An easy little cutting board project...

What an awesome weekend...it is finally fall...cool temps and rain. LOVE IT!

I'm really looking forward to next weekend. Fall craft fairs, so far no chance of rain and the leaves may be peaking...or darn near close! It is going to be great!

I didn't mind standing around in the cold drizzle Saturday. We started out at a farm auction, bought a few things and then came back to town to an "in town" estate auction. I bought some nifty pieces and I hope to find a little time this week to work on them.

I did finish up a few little projects last week.

Pinterest and the blogisphere are great places to find inspiration.

I had picked up a few butcher boards here and there! I love the old wood and they are relatively easy to strip and refinish! (See a tutorial here and here!)

I refinished the three smaller boards but I wasn't quite sure what to do with the big square one. I found a little "inspiration" on Pinterest....

Source

I knew I had some wood bowls stuck back in my "stash" somewhere. I think I picked them up at an auction eons ago and just wasn't quite sure what to do with them!

I cut a simple handle on the cutting board with my jig saw, drilled a hole for the hanger, sanded it down a bit and then stained it. I stripped the finish off the bowls, cut them in half with my chop saw and then glued them onto the cutting board.

After the glue dried, I applied three coats of butcher block oil. If you know you are never going to use it for food prep, you can just spray it with a little poly!

Perfect place for fruits or veggies...maybe peppers! Or a great place to throw your keys and "stuff."

The tutorial I link to suggested using finishing nails and glue to secure the bowls. I didn't even use nails...just Gorilla glue. It is an awesome glue for repairing or affixing wood...I've never had a problem with it setting up and holding well!

Simple little project!

Happy fall!

Info

8 Comments

Finding inspiration for a ladder shelf!!! And my master bedroom update!

One of the awesome things about the "blogisphere" is all the great inspiration and instruction you can find for just about anything you want to do!

A few weeks ago, my inspiration came from Kristi at "Making it in the Mountains." She built a ladder shelf for her back deck and it is awesome!!!

Someday I plan on making one exactly like this! I bought a few ladder shelves at an auction recently and when I priced them to see how much I should sell them for they were going for around $150! Craziness! And they aren't even fit for outdoor use like Kristi's!

Anywho, MONTHS ago I ended up with a beat up old desk from an auction...the auctioneers know us now so when no one bid on the poor old thing, he pointed at me and asked if I would pay a dollar...whatever...I figured I could do something with it. Heck, the awesome hardware is worth a buck!

I originally planned on restoring it but truth be told, it was pretty rough and I have learned that "rehabbing" these old desks really isn't worth the time and effort for resell. The top was laminate and the drawers were veneered. The only good solid wood was the leg and it was hanging on by a few flimsy nails!

But the drawers were well constructed...and the veneer was easily "patched."

So I decided to use the drawers and make a "modified" version of the ladder shelf...a drawer shelf!

I think it could be used as a storage shelf in a bathroom or laundry room...maybe toy storage in a kid's room! It's pretty sturdy so it can hold a lot of "stuff."

I painted the drawers with the "frosted berry" paint I bought for my room. Not that I think it NEEDED to be that color, but I have the paint and I like it! Rather than use the awesome hardware (I am hoarding those for a special project) or fill in the holes, I used rope on the two bottom drawers and a plain white knob on the top! It doesn't NEED pulls, but I want it to look like what it is...drawers!

I cut the top drawer down....I contemplated cutting the middle drawer down as well...no reason why I didn't...I just didn't!

Thanks for the inspiration Kristi!!!

(BTW, it sold within hours of putting it in my booth! Wow!)

MASTER BEDROOM PROGRESS!

As I mentioned in this earlier post, I finally broke down and bought the laminate I want for my master bedroom! Lumber Liquidators had a deal I just could not pass up! Fortunately, it will take two weeks to get it.

