Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
You can live well — on the cheap
The entryway of Anna Gehrken’s Martinsville home does more than just welcome visitors. It also demonstrates what can be accomplished on a shoestring budget. The cabinet cost $5, and the mirror cost $2. Gehrken sprayed silver paint over the geometric design on the mirror frame. To reduce the shine of the silver, she covered it with a dry-brush technique: She dabbed a paint brush in a dark varnish, then wiped the varnish off the brush. That left just a touch of color which, when painted on the mirror, gave a subdued effect. The cabinet had so much water damage most of its varnish was removed. That made it easy to sand down the cabinet before priming and painting it. The pair of lamps costs $7 at the Community Storehouse. The lamp Gehrken is holding has its original shade, and the lamp on the cabinet has a shade she bought new locally for $6. Being thrifty doesn’t apply just to furniture — Gehrken purchased the dress she is wearing at a local returned good store for just $2.80. (Bulletin photo by Holly Kozelsky)
.jpg "104")
