Comfort First

I bought a living room table to prop my feet up on while I sit on the couch at the Cornelius ReStore. Step one, getting a foot rest, went well. Step two, making it comfortable, is in progress.

This is the table upside down being primed. I spread out some old towels and a plastic drop cloth then flipped the table over. I wanted to make sure I got the bottom painted well. The top will be covered in fabric...soon. I used "Kilz" primer as a base coat so the paint would stick to the table better.

Once I primed the table inside and out, I moved on to painting it black. I applied two coats of black paint. Once it was all dry, I flipped it back over and now it is waiting for the next step. More to come...

--Jessica, Youth and Volunteer Associate at Our Towns Habitat

SAVE THE DATE!

Creativity is hard. Well, maybe not for everyone, but finding the time to create can be. That's why I was so excited to go see all the hard work and creativity that the designers of Forsyth County's ReStore Spaces put into their rooms!

If you've never heard of ReStore Spaces before, you need to seriously check it out. It's a fundraising event that the Habitat ReStore of Forsyth County puts on annually. The idea is that local design teams partner with Realtors and Habitat families to raise funds through creative awareness about the ReStore. Design teams are challenged to decorate 10'X10' rooms using only donated items found in the ReStore. The fundraiser emphasizes the importance of donating new and gently used items rather than dumping them in the landfill. You never know what sort of treasures you'll find in a Habitat ReStore, and the possibilities for such treasures are endless. Here are some of my favorite examples of repurposing from ReStore Spaces:

 The "burst" in this decorative mirror is made up of drawer pulls/handles strategically placed at alternating levels. 

This room, designed by students at Forsyth Tech, utilized reclaimed pallet wood and door jambs to create the textured wall and industrial headboard. 

Old stereo cabinet turned into storage and a bench at the foot of the bed.

Shutters were sawed in half long way to create a unique baseboard. 

Look closely in this room and you'll instruments have become the focal point of repurposing! The piano in the back was donated in non-working condition. This design team stripped it of its keys, turned it into a desk, and used the keys for art work. 

Art work made from piano keys, and trumpets turned wall sconces. 

Don't you love this ottoman?! It's actually an old tire wrapped in twine and covered with batting and fabric! This puppy sold for $100!

Items from the rooms were priced by designers and sold the night of the event to raise funds for Forsyth County Habitat for Humanity. In addition to the money raised through the sale of items, designers urged family and friends to vote for their team online. One vote was $10, with an award going to the team that raised the most money. Voting was also encouraged the night of the event.

The whole evening was an inspiration, and really encouraged community partnerships, repurposing/craftiness, and was all in all  just plain fun. Forsyth County's ReStore Spaces was one of the reasons that Our Towns Habitat for Humanity ReStores created the ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge two years ago, and is happy to announce a third year!!

So consider this your Save The Date! If you want to see what kind of amazing things can be created out of donated ReStore items, attend the 2013 ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge on Friday, May 17th, 2013 at the Mooresville ReStore. Tickets will go on sale in the spring and will be $15 in advance, $20 at the door, to include food and (adult) beverages.

For photos of last year's ReStore ReStyle event, visit our Facebook Page. Sponsorship opportunities for as low as $100 are still available! Contact awilliamson@ourtownshabitat.org if you're interested in learning more.