"Back in the day" that would frustrate me. There was a time when I could pull the trim, remove the old flooring, lay the laminate, reinstall the trim and paint...all in ONE day...or at least a weekend. Now...not so much. I have been pulling carpet and glue-down hardwood for over a week! My back ache and sore legs make living in this disaster of destruction somewhat tolerable!

Please note that even when my room is in complete disarray, I still make my bed every day! I am thoroughly convinced that the first day I don't make my bed will be the day I die...it's a "thing" I have. (discussed in detail here)

I had to remove the base of the fireplace surround to remove the flooring. I stupidly laid the floor THEN built the fireplace surround...I know better than that. This is a prime example of WHY it is a problem to set cabinets and fireplace trim on top of flooring!!!! Chances are you will replace the flooring long before you replace cabinets or fireplace surrounds...and removing the old flooring will be very difficult if it is under the cabinets or surround!

I did find one neat thing...I guess when I built this room I painted "I "heart" you" on the floor. How sweet!

There is a downside to DIY projecting! The mess! But I have wanted new flooring for YEARS so it will be worth it!

I decided to reuse the existing trim and set it on top of the new flooring...so I have to pull all the trim, remove the nails and scrape off the old caulk.

I also decided to do the floors in the office...but right now I am only going to do the main bedroom and get it back in order before I tackle the office. The office is ALL glue-down hardwood and it will be a booger to get it all up! I played with gel staining the existing hardwood...and it would have worked had I stained it all at once rather than doing a big "test splotch." Unfortunately, you can see the "lap over" of the stain and it looks horrid. So it all comes up and new flooring goes down!

I am hiring my neighbor to remove all the old flooring in the office...it is a small room but after a week of working on the master bedroom and what I know will be a labor intensive 2-3 days of installing the new flooring, I am finally having to admit I am too fricking old to "do it all."

Curses.

Info

9 Comments

Flagstone....check!

That is one project I can check off my "to do" list! It is done...the project I started here. It took three trips to the "rock store" and two trips to Meek's for sand...and two trips to Lowe's for topsoil. But whatever...it is DONE!!!

Well, until it "settles." Seems no matter how well you pack the sand base, a few rocks always "sink" after a little rain and wear. No biggy...just pull it up, put a little sand under it and then reset it.

We had a 90% chance of rain Thursday (didn't happen!) so I wanted to get this project finished so the sand wouldn't wash away and the rock could begin "settling."

I had a bench sitting in one of my flower beds in the side yard...thought it would look great in the corner. The terracotta pot is one I bought at an auction last year and was just sitting around. I decided it would look better with a few plants!

This is another area that still needs a little "something." In time...for now, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!

Get ready for a BUNCH of pictures!!!

Again, there are hundreds of tutorials online for laying flagstone...it may seem laborious, but it really isn't that difficult and you won't regret it!

I will offer a few little "tips" for laying flagstone. Make sure you have a good sand base, well packed. After your rock is down, water the sand and rock well so the sand will wash down under the rock. After that, dump a mix of top soil and sand on top of the rock and sweep it into the joints. Then lightly water it again. Rain may wash it away a tad the first few times, so you may have to add a little more sand and soil over time....just dump the soil and sand on the rocks and sweep...eventually it will pack and stay put.

If a rock "sinks," lift it up (just pry it up with hammer), toss a little more sand under the rock to build it up and level it out, reset the rock and then fill the joint with the sand and soil mixture.

I have a tiny front porch and I love how this has opened up the front of the house a bit! It's still not that wrap around front porch I want, but it is a lot better than it was before! It eliminates an eye sore AND the need to crawl around every year filling it with plants! I just plant the pots and I'm done! Super simple to maintain!

I use to decorate the front of the house in the fall with hay bales, corn stalks, pumpkins and scarecrows. I quit doing it because I had to deal with mildewy hay bales after Thanksgiving...but I may have to start it again this year...this area would just be too cute with all the "harvest" decor!

Hum...guess we will see...fall will be here before you know it!

