Updated "antique" school desk and school chair...

Several months ago I went to an auction at a pretty nasty place. Most of the pieces I brought home had to be scrubbed with ammonia.

I bought a little school chair and an old school desk. Did I bother to take a picture before I started working on them? Um, no!!! You would think after all these months I would learn. But often times I bring stuff home, store it and then the first time the temperature spikes above 60, I start tearing into it! And this time of the year, those days are rare!

I did find a picture of the little chair...but the desk was used to prop up the large wood windows I bought so it didn't get in the family photo!!!

So again, it is time to close your eyes and "imagine." For anyone over the age of 40, it's not going to be hard. More than likely, it was the kind of desk you had during your elementary years. Beige formica top, grey metal base and an open shelf for a little plastic pencil box and books.

After both got a good scrubbing, I used "automotive primer" on all the metal. Kilz works well too, but I usually use "automotive" primer on metal. I find it just "bonds" better. I didn't prime the plastic on the seat or the top of the desk.

For the desk top, I used chalkboard paint. Then I sprayed the base with an awesome "teal" color.

For the chair I used a red "plastic" spray paint on the seat. You can buy it at Lowe's and it is specifically formulated for painting plastic. I think any spray paint would probably work but since I needed to buy paint for this project, I went with a paint specifically for plastic. I sprayed the legs with a bright white.

Cute! Perfect for a child's room!

Both of these will be in my booth! (The desk sold in ONE day!) Sometimes I wish I still had young kids so I could do cute little projects like this specific to their decor!

Then I remember that when I had young kids I didn't have time for cute little projects like this!

Info

1 Comment

Not your plain ole' high chair!!!

This is one of my favorite projects for so many reason.

First, I love doing "kid's" stuff...chairs, desks, dressers...anything kids would love!

Second, it was free. Well, the CHAIR was free...the materials and time were a little excessive! But I love the way it turned out so it was worth it! Truthfully, if I paid myself by the hour on the items I repurpose/reupholster/refinish and then sell, I would make about $1.32 an hour...not sure I would even clear that on this chair!

This was another "abandoned" piece I found at my apartments.

And it was N.A.S.T.Y!

Every square inch was covered in nasty gunk!!! But other than the tear in the seat (Duck tape? Seriously?) it was structurally sound. And super neat.... the top of the chair lifts off the base...and the base can be flipped over and used as a desk with a dry-erase top...nifty little thing.

Since the tray was missing and it probably is no longer considered "high chair safe" I decided to spruce it up and make it into a little child's booster chair! Definitely not something you would want to put your toddler in and leave unattended, but sturdy enough for a young child!

First I removed the seat and back and the old tray brackets.

Then I had to clean it! I put it in the tub and saturated it with straight ammonia....

The nastiness just melted off. I can not tell you how disgustingly filthy this thing was and I am sick that someone would put their child in it...just gross.

After scrubbing it with ammonia and steal wool, I let it dry thoroughly and then gave it the ole' KSTP treatment...Kilz, sand, tack cloth and paint.

I decided to spice the frame up a bit with bright red paint. I used a black and white damask with red piping on the cushions. The seat was pretty thin so I added a little foam padding before recovering it.

I painted the dry erase board on the base with chalkboard paint! I'm kind of addicted to that stuff!

Just darling. I just love anything that is "unique."

And while it really isn't safe to use as a high chair, it would make a perfect "kitchen helper."

Info

1 Comment

FINALLY, a chair before and after!!!

I say FINALLY because as I have mentioned I have "upholstery block." I can pick paint, I can pick stain...but I have the toughest time picking out upholstery. Which is becoming a real problem because I have all these chairs in my garage that need upholstery work!

Anywho, I finally picked an upholstery for these little mid century style slipper chairs....

I was a little hesitant to go with something so "funky." But fact is, I don't think these chairs have a tremendous "value" so it was a perfect opportunity to do something fun with a style I love! When I found a "'50's Paris" themed fabric at Hobby Lobby, I decided to go for it. Who wouldn't love the Eifel Tower, 50's fashion and PINK???!!!

