Budget Decorating Tip: Fake It Till You Replace it Shrubs

If you are an old house fan, you know sometimes your budget can be tight. There are times when you need to conserve money so you can fix a screened-in porch or the garbage disposal that chose to go on the fritz right around Thanksgiving. Yes, Thanksgiving!

So here's a quick budget decor tip. 

I have some boxwood shrubs in planters that needed to be replaced. But budgets were tight. 

Boxwood shrubs are only able to survive for a few years in pots, especially when you forget to water them a few times during a hot summer. 

With the help of a forest green or dark green can of spray paint, you can turn them into something that can get you through the winter. In the spring, many garden centers, Lowes and Home Depot, have big sales on boxwood and other perennials to lure you in.

Spray painted shrub looks good enough to last till Spring. And it never needs watering.

I was discussing front doors with my friend and co-worker Scott who also lives in an old home. We were trying to determine if our front door was original or later. 

Though it has leaded glass in the surrounding panels, it is only one solid beveled panel in the middle. Scott thought it looked to be a 1910ish style. 

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 From the little pieces of house history that we have, we know that there was a major renovation in 1917. Many items were updated at that time.

So our guess is this door is probably circa 1917 and not original. 

Proper care and feeding of this door includes an annual coat of the min-wax with stain. We paint it on and immediately rub off any excess. It takes a beating from the sun and it is a fun treasure to care for. Our National Historic Register plaque for 1870, the Gideon Palmer House is pictured to the right above. Love it!