Info

9 Comments

When the mouse is away...

This has been a week of MAJOR work so I will have lots of goodies to share. I had tons of projects piled up in my garage. I even skipped a potentially awesome auction this weekend because I knew I did not need to haul anything else home until I cleared out some projects. Even though I know I put a huge dent in it, there is still so much to do.

Saturday and Sunday I painted outside. Brian (affectionately, the mouse) went out of town Monday so I rolled out my handy-dandy "sewing cart" and went to work on a few sewing projects! Seriously, I LOVE this sewing cart!!!!

I know it looks fairly organized in the picture, but truth is I had stuff strung all over the dining and living rooms for three days...compressor, staple gun and staples, fabric, piping, pillow stuffing, etc. When I project, I go all out. That is one reason I waited until Brian was gone for a few days...because the house was a disaster (I NEED A SHOP!) and I stayed pretty focused.

Painting and reupholstering. For me, they are time consuming projects because I firmly believe in doing it right, even if I do plan to sell the piece! Whether I am keeping it or selling it, I treat it the same. Maybe that is why it is so hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and go bold on some upholstery projects.

When I rehabbed this side chair and rocking chair a few weeks ago, I picked a very nice and neutral pallet and meticulously painted and reupholstered them. Only to have the person who bought them ask how much I would charge to REupholster them...go figure!

Completed this week..six throw pillows, four upholstered chairs, three wood folding chairs, two antique oak school desks, one small table...if I had a partridge in a pear tree I would have painted and stuffed it!

The BIG chore is always the upholstered chairs. My first mental block is the fabric choice. I want something that will appeal to a lot of people, but is unique and interesting as well!

I dropped a little tease about this chair here!

Again, note the grass...dormant...that tells you how long this chair has been stuck in limbo!

When I pulled the back upholstery off this old chair, I found layers of old fabric...including a really cool piece of hand stitched quilt someone had used as padding at one point. I am always amazed at the history these old chairs reveal!

Several of you were fired up about the prospect of PURPLE! Truth is, I'm a tad too boring and conservative to actually paint the entire chair purple. I bought purple paint, but in the end, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

But purple is the "color of the year" (or so the ads at Lowe's say!) so I wanted to use a bit on this chair!

I chalk painted and distressed the frame an "off-white" and then covered the back and seat (yes, I had to make a seat!) with this awesome fabric!

Since the fabric had purple in it, I went with purple trim! Aren't I just a wild and crazy gal!

So many other projects completed and I will share a few "before and afters" over the next few weeks. I made a large note and stuck it on the table to remind myself to take pictures before I hauled anything away!

Unfortunately, I don't have the space right now in my booths...so now the question becomes, WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THESE STINKING CHAIRS!?

I guess I could throw a party...Lord knows there would be enough seating for everyone!!!

AWESOME RECIPE PERFECT FOR GARDEN VEGGIES!!!

I haven't shared a recipe in a while but I tried this totally awesome CRISP CUCUMBER SALSA and it is TOO. DIE. FOR! And it is low cal for those who care!

&nbs… — Photo and recipe curtesy of ***tasteofhome.com***

Usually I try a recipe verbatim and then mix it up a bit to my own tastes. This recipe has cumin and honestly, I'm not a fan...so I was certain I would change it after the initial try.

Nope. Not changing a thing (except I added a little more tomato.) It is wonderful and perfect for chips or on a salad.

Give it a try...this is a perfect time of the year for fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and there isn't a better way to prepare them! (Okay, sliced with salt is pretty awesome!)

Info

6 Comments

Bedroom makeover...part 2? 3?

I don't know how many times I have griped about my master bedroom. So this past month I began chewing away at a few little things I dislike.

It is my favorite room in the house AND my least favorite. My favorite because it is an awesome room...big, bright, cozy. Least favorite because after 13 years, I STILL haven't decorated it the way I REALLY want it.

I blame it on the furniture.

