I'm a girl of too many projects and too little commitment. I have nine chairs and one small ottoman needing to be recovered. You may remember the "deal of the Year" chairs I bought at Salvation Army for $4.50 each.
Well.......
One of the two of them has been broken down and torn apart for reupholstering. The other remains as it did when I bought it.
I can't decide to go neutral and safe or bold and fun. They aren't the style of chair that can be recovered without taking the whole assembled piece apart. So should I choose the safe neutral? Or since they cost so little, should I go for it and recover in a fun print and when I get tired of them, pass them on to someone who needs two boldly printed accent chairs?
This is the conversation I have with myself every time I redo something. Since I redo something frequently, it seems as if my brain seldom stops talking.
However......... yesterday I made a commitment to recover one of the nine chairs on my list. It is a small slipper chair that I was given to me by a friend years ago. It went to TJ's to live for a while. I think it followed her to her first apartment after graduating from college or the first home she purchased. I can't really remember. I know it spent some time living in the apartment above the bank in Colorado. TJ brought it back to me about three months ago and I been trying fabrics on it ever since.
This is a great linen fabric with brown embroidered contemporary poppies. The colors go well with our brown and ivory living room.
Or should I use this brown, teal, and ivory paisley print...
or the safe neutral light gray linen
or should it be the wild brown and ivory geometric modern print?
I know, this is not the slipper chair. It's one of the Salvation Army chairs. But the slipper chair wore this french flavored fabric for a week or so as well.
In the final analysis, however, none of the above fabrics made it to the slipper chair. I was happy to say good bye to leafs and grapes as the new fabric was finally put in its place.
I chose to use some fabric that once covered the accent pillows that came with our sectional. It is a brown and teal chenille. It took a bit of ingenuity to transform a pillow into a chair. But I managed to make it work.
I liked the piping that was on the perimeter of the pillow and wanted to use it on the cushion. I had to cut some material and add some material in a few sections, but in the end it was worth the time I spent making it fit.
I couldn't use my sewing machine because the fabric and the piping were too thick to fit under the pressure foot on the machine. So I did what my grandma taught me. I used an old fashion needle and thread. It took me all day to complete this project not only because of the hand sewing technique but also because the electric stapler would quit working in mid use. Once again, I used the old fashion hand powered method with a hand triggered stapler. This is a bit difficult for me because of my arthritis, but I was determined to complete this project. I used upholstery tacks as well. It was a day of learning and accomplishment.
I hope your day is one of few projects. I hope it is one where if commitment is needed, it can be given. I hope you are pleased with your choices and use something given to you by another. I hope you are happy.
Painting is my passion, next to family. Give me an old, tired, cast off piece of furniture, a piece of sandpaper, a can or two of spray paint, and a little imagination and I will give you a surprise.
I wanted to share some of the tired furniture pieces that I have revived but I am terrible at taking those before pictures. I get so excited to begin the transformation process that I forget to honor the item as it is. I do apologize to the hundreds of chairs, tables, frames, headboards, dressers, night stands and decorative accessories whose original condition has gone undocumented. My gratitude for the fun and function you have brought to my home (and many of my children's as well) over the years is genuine.
Now on with the picture show.
This is what it looked like this morning. I am still working on a few things. But I always do that - tweak it here, tuck it there, add a pillow to the bed, or detail to the furniture.
I bought this piece of junk plastic drum table for $10.00 at a second hand store.
He-man-hubby wondered what in tarnation I was going to do with it. It sat on our patio for two months before it found it's new look and new home in the grand daughter's bedroom. You wouldn't know it was the same piece... some apple green spray paint and two adorable flower painted knobs and a star is born!
I found an old sideboard at the Salvation Army. I painted it white and tried my hand at distressing the finish. I think I would rather paint it a bright color so that the detail pops. The chair in the corner is an old sewing chair and the picture hanging below my sale bin flowers was painted by my Great Aunt. Guess that means it's vintage.
Now take a look at this corner. I painted the mirror hot pink, the chair apple green and added a lamp shade from my pile of "I'll use that for something someday" fabric pieces.
I purchased this chair seven years ago at a fund raiser for a non profit. The legs were wrapped with thin strips of leather and it was dirty with a dull flaky finish.
I had painted it white as shown in one of the above pictures and then when I added some spice to the bedroom this chair had to have some color.
Oops! I didn't paint the inside of the drawer. Busted!!
Daughter-in-law gave me this side table she got at a garage sale. First I did the shabby Chic thing and it looked great. But I'm not much of a shabby Chic gal... at least not in this house. I think it would be great in a farmhouse, but our house is not that style.
Later I painted it trendy turquoise. It still didn't feel right.
Well that does it for today. I have several projects in waiting but will show you those at a later time.
