Vintage Chic Upholstery Project

Today I tackled an upholstery project. This is my 4th and largest try at reupholstering. I didn't take any classes I just jumped right in and figured it out. The biggest tip I can give is to keep the old upholstery pieces as patterns for your new pieces and pay attention as you disassemble, so you will know how it was put together when you reupholster it.

Here is my $5 yard sale chair:

As I removed the old fabric I found that the foam padding had dissolved to a fine powder. Yuck! I needed a mask for this one.

After removing the fabric, she got a paint job. I used Country Gray from Chalk Paint (TM) and applied the dark wax. I sifted through my piles of random fabric that I have bought at various estate sales or from JoAnns remnant shelf. At first I chose a canvas material for the front section but later changed my mind because it was to stiff and wasn't cooperating with me. I found a heavy cotton fabric from an estate sale purchase it was much easier to work with. I reused the original buttons I loved the colors of the old fabric.

I did the seat portion next using a really nice upholstery I picked up at JoAnns Fabrics. The last section I tackled was the back of the chair, I knew from the beginning I wanted to use this coffee sack I bought at the local swap meet.

As I was working on the burlap sack I realized that the nail detail was amazing so I decided not to cover it up! Sometimes flying by the seat of yer pants works out! ;)

Lastly I need to add some trim to the front area of the chair. I had this amazing jute trim I bought at The Gypsy Chic Vintage Market and I was waiting for the perfect project to come along to use it. Wow! It is gorgeous!

After all my hardwork I thought a styled photo shoot in the street would be the most obvious thing I should do, since I was thrilled with my chair! (My neighbors surely think I am nuts!) 

Yup I am in love with my own work! 

-Kelly

Okay quick update....

I had to make a cute pillow for chair

Okay now we are complete!!

Random Junk turned into Vanity

So as many of you junk enthusiasts know it is hard to walk away from those "random pieces" of furniture that are either being thrown out or sold super cheap at a yard sale. I have all kinds of "pieces" stashed away in the garage, Mike says "what are you going to do with this?" And I shrug my shoulders and say " I don't know." But this week I made a vanity to redeem myself from hoarder to brilliant!

Here are my "Random Pieces" 

So what I did was removed "free dresser top" and attached to "topless sewing table" and then had a mirror installed into old mirror piece and then I gave it a fabulous paint job! - Oh I mean Shabulous paint job! Also I painted a cute chair to match. 

Here she is

Cute huh? 

Totally original and one of a kind piece all it took was some vision and paint. 

What kinda stuff have you built with random junk?

I would love to see pics!

- Kelly

Industrial Chair Makeover

 

So I bought this chair at a Barn sale for $5..... Actually let me rephrase that, I had a lady retrieve this chair from her dumpster while I was shopping at a barn sale. Lol! Am I the only one that can see the potential? 

It needed a washing. I took it apart and scrubbed it and hosed it off in my front yard. The next step was to preserve that fabulous rusty patina, so I just painted polyurethane right on the metal frame. 

It darkened the rust but it actually turned out better than expected! Then I had to remove the nasty ol' upholstery that I am guessing was from 1930s? So that's about 84 years of dust.... Eewwww! I had some great fabric I found in the remnant section at Joann's fabric store for 50% off, Ya! So I got my staple gun and went to work. 

When it was time to add the trim I wasn't thrilled with my selection on hand. But I noticed that by flipping over this trim it had just the look I was going for on the back side. Less refined, and totally backwards works for me! 

I totally love the way it turned out, especially when you consider where we started. It didn't last long in my space over at the shop. It was only on the floor for a few days before it was snatched up by an interior designer. I hope I find another one of these someday.