 |
| Design Sponge |
But are all of those blood, sweat and tears really worth it? Well, it depends. Here are some guidelines that I go by when deciding whether the project is worth it, or if it's just better to buy something in place of it.
1) How much will it cost. Of course if you have a dresser (IN GOOD CONDITION), and you had it for years, or you got it for free, or maybe $10 at a yard sale, then throwing a couple coats of paint on it may be worth it. If you go to antique store, and find a similar dresser for $350, but it's missing the top, or it needs new drawers or something like that... probably not. You figure, you pay $350 for the dresser, then you have to find about the same wood, then cut it, sand it, stain or paint it, buy the gears, and whatever else it needs. At that time, you have probably spent $450, but all of the time and effort you put into it, when you could have gone to Ikea, or another furniture store, and bought one for $200 that is just as nice, and brand new. Now, if you are just wanting different wood, or to stensil something on the top... don't you already have a dresser?
2) Is it really worth your time? DIY, I guess, is mostly about time and money. You have a great art piece ready to go at Pier One. Great, it's beautiful, its exactly what you are looking for, and it's a whopping $200. That's nuts. Listen, I love Pier One as much as the next girl (trust me on this), but their stuff comes with a hefty price tag. How creative are you really? Is it something you really could do yourself? If it's a painting, could you really paint what is on it, and mimic the painting? I say, if it's something that you really love, maybe save up or wait till it's on sale, and just buy it. When I look at an art piece, if I love it I wait, and buy it after I have saved for a little bit. If its something I know I'm not willing to pay the money for, then I use it as inspiration and move on. There is no sense in mourning over it if you won't ever have it, when you can use something similar. Have a painting that's out-dated, or doesn't reflect the style anymore? Just slap a coat of Kilz on it and go from there. The possibilities are endless. You could use paint. Maybe use what you have painted your walls with to make something abstract. Or you could make it more 3-d by using fabrics, or layering scrapbook paper, or wrapping paper.
 |
| Decoist |
3) Are you really going to use it? Yes, I agree, that is a really nice piece of wood sitting on your neighbor's curb. Hmmm, what could you do with it? You could replicate the painting you saw at Pier One. You could buy some legs for it, and make it a nice end table. You could hang it from the ceiling in the nursery with some cute yarn balls hanging from it to make a mobile. But, really... let's be real here. Are you going to do that? Is that something that you really wish to take on, or is it just a fantasy. Don't pick things up that could be used, unless you have a set plan on it. It's ok to throw away that old olive oil bottle. I know that you could put some twine around it, and display it on your shelf. But if you are anything like I am, if you don't have all of the materials, and a free day that you KNOW you will get it done, then it will probably just end up sitting in your garage, taking up space when you promised your parents that you would have the garage all organized to fit the set of weights they are trying to get you to take.
So, basically, when you are taking on a project, make sure that it will really be worth your time. I get it. There is something so satisfying about spray painting a lamp, and putting ribbon around the shade, but you only have so much time in a day, and if they have the same lamp at Lowe's for the same price as all of the materials, just buy it. Trust me, I love DIYing, but this chick is busy, and my time is valuable. So that's just my 2 cents.
Tata,
Emily
No comments:
Post a Comment