Hey Friend, I am DeDe
DIYer. Furniture painter. Thrift lover. Home decorator. Entrepreneur. And a little bit of a “let’s see if I can make this work” kind of girl.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Designed Decor is where I share the things I love most—DIY projects, furniture makeovers, decorating ideas, thrifted treasures, and all the little creative projects that make a house feel more like home.
I believe you don’t need a huge decorating budget, a perfectly styled house, or a degree in interior design to create a home you love.
Sometimes you just need a little inspiration, a willingness to try something new, and maybe a paintbrush.
So grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile. Let’s create something beautiful together.
I Believe Your Home Should Feel Like YOU
I’ve never believed that creating a beautiful home means following every decorating rule or buying everything new.
I love finding ways to make a home feel comfortable, personal, and welcoming without spending a fortune.
That might mean painting a piece of furniture that’s seen better days.
It might mean finding an amazing treasure at a thrift store and figuring out how to give it a whole new life.
It might mean rearranging a room, trying a DIY project, or simply working with what you already have.
Your home doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to work for you and the people you love.
That’s the heart behind Designed Decor.
I’m a Little Hard to Put in a Box
I’ve always been what you might call multi-passionate.
I’ve never been very good at choosing just one thing I’m interested in—and honestly, I’ve stopped trying.
Over the years, I’ve painted furniture, decorated our home, hunted for thrifted treasures, created DIY projects, taught furniture painting, started a short-term rental, designed a patented puzzle table, and built businesses along the way.
Some ideas lasted for a season.
Some turned into something much bigger than I ever expected.
And some were simply fun projects that taught me something along the way.
I’ve learned that you don’t always have to know exactly where an idea is going. Sometimes you just need to follow it and see what happens.
That’s how a lot of my favorite things began.
Let’s Talk About DIY
I love DIY because it gives you permission to be creative.
You don’t have to be an expert.
You don’t have to have every tool in the garage.
And you definitely don’t have to get everything right the first time.
I’ve made plenty of mistakes over the years—and learned something from almost every one of them.
Here you’ll find projects, ideas, tutorials, and inspiration to help you create a home you love while making the most of what you already have.
Ready to make something?
Furniture Painting Changed Everything
There was a time when I was searching the internet for every possible answer about how to paint furniture.
Which paint should I use?
Do I need to sand?
What kind of finish should I use?
Why does everyone seem to have a different answer?
Sound familiar?
Once I stopped searching for the “perfect” way to do it and started experimenting, everything changed.
Over the years, I’ve painted thousands of furniture pieces, taught in-person furniture painting classes, sold painted furniture, and created online furniture painting workshops.
And I’ve learned something important:
You don’t have to be an expert before you pick up the paintbrush.
You just need someone to help take away some of the guesswork.
That’s what I try to do here.
I share what I’ve learned—the techniques, tips, mistakes, products, and little tricks that can help you feel more confident creating your own furniture transformations.
→ Browse Furniture Painting Workshops
I Have a Soft Spot for Thrifted Treasures
Give me a thrift store, antique shop, flea market, or a little backroad town and I’m probably going to want to stop.
I love finding something ordinary and seeing what it could become.
An outdated dresser can become a beautiful statement piece.
A forgotten table can become useful again.
And something someone else no longer wants might be exactly what your home needs.
I don’t always see what something is. I like to imagine what it could be.
That’s one of my favorite parts of decorating.
And Then There Was a Puzzle Table…
One of the most unexpected chapters of my creative journey started with a puzzle.
Mr. DD and I designed a table for ourselves because I wanted a place where I could work on a jigsaw puzzle without having puzzle pieces take over the dining table.
The idea was simple: keep the puzzle safely tucked away, flip the top over, and have a beautiful, functional table again.
I shared a photo of our table on Facebook.
And it went viral.
That little project eventually became something much bigger.
We created DIY build plans for other puzzle lovers, and eventually began working with local Amish craftsmen in Ohio to create handcrafted puzzle tables.
Today, The Puzzle Table is its own business—and one of the most unexpected things to come from my love of DIY and problem-solving.
It’s a pretty good reminder that you never know where one little idea might take you.
And Then There’s Mr. DD
Every multi-passionate entrepreneur needs someone willing to go along for the ride.
For me, that’s Randy—better known around here as Mr. DD.
He’s been beside me through the furniture painting, DIY projects, businesses, home projects, puzzle tables, travels, and all the ideas that started with:
“Hey, what if we…”
A lot of what I’ve built wouldn’t have happened without his support.
And yes, he still answers to Mr. DD. 😉
A Few Things You Should Probably Know About Me…
Because we’re friends now, I think you should know a few things.
I love peanut butter. A lot.
I’ll choose a backroad over an interstate almost every time. I love discovering little towns, interesting shops, and places you might miss if you’re in too much of a hurry.
I take pictures of interesting doors when I travel.
I love Neil Diamond and Journey—and I will absolutely sing along even though my family has made it very clear that I should probably not audition for American Idol.
I’ve always loved traveling, trying new things, and discovering new places. Mr. DD and I have been in ALL 50 states!
And if I find a great thrift store along the way?
Well… obviously we’re stopping.
So, What Are You Working On?
Maybe you’re staring at an old piece of furniture wondering if you should paint it.
Maybe you’ve found something amazing at a thrift store and have absolutely no idea what you’re going to do with it.
Maybe you’ve been saving a room makeover on Pinterest for six months.
Or maybe you just enjoy seeing what other people are creating.
Whatever brought you here, I’m glad you’re here.
Take a look around.
Try a project.
Paint the furniture.
Go thrifting.
Move the furniture around for the tenth time.
And if something doesn’t work?
Try something else.
That’s what I’ve been doing all along.
Thanks for being here and letting me share a little piece of my creative world with you.
Happy DIYing!
DeDe