This week I went "free style" on a project which started with a beautiful maple cabinet door.  When I cleaned up the door and saw the beauty of the wood I decided that it was a piece of art in itself and it just needed a few embellishments.  I gathered a few odds and ends and some paint and texture items and began fitting them together.  When I finished I LOVED it.  My husband came into the craft room and grinned...staring at the project.  I started laughing knowing that the question on his mind was "what is it" but being the good husband that he is he didn't say a word.  All he said to me was "who knew you were so creative."  What a good man!   

I love putting together multi media pieces that adorn a wall.  Yes I think this piece could have a function.  You could hang your keys on the knob or maybe even your handbag or you could just love it.

One of my favorite places to dig through is a Habitat For Humanity's Restore.  You never know what you will find piled on those shelves.  I try to support community organizations like these when I am re-decorating or re-designing a home.  There are incredible light fixtures, beautiful old doors, cabinets and of course bins of old hardware.  

One day I was milling through the store and noticed racks and racks of old cabinet doors.  My mind began turning as I pondered the various uses for old doors.  Many of these old doors had inset panels and many didn't.  Some were just pressed wood and some were beautiful pieces of oak, pine, mahogany and cherry.  Of course they are the perfect frame for art, they can be used to create art and sometimes they are beautiful pieces all by themselves.  The best part?  They are cheap!  Picture frames, on the other hand, are not!  I purchased a large selection of old doors and I am gradually turning them all into decor.  Each piece seems to have its own purpose and it is fun to find the individual designs.  

On another trip I found large pieces of granite from a kitchen installation.  The pieces of granite were 2x3 ft or 3x4ft and in great shape.  I purchased some of these and use them in my table restoration projects.  A local stone company grinds them to the right shape and puts the finished edge on them for a great price and Whalla a beautiful table!

My favorite bins are the ones full of old hardware and metal work out of homes.  These little treasures can be cleaned up, painted or just left alone to add character to any piece.  
Need something to do?  Go treasure hunting!    
Happy hunting!