Blog - Page 25 of 81 - FunCycled - Interior Design, Kitchen Cabinet Painting, Furniture Repurposing in Upstate NY

Posted on August 31, 2021August 30, 2021 by Sarah

Shared Spaghetti Dinner How To!

Hi Friends!

I know, I know, this doesn’t sound like my normal blog post. It’s true! This isn’t about furniture, kitchen makeovers, or design, but this is about something fun that I’ve wanted to do for 3 years! We finally did it! I was at a fall festival about 3 years go where they had a shared spaghetti dinner that you could buy tickets for. I LOVED watching it all happen and wished that I had bought a ticket myself. They poured the spaghetti down the table, poured meat and sauce on top, and then passed around loaves of bread for people to rip off a piece of it. Everyone pulled some of the spaghetti from the center of the table and enjoyed a feast with their friends.

It was so much fun so I thought I’d share in case any of you would like to try it yourself!

First – get some fold up tables and buy plastic table cloths. We bought these:

I picked golden rod from my yard and put it in a mason jar. Then pilled fresh Italian bread all around it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and butter.

John boiled the spaghetti 6 pounds at a time in a huge pot, added oil to keep it from sticking, and kept it on low in the oven to keep it warm. We started by pouring all the spaghetti out on the table. We had 19 people over and we made 12 pounds of regular spaghetti and 2 pounds of gluten free spaghetti, 5 jars of sauce mixed with tomatoes from our garden, and about 12 pounds of meat. We did 3 tables, one for adults, and two for the kids. One of the kids tables was all gluten free to that our daughter Harmony could enjoy it without having to worry about cross contamination or without feeling left out. We also added sausage and meatballs on top! With that much food there was SO MUCH left over, but that’s ok. We sent our friends home with lots of left overs. We also asked our friends to bring a salad to share and an Italian dessert to share. 💕

Step 1 Spaghetti!

Step 2 Add the Meat
(or veggies if you don’t eat meat)

Step 3 Add the Sauce
(sprinkle some PARMESAN Cheese on top)

The Best Part! INVITE FRIENDS

Oh, and Don’t Forget to Play Italian Music

That may sound like a silly last step, but it really sets the mood!

When I told some friends about this idea, they wrinkled up their nose and said… ew. Sharing food. Gross!!! So let’s talk about that for a second. There really isn’t as much sharing as you’d think. If you’re scared of others germs, just pull a large amount from the center and then you won’t have to grab any more. It’s basically just like eating without a plate. Oh, and be sure to be the first to grab the Italian bread if you don’t like people touching your food. :)

We also had fresh Parmesan ready for the top of the spaghetti if anyone wanted it.

It definitely made for a fun and memorable night! I loved it so much and think it’s definitely worth trying if this sounds even slightly fun to you! The clean up is the easiest part! Just toss the table cloth and everything else you don’t want at the end!

Maybe I’ll have to try the shared nacho night next! We’ll see!! :)

Oh, and if you came for a before and after of furniture, I don’t want you to be disappointed.

This is a dresser that we just added to our Furniture Shop page. You can purchase it online or in the store.

Before:

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.

We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do.

Happy FunCycling Friends,

Sarah ;)

Posted on August 24, 2021August 23, 2021 by Sarah

Chelsea Gray Hutch Makeover

Hi Friends!

How’s your week going? This week, I want to share a custom order that we just wrapped up for Lisa. She had this hutch and it desperately need a rehab.

We painted it Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray, sprayed it with a clear coat, and added all new hardware.

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. Ready for the after photos?

This dresser isn’t available to purchase, but we have other beautiful pieces on our shop page! Contact us!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on August 17, 2021August 16, 2021 by Sarah

Retro Camper Makeover Tips

Hi Friend!

If you follow our social media, you may already know this, but we bought a 2019 Gulf Stream Capri Travel Trailer this summer!!! It’s not old so we don’t have to gut the whole thing, but we did want to make some alterations to give it a look we like.

Here’s the camper the day we picked it up:

The main things I wanted to change were:

New counters
Get rid of all the retro aqua
Update the kitchen table area
Add a backsplash
Bring in a different accent color (mustard)

I’ll have links to all the products we used to redo it at the end of the post so keep scrolling until the end friends!

We started by adding peel and stick reclaimed wood to the back of the bed area to create a faux headboard. We also removed the teal and tan section over each window and replaced it with the same wood. I love how both of those things turned out.

Then we painted the counters and the table top with black chalkboard paint and sealed it with a protective clear coat. This part came out ok – not my favorite, but it’ll do the trick for a weekend getaway. :)

We added Peel and Stick Tile Positano faux tile backsplash and this is another piece that made a huge impact!

Once that was done, it was time to decorate! With pretty bedding, pillows, sheets.

We tried painted the cushion for the dining area with a vinyl fabric furniture paint and it didn’t hold up at ALL! It was terrible. So my mom added fabric to them and we did three pillows along the back which I like even more!!

The mustard throw pillows were from HomeGoods and the mustard towels were from Amazon.

We also changed out all the cabinet hardware and that was from Home Depot.

Product links:

Peel and Stick Reclaimed Wood
Counter and Table Top Paint
Peel and Stick Tile Positano Faux Tile
Sheets
Duvet Cover
Dinette Pillow Covers
Mustard Towels
Cabinet Hardware
Solar Edison Light

We also did some upgrades to the outside of our house where the camper will be year round. We installed a fence (with 3′ spikes instead of concrete) and old shutter so that we can remove it easily in the winter. Our neighbors had some extra stone that they gave us to spruce up the firepit, and Pam (our store manager) made this beautiful sign for us! We also put solar Edison lights on the fence to brighten everything up!

Isn’t that adorable?!?!?

We already had our friends from Florida come stay with us for a week and we used the camper for more sleeping space which was a huge help!!

Have you redone a camper before? If so, I’d love to see it! Share a link in the comment below!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 by Sarah — 1 Comment

FunCycled’s Repurposed Designs Pilot Show

Hi Friends!

We have been working on a pilot episode to show all of you a little more about what we do! After a couple days of recording and a couple of months of editing, we finally have it done and you can watch it here:

FunCycled Repurposed Designs Pilot — FunCycled Repurpose Designs Pilot Video

Joy and Nathan were amazing to work with and have been clients for years so we knew it would be a fun makeover. Today, I’m sharing some of the details of the project in case you wanted more info than you see in the show.

Here’s the kitchen before:

This is the first time that we created a 3D drawing of the design before moving ahead with everything.

We took the upper cabinets above the stove and moved them to the right wall where the peninsula was before. Then we made the stove section a half wall and extended out the counters so we could add more seating. By removing the peninsula on the right wall, it gave much more space in the kitchen to add a large island. We custom built the black island with a butcher block top and installed it as well.

Joy and Nathan didn’t like the style of the cabinet doors so I recommending flipping them inside out since the inside of the cabinets are shaker style. This saved a lot of money and created such a huge transformation in the kitchen.

Another small detail that we didn’t mention on the show is the soffit above the cabinets. We wrapped it in shiplap to give it visual interest, pull in the shiplap on the back of the new half wall, and make everything blend together well.

Check out all the after photos!

We also installed tiling, floating shelves and new hardware in the kitchen.

Another part that didn’t make the cut in the show was the dining room. We redid their family heirloom dining table and chairs. They bought the cream hutch from our store!

What a transformation, right??

We think a show about repurposed designs would be a great idea, don’t you?? If you’re in the TV industry and would be interest in this idea, please Contact Us. If you know someone in the industry who you think might be interested, please share this blog post or our contact information with them. We’d be so grateful to you for taking the time to do that!

A huge thanks to Joy for being patient, wonderful on camera, and kind every step of the way!

Also, I want to clap and cheer for the job that Josh at Lamplit pictures did creating this pilot show. He blew our expectations out of the water! We can’t wait to work with him again.

While we are saying thank you, you’ll also see that we now have a new logo! A big thanks to Tim over at Engine 7 Design for creating it for us. He’s so much fun!

And I couldn’t do it without my hubby, John! He went out of his comfort zone being on camera and he pushed hard to make this transformation happen in the time it needed, too! Beyond thankful for this guy!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 by Sarah

Credenza Painted with Magnolia Demo Day Paint

Hi Friends!

How’s your week going? We’ve been working hard over here redoing kitchen and doing design jobs while the kids have been away at a camp this week. My days have been non stop, but I’m enjoying the work, the lovely people I get to meet, and the friends we’ve been able to share a meal with for dinner each night. I miss those kiddos of mine though! 💕

This week, I’m sharing a dresser makeover that we did for a long time client, Sharon. She had this dresser that she wanted redone.

She wanted to paint it, but she also wanted to have some of the wood showing. We went back and forth on leaving the top or the drawers stained. We ended up going with refinishing the drawers and doors with Minwax Dark Walnut and painting the box with Magnolia’s paint color Demo Day. You know how much I love Joanna Gains, right? Remember the video I recorded about going to meet her? Anyway, I couldn’t wait to use one of her color line on a furniture pieces.

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. Ready for the after photos?

And of course I had to stage it with Joanna’s books!!!

Look at that beautiful color!!

This dresser isn’t available to purchase, but we have other beautiful pieces on our shop page! Contact us!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on July 28, 2021July 28, 2021 by Sarah

Black Breakfront Hutch for Sale

Hi Friends!

How’s your week going? We have had a busy, but good week so far. Love getting some sunshine! We went to Stratton Mountain Resort over the weekend and loved every minute!

This week, I wanted to share a hutch makeover that we recently finished and added to our for sale page.

Here it is before:

A breakfront hutch is a hutch where the top drawer can pull out and become a desk. When we were looking this hutch over we couldn’t even get the top drawer opened. So, we had to do some extra work to figure that out how to make that happen.

We painted it Benjamin Moore’s Black, painting the back of the top section white, and lightly distressed it. Then we sprayed it with a protective clear coat for more durability.

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. Ready for the after photos?

This hutch is available now to purchase! Contact us!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on July 20, 2021July 19, 2021 by Sarah

Mid Century Modern Hutch For Sale

Hi Friends!!

Happy rainy week in upstate NY! We’ve had so much rain I think I saw Noah’s ark floating by. 😂 Paint doesn’t like to dry on rainy days so it’s made the work flow a little tricky lately. I also went to the Brimfield Antique Show in the rain last week with my pal Marcie.

I scored a few good finds and this is my favorite one! An antique shelf for seeds…

I’m going to use it to display the new succulents that we have for sale in our store. That’s RIGHT! We’re taking antique items and planting live succulents in them to sell in our store.

Check out some of the many that we added to the store last week:

Stop by to see them all this week! We’re open Thursday-Friday 1-5pm or Saturday 10-2.

For this week’s furniture makeover, I’m sharing a new mid century hutch that we just added to the store as well!

Here it is before:

We refinished the drawers and doors and painted the box with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. Then we sprayed it with a protective clear coat for more durability.

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. Ready for the after photos?

This hutch is available now to purchase! Contact us!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on July 13, 2021July 12, 2021 by Sarah

8 Painted Hutch Ideas

Hi Friends!

This week, I’m sharing some of my favorite painted hutches that we’ve redone over the years! Just for fun! You can click on the name for each hutch and it’ll take you to the post with all the color and how to information for each piece.

Please take a minute to check out our online shop for repurposed furniture for your home.

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on July 6, 2021July 7, 2021 by Sarah

Green and Wood Front Dresser Set

Hi Friends!

This week has been a busy one for me! So sorry for the late post. It’s only the start of summer and I’m remembering how tricky it is to balance summer fun and work. :) I love both so much so trying to enjoy the sunny days to the fullest while also keeping up with work. Thank you for your patience with me. 💕

For this week’s makeover, I wanted to share a beautiful transformation we finished recently for a returning client; Lisa!

Here are her dressers before:

We painted the boxes Thicket AF-405 by Benjamin Moore, sprayed them with a protective clear coat, and cleaned and reused the hardware. Then we sanded and stained the drawers with a Gray first then Brown stain.
We also added Lapland by Benjamin Moore to the middle border, which goes all around the dresser, to slightly contrast with the Thicket.

This dresser set was done as a custom order! Thank you for the business, Lisa.

Please take a minute to check out our online shop for repurposed furniture for your home.

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Posted on June 30, 2021June 30, 2021 by Sarah

White Dresser Set Makeover

Hi Friends!

How was your week? As you might have seen on our facebook or Instagram page, after many many years of camping with our 1974 Lark Pop up camper, we decided to upgrade this year to a retro style camper. Check it out!

We are still trying to think of a good name for it! We feel so thankful and blessed to be able to get away as a family and with friends… into nature, to relax and refresh.

For this week’s makeover, I wanted to share a dresser set makeover that we recently finished and put up for sale on our website.

Here are the dressers before:

The main thing I didn’t like about this set was the sea shell inlay on the dressers. I also didn’t love the hardware. So we filled all the details of the seashell with Bondo. It didn’t go well actually – we had to carve it back out and redo it which took SO MUCH time. It was worth it though because check out the after photos.

For this piece, we used Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, lightly distressed it, and sprayed it with a protective clear coat. We also added all new hardware.

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. Ready for the after photos?

The low dresser and end stand sold right away, but the tall dresser is available now to purchase! Contact us to purchase!

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Sarah Trop