blue gray vintage chair makeover

:-) the last *finally!!* project complete.

This chair is the exact same as yesterday's white chair, but I painted this one first - it's a flat gray blue that is so pretty! However, it will probably need just the right (matching/complimenting) home.

 I don't know if you remember, but these chairs and the settee were a mess. Stinky, gross, ripped, cat-hair covered speckled nasty pieces of junk from the roadside. But I couldn't get past those lines! So I didn't even take them inside my house until they were stripped completely down and wiped off.

Actually, I took them to a friend's house and they sat there (for a year, ahem.) This one chair I kept in my house and was all fired up to sand and paint it.

Then it sat in my basement. For a year. Truly, I didn't have the right equipment (electric staple gun), so I did have to wait around for that. Then, when I did have it, the only time I was willing to do it was during naptime and with a noisy air compressor, that option was out...

Finally, however, I prevailed. :-) And after sweat and probably some tears, this gigantic upholstery challenge (well, it was for me anyway) is done!

I've listed it on CL and hoping it sells soon!! :-) Then I can drag over my chair from my neighbor's basement and maybe actually use it someday.

UPDATE (12/18/13): It's sold!

more "finally!" furniture transformations!

It's been way too long since I started with these furniture pieces to practice my upholstery and diy skills on. Like a year and a half too long...

Anyway, they are done and they are sold!! I snapped a few pictures before they went away to make another house pretty.

The makeovers aren't perfect. There are some wrinkles in the upholstery and uneven spots in the paint, but I prevailed. I probably will never tackle a project like this again, but it was a good chance to learn. And practice. And decide that if I have to strip the chairs and purchase new foam it would be better to just. walk. away. 

I'll post the photos of my other identical chair that is gray this week. That one more chair to sell and they're outta my life! I am in love with all of this space I am accumulating. It's addicting.

last Market post: The Market

This year's Market was a success. I need to say that because it was true. I made 3/4 of my goal (which was quite lofty) and made at least a little more than breaking even. But, I have to be honest, after working all of this year for this (and having almost double the merchandise), I was a little bit let down that more of my pieces didn't sell.

But, several things to lighten that load. There seemed to be a general consensus that sales were down with most of the vendors. It was really dead Friday afternoon/evening and many, many of the people that came in were white-hairs. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the oldies, but they aren't really interested in paying money for things they used to have and not many of them are interested in "in the moment" home decor. Also, people verbalized that they loved certain pieces but weren't sure where they would put it. I have to applaud this because 1) it's how I think and 2) I'm not into getting stuff just for the sake of having something pretty (see THIS post).

That said, I did have TONS of compliments and several people asked for my card, etc. That was a boost. But, it still wasn't a sale. :-)

Without further ado, here was the Market!

Thank you, thank you to everyone who helped, supported (here and from afar!), encouraged and who came and showed your lovely faces. It's wonderful to see friendly faces during such long days!! My family put up with a few freak outs (sorry guys!) and several moments and days of stress. - my sweet girl played by herself while I worked some days, my husband helped watch the girl on days he was home and also helped me do the heavy lifting for the show (!). My mom and mother-in-law traveled here and played with the girl while I worked and worked and my dad and father-in-law got their hands dirty and helped with some of the more complicated and bigger pieces. My in-laws also allowed me to raid their country abode for more fun antiques and great wood pieces. :-)

more Market sneek peeks!

 Just another day in the life of getting ready for the Market!

project(s) update: wreath with candy-striped plaque

Upcycled, recycled and reused.

This one is fun!

project(s) update: piano key sunburst mirror

Remember my sneak peeks of projects in the works? (CLICK HERE if you've forgotten.) That pile of 60+ year old piano keys ....


... a sunburst mirror!

 I hemmed and hawed for months about how to attach the keys and finally just tried to glue (wood glue) them. And ... it didn't work so well, so I ended up just nailing them straight through with 1-1/4" nails. I may go back and add a third nail to each key, but I was finished for the day and wanted to see how it would look.

 Kind of amazing! At least this one (if not two) will be for sale at the Market - coming up October 25 + 26th. And if they don't sell, I'm putting it right back up on the wall here. It's sorta retro, sorta artsy. I love it!

(and did you know? each piano key is numbered ... I used numbers 1-22 on this one)

projects update: entry table makeover

After being quite unhappy with a recent priming then painting job, I asked around for make-your-own chalk paint recipe and (after sanding) tried it out on this table! I got a free 7.5oz Valspar sample from Lowe's in Mountain Smoke (or a beige gray ..."greige" to be exact) and knew it was for this thrifted table.


It needed some love. So I sanded the heck out of it (probably 5-6 hours worth with all those little details!) and then painted it with THIS chalk paint recipe. And here it is!

I love the details! The weird spiral spot on top (see original pic) actually needs a little more work (a.k.a more sanding) but I'm hoping to sand and repaint that small spot and then clear wax the whole thing.

What do you think??