One thing is undeniable in the DIY and design world, brass hardware is back and lately I’m totally loving it on furniture. As a child of the 80’s I admit shiny lacquered brass fixtures still don’t appeal to me, but I am drawn to the golden glow of real or antiqued brass with its warmer patina.

In the past two weeks, I’ve fixed up two pieces, one dresser and one campaign desk, and both had brass hardware I wanted to reuse.  One set of hardware was real brass, the other brass plate, and both needed a good polish.

Over the last year, I’ve also narrowed down two great substitutes for faking the patina with other hardware that you want to give a golden glow.  If you’re curious how to tell the difference between real brass and brass plate, how to polish unlacquered brass, or how to fake the look of antique brass hardware, here’s how I do it.

Real brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and if it’s not lacquered, will tarnish with exposure to air over time.  There are two methods I use to bring back the mellow antiqued patina, one is Brasso if I have it on hand and the other is natural lemon juice and salt paste mixture.

But first, before you polish, you should know whether your hardware is real brass or brass plate.  Here’s the simple way to tell the difference.  Take a household magnet and see if it will stick to the piece, if it won’t that means the hardware is real brass, like these campaign pulls.

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I have to say thank you to all of you for your suggestions on what color to paint the faux bamboo chest I scored last weekend while out thrifting.  Quite frankly, it’s one of those pieces that would look really good in any color, but there were a few comments that coaxed me toward peacock blue. 

Ooh, rich bluey-turquoise . . .

Make the gold hardware pop, yes that’s a must!

Yes, me likey colors of the ocean, thanks for reading my mind Andrea.

Amen sister, peacock is da bomb. 

So I busted out of my ‘just paint my furniture white’ box I fit so nicely into, and pulled off a bold shade of glossy peacock blue.  You saw the faux bamboo chest a few days ago that I dragged home from a thrift store. 

Check out this hottie now:

Now that’s what I’m talking about!

I love it, don’t you? 

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I have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to spray paint, especially when I don’t want to spend any money on something new.  Long ago, I accepted the universal truth that paint in all forms is my very best friend.  It is the easiest way to change or reinvent an old thing, and make it something new PDQ. 

Case in point.  I’ve had a 5’ x 7’ outdoor rug for a few years, and the original border used to be deep red.  You’ll spy it in this porch scene and this one too from last year.  

I was over the dark red, and feeling something new, so I perused my spray paint collection and came up with a can of ‘Green Apple’ spray paint leftover from these painted pots, and my old rug was reborn. 

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I love a celebratory party in honor of spray paint!  Thanks Sarah for kicking off the Home May’d parties with a topic devoted to one of my favorite transformative substances: da spray paint.  It rocks. 

I’ve often said, I’ll spray paint anything that stands still, cause so often I fall in love with the shape of something, but not the color or finish, and my mind instantly thinks, “Nothing a little spray paint can’t fix!”   I’m like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding who was convinced Windex was the cure for every ailment.  For me, it be spray paint. 

Exhibit A: I found this tin container in my garage, I don’t recall where I picked it up.  A craft store?  Yard sale?  No matter, it was the perfect candidate for an indoor planter.

I pounded a few holes in the bottom with a nail, spray painted the front green and let it dry.  I placed some chipboard letters on top, then spray painted it again with RustOleum’s ‘Heirloom White’ which left green font underneath.  So cute!  

My indoor herb garden is back baby, back!  Complete with my five culinary favorites: sage, thyme, basil, cilantro, and parsley. 

I like to grow even more basil outside in the summertime, but the petite plants do make a pretty scene in our kitchen window.

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Hello friends, happy spring, the sun is shining today, at last!  There’s just something about sunshine and bright colors that is making me happier this week.  I even painted my toes a bright coral yesterday ~ that’s me, livin’ on the edge. 

Last weekend, I made these sweet little dessert stands for displaying spring and summertime treats when guests come over.  They’re frugal, festive, and fabulous ~ my kind of project!

Pretty Dessert Stands from Goodwill Plates & Glasses:

What You’ll Need:  Miscellaneous stemware and dessert plates; household silicone sealant (the kind used for aquariums); frosted glass spray paint; colored spray paint; paper doilies.

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