Sunshine and I painted her bedroom last weekend and are working on the fun details now. I'll post those pictures when we get it to her satisfaction.
Well.......
One of the two of them has been broken down and torn apart for reupholstering. The other remains as it did when I bought it.
I can't decide to go neutral and safe or bold and fun. They aren't the style of chair that can be recovered without taking the whole assembled piece apart. So should I choose the safe neutral? Or since they cost so little, should I go for it and recover in a fun print and when I get tired of them, pass them on to someone who needs two boldly printed accent chairs?
This is the conversation I have with myself every time I redo something. Since I redo something frequently, it seems as if my brain seldom stops talking.
However......... yesterday I made a commitment to recover one of the nine chairs on my list. It is a small slipper chair that I was given to me by a friend years ago. It went to TJ's to live for a while. I think it followed her to her first apartment after graduating from college or the first home she purchased. I can't really remember. I know it spent some time living in the apartment above the bank in Colorado. TJ brought it back to me about three months ago and I been trying fabrics on it ever since.
This is a great linen fabric with brown embroidered contemporary poppies. The colors go well with our brown and ivory living room.
Or should I use this brown, teal, and ivory paisley print...
or the safe neutral light gray linen
or should it be the wild brown and ivory geometric modern print?
I know, this is not the slipper chair. It's one of the Salvation Army chairs. But the slipper chair wore this french flavored fabric for a week or so as well.
In the final analysis, however, none of the above fabrics made it to the slipper chair. I was happy to say good bye to leafs and grapes as the new fabric was finally put in its place.
I chose to use some fabric that once covered the accent pillows that came with our sectional. It is a brown and teal chenille. It took a bit of ingenuity to transform a pillow into a chair. But I managed to make it work.
I liked the piping that was on the perimeter of the pillow and wanted to use it on the cushion. I had to cut some material and add some material in a few sections, but in the end it was worth the time I spent making it fit.
I couldn't use my sewing machine because the fabric and the piping were too thick to fit under the pressure foot on the machine. So I did what my grandma taught me. I used an old fashion needle and thread. It took me all day to complete this project not only because of the hand sewing technique but also because the electric stapler would quit working in mid use. Once again, I used the old fashion hand powered method with a hand triggered stapler. This is a bit difficult for me because of my arthritis, but I was determined to complete this project. I used upholstery tacks as well. It was a day of learning and accomplishment.
 |
| Ooh, I don't like seeing cords. Got to fix this. |
Now maybe I can move on to some the other eight chairs. Thank goodness the dining chairs are an easy recover.
I hope your day is one of few projects. I hope it is one where if commitment is needed, it can be given. I hope you are pleased with your choices and use something given to you by another. I hope you are happy.
Painting is my passion, next to family. Give me an old, tired, cast off piece of furniture, a piece of sandpaper, a can or two of spray paint, and a little imagination and I will give you a surprise.
I wanted to share some of the tired furniture pieces that I have revived but I am terrible at taking those before pictures. I get so excited to begin the transformation process that I forget to honor the item as it is. I do apologize to the hundreds of chairs, tables, frames, headboards, dressers, night stands and decorative accessories whose original condition has gone undocumented. My gratitude for the fun and function you have brought to my home (and many of my children's as well) over the years is genuine.
Now on with the picture show.
This is the guest guest bedroom five plus years ago. I can't believe I'm even showing you this. Yikes!
This what it looked like three months ago shortly before I asked you for suggestions to spice it up.
This is what it looked like this morning. I am still working on a few things. But I always do that - tweak it here, tuck it there, add a pillow to the bed, or detail to the furniture.
He-man-hubby wondered what in tarnation I was going to do with it. It sat on our patio for two months before it found it's new look and new home in the grand daughter's bedroom. You wouldn't know it was the same piece... some apple green spray paint and two adorable flower painted knobs and a star is born!
Now take a look at this corner. I painted the mirror hot pink, the chair apple green and added a lamp shade from my pile of "I'll use that for something someday" fabric pieces.
I purchased this chair seven years ago at a fund raiser for a non profit. The legs were wrapped with thin strips of leather and it was dirty with a dull flaky finish.
I had painted it white as shown in one of the above pictures and then when I added some spice to the bedroom this chair had to have some color.
Oops! I didn't paint the inside of the drawer. Busted!!
Daughter-in-law gave me this side table she got at a garage sale. First I did the shabby Chic thing and it looked great. But I'm not much of a shabby Chic gal... at least not in this house. I think it would be great in a farmhouse, but our house is not that style.
Later I painted it trendy turquoise. It still didn't feel right.
Finally I decided to go with the same color as our living room walls. I like it's soft neutral look.
Well that does it for today. I have several projects in waiting but will show you those at a later time.
Sunshine and I painted her bedroom last weekend and are working on the fun details now. I'll post those pictures when we get it to her satisfaction.
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