Ornate, heavy, dark, veeeery traditional! I paid entirely too much for it, so I can't bring myself to get rid of it. One bad thing about furniture...no matter how much you paid for it, chances are you are only going to get pennies on the dollar.

There are a few pieces I would never get rid of...my dad's walnut chair and my grandparent's old trunk. The rest of it...honestly, if I had unlimited funds, it would all go.

But I don't...so it won't. The next best thing is to change it up a bit with a little bit of paint!

I featured the beside tables and the high boy here!

The next big project was the bed!

Honestly, this set would be perfect for a chalkpaint and distress treatment. I painted it with Kilz and sanded it and it was so cool looking. But alas, that is not my "thang" so I just went with my go-to Valspar Dune color.

I did finally paint the top of the Duncan Phyfe drum table...bye, bye beautiful mahogany!

I still need to do some kind of little vingette around this table...in time!

I'm not real thrilled with the bed. I had originally planned on painting all the raised part of the head board and just leaving the inset stained but Brian talked me into just painting the top scrolly part...which is really the part I disliked and it seems the paint just highlighted it. (See, I take his advise!) Oh well...it is different and that will do for now!

I also picked up this darling little antique fan at an auction. I'm not really into "froo-froo" stuff just sitting around and eventually it will probably go to one of my flea booths. But I like the color and retro style and it looks kinda cool on top of the highboy...for now! Until I have to dust it!

Now that all the furniture is painted, I REALLY want to install hand-scraped laminate flooring. And I really want to reupholstery the big chairs. Someday!

I found this AWESOME color chart on Pinterest....

I have some white and tan in the throw pillows and bedding but the majority of my white is a little more "off-white" and my walls are more of a "cream" than a tan. I can live without the grey...I like black better. But the blue is the color of my fireplace wall and I am itching to throw the cranberry color in there somewhere. Maybe in the upholstery on the chairs or a large rug on my new floors!

The paddle fans? Hum...might have to do a little a little paddle fan treatment!

So much I WANT to do.

That is one thing one has to understand about home decor. Unless you have A LOT of money and can afford to have a professional designer come in and do it top to bottom (my choice would be Candice Olson!) the best approach is a little bit at a time.

Don't be afraid to buy used and do a little work to make it your own. As much as I disliked this furniture when it was all stained and matchy-matchy, I'm kind of digging it now! Still want something different, but I like it a lot more now than I did two weeks ago! The floors will come in time and I know someday a piece of upholstery fabric for the chairs will "speak to me" ...someday.

I always tell my kids...it's a good thing we don't have a lot of money...think of all the great things we would never have learned to do had we had the money to pay someone else to do it!

Seriously how much personal satisfaction could one get from having a bazillion dollars and being able to design, built and decorate your "dream" house without concern for costs?

See what paint fumes do to you....

Info

15 Comments

Mid century chair SCORE!! And a Duncan Phyfe chair repair!

SCORE! Seriously, major score!

Okay, so they don't look so hot right now and they didn't look any better piled on a trailer at the auction, covered in gunk and spider ick!

Which is a good thing because nobody knew what they were...which means SCORE for ME! Baumritter mid-century dining chairs! Oh my!

I know they look rough right now, but let me work my magic on them!

Truth is, mid-century furniture hasn't really hit the big time here like it has in other parts of the country and honestly, we don't see a lot of it around here. But occasionally I can find pieces here and there.

I love them...everything about them. The grain and color of the wood after it is refinished (usually walnut or teak), the clean lines, the incredible construction! I love the entire process of restoring these pieces because I know they will take my breath away when I am finished. I also know it is next to impossible to find solid walnut and teak furniture these days.

So...what is my hard-fast rule? If I bring one in, I have to take one out. So sacrifices have to be made and the sacrifice is going to be the rest of my antique Duncan Phyfe chairs! I have already sold 2 and have four left...two painted side chairs and two caption's chairs.

