Divine Dining

Washington state homeowner and interior decorator Donna Smith nabbed this oak side table from the side of a road, where it had been tossed as trash. “I repaired it and painted it with Krylon Ivory spray paint,” she recalls. On the bottom shelf, a white rooster perches beside a bowl of flowers and a pair of brass candlesticks that Donna spray-painted white; a wicker basket gives a boost to one of the taper holders. Above the table, shutters offer an interesting backdrop for her favorite rose-themed oil painting. Cheery red-and-gold-striped valances play up the burgundy walls and bring out the warm tones of the wood trimwork.

Dogged Design

Black and white serve as a bold palette for this hallway dog-themed vignette, which centers around a charming checkerboard cabinet Donna bought from a fellow antiques dealer. As a complement to the dog figurines, a beaded lamp, a tiny topiary and a vintage advertising tin tie together the theme and color scheme of the vignette.

Shelf Help

To perk up a bathroom shelf, Donna channeled her love of dogs into a display of canine paraphernalia that includes oil paintings, figurines and china.

Coming In For a Landing

Donna enhanced her stairway wall with an engaging arrangement of Flow Blue platters and plates (the “Liberty Blue” pieces here commemorate the 1976 Bicentennial), antique tin wall pockets and a hanging wall shelf. She purchased the shelf for $5 at Goodwill, and then painted and distressed it by sanding back the paint and aging it with blows from a hammer. She painted its edges maroon, and then finished it with paste wax.

Coming Up Roses

Donna's husband, Don, built this charming cabinet using only a photo torn from an interior design magazine as his guide. A ruffled table covering ties the cabinet in with the valances. Rose-themed items mixed with a ceramic bird, a basket-weave pitcher and animal figurines pop against the cupboard’s soft green backdrop.

Skirting the Issue

Donna’s friend Connie Boyd glued ball fringe to a large piece of floral fabric to create a fun table skirt. Topped with lace, seashells in glass jars and a dashing rose-trimmed buffet lamp, this table that once belonged to Don’s mother makes a dashing entryway vignette.