Today’s Shoestring Makeover comes to you courtesy of my very stylish and discerning friend Martine, who also happens to be a prop and wardrobe stylist.
Martine has lots of stuff. She’s got a great eye for everything and as such has horded some amazing things over the years.
One such fabulous thing is – well, was – this early ‘50s vanity. She picked it up with a matching armoire at an antique dealer’s for a great price (she wouldn't say how much but you can be sure that she wouldn’t ever allow herself to be ripped off).
The armoire she used as storage for a long time and the vanity just kind of sat there – for years. It is very pretty, and precisely because it’s so pretty – and precious – she just didn’t know what to do with it. It didn’t provide much in the way of storage, a console/occasional table it was not because of the mirrors, and a vanity she just didn’t need. Until finally she moved houses and her new life required that a decision had to be made.
With her new house came a guest bedroom that Martine made do double duty by hosting her workstation. Except, every table she found just didn’t look right sitting by the cushy guest bed that she took great care to outfit. Until her eye fell on the vanity.
The mirrors she simply unscrewed and put into storage, the two holes got covered by lamp (right) and file storage (left) and the surface which was actually quite water stained and worn got a few coats of white paint. And voila! A lovely little worktable that looks great married to the guest bed, and not a penny spent.
Well, not on the table, but she did buy those IKEA “Mossby” shelves with the “Bjarnum” metal brackets, which add a nice modern twist while providing ample room for storage and display.
I know some of you may be mourning the lovely vanity, but this incarnation gives it a whole new lease on life. And anyway, if she wanted to, that surface can be sanded down and redone (it needed it anyway), and the mirrors screwed back in. But why? Look how cute! It just goes to show you what a little courage and decisions making can do.
Oh, and that Moroccan-inspired stool she picked up for $35 at Home Sense. See? A good eye is everything…
What do you think?
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