Create the perfect Autumn Welcome sign for your front porch … and before all my Aussie Down Under friends say “Wait, it’s SPRING, not AUTUMN” – there is so much more in this tutorial for you! *This post contains affiliate links. Raised 3D stencilling In this tutorial, in addition to my regular stencil technique, you’ll also learn how to: stencil 3D raised or embossed designs using TWO different mediums, create a shadow effect to make your stencil look 3 dimensional As I show you these tips using Essential Stencil’s Hello Autumn stencil, you can apply these same techniques ..read more

I love a piece of furniture with family history and this family table has just that! I’m not sure exactly when this old table came to live at mum and dad’s house. It may have been when my Grandfather sold his big home in Lawnton, Brisbane, after Grandma went to heaven, and he was downsizing to a smaller house. This was after I had married and left home, but nevertheless it ended up with my parents. I remember mum stripping it back to bare wood, removing the layers of paint from over the years, and varnishing it. And here is how it has looked for probably the last 25 years or more. The ta ..read more

Two Stools Number Stencil Makeover (This post contains affiliate links. Links provided for your convenience to source products used in this tutorial.) This is the photo (below) where I realised I should have taken a “Before photo” to show you what they looked like. Anyhow … this is Celia helping me by painting the bases of the two ordinary pine stools in Fusion’s Coal Black. And here they are with the seats on top all sanded back to raw wood, so that I could work on them for a Facebook Live I did for Essential Stencil as one of their ambassadors. I used the Number Stencil s ..read more

Two makeovers to share today I have two furniture makeovers to share today, mainly because we’ve been pumping out numerous projects with an extra amazing helper in the workshop. Both of these are using Fusion Mineral Paint, so I hope you get some inspiration to use these colours on some of your own projects. The first is this set of dresser drawers that my lovely workshop assistant, Celia, brought in as a surprise for me one day. I had been out running errands and returned to the workshop and she had pulled this little beauty out of the back of her car. She brought it in, sanded and clea ..read more

Before we get to my Coffee Station makeover, do you ever paint a piece, use it in your house for a while, then decide it’s time for another makeover to either keep or on-sell? This is about the 3rd makeover I’ve done on this piece. I’ve loved it from the start when friends were getting rid of it, and placed it in my care! Here’s how it started when it came to be with me: This was one of my first makeovers before I started really researching furniture paints, and in fact, before any of the main furniture paint brands really came to Australia. So here is the first makeover in some ..read more

Honey I’m Home When Lauren Honey, from Honey I’m Home approached me to do a collaboration, I was excited to work with her on some beautiful bespoke drawer knobs to add to my store. Lauren is an Architect by day and Maker by night. “I’ve always had a keen eye for detail and I love creating beautiful environments. I had a particular interest in home decor, and so, Honeyimhome was born.” Honey I’m Home specialise in handmade homewares – each design is unique. You can find more of their products via Instagram @honeyimhome_au Our new Drawer knobs These contemporary colorful decorati ..read more

Is there any hope for this bedside table? Before I get to the Suitcase Drawers, I’ve mentioned my workshop assistant, Celia in our last couple of blog posts, and she’s been an amazing helper. Well I asked her to bring in something from home that she’d like to paint in my workshop. She brought in this roadside find, covered in stickers and scratches and some undesirable words etched into drawers. Most people might have walked right by this one and thought, “I’ll pass!” But Celia shares my love for finding old pieces and bringing them back to life again, and she saw the potential in t ..read more

Fusion’s new colours have reached our shores here in Australia, so we’re jumping with excitement and people are busy painting pieces in these fun hues! I too, couldn’t wait to paint something in the new colours from the Lisa Marie Holmes collection. So, I grabbed the nearest piece of furniture from my stash – a recently acquired set of antique drawers. Drawers for the new colour Goddess Ashwagandha My “before” pic of this one comes straight from the ad on Facebook Marketplace where I bought it from. The drawers were a bit wonky, so we used some fill at the back of the drawer l ..read more

Coming up with new branding for your business can be a fun and creative process. You may have already noticed the new ‘I Restore Stuff’ branding and logo appearing here on my website and around my social media channels. This has been the work of my amazing daughter, Amber, who is a graphic designer! Ah, one of the beautiful benefits of your kids growing into young adults and embarking on their career choices. I have two sons in I.T. who occasionally help me with my nerdy website questions, and now a graphic designer daughter who creates wonderful artwork & visuals. In this post ..read more

A Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint Makeover This pot cupboard was sitting out front of an op shop for two weeks before I rescued it. The store had dropped the price, and I must admit, I felt sorry for it sitting there with no glass in its door and a latch that wasn’t working. I had sanded this one before I thought to take a “Before” pic. We removed the door and I had my helper, Celia, sand back the top to the raw timber and then sand the rest of the pot cupboard and door just enough to scuff the surface ready for painting. Someone once asked me “What are your thoughts on different s ..read more