deals, that anyone who knew her, would tell her what they wanted or needed and within a short period of time, she would find it for them. But it was not just the art of finding these bargains; she was also an expert negotiator. Rarely, would she ever give the asking price for her finds. One of her mottos was that if you offer less than they were asking, the worst that could happen, they could just say no. But you wouldn't know if they would take less, if you didn't ask. No matter what the price was, if they wanted 25 cents, she offered them a dime.
Her last several homes were completely furnished with bargains that she had found. Furniture, pictures, window treatments, knick-knacks, floor coverings, etc; everything that she needed was bargains that she had found. The entire home was furnished for literally hundreds of dollars, instead of the thousands that would have been spent buying brand new items. However, many of her finds were brand new, still wrapped in their original packaging materials. Her husband's closet was full of new or slightly used clothing. These were not old, out of style items; but new and up to date styles. I was a single father with three children, when I purchase a new home and she completely furnished my four bedroom home with each room having its own theme. Every time I entertained guests, they always complimented my décor. I could have never made my home look the way it did without her help and she saved me thousands of dollars.
We even had her decorate our offices at work. When she was finished, they looked very professional; like we had brought in an expensive interior decorator. She would sometimes find really good deals on furniture, rugs, draperies and other items; but she would have to pass on them because the color didn't match the décor that she was working on. Or maybe the material was blemished or faded. Then she made a wonderful discovery that allowed her to take advantage of these great deals after all.
She had seen a television program one night about remodeling and changing the color of your décor of your home. Thanks to the new formulations in aerosol spray paints, there are now spray paints that work on fabrics, plastics, wood, vinyl, metal and just about any surface or material. On the show she was watching, they were using spray paints in aerosol cans to make the fabric on a couch and a chair, look like new again. They even took an ottoman that was of a lighter color than the couch and chair, and made it match them identically with the same spray paint, that they had used on the other pieces. The drapes in the room were also sprayed to match the furniture. There were pillows that were sprayed with coordinating colors, along with a table cloth, placemats and napkins. The whole room had taken on a new look, not only renewing the colors of the furniture, but completely color coordinating everything.
There were a few simple rules and tips to follow when using the aerosol spray paints. Always follow the instructions on the spray paint cans concerning ventilation, safety precautions and the clean up procedures. You can also safely change the color of an item, if the original color is lighter than the color that you want to change to, this is especially true in fabrics. It is not recommended that you try and change a dark color to a lighter color, since you are actually dyeing or saturating the color of the fabric. But you should have success in going from a lighter color to a darker color. It is also recommended that you spray a hidden or not so easily seen area of the fabric for a test before attempting to spray the whole piece.
Not only can you change or renew the fabrics of your décor, you can spray paint your lamps, vases, picture frames, knick-knacks, and just about anything. And don't forget about other items that are leather, plastic, canvas, vinyl, wood or metal. There are even aerosol spray carpet dyes for carpets and rugs. Not only can you remodel or renew the interior of your home's décor, but you can do the same for your outdoor items on your decks and patios. This includes, but is not limited to patio furniture, flower pots and planters, barbeque grills, swings, fences and so much more.
Other popular remodel projects using aerosol spray paints are the interiors of cars, trucks, boats, campers and even your airplanes. The list is unlimited. So get out there and scour the country for those great bargains knowing that you can turn them into treasures that you can cherish for years to come with the push of a spray nozzle of an aerosol spray paint can. Happy hunting as you become an expert Treasure Hunter.
Creme Brulee Torch
