Thinking Outside the Box

Decorating in The Lavender Tub style is all about thinking outside the box and using what you have or what you come across while thrifting.  Often the right thing I need ends up being something I already have, I just need to recreate it.  This is especially satisfying because my enjoyment of decorating is so much more about the creative process than the end result.  Believe me when I say, there is almost nothing in my house that is sacred and off-limits for repurposing.  Of course I treasure the gifts people have given me, especially handmade beauties, but everything else is just raw materials in my mind and can be torn apart, painted, cut down, recovered and/or used for something other than it was intended.

To give you an idea of what I mean, here are few of my repurposed junky things jewels:

My plan was to paint a grapevine wreath white to put on my coffee table for a little summer vignette, when I found this at a garage sale for $1.  The wreath was a little confused, but the white thingy it was built on looked perfect.  I removed everything from the form, saving the leaves for a fall project, added some shells, and now have this:

Isn't it pretty?

This cute little sundial was purchased at a garage sale a couple of years ago, but I never found the right column or pedestal to have it in my garden.  Recently I decided to just shop my house and see what I could come up with.  I came across this metal charger plate that I have

 tried to use 100 different ways but never really liked any of them, and this candle stand which came with a big glass cloche.  I loved it too but never really seemed to have a good place for it.  I began to put three and three together and ended up with this cute little sundial for my garden.  While I did glue the charger onto the stand, the sundial is just sitting on top so I can use the charger/stand as a little table if I ever need one.

Please excuse the soaker hoses!  (blush)

Now what about the big glass cloche?  I have always loved the size of the cloche that came in the plant stand, but wanted it to use it more as a hurricane on a tabletop.  As you might guess, I glued the cloche onto a candle holder I found at a garage sale, using E6000 glue, and created a large hurricane.  I think it turned out perfect!

My final project to share today was again made by marrying two things that I liked, but couldn't really find the right place for in my home.  A lamp brought to me by a friend, and a candelabra.  I began playing around with them one day and came up with this tall standing candelabra.  I think it is so much more elegant freestanding like this.  It may not be finished as I am considering painting it, but I'm living with it this way until I decide otherwise.

 I hope this inspires you to "shop" your home the next time you NEED just the right thing to decorate with.  It is so much more fun and you don't even have to get dressed like you do when you shop from store to store.  Should you ever get tired of your creation, just take it apart and create something new.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie