Pottery Barn Translations

There's not much I enjoy seeing more in my mailbox than a brand new Pottery Barn catalog. I love to ignore the prices and pretend that I can actually afford to spend $999.00 on a media cabinet. Then reality comes crashing down, and I remember that I live in a 1977 Colonial with scattered Polly Pockets and My Little Ponies as designer accessories.

I really admire the Pottery Barn look, and I'd like to express some of that style without making my house look as if I busted out the Visa and ordered everything off of page 14.

That's where "translations" come in. I might not be able to afford much from Pottery Barn these days, but I can tweak thrift store and yard sales finds to reflect that neat, cozy, casual style I love. I've shared several of my Pottery Barn-esque makeovers here before, but several were featured when I had a decidedly smaller blog.

I love the idea of trays, like these two featured on PB's site:

I found a beat-up, yellowy tray at a yard sale last summer for $2.00 at Goodwill.

Some white spray paint transformed my tray into something non-hideous:

Another translation...I looove to drool over PB drapes, but couldn't bring myself to spend $70, even if they are as pretty as these:

Drop cloths to the rescue! I used a $20 drop cloth to Dress My Window Up with my new "drapes".

My favorite PB "translation"? My PB Inspired Kids' Table Makeover.

I was lovin' this look:

So when I found a table set for $10 at Salvation Army, I knew it was meant to be!

Before:

After:

 

So what do you think? Was I "Lost in Translation"?

{Have you been able to replicate your favorite store's style on the cheap?}


Linking to The CSI Project.