Last year I featured the chair I had to repair. I was so proud of myself. I glued and sculpted the chair back that was broken and then painted the two side chairs, which kind of goes against my grain but they turned out beautiful. I didn't paint the caption's chairs....

The repair lasted all of about 6 months...and then the back busted again. CRAAAAAP!

So this time I decided to "rebuild" rather than repair.

This would have been SOOOO much easier had I just gone and bought a scroll saw. But oh no...I figured I could do this with my jig saw and Dremel. And I did...but next time I am going to buy a scroll saw!

First thing I had to do was deconstruct the chair to get to the "broken back." Fortunately, these chairs are constructed with dowel rods and the top pops right off...okay, you have to beat on it a bit and chip the paint...but it eventually comes off.

Then I had to find a little piece of wood the same thickness as the back...3/8". I figured that wouldn't be a big deal. It was. I ended up finding some 3/8" pine, but it wasn't wide enough...so I had to do the ole' clamp and glue thing to create a piece wide enough.

This is no big deal...truth is, most large wood slabs, and even smaller ones, are nothing but smaller pieces of wood glued and clamped together...most table tops are constructed that way!

After I let the piece sit for a day or so, (I was busy priming, sanding and painting my bedroom furniture...can't wait to finish and share!) I used wood filler to fill any gaps in the joints, sanded the piece smooth and traced the broken piece onto the wood...

....then I cut it out with a skill saw and dremel.

This is not a job for the faint of heart, impatient people or someone who has had more than 1 cup of coffee. You have to go slow and use a light, steady hand. I actually cut on the outside of my mark and then used sand paper to sand down to the mark.

This process would have gone a bit quicker had the wood not split a time or two. It never split at the glued joints, just on the grain, which meant I had to glue and clamp the split and wait! Grrrr.....

Anywho, after hand sanding and sculpting for a few hours, I had a piece that was pretty darn close to the original! Then it was just a matter of priming, sanding and painting it.

I reconstructed the chair and hit the entire back with another light coat of paint and sealer.

Presto...ALMOST good as new! Can you tell which is which?

I can...the chair on the left is the repair. The big difference is the "lines" that are missing from the middle...after all the cutting and sculpting and sanding, I wasn't going to risk messing it up by trying to chisel lines in the wood.

And I will be honest...fitting it all back together was NOT as easy as it sounds...there was some additional sanding and grinding and even a few curse words! But in the end it turned out pretty good!

Also, I noticed the paint has "yellowed" over time. That is pretty common for "whites." Something to keep in mind when contemplating "touch ups." There is a good chance you will have to paint the entire project if the color has faded, yellowed or changed over time!

Now that it is repaired and I feel good that it will hold up, I plan on selling this chair and the matching one and the two caption chairs so I will have room for my mid century chairs when I get them refinished.

If I bring one in, I have to take one out!!!

Hopefully I will get that done before Thanksgiving...or we may all be sitting on lawn chairs!

Info

Comment

Arch window covering and temporary window coverings!

It's that time of the year...time to put up the blinds and shades to keep out the blazing sun and cool down the house a bit!

This past week Brian and I put up the outside roll-down blinds that cover the west-facing windows in my den! I love all the natural light, but when the sun hits those windows around 4:00 on a hot summer day, oh my!

Hanging the blinds on the OUTSIDE makes a huge difference...and honestly it makes this room much more comfortable in the summer! (As you can see, I turn the couch around in the summer!)

The arch window in my living room is another story! I know....arch windows are soooo 90s. But that was when this house was built so that is what is there! It is a great place for fall and Christmas displays!

It would be very difficult to put a blind on the outside of the this window...so I had to settle with putting something on the inside.

This is how bright it is BEFORE I put up a blind....

And AFTER...

Seriously, no Photoshop and no camera tricks. Before and After...within a few minutes. That is how much difference there is and it makes a huge difference in the temperature of the living room!

