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Looking to rejuvenate your home with new furnishings and decorations but not wanting to spend the money? You could put it off until next year in hopes that the economy gets better and unemployment rates decrease or you could do what Shelley Kincaid does. Author of the “Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible” makes it easy to save money when it comes to home decorating. With garage sale season in full force, Kincaid’s book helps budget-conscience decorators turn unusual objects into designer décor for pennies.

Kincaid has the uncanny knack and creative ingenuity to take items like cereal bowls, lampshades, old furniture and even panty hose and turn them into whimsical knock-off designs of McKenzie-Childs, the classic style of Henredon, antique candelabras and chandeliers like you would find in Windsor Castle or the Palace at Versailles. Not the average garage sale junkie, Kincaid hits hundreds of garage sales a week, traveling from coast to coast in search of unique items that can be transformed into fabulous décor.

“Garage sales supply a perfect outlet for people looking to high-end decorate on a low-end budget,” said Kincaid. “If you’ve got passion and a creative eye, you can make great things happen for next to nothing.” For example, Kincaid’s fancy for the Victorian era has intrigued her to design an antique “Queen’s Canopy” replica from pieces of an old 25 cent table.

Kincaid shares her zeal for renovating and reconstructing throw aways into priceless antiques or designer décor in “The Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible,” an intuitive “how-to” book that shows budget-conscious decorators how to become a true garage sale aficionado. Readers can learn about:

• Where to find the best garage sales
• Different kinds of sales and what to buy at each
• How to bargain effectively
• How to find “diamonds in he rough”
• 77 different ideas on “how to” turn other people’s castoffs into designer and unique décor.

“People have this crazy perception that there’s only junk at garage sales, when in reality people are often selling brand new things for pennies on the dollar,” said Kincaid. She should know, for over a decade she’s been around the block and beyond. “Everyone can be a garage sale goddess, it just takes a little know how and patience.”

Who:

Shelley Kincaid is the renowned author of “The Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible” and is host of the original and wildly popular “Trash to Treasures” television show where loyal fans can watch the guru at work daily. She has made guest appearances on networks including HGTV and Discovery on shows including “Home Matters”, “The Carol Duvall Show”, “Decorating With Style”, “Kitty Bartholomew-Your Home”, and “The Bargain Hunter”. She has also appeared on the NBC news affiliate, KUSA in Denver, the WB2Day bi-monthly do-it-yourself decorating segments and KTLA Morning News in Los Angeles.

What:

Kincaid’s desire to share her creative vision motivated her to write “The Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible”, a delightfully intuitive “how to” book that shows budget-conscious and do-it-yourself decorators how to become a true Garage Sale Aficionado and find “treasures” that can easily be transformed into designer décor. Kincaid combines her strong background in art, design and engineering to help bargain hunters and garage sale junkies find the materials that can be used to create knock-off whimsical designs of MacKenzie-Childs, classic styles of Drexel, antique candelabras and chandeliers like you would find in Windsor Castle or the Palace of Versailles. Her book is designed to help spark imagination and ingenuity that can help rejuvenate any home with personal style for mere pennies.

Why:

The inspiration for Kincaid’s success originated from a nightmare cross-country moving experience, where she lost all of her furniture and prized possessions. Once a seeker of expensive décor, Kincaid began looking to refurnish her home on a tight budget. Her quest started in her own neighborhood at a local garage sale where she quickly learned that garage sales were filled with more than just other people’s castoffs. Her creative vision and keen ingenuity helped her find “diamonds in the rough.” More than a decade later, every room in Kincaid’s home showcases her uncanny ability to combine the most unusual objects to construct designer décor that makes a lasting and timeless statement. Her resourcefulness has not only saved her money but it is also environmentally friendly.

When:

Kincaid’s creative journey began over a decade ago and she self-published “The Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible”. The book has been so successful that Kincaid is working on completing another book with additional helpful information and “how to” designs and ideas.

Where:

There’s always a garage sale going on somewhere, and Kincaid should know. She hits hundreds of garage and estate sales a week looking for the Mother Lode, traveling from coast to coast and around the world in search of the best bargains and materials. “It’s always a good time for a garage sale—It’s America’s favorite shopping alternative” is Kincaid’s motto.

“The Garage Sale Decorator’s Bible” (Feline Books, $23.95) is available Barnes & Noble www.bn.com. You can also click here.