This is me, Thrifty Decor Chick...

Hello! My name is Sarah.

I love decorating on the cheap.

I love Goodwill and thrift stores.

I love molding and the amazing difference it makes in any home.

I love being creative.

I love saying "lurve" and "caaaute" any chance I get.

I love copying a $200 piece and making my own, but better, for less than $20.

I love New York City so much we got married there.

I love painting walls, furniture, the cat -- if it makes the cat look better.

I love NKOTB.

I love God for this life I lead.

I love you all for reading my goofiness.

And most of all, I love my husband and children, for their complete support, love and understanding (especially when it comes to NKOTB).

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I started this blog because I believe anyone and everyone should have a home they love, even though they may not have much to spend on it. You can have a lovely home for little money. 
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Creative has always been in my blood -- my family is full of artistic talents, builders and writers. I first dreamed of being an interior designer when I was 13 years old. That was after my teacher stage and before my decision to follow a career in writing. :)

My degrees are in journalism and public relations, and I enjoyed a ten year career in this field. Along the way, I loved decorating our home and helping friends with theirs. When I had our son a few years ago, looking at him woke something in me. He made me want to follow my dreams.

So that I did. My wonderful hubby supported me when I decided to quit my full time job and pursue my dream of interior decorating. I started working with a local design firm -- first as the owner's assistant, then as a decorator.

I loved that work -- it woke my creative juices even more and I love helping people make their homes more beautiful. But as this blog grew and grew, I knew my heart was here. Since mid-2009 I have focused completely on Thrifty Decor Chick and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is has been a blessing -- this blog, the people I have met because of it, and the inspiration I get from my readers.


If this is your first time to TDC, you can check out some pics of our home here.

I hope you enjoy your time here and come back often!

I love to hear from my readers! If you have any questions about projects I have done, please check out my FAQs tab first. If I have not answered your question there, ask away!

thriftydecorchick@gmail.com

I appreciate hearing from all of you. Your sweet e-mails make my day and make me smile. Thanks for taking the time to contact me.

You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Thriftydecor
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrifty-Decor-Chick/61271637185

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WELCOME! 
(Click picture to get to posts about each space.)

Staircase:


Family room:

 Big boy room:

 Book nook:

To see the how-to, click here.

Dining room:

Master bedroom:

Kitchen:

Laundry/mud room:


Living room and foyer:

Office (in progress):

Nursery:

Bathrooms:

Playroom:

Here is a source list for all of the drapes in our home:

(Old) Family room drapes:

I made those myself. :) Both fabrics can be found at Joann's Etc.

(New) family room drapes (used to be in dining room):

Fabric purchased at Joann's.

Master bedroom drapes:

These were a find on the JCPenney's clearance site -- I believe my readers sold out the remainder of them. :)

Office drapery fabric:

Also from Joann's -- this is a Waverly print.

Living room drapery fabric:

This is a P. Kaufmann fabric called Retreat Blue Citrine. I found mine at Calico Corners, but there is a similar (if not exact) version at Ballard Designs!

What is the white you use on your trim and moldings? 
Good old fashioned white from the hardware store -- no name, just white -- right off the shelf. ;) I always use semi or high gloss on all of my moldings. I've used many different brands and don't find a big difference when it comes to glossy paint.


Where did you get your family room rug?

It was a HomeGoods find! I haven't been able to find a tag with a brand name on the bottom, but it is marked "Summerton Collection" -- maybe that would help in finding it? I believe it was $199.

Where did you find the large cloche and stand on your kitchen island?

It was a Goodwill find -- isn't it awesome? :) Sorry, there are absolutely NO markings that would tell me where it orginally came from.

Where did you get the vinyl phrase on your staircase?

The "Best things in life aren't things" vinyl was from Uppercase Living years ago, but I'm pretty sure they still sell this design.

Where did you get the white sofa table in your family room/kitchen?

It is from Ikea and is called the Hemnes sofa table. It was $150 and I'm VERY pleased with it. :)

Where do you get the corbels you've used in your kitchen?

I get pretty much all of my corbels from Home Depot. Lowe's has some as well, but HD's selection is better, in my opinion. The corbels under our cabinets and on the kitchen island were $9 each.

Can I paint laminate furniture?

Yes you can! (Channeling Bob the Builder.) It just takes some patience and time...lots of time. I blogged about a laminate project here, and it's actually held up really well since. You need a good primer and you'll want to let each coat to cure for as long as you can possibly stand it. :)


Can I paint my popcorn ceilings?
Our ceilings are that smooshy kind of texture, but have very little actual texture to them. So with the flat paint the texture disappears even more. I'm guessing that painting popcorn ceilings would do the same! If you do it, you'll want to use a roller with a thick nap -- probably about half an inch, so it can get into all of the crevices.

I don't know how much of the "popcorn" will crumble off, so I suggest you try it in a spot like a closet or a laundry room first to see how it works.

What is the brand and color of your floors?
Our floors are Pergo and the color is Santos Cherry. We got them from Home Depot and are VERY pleased with them -- they hold up great!

What are the paint colors in your home?
Our whole foyer, living room, stairway and loft are all Beechwood Gray from Porter Paints. I used the darker tone on this paint chip, Vermont Brown, for the accent areas in these spaces:
Porter changed their paint and paint colors a couple years ago, and they don't have this color name on the chip any more. There is almost an exact match now, but you'll have to ask the folks at Porter what will work best. (If they can't help, let me know.)

Our den is Fired Brick from Sherwin Williams (which I had colored matched to Behr):

It is impossible to photograph because it usually looks orangey in pics. It's really a nice rusty red color.
Our kitchen and family room is one of my favorites, Sisal from Ralph Lauren. Yet again, I had it matched in Behr paint:
I firmly believe this color would look good in just about any room, in any house.

The nursery wall color is Pale Sand 1 and the stripes are Pale Apple 2, Apple 3 and Apple 4. All are Laura Ashley paint from Lowe's:
Our bedroom is a grayish green called Tornado Watch from Valspar at Lowe's. The fireplace wall is slightly darker tone called Mossy Aura:
I also used these colors in our master bathroom.

Our sunny laundry room is Manila Tint from Behr:

How tall is the beadboard in your laundry room?
With the chair rail at the top, it is a total of 62 inches tall.

Where do you purchase your bamboo roman shades?

Everywhere! The shades in our den (above) were from Home Depot. Our dining room shades (in a yummy reddish tone) were from Lowe's:
The shades in the family room were from Target:

I also have these in our master bedroom and the loft. I don't remember where I got these but I'm sure it was one of the three places I mentioned.

How private are the bamboo shades?

It depends on the shades. The bamboo in our playroom/loft (above) is wide apart, so they offer very little privacy.

In our bedroom, they are really tight, so they are fantastic for privacy:Even so, I purchased privacy liners for these windows, as well as our family room windows, at Lowe's. They are pretty pricey (I believe mine were about $23 each), but worth it. I still swear the bamboo shades offer better sunlight control then our two inch blinds, but maybe not as much privacy, without the liners.

What paint and finish do you use on your furniture redos?

I am LOVING a black paint from Behr (shock) called Black Suede. It is a great black -- not greyish at all.
I always use an eggshell finish on my projects:

I didn't used to use poly over furniture, but I have learned over time that they hold up MUCH better if I do. I recommend a satin or semi gloss poly over furniture.

Are you still doing consultations?
I am not -- I had to give up something in order to keep up, and that was it. :)