Fortunately my living room is two stories, so it still FEELS bright and airy, I just don't have the blazing sun heating up the room!

I couldn't really afford a "custom" blind for this arch. When I was searching for a solution, I stumbled across a "temporary" pleaded blind...maybe $15.00. It is perfect! When I put my fall decor up in the fall I take it down, fold it up and store it away until late spring. It has a clear plastic "base" that sits in the middle of the window and you just drop one end of the pleated blind into the holder, "fan" it out and secure the outside ends. It came with a "peel and stick" adhesive on the base of both sides, but that was pretty much shot after the first year. So now I either tape it or tack it down. Even though it is just a cheap little thing, it has lasted a good 5-6 years! Worth the small investment!

So if you have a room that is uncomfortable because of the heat generated by the summer sun, think about using temporary window treatments! You just might find the room a little more enjoyable and you will help cut down your cooling bills.

Info

Comment

Precious little metal "ice cream" chairs before and after!

I bought these pathetic little chairs at an auction last fall....

...neglected for who-knows how many years in an old outbuilding. Rusted, rotten...so sad.

Then they were neglected for months in my garage because of the "rust issue" I just had no desire to tackle. But I did...and truthfully, it is not that big of a deal (check out how to deal with rust here)....

Then they sat in my garage for ANOTHER month.

They are so darling and I knew I wanted to do something bright and fun with them...I just didn't know what. I get serious mental blocks on upholstery projects!

(I can always tell how long a "project" has been around just by the grass...in the "before" pictures my bermuda is dormant...now it is lush and green and needs to be mowed twice a week!)

So I went to the fabric store and found the brightest and most colorful fabric I could find!

Red for the frame...red is cheerful and fun and since the fabric had every color imaginable, it was perfect!

After dealing with the rust and giving them a good dose of primer (and of course the primer had to cure for a month while I mulled over colors), I sprayed the frames with red spray paint. I cut new seats and backs out of 3/8" plywood and covered them with new batting and the bright fabric .

Here is a little hint...if the "frame" where the back goes is 11", do not cut a new board 11", cover it with new fabric and batting, and expect it to fit. It won't.

The big button (almost) dead center in the flower was a fluke! The original back had a big button and I knew I wanted a button.

So this gives me the perfect opportunity to share how to make buttons for any project...chairs, pillows, headboards! Anything that has or needs a button...you can MAKE one out of any fabric!

Just buy a button kit...they have them at the fabric stores and most hobby stores. There is a template on the back for the fabric cutout and they come in all different sizes....

They are super easy to make! Just follow the directions on the back of the package!

TIP...put a dab of hot glue on the back of the front of the button before you hammer the back on and then put a dab of hot glue on the little U hook on the back of the button. A few times the back has separated from the front or the little U hook has come off the back...the glue just reinforces them a bit!

To attach the button, I measured and located the center of the board, drilled two small holes, threaded wax covered string on a large upholstery needle from back to front, through the front padding and fabric, slipped the button on the string, then threaded it back through and tied it off. Then I put a little dab of hot glue on the knot. Super simple!

I padded the back with a little batting and covered it with red fabric!

I love these little chairs...if I had somewhere to put them, I would keep them! Darling!

When I step outside my comfort zone and go with bright and colorful, I am never disappointed...maybe I should take that into consideration next time I makeover something I intend to keep!

And here is a little "upcycle" hint. I had an old outdoor chair cushion that was thrown in a pile of things I picked up at an auction. The fabric was crud but the batting inside was good. I took the fabric off and used the batting that was inside for this chair and saved the rest for future projects. Free padding!

Info

10 Comments

Universal Ballerina Mist....

When I check on my flea booths I like to mill around and see if there are any goodies I want for ME! I try not to do this often because I do have a hard-fast rule...if I bring something in, I have to take something out.

Every once in awhile I stumble on something I just have to have!

