Page 69 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2021

Repaint
Don’t be afraid to paint furniture to make a room look more harmonious. We love seeing an old table or chest painted in a glossy black. Pick a color you have always wanted to try and don’t be afraid to experiment. A dated headboard on your bed can easily be transformed with paint. Wooden chairs are also easy to change and incorporate into a new design scheme. Paint and then get out the staple gun and update the fabric seat while you are at it.
Reevaluate
Sometimes a piece just won’t work. You’ve moved it around, tried to use it creatively, and even paint won’t help. Consider what it has meant to you in the past versus how the new space is going to make you feel. Let it go. O er unwanted furnishings to family and friends or donate them to a favorite charity. Use online apps to alert the neighborhood you are about to put something on the curb and someone will most likely take it and put it to good use. If something was particularly sentimental for one of you, take a photograph and frame it. Now you just have to nd a place for your new piece of art!
Take your time making decorating decisions. Design tastes evolve just like relationships do So, as you make that hap- py home with the one you love, give the “things” they brought with them a little time. You may nd the piece you didn’t care for when it moved is looking better every day!
Repurpose
Consider using pieces in a new way. Can a dining sideboard be used in the foyer to anchor a great piece
of art? Maybe taking the drawers out of an old dresser leaves you the bones for a great bar. Think about using a desk as a bedside table or a kitchen table as a desk. An old dresser can nd new life in the dining area as a bu et. And smaller chests and side tables can be used in a multitude of ways.
Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 35 years. Shannon Stage has spent nearly 20 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
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