Junk Beautiful: Room by Room Makeovers with Junkmarket Style

I use this book for staging vintage homes. I specialize in shabby chic items. Wonderful ideas for repoursing items!

Sometimes I look back on my childhood and wondered how I even survived. The home I lived in was not very "kid friendly". It was like living in the Smithsonian. Crazy silk flowers, couches covered in plastic, doilies under everything -including doilies under doilies, expensive prints of famous paintings in expensive frames. Everything had to be "just so". It sucked. When it was time for me to move out, I knew I needed to furnish my new place but I didn't exactly have a lot of money to spend on new things. Besides, I didn't want new things. I didn't want my place to look like it came straight from the pages of Ikea. I wanted my place to be unique, inviting, and completely comfortable. So, I began scouring the garage sales, the flea markets, the night before trash day in nice neighborhoods - you would not believe what you can find sitting out there on the curb and I took all of this stuff in and began to sand, primer, and paint. I sawed, I hammered, I drilled. I washed, I sewed, I stapled. I was like Martha Stewart on steroids. And the end result was a home that felt like a home. This book really puts things in perspective. It shows how with a little ingenuinuity and some creative imagination you can create living spaces that are filled to overflowing with charm, love, and individuality. My sister-in-law gets a new living room set about every two years. It's always expensive and she always has to brag about how much she paid for everything. Actually, she didn't pay for any of it, her husband did...and probably still does...but despite the heavy duty price tag, her home doesn't feel like a home. It feels cold, impersonal, unhappy. Sometimes, on the drive home my wife starts to complain about her home and how she wished she had $65,000 and she'd re-decorate the whole house. But then we come home and she sees the authentic Chinese mohagany altar table we found in a dumpster and converted into a coffee table, the wingback chair that we got for $12 at a garage sale and pinned a very nice tapestry from India on it, the rug that was originally selling for $450 but we ended up getting for $195 because the person that ordered it never showed up and one of my favorites, the six framed, multi-colored window that came from an old house and we just took the glass out and installed a mirror in the back, and she breaks out in a smile and says, "This may all be junk, but it's my junk..." This book really shows you that we really don't need that much to be happy and the great thing about "junk" furniture that if something does happen to it, it's not a huge loss unlike the Victorian chair in my dad's study. Apparently, "some thoughtless moron" sat in that chair while eating chocolate and wiped their hands all over it, creating permanent stains. Boo-hoo, dad. (I'm not even sorry.) So get this book and start being a little more creative, a little more inspired, and a lot more happy. And just like the things I've found over the years, this book is indeed a tr

This is truly a fabulous book. The ideas are not only unique and innovative, but practical as well. When we must all strive to make this planet more green, what could benefit all of us more than the re-use of "junk" as beautifully displayed in this book. Besides the wonderful ideas, the photography is gorgeous, making it easy to spend several hours just browsing through the book. If one is looking for a great gift for that special person, this is the book to fill the bill. Thanks, Sue and Ki,and photographer Douglas Smith, for an exciting and creative book.

I spent several hours being totally engrossed by this fabulous book. The projects are so unique and seem to be easy for all, not just clever do-it-yourselfers. This book is overflowing with wonderful ideas,which I can't wait to apply to my own home. I thought the photography was exceptional, a really beautiful work of art all on its own.

Having just recieved my copy of Junk Beautiful, I can tell you that I am completely amazed at the creativity and talent that went into this book. It is informative and inspiring, with directions for fabulous projects that make even the beginning do-it-yourself junker feel confident in their abilities. Top that off with beautiful photography, incredible details, and a witty, upbeat text and you have the makings of a best seller! I am motivated to try my hand at some of the projects already and will keep it close at hand for future reference and creative ideas. One of my faves of all times!