I featured my Grandmother's Universal Ballerina dishes here and here. They are not "valuable" dishes, but ones I treasure because it was my paternal grandmother's. She was not a big "china" person and only had a few pieces of this style. I have added a few pieces here and there over the years.

I love the mist color and the platinum banding and the simple styling. Unlike my maternal great-grandmother and grandmother's very ornate and expensive china (also featured) it is very simple...kind of "mid century-ish" which makes sense since it dates around 1950...and I absolutely love it!

I have never found any pieces in flea markets. I did find another salt and pepper shaker at an antique store one time. I bought it so I would have a set I would actually use! I didn't want to use the original for fear of breaking them! Good thing I didn't because sure enough, I broke one! All the other pieces I have added have been from Ebay or Replacements.com (both great sources for replacing stoneware and china.)

But today I scored a few pieces at the Tontitown flea market!

Two refrigerator jars with lids...both in mint condition!

And a milk pitcher. It is actually the "ivory" color rather than the "mist" but I think it is a lovely little piece and thought it would look pretty next to the other I have in mist!

(Oops...still has the price tag string on it!!)

So today, I broke my hard-fast rule...there is absolutely nothing in this display case I can "take out" because they are all heirloom pieces that have great personal value. So I rearranged a few things and made room for them!

Good thing I don't have a huge china cabinet...

Info

3 Comments

Nasty little chair makeover...PART I!

My INTENT was to get this chair done this week so I could feature it. The weather and a bum back kind of slowed me down. But I got it done...but I am still going to break this up into a "Two Part Series" because the work that had to be done was pretty extensive. If you just want to see the before and after, check out Part II and scroll to the bottom!

This gives me a great opportunity to stress the importance of TAKING YOUR TIME and DOING IT RIGHT!

The simplest little makeover takes time. You can't rush the process. Strip it properly, sand it properly, prime it properly, paint it properly! Otherwise you are wasting your time and money!

My newest project is very similar to a chair I did for Sis....it was one of my first "features" here. (I wish I had taken better pictures to show all the detail!) The paint part was a tad easier because it didn't have to be stripped first. But it was one of my first upholstery jobs, and the more experience you get, the easier it is. Okay, it doesn't get easier...you just know it is going to be a challenge.

One thing I have learned about upholstery...no two pieces are the same and ALL have their challenges. You learn to be creative, take your time, and use the proper tools...more on that when we get into the actual upholstery process!

I spied this pathetic little chair sitting outside an apartment...obviously it was being neglected and unloved! And then it was abandoned! So I tossed it in the back of my truck and brought it home. As with most projects, it sat and waited for inspiration (and time).

I know many tout the virtues of chalk and plaster paint. No sanding, no prep, no prime. But 1) I am old school and 2) the paint on this chair was literally crumbling off and I could scrape the white paint off with my fingernail!

I wasn't going to risk painting this chair only to have the old paint flake off! Besides, I have to have a nice smooth "template." So my best bet was to strip, sand, prime and paint.

First I had to remove the old upholstery. I'm not sure what is worse...a seriously botched attempt to "cover" the old upholstery or doing so and leaving the old upholstery intact. Which means I had to remove the 8,324 staples someone used to haphazardly attach the disgusting green fabric and the 6,352 upholstery nails (these are just estimates) used on the original disgusting fabric.

Regardless of what you are removing...good or bad...I always suggest taking TONS of pictures while you deconstruct. You THINK you will remember how something was constructed, but you may not. It is always good to have pictures to refer back to! When I took my first shot at reupholstering a chair I took hundreds of pictures as I deconstructed it...boy was I glad later when I got stuck on something and wasn't sure what to do! I just referred back to the picture of the original and I knew exactly what I needed to do!

After hours of pulling, prying and cursing, I was down to bare bones (both the chair and my hands!)