The legs were oak...sturdy but not my favorite, so I didn't have a problem painting them....a little primer and black satin spray paint. I added a little batting but otherwise they were in pretty good shape! And really comfy! The chair didn't originally have any piping, but I added a little black around the base of the seat.

I found a black and white diamond pattern fabric I am going to make little pillows out of of...eventually. I stuck my houndstooth pillow on there just to see how it would look...not so great, but I think the diamond pattern will look awesome!

Personally, I think they are pretty cute...we'll see if they sell...

Info

2 Comments

Sit and stay awhile....

I have a thing about chairs and sitting areas...even outdoors. In my yard I have two swing pergolas, two large chairs on the patio, a table and chairs and a wicker settee on the deck, a chair on the little deck outside my bedroom door, and chairs stacked and ready for company.

Funny thing is, I am constantly buzzing around doing something so I rarely just "sit" for long. And it's not like we entertain a lot....

Last month I scored 3 old metal lawn chairs at an auction...I love those things. I have one I bought at a flea market a few years ago and have always wanted a few more. Two of the three are in pretty good shape...minimal rust and still sturdy. One has some "issues" with rust so I didn't do anything with it. And naturally I didn't take "before" pictures of all of them, but this is a picture of the one that I didn't redo....

Even in good condition, these old metal chairs can be a booger to refinish properly. Usually they have been painted a time or two, so you have to sand them pretty aggressively to get rid of all the layers...and drips! They also have rust and that has to be delt with or it will destroy the chair.

I used my little mouse sander with a 40 grit paper, then hand sanded it with a 120 to strip as much old paint and rust as I could.

After sanding and wiping them down with tack cloth, I primed them with automotive primer. I figure if it is good enough for a metal car, it will be great for metal chairs. It is also specifically formulated to stop rust! May be overkill, but might as well use the best! You can buy cans of metal and automobile primer in the spray paint sections at Lowes.

After priming, I hit them again with 220 grit paper and tack cloth. Then I painted the arms and legs with a Rust-oleum satin white and the seats with a really pretty Valspar "peacock blue" color.

I really debated what color to paint the chairs. I love the different greens but my entire yard is green and I try to infuse as many annuals as possible to get color...so I knew I wanted "color."

I like the Peacock Blue. It's pretty....

And while I am showing off my yard, here is a before and after of the area I resodded AGAIN this year. The first two times I put down bermuda but it just didn't do well....too much shade!

It is a little difficult to tell from this photo (my stinking photography skills!) but this area is pretty much dirt with a few blades of grass here and there...and that is after I put down bermuda sod last spring! The rest of the yard is thick, lush grass! (Thanks to weed control and fertilizer by Fairways and lots of water)

So this year I decided to try something different. Zoysia sod. It is SUPPOSE to do better in partial shade areas. I have fescue in an area of my yard that doesn't get a lot of sun and I don't like it because it doesn't go dormant like bermuda...so I have this big green patch in my yard all winter. Zoysia is suppose to go dormant. It can't be any worse than it was. I've decided if this doesn't work I am going to paint the dirt green!

So for now, I have nice grass in our sitting area...and it is a perfect back drop for my pretty new peacock chairs!

This is Molly, my old kitty. She turned 16 this week too! She loves all the "lounging" areas in the yard and loves being outside...as long as it is above 75 degrees!

Someday I will post pictures of all my animals...I think I have already posted one of Simon, but I also have Ms. Kitty (she is a rather cranky, unfriendly calico) and Finley (he is my autistic kitty...another long haired Siamese mix) And then there is Ginger, my old black lab.

Info

Comment

Primitive mahogany chair....

I am always finding nasty old furniture dumped around my trailer and dumpster at the apartments. But when I spied this little beauty sitting by the dumpster I knew it was something special...even in the deplorable state she was in!

When I found her, she was bleached grey/white and was pretty rickety. But I could tell from the construction it was a solid wood primitive chair and from some of the red "bleeding" on the underside, I suspected it was mahogany.

