Quirky Art to Pretty Smart
A pedestrian painting becomes priceless when turned into a timepiece (and conversation piece). So dig out your magnum opus from Art 101, or that anonymous $2 portrait from the church bazaar. Any subject will work, but we recommend using a painting on board, not canvas, which can sag under the clock parts thereby ticking you off. Battery-operated clock kits are cheap, take minutes to install, and come in too many styles to count. The hands can be subtle or big and bold. Quartz clock movement, $5, clockparts.com

Camp to Lamp

Two kitschy fixtures caught Rebecca's eye as she tchotchke-surfed eBay, and she just had to reinvent them: "I wanted the focus to be on the lamps' amazing shapes, not all the colors. To make the duo more contemporary, she spray-painted them (plus some new shades) in glossy head-to-toe taupe.

This statuesque pair cost us about $45; to finagle your own, search for "figural lamps" on eBay. As for the shades, go with very thick paper so the light spills out the top and bottom, versus shining through the sides (and illuminating any streaks once the shade is painted). Lamp shade, $33, justshadesny.com. Fine Paints of Europe interior gloss paint, $40 per liter, in E6-57, janovic.com for stores. Neisha Crosland by Stark Wallcovering "Hollywood Grape in Marigold" wallpaper, $228 per roll, Pacific Design Center, 310-360-6418