Once I got all the old upholstery off, I addressed the little "wobbles." This chair was in pretty good shape structurally but it is important to make sure all the joints are secure and tight. Glue and clamps! Don't move forward on a project like this until you make sure everything is in tip-top shape. You don't want to be glueing and clamping after you have a shiny new finish on!

Now it was time for a little strip job.

I used Citristrip jel to remove the multiple layers of paint! It actually took 2 applications. An old toothbrush on all the nocks and crannies. I used a mineral spirit wash to remove all the "goo." Then I let it all dry thoroughly.

I know stripping old finish and paint is a tedious, nasty, back-breaking process...and I have no doubt it is the reason someone came up with the idea of mixing plaster and paint. But again, my "old-school" mentality just won't let me move forward without properly stripping all the old paint off.

I don't paint over wallpaper, I don't tile over vinyl, I don't upholster over old upholstery. I just don't. Call me crazy.

Then I sanded....and sanded....and sanded! Getting all the old paint out of the grooves in the legs was not an easy task...but absolutely essential! This is exactly why I always keep old toothbrushes with my shop tools!

After sanding, I primed it with Kilz. I like Kilz for several reasons. For me, it is my personal preference after years of experience. Others swear by Zinsser. This is just one of those things you need to experiment with and do what works best for you! Regardless, I will ALWAYS recommend an oil-based primer!

Nine times out of ten I am going to prime a piece before I paint it. I am not willing to take the risk of "bleed through", I want a smooth finish and I want my paint to stick! On rare occasions I will not apply a primer if I am going to use chalk/plaster paint and plan to distress the piece. But even then I prime areas I suspect might bleed through or cause problems.

Anywho, after I got MOST of the old paint off and sprayed on the primer, I let it dry thoroughly. Then I sanded, and sanded, and sanded...again. I started with a 80-120 grit, and finished with a 220.

I like to sand. Or rather I like how the piece feels and looks after it has been primed and sanded. And in my opinion, "feeling" is the key!

Funny story...years ago I was feeling quite smug about the fact that I had not gotten all those nasty little wrinkles all my friends had around their eyes and mouths and on their neck. Until I put my readers on one day to pluck my eyebrows...and there they were.

Even though I finally broke down and got prescription glasses, I still don't trust my eyes to see all the imperfections...but I do trust my hands. As I sand, I "feel." If you can feel it, it will show through a coat of paint!!! Sanding transforms the piece and if done properly, it can mean the difference between having a piece that is beautiful and professional or one that looks like an inexperienced DIYer threw it together!

After priming and sanding, I used my compressor to blow the dust off and then tack cloth to get rid of all the little smidges of dust and debris! I know I harp on using tack cloth...I can not stress how important this step is!

My original plan was to paint the chair a "blush/salmon/coral" color and then upholstery it in black damask. I saw a chair almost identical to this one in those colors SOMEWHERE...and then I couldn't. What I could find was a lot of teal and damask...and since this is a piece that will be sold, I decided I had to go with what is obviously "in." A "pink" chair can be risky! Pretty, but risky!

So teal it is....

The trick to spray painting anything (besides the prep work) is to do 3-4 VERY light coats...let it dry for 30-45 minutes between coats. If you get a drip or run (which you shouldn't if you do LIGHT coats) let it dry OVER NIGHT and then carefully and lightly sand it with a VERY fine grit sand paper! Tack and then lightly spray it again.

After the paint dries I gave it a good coat of clear poly finish. Probably overkill considering the Valspar spray paint I use SAYS it is an "all in one." Again, I'm old school. You clear coat everything.

The key now is to WAIT. Wait and let the paint dry and cure for a few days. Upholstery can put a lot of wear and tear on a piece so you want the paint to be cured before you begin working on the upholstery.

And as you can see, this piece has some serious reconstruction to do before I can ever begin to put the fabric on! I'll make sure I take good pictures and share step-by-step instructions on how to reconstruct and reupholster this chair!

IF YOU WANT IT DONE RIGHT....TAKE YOUR TIME!