I brought her home and the first thing I tried to do was glue the loose joints. Problem was the wood was sooooo thirsty, it literally sucked the moisture out of the glue, so the glue wouldn't hold!

I knew I was going to have to "moisturize" the chair before I could get the joints to hold.

So I stripped off what little was left of the old upholstery and began sanding her down. As I sanded, the color in the wood really began to shine through!

I called a friend of mine, Caleb, who is kind of a "wood guru." He told me to try Danish Oil on her.

Man, oh, man.

Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

No stain in this picture....just oil!

The wood was so thirsty it took an entire can of Danish Oil...maybe 4-5 coats! But the natural color of the wood was amazing!

This is where I need to remind you that I think one of the most beautiful things on earth is wood....I just love the color and the texture and the grain. And the smell!

And it is one reason I have such a difficult time painting over wood....because once you do that you potentially hide something beautiful! Even some finishes can mask the texture of a wood grain...and I hate that!

So I am very careful when deciding what the best treatment is for any piece of wood furniture. Sometimes paint really is your best option. But not always...even if it is all the "rage."

I am sure there are a lot of people who, if they would have even given this chair a second look, would have immediately slapped a coat of paint on her. Because let's be honest, she was pretty nasty to begin with.

But the natural beauty of this chair was there...just waiting for someone to care enough to bring it out!

This is where I really wish I was a better photographer! I am just not doing this chair justice with the pictures!

After oiling and glueing, I set out to find the "right" upholstery. Again, this is a tough process when you are talking about an old chair. I wanted to do something that might resemble what might have been on it originally, but since I have NO idea what time period this chair was, I knew I couldn't even begin to guess. And my research online turned up nothing. I suspect this chair was hand made by someone loooong ago!

The upholstery I settled on is actually an old linen blanket I found at a garage sale. I loved the neutral color and simple texture. Again, I could have painted the piece and upholstered it in a bright, funky fabric....but she is a simple old chair and this is just one of those times I thought the piece needed "simple."

She now sits proudly in my flea market booth....waiting on someone to fall in love with her like I did! But it will take a very special person who will recognize her for what she is.

A VERY special chair steeped in a history we will never know, but will cherish and honor just the same.

Info

Comment

Rocker and pillows...

One thing I enjoy about doing a flea booth is it allows me an opportunity to work on projects I probably wouldn't otherwise if I were just doing for myself.

My first project today were pillows. I bought two large pillow forms at an auction a few weeks ago. I wasn't quite sure what to do with them until Debbie at Midtown Eclectic started decorating with some really nifty looking coffee bean burlap bags. Inspiration!!! They are pretty cool looking, but honestly, they aren't something I would curl up with to read a book...kinda scratchy! But they are neat!

This weekend I bought a precious little rocker at an auction...a lady told me it was a sewing rocker. Evidently it is a little rocker women would sit in and sew. I thought it was just a little "kid's" rocker. It is surprisingly sturdy but was in pretty bad shape cosmetically. (Did I take a "before" picture? Um...no!) It was painted white and had a red velvet upholstery crudely tacked over a busted cane seat. One thing I would like to do eventually is learn to cane...but until then I will just do the best I can upholstering!

First I removed the sloppy upholstery. I sanded the white paint and ended up with the raw wood showing on the edges. I kind of liked the look but the wood was a little light so I hit all the "raw" spots with a pecan stain. I used mineral spirits to get the stain off the white paint. After I 'aged' it by sanding and staining, I coated it with a clear poly to seal it. Then I recovered the seat with this pretty blue fabric. I had a little bit of fabric and piping left so I made a little pillow. Katie thinks it is "too much" of the blue fabric so I will probably try to find another fabric to make a contrasting pillow....maybe...some day when I have nothing to do...lol! It really doesn't need a pillow...I just like pillows and can't stand to waste a scrap of fabric!

Summer finally hit here today and it got a tad warm. After working on the chair and pillows I went out in the garage to tag some things I bought this weekend and it was rather toasty! I finally cried UNCLE and turned on my AC...only to realize after two hours that it was still 84 degrees in my house!!!! Guess I will be calling the HVAC guy tomorrow....curses!

