Graham and Ava Messick relaxing at home

Particularly with a second home, you need all the inexpensive decorating tips you can handle. Here's how to refurbish salvaged chairs and a broken plant stand.

Expert: Leslie Neblett - Meet Leslie and our other design experts.

Step by step solutions:

Chairs:

• Have them professionally stripped, about $65 per chair.
  
• Lightly sand them.
  
• Paint on a clear coat.
  
• Add chair pads.

Broken plant stand:

• Fix it with glue and screws
  
• Scrape the paint off.
  
• Pain the stand with primer, then a stain killer to prevent sap and moisture in some woods from leaching and bleeding.
  
• Finally paint the stand light green.
  
• Note: Hard to reach finish can be removed using a vegetable brush, steel wool or piece of twine dipped in remover.

Next: How to Make Room for Indoor Pets