Shopping for the right item to address a specific decor dilemma can be a challenge. There are times when the item you need for your particular predicament is so specific it can't be found in mainstream home decor stores. That leaves you without a solution or having to pay top dollar for a custom item.
Case in point: I had this issue with my kitchen cabinets that had been bugging me for years. A small kitchen renovation done years ago left me with a gap between the lower cabinets and the fridge that was about six inches wide. For years, it was a gaping hole that collected dust bunnies and bread crumbs, and was one of those "I'll get to it one day" small decor problems.
Leafing through a decorating magazine one day, I happened upon a viable solution that would, in theory, fill the gap nicely. The space was a good spot to incorporate a wine rack, which would finish off the cabinets nicely. I don't particularly need wine storage, but it was a good way to fill that empty gap literally and figuratively.
So shopping I did go. First of all, there weren't a lot of items that would fit perfectly into that particular space, so I didn't have any luck there. I wanted something in wood so I could paint it the same colour as the cabinets (which I had repainted not too long ago). There really wasn't anything out there that fit the bill, so I kept my eyes open for options that could be retrofitted to work. Finally, when I wasn't actually looking for a wine rack (isn't that always the way when you shop), I happened upon a wall shelving unit on clearance at a discount store that I thought could be reconfigured into a new wine rack for my kitchen. The basic dimensions of the shelving unit were right for my needs and it was on sale for $9.99, so I couldn't really lose even if it didn't work. It was black, which was a concern, but I knew with enough coats of cabinet paint, it could work.
So I carted the flat-packed unit home and started working on the project. Because the unit was in pieces, I was able to cut each flat shelf to the right width and actually used that cut-off piece as a side lip, to keep the wine bottles from rolling off the end. After painting each piece with five coats of cabinet paint, I put the unit together and installed it alongside the cabinet. It looks great and certainly finishes off that end of the cabinets. Not bad for a $10 investment.
Area rug project
More than a year ago, I had the same frustration when looking for an area rug for the front foyer. The dimensions of the space aren't standard, so in order to find something I liked that was the right size, I would have had to spend way more money on a custom rug than was warranted for the situation. I decided to make my own area rug. I knew a braided rug wasn't an option for me as I tried this project once before and I found it very difficult. I had a rug latch hook from past projects in my craft box that prompted me to try something a little different. I decided to latch hook a large area rug that would fit my situation, be less expensive and keep my hands out of the chip bowl when watching television.
I needed to buy the specific rug backing needed for latch-hooked rugs but found it was quite expensive and not non-skid. I happened upon some carpet underlay when visiting a flooring store that I thought would do the trick. It had the necessary open weave for the project, was already non-skid and could be cut to the size I needed. Perfect.
I needed lots of yarn for this project, so I headed to the thrift store because I knew they usually had baskets full of leftover yarn for a good price. As luck would have it, I actually found yarn that was made for latch hooking (it was cut into exact lengths for this project) for a few dollars and was well on my way. As I ran out of yarn during the project, I would just pick up a few more skeins at the thrift store and cut them to the needed lengths. I used all sorts of colours and created the pattern as I went along.
It took a year of on-and-off work for my rug to be completed, but I love the outcome. It's colourful, cozy and unique.
Moral of the story: You can't always find what you need but there are ways around this. Keep your mind open to unusual ways to solve your specific dilemma. When it works, it's quite rewarding.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
