Coral Madness Project # 1

I've been working on several projects for the guest bedroom. One of those projects is recovering a $5 chair I got at the thrift store. Here's a sort of before (I got excited and started painting!):

Obviously, I spray painted the arms and legs grey. Then I dry brushed white paint over all the wood:

I love this look! Then it was time to reupholster the chair. I decided it needed some extra cushioning on the seat:

Then I got out my staple gun and fabric and went to town. Here's the finished result:

The back piece is tacked on with upholstery nails.

Here's what the arms look like up close:

I love the result. You can see in the background of some of this pictures that I am working on the guest room. I have curtains up and book shelves in. I will be sharing more pieces of the room soon. I've barely put a dent in the fabric I ordered for this project. I am considering making a floor poof out of the leftovers.

I can't wait to share the rest of my guest room makeover!

Don't settle for dull, live a refinished life!

*Planning to share at:
Metamorphasis Monday; Give Me the Goods Monday; Time To Sparkle Tuesday Linky Party; Trash to Treasure; The Power of Paint Party; Wildly Original Linky Party; Transformation Thursday; What have you redone?; Shabbilicious Friday; Start at Home Paint Party; Funky Junk Interiors' Party Junk; Clever Chicks Blog Hop; Serenity Now Weekend Blog Hop

Chair: In Progress

I started this chair awhile ago. Here's where I am currently at:

sanded, painted, distressed, and a clear coat over the top. I have to fix one side that's cracked. (Nothing a little wood glue and a clamp can't fix.)
I was going to recover the seat with a tan and off white ticking:

But then I found some burlap coffee sacks at the local fleet and farm.

Here's one side of the sack:

Here's the other:

I am trying to decide which option I like better. Right now I'm leaning towards the sack with just the blue stripe down the center. What do you think?

I'll be sharing this when I get it finished. Hopefully by next week!

Don't settle for dull, live a refinished life!

Burlap Coffee Sack Chair

I got a chair at an auction recently for $2.50. That's right, $2.50! It was in okay condition, the legs in the back were split (nothing some wood glue couldn't fix) and it was covered in an ancient ugly vinyl. On the plus side, someone had already stripped the wood arms and legs (No sanding? Bonus!). Here's what it looked like before:

And here's what it looked like after I was all done:

*Sigh* I am in love. And what's not to love? Distressed gray arms and legs:

Burlap coffee sacks for fabric:

I managed to get the back looking good for once:



And I managed to use some of the original rusty upholstery tacks I pulled out:

Yep, it's most definitely love! Have you done any upholstery projects lately?

Don't settle for dull, live a refinished life!

*Shared at:

Vintage School Chair Turned Funky

One of my most recent projects (as in finished it earlier this week) happens to be one of my favorites. I found this vintage school chair for cheap at a local thrift store. It originally looked like this:

The seat and back weren't too bad, but those legs were in rough shape! I've wanted to try the spray paint over lace method for awhile now, and thought this chair would be a great project to try it out on. For those who are unfamiliar with the technique, you find something lace (a tablecloth, curtains, doilies, etc.) and lay on the surface of your project and spray paint over it. Easy! So many coats of spray paint later, I had this:

I love the result! However, I do have a few tips for anyone who attempts to spray paint over lace. First, if you want a clean line like I did, you must tape up everything else! I thought I could get away with just taping the line and then laying a piece of paper over the rest of the seat. This did not work. I had drips and spots that I had to repaint the white over again.

Second, if you don't want a slightly (for lack of a better description) blurry lace pattern, less is more. Put on a very thin coat of spray paint, let it dry and then see if you need a second one to cover more spots. I did a thicker spray which made my pattern a little fuzzy. I happen to like it that way, but if you're looking for clean lines then don't do what I did!

Third, figure out the order of your painting (if you are doing several colors on different areas) before you start. I saved all the metal parts until last.  I think it would have been faster and used less tape and plastic if I had done those first and then just taped off the little bits of metal that touch the wood.

Finally, don't forget to seal your hard work with a sealant. (I use Krylon Matte Clear spray) Otherwise, your pretty pattern could start to wear off, especially on places like the seat.

Don't settle for dull, live a refinished life!

Party Time: (I've linked to these parties.)