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Vintage Magazine Rack Makeover and A Gift from a Friend

By Tuula McPhee (This post may contain affiliate links.)

I have to admit that I’m a sucker for most things metal, whether it’s magazine racks, shelves, candle holders etc… especially if they have curlicues, leaves, rope details, flowers, grapes  and/or other fun details.And if they’re a good price, like this piece was at $3, I have to snatch them up because I love giving them makeovers. I really can’t help myself.

I found this wrought iron and metal vintage magazine rack at my local thrift store, and it was perfect for a makeover.

 

Vintage Metal Magazine Rack

 

 I loved the grapes, the leaves, and the lattice work, but not the bronzy looking gold.

 

Vintage Grapes Magazine Rack Makeover

 

It’s quite wide and very sturdy.
Spray painted Magazine Rack Makeover

 

I I gave it some white spray paint love with a white paint and primer combo.

 

Painted Magazine Rack Makeover

 

I already liked it so much better, but being a girl who loves colour I had to add some.

 

Painted grapes Magazine Rack Makeover

 

So I just grabbed some green and burgundy craft paints and painted the leaves and the grapes.I dry brushed some green around the frame and handle too… just for fun.

Dry Brushed Magazine Rack Makeover

 

The burgundy was too dark for my liking so I dry brushed over it with some ivory craft paint.Easy peasy! It gives them a bit of a 3D look.

 

Vintage Magazine Rack Makeover

Here it is in the master bedroom looking all bright and new.

Too bright and new for my liking so I took some sand paper and lightly sanded the heck out of it to tone down the whole thing.

 

Vintage Magazine Rack Makeover
And here’s the before and after.
It’s still colourful, but I like the more aged look much better.

 

Vintage Magazine Rack Makeover

 

I’m not a magazine reader, so it’s the perfect place to keep a few of my favourite decorating books.
The vintage book at the front was a gift from my friend Sherry who blogs over at Thrift My House.
Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

It’s called Do It Yourself Home Decorating Ideas, Sherry found it at a thrift store and said it reminded her of me. She’s so sweet!
It’s an awesome book put together with favourite projects from Home Economics teachers.
Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

And Sherry was right. This book is definitely very me.
It has no publication date, but I’m guessing it’s from the 60s. There’s a mention in there about no longer having to conform in decorating, and I think that’s the 50s they’re talking about.

 

Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

This book celebrates and encourages the use of colour as a form of self expression in home decor, but what I love most about it is the philosophy with which it was written.
Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

That everyone should decorate their homes as individuals, to reflect themselves, and not worry so much about trends… or what’s hot and what’s not.
That is my decorating philosophy to a tee.
Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

Take the above room for example. Someone really went to town with all the different colours.
There’s yellow, pink, green, and that fabulous couch (yes… I love that groovy couch.) All the colours for the chairs are taken from colours in the couch, and the brown rug grounds it all beautifully.
All those colours may or may not be for you, but the design reasoning for using them is solid. I could quite happily live in that room.
Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

There are many great ideas in this book that can be translated into any colour scheme. Like this window nook day bed with the shelving on the sides. I love it!
I will admit that when I received this book I was in a bit of a rut. I was questioning some of my design choices because I don’t seem to fit in anywhere with the way I do things. At least that’s how I was feeling at the time.
I think I’m a little bit retro, a little bit boho, and a whole lotta cuckoo. lol.
Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

Check out that wardrobe on the right. I would have that in my house in a heartbeat, against an ivory painted wall. How fun and fabulous that would be. It would make me smile every single time I saw it. It makes me smile just looking at the picture.

I absolutely love this book, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s helped inspire me to keep on keepin’ on… just doing my thing, and I hope I can inspire others to do their thing too, whatever that may be.

Vintage Home Decorating Book

 

Also tucked inside the pages of this book were these goodies. That path quote is one of my favourites, and those upside down girls make me laugh. It so reminds me of my childhood. I keep those two pinned up in my craft room so I can always see them.

Thank you so much Sherry! This book will be a favourite of mine for, well, forever. And the other goodies will be put to very good use.Thanks so much for reading!

Keep on keepin’ on!XOX

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Linda @ A La Carte says

    Love the aged look of the magazine rack now and the color is awesome on it! I love that book! I too think we need to listen to our hearts and decorate how we feel! I love your home so keep on!

    Linda

    Reply

  4. Stephanie says

    Tuula, you are truly incredible! If I would have seen that magazine rack I would have barely glanced at it and walked away – you gave it new life, new beauty! I am going to have to go to the thrift store with my eyes wide open from now on 🙂

    Hugs to you!

    Reply

  5. Tina@WhatWeKeep says

    Hey, Cuckoo! Sherry did find the perfect book for you. That room with the groovy couch and pink chair made me think of Starburst candy and who doesn't love that? And what's going on with that lamp in that room? It looks cool. Is it metal? Love the way you made the mag rack work in Tuula Land!

    Reply

  6. Pam~ Virginia Retro says

    Each photo I saw I complimented you because it looked better, and better, and better, lol. Like the final aged version the best. I love color and call my style eclectic retro. Love the crazy names of your style! What a fun old decorating book, great gift!

    Reply

  11. Jan says

    Good advice for anyone who doesn't aspire to follow the crowd. We all know about the "big" bloggers and their trends and colors and spending countless money (what seems to me to be so, anyway), on this and that, and how they all root each other on, sponsoring each other's "lines" and "products" and write magazine articles. Woo woo, made it into the big time, have ya? Fun to visit (on occasion) but after they all seem to look and sound alike (rather like Stepford Wives, come to think of it – SCARY!) Facts are, most of us regular peeps cannot afford to decorate like they do – hiring contractors to do the work for them, hiring this designer and that one if they are not, in fact, designers themselves, "sourcing" (a fancy-pants term for shopping for products and not always at the best price), participating in this design challenge or that one, etcetera, etcetera, as Yul Brynner was fond of saying in his role as the King of Siam 🙂 (I'm really dating myself, aren't I…) I don't live like that, nobody in my family lives like that, and I don't know anyone in my circle of acquaintances who lives like that! But living on a limited budget doesn't mean we should discount our own styles! We all have "voices" – and we should all feel free to let those voices be heard. Please don't be bambozzled by the hoi polloi. At the end of the day, they all eat, crap and sleep, put their socks on one foot at a time and put their (designer) jeans on one leg at a time, the same way we all do, har 🙂

    Reply

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