Red Strokes

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but do you remember that music video by Garth Brooks approximately 100 years ago, back when I was in middle school, for his song The Red Strokes? Oh man. Go watch it if you want to see a very passionate (and skinny) Garth Brooks pounding his heart out on a piano in what looks like a giant puddle of blood, but is actually red paint. Stick around for the guitar solo. It’s so fantastically terribly wonderful.

Anyway, that song always comes to mind whenever I share red makeovers, and I’ve got a handful of them today.

OOOHHH, the RED STROKES!!!! Passions uncaged!

Here Christina at Phoenix Restoration fearlessly updated some campaign-style nightstands, which just led me on a 15-minute search through my local Craigslist to see if I could find some myself. Unfortunately I could not. The Phoenix Craigslist continues to be a garbage pit of overpriced yard-sale castoffs.

Julie at Simple Redesign was instructed to give this piece a ‘chippy antique’ look by a client, which she achieved by using Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Barn Red.

If you’ve ever used milk paint, you may have been disappointed by its super-matte finish. It is flatter than flat. No worries though, a topcoat is all it takes to bring it to life. Julie used a low-gloss sealer to give this buffet just the right amount of shine.

Now it’s time for my favorite movie quote:

“A gun rack? I don’t even own *A* gun. Let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I gonna do … with a gun rack?”

Well Wayne, you could always take up gardening. How about that?

Astral Riles added a pegboard to the back of hers, and now she’s got a handy gardening station to liven up her yard.

Whenever Tami at Curb Alert is busy with projects, her daughter likes to tag-along too. She stays busy by practicing her painting alongside her mama on this child-sized desk.

But Tami thought it was time to use the desk as less of an canvas and more of a desk, so she took over and gave it an adorable ‘back-to-school’ themed makeover. No worries though, her daughter has moved on to a new art piece. Maybe she’ll be blogging her own makeovers soon enough!

And finally, a simple red on an outdated hutch. Doesn’t it look so classic? Sarah also changed the hardware and added an antiquing glaze, and if you like the paint color, she’s got the exact specifications over at FunCycled.