All the time I find design pictures that totally inspire me.  Like this one:

Photographer: Michael Graydon, Designer: Stacy Begg

It was featured in the February issue of Canadian House & Home, and it hit on a colour trend I LOOOVE: dark blue and brass.  But what can I do about it?  I’m not going to paint my kitchen cupboards and replace all the hardware to live with the look.  

One thing I like to do is to find small ways to inject trends or create a similar look in accessories, art, or things that are more affordable or changeable (like my agate and malachite art projects).

When I found this tray at Value Village for $2.99 I was sold.  The friend I was with seemed a bit quizzical at the choice.  It had a muddy gold colour with a scratched up bamboo design in the centre.  It was pretty ugly.  But here’s what I saw: a great size, shape, and depth for a tray AAAAND the great gold hardware on the corners.

Luckily for me the corner pieces popped right off, so I could spray paint the tray in a navy blue, and pop the corners back on.  

And voila!  Dark blue with warm metal accents in my home.  For $2.99 plus some spray paint I already owned.