Room for Improvement: Do-It-Yourself Trunk

WSVN -- Martin Amado: "Buying a new accent piece can make a big difference in your home without having to give it a complete makeover. So on today's Room for Improvement, we are shopping at the Habitat ReStore in Fort Lauderdale, where we can not only save money but we can help others in the process, since the proceeds help build a Habitat for Humanity home. Let's go upstairs to our workshop and begin our project."

Martin Amado: "They have stains for only $3. That's a great buy."

Martin Amado: "Now, this is the perfect size for a do-it-yourself project. It's an old beat-up trunk with storage inside, and of course we are going to make it look brand new."

Martin Amado: "These are the materials that we're going to need: an electrical sander, a stain color of your choice, a faux leather vinyl, decorative nails and molding."

Martin Amado: "The idea is to give this chest the look of leather and wood , similar to this chair. So we're going to add an upholster panel in the very front. But first, let's actually sand the piece down."

Martin Amado: "Always sand the wood in the same direction as the grain."

Martin Amado: "All right, we finished sanding the trunk. It looks fantastic, and now another important step before we begin to stain is to make sure that all the dust is cleaned up using a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth."

Martin Amado: "So we are taking this trunk from country to more contemporary by adding a darker stain."

Martin Amado: "I'm first applying the stain with a foam roller."

Martin Amado: "I just go back and remove the excess with a cloth."

Martin Amado: "All right, while the stain is drying in the front, I'm going to start working on my upholstered leather panel for the front. Remember, it's faux leather because I'm actually using vinyl. It was $35 a yard but well worth it, because I'm only using it in a small area."

Martin Amado: "Now, I can add my trim molding to finish off the edges, and what's going to hold this in place are the decorative nails."

Martin Amado: "I drilled a pilot hole first to prevent the wood from splitting."

Martin Amado: "And there you have it. We worked super hard, but the results speak for themselves. If you're looking for your own do-it-yourself project, the best piece of advice I can give you is to look for a solid piece of furniture."

Martin Amado: "It will look great at the foot of a bed, maybe as a coffee table in your living room or even a foyer because of all the hidden storage that it provides. For Room for Improvement, I'm Martin Amado."

If you want a makeover for a minimum price, you can get in touch with Martin by calling him at 305-576-HOME or 954-962-HOME or you can e-mail him at room@wsvn.com.

505 West Broward Boulevard

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

(954) 763-7771

www.habitat.org