Dining Room Buffet Makeover

The buffet in my dining room needed an overhaul.  I bought it on craiglist a year or so ago and painted it.  I also used leftover fabric from the dining room chairs (we had them recovered at the same time I got the buffet) and decoupaged the fabric on the doors.  I don't like it.  I have hated it since I finished it, but other projects took priority and it has been sitting waiting for me to redo it for a year.  I finally cleaned it out and got motivated to repaint it. 

Here it is before. 

This paint color just didn't suit me.  I kept putting color on top of color trying to get just the right mix.  Nope.  So we are back to my new favorite...antique white (how did you guess!?!?!)!

In the process...

And the final product...

I like it so much better now!

One of my 2011 goals was to organize my home.  What a dauntng goal.  It seemed so unreachable.  I have really put alot of effort into making this happen.  It's not the organizing of one area, say a closet, or a room, but really more a combination of a million little things - like adding a basket to the shelf in the pantry to hold the chip bags or getting my gift tags orderly in a box (see it here). 

Now that I started couponing a couple of months ago and building a stockpile, I haveto be creative in the use of space I have in order to for everything to have a place and stay organized and orderly.  As I emptied this buffet, I realized that I haven't used the things stored in it for...years.  More than half of the space was filled with the China we got when we were married.  We have never eaten off of it.  Not once in 11 years. 

Now, I know I can't get rid of the China.  I intend to hand it down to Lilly one day.  But right now, in 2011, when Lilly is 6 and we NEVER use it, why is it taking up the space in my buffet?  The space I need for things we  use.  Good question.

So I packed up the China in a plastic container and put it in the attic.   I now have organized my coupon inserts and have them tucked neatly in the drawers, dated and ready to be pulled out when I need a coupon from them.  The inserts have been in stacks (organized stacks!) on my dining room table since I started accumulating them while I tried to figure out where to keep them.  I cannot stand for everything around me to not be perfectly in place and it has been driving me crazy that I had no where to put these things.  I think this was the motivation I needed to finally drag this buffet to the driveway and paint it.  I didn't want to empty it and organize it full of new things when it was still on my to-do list of projects...so it moved to the top of the list.

And now, it is the happy home of coupon inserts.  And my dining room table is pretty again. 

I feel so accomplished! Two items marked off my list!

Once more before and after:

I encourage you to look around you and think of ways to better use your space.  There is hidden potential everywhere!  I think of the people that live in New York in tiny apartments with no closets and make it work.  I used to feel like this house wasn't big enough for the four of us, but with a little effort, I can find space everywhere and can organize my home.   It's taking a while, but each little thing makes a difference. 

Do you like the buffet?  I do. 

Kelli