Joanne Palmisano was one of the speakers at the
Country Living Fair Atlanta 2017. The title of her workshop
was "Amazing Ways To Decorate and DIY with Vintage
Salvage". She was so energetic, funny and informative!
It was SO COLD that Sunday morning at the end of October. Joanne is from New Jersey...she knew how to dress
for the cold...most of the rest of us did not and were literally shivering in our seats.
Warning...a lot of the photos in this post were screen shots
literally. I was sitting on the front row taking pictures of
the screen in the tent. It makes the images skewed.
Joanne wears a lot of hats! She is a contributing designer for
DIY Network. She has created 170 online projects for their
website. Here are a few of those...
click text to go to tutorial
click text to go to tutorial
not really a tutorial but the best I could find
There are two tutorials. One is if you just want to paint the bricks. The second is if you want to
take it further and build up a new mantel and install a marble surround. .
She is also a stylist for magazines such as "Eating
Well" and "Gardner's Supply Company".
She is an author! She already has published two books
about decorating with salvage items and she has another
book coming out in April of 2018.
I'm just saying all that to say that she knows what she is
talking about...she was worth sitting in the cold to hear.
Some of the projects she showed us were good for
beginner salvage/repurposers. Like going to thrift stores
and keeping an open mind to image what some of the
things there could be.
Clear glass vases and jars....
....could become a grouping for one type of flower...
...or be wrapped in chicken wire for a farmhouse feel.
An old ice skate could be painted with stripes...
...and made into a porch or door ornament.
Seemingly non-related frames could be painted...
...all the same color and become a picture gallery .
Even consider stacking one frame inside of another one.
A dated dresser could become...
a showstopper with new paint.
When you are ready to move to bigger salvage projects
you could advance on to things like making a bathroom
vanity out of dressers.
"Before" above, "After below"
click on text for tutorial
Before
After
Bathroom counter, sink, wallpaper and mirror have been
removed. Vintage dresser/turn bathroom vanity and mirror.
The photo below shows a bathroom changed by
painting the cabinets, replacing the counter with
reclaimed wood and replacing the sinks with
larger salvaged ones. Also in this bathroom the plate
mirror was replaced and new light fixtures were added.
Joanne said to be on the lookout for a roll or two of nice
wallpaper at thrift stores. Sometimes that is all a small wall
will require.
She says that older sinks are usually bigger than new ones.
Many times they can be found at salvage yards for a
good price.
Salvaged sink reused...
If you are going to be looking at old wood to
repurpose, Joanne says to take a piece of sandpaper
and a bottle of water. Sometimes old wood has darkened.
Sand a small area of the wood to see what it will probably
look like sanded. Then pour a little water on the sanded
sanded area to see what the wood will look like with a finish.
Joanne also updates, renovates, refreshes vacation rentals,
motels, hotels, inns and businesses. Some of the following
pictures are from those projects but the salvage concepts and
ideas are ones that we could use in our own homes.
Before
After
Salvaged wood installed on diagonal on a wall. Dining area
warmed up with new light fixture, rug, substantial furniture.
The kitchen area was also lightened up.
Before
blank wall
After
Salvaged wood attached to wall. A thrift store light fixture
was updated by removing shades and adding Edison bulbs.
Before
After
Walls painted. New drapery. Twine wrapped around older
lamp to update it. Some furniture painted and reused.
Click over to this post on Joanne's blog to see how she
used boating rope and line to wrap outdated lamps for
cottages at a lake resort. Now they have a history!
Before
After
Wall paneling painted white. Some furniture kept and also
painted. Vintage oars used to decorate wall. Lamp wrapped
in rope.
Before
After
The upper cabinets were removed and replaced with
open shelving. The sink was moved to be under the window.
Low bar replaced with salvaged wood island.
Before
After
Joanne says if you are using salvaged wood for a counter
top, make it look thick even if it is not. Turn a piece of
wood on its side around the edge if needed. The black
counter in the back is salvaged granite tiles.
Before
After
Before
After
Carpet removed, new furniture, industrial lighting and
shelving, unified stools,
Before
After
Chairs painted all the same color to unify them. Walls painted.
Salvaged wood and columns tables. Light fixtures made of
salvaged ladders. Floor lightened.
Before
After
Joanne says that wall murals are a bold and simple way to
keep decorating costs down.
Before
After
Joanne uses another large wall mural in the update of this
Before
A dated cottage bedroom at a resort
After
New carpet, wallpaper, bedskirt, lamps, wainscoting.
Same bed, tables and chair. (The bed sure looks higher...
I use two box springs on my bed to make it higher).
Joanne gives more details on this room in this blog post.
Joanne is super talented and busy. If you see that she is
coming to an event nearby, you should try to go see her!
If you want to see more pictures and speakers at the
Country Living Fair Atlanta, here are more of my posts...
Bringing Farmhouse Style To A Cookie Cutter House
I am sharing this post over at these blog parties...
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town @ Knick of Time
Share Your Style @ The Vintage Nest
Featherned Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
I am sharing this post over at these blog parties...
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Talk of the Town @ Knick of Time
Share Your Style @ The Vintage Nest
Featherned Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
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