What's The Same? What's Different?

 


Remember the slip covered sofa; the one that needed a more feminine touch for the new dining area?   




Well.... how about a small tour of the dining room and the face lift she received?

Before they changed, the walls were mellow yellow and the table shiny black.  It looked pretty, huh?
But because I have nothing better to do than paint and rearrange my house (seriously?),  I painted the chairs, table legs, and table edge white and the table top charcoal.  I glazed (antiqued) over the white with a water based walnut stain.

Can you find the differences in the picture on the right?

                                 1. Walls are different color

                                 2. Rug is different

                                 3. Table is white

                                 4. Chairs are white

                                 5. Chair cushions are different

                                 6. Chairs at the head of the table are different

                                 7. Chalkboard moved to different wall

                                 8. Wall art changed

                                 9. Shelves have been re-staged

                                10. Table runner is gone 

                                11. Centerpiece is different

I didn't stop there (of course, I didn't).  The dining room is clad in a trio of neutrals; white, charcoal and beige.  I wanted to add a touch of fun so.....

I painted the bent wood chairs pink.  Yes, I said pink.   How's that for a touch of the feminine?  I turned the rug over so there is no longer a pattern, only neutral texture.

I got the currently-pink chairs at a neighborhood garage sale.  They are over 50 years old and while cute, not high on the comfort list.  I wanted to comfy up the seats a bit, so I dug in my sewing cabinet to find something to make it happen.

I found a matboard (you know - what framers cut to showcase a picture) which I cut in a circle the size of the chair seat.  I topped it with four doubled layers of quilt batting and then wrapped the entire thing in burlap.  I attached it with duct tape on the back side.

I attached it to the wooden chair seat with upholstery tacks and called it good.

But it still needed a little something.  Hummm.... what about the stamp Miss J gave me a couple years back?

I painted the Flores de lis stamp with primer since I wanted a chalky paint effect. Then I pressed it in the center of the burlap covered seat.

 Woh-lah!   A little French touch makes burlap look happy.

There she is, Miss Neutral with a splash of fun.  

What's different is the color.  What's the same is it's still the space we gather to break bread, make confession and be with each other.  I wonder who will call the pink chairs at the next family dinner?

55. I am grateful for imagination.

I hope your Thursday shines a little bit of out-of-the-ordinary on your normal.  I hope you use something someone gave you a while back.  I hope you have a place to spend time with each other.

 Yaya