I had to reinstall a sink and grout some tile at the apartments...tomorrow I have to install an AC, paint and finish some bath repairs...this is the time of year I try to hit it reeeeal early and finish up before it gets too warm! I'm trying to finish up some paint projects here at the house and I am saving the bigger upholstery jobs for when it is too hot to work outside....which may be this week!

Did I mention I'm not real fond of summer and the heat?

Info

Comment

Getting ready to go retail....

Wow...getting ready to go "retail" is a LOT of hard work. I have been going to auctions and garage sales every weekend. And if I was a hoarder, I would be in deep doody because there is a whole world of really nifty stuff out there.

I have tried to focus on things others will LOVE! I know I love most of what I bought...but since it is all piled in my garage and I have NO place to put it, I won't have a problem parting with it.

This weekend I scored big time on July 4th and Christmas decorations, a big mirror, frames, planters, milk glass, candle holders...you name it, I found it! Anything I can find that I think is wonderful, at a price that hopefully will let me make a few pennies...or at least break even!!! I don't plan on getting rich on this little endeavor. Again, I need an outlet for my creative juices and it is wonderful to find things I know others will take home and LOVE!

And honestly, this gives me an excuse to do something I use to love to do...go to auctions!!! I forgot how much fun they are! Even Brian has gotten into it so it is something else he and I can do together....that is always the BEST part of any hobby...sharing it with your best friend! And Matt, my youngest son, comes when he is free! Family fun!

I have found a few pieces of furniture that are inexpensive enough for me to put my "spin" on. It is hard to pay a premium for a piece of furniture and then come home and put a lot of money and hours into it. I probably devalue my time and labor way too much, but when I go out and buy $100 worth of upholstery for a little ottoman it makes it tough to sell it for $75...especially when it took me all day to recover it!

So I have to be very careful when bidding on and buying furniture. I found a wonderful Duncan Phyfe table that would have been beautiful...but the top was in pretty bad shape and I knew it needed a great deal of time and attention! So I set a max in my mind and I tried not to groan too loudly when it sold for $15 above my maximum! But I knew if I paid more than that, I would NEVER recoup my time and expense.

I also have to be very cognizant of what buyers want vs. what I personally like. I am not that big into the shabby chic/plaster paint thing...but I know the buyers love it.

This oak chair is a prime example. Kinda dated before so I knew I would have to do something with it...

When I first started my plan was to prime, paint with high gloss black and then recover in a black and white damask...very "formal."

But I had to do some sanding on the paint coat and before I knew it, it had a "shabby chic" flair that everyone LOVES!

So there you have it...a little shabby chic chair flair!

I already featured the 3-legged table with the plaster paint legs...but I also have a nifty little oak table and a few other projects I will share over the next few weeks as I get ready to fill my booth!

Course at this point, I think I have enough to fill an entire store...not just a booth. Typical me...at some point I will learn moderation...or just quit going to to auctions and stopping at garage sales....because honestly, I am running out of room in my garage!!!!

Info

Comment

Walnut chair reveal.....

Well, it is done....and while I know where the little "goofs" are, I have to keep in mind one of my father's pearls of wisdom...

"You'll never notice it on a passing train!"

As I have mentioned before (here), Mom told me she and Dad found this chair in a field when I was a baby. When they found it, it was bleached white from being in the sun...and she is pretty sure it originally had a cane seat and back. Dad knew it was walnut so he took it home, repaired it and refinished it. I would bet the upholstery in the "before" picture was probably the second time he refinished it. This looks more like something he would have done in the 70s or 80s.

I pulled the 5,486 nail heads (so I exaggerate a tad) and removed the old upholstery, nails and padding. Dad wouldn't have touched polyurethane so stripping the original varnish finish with my favorite Formby's varnish stripper was not a real challenge. I repaired a few loose joints with glue and clamps!

Even with a new coat of dark walnut stain, it was very "uneven" in places so I had to do some patch-work staining. Then I put 4 coats of tung oil on it. And then it sat...and sat...and sat....

I just didn't know what fabric to get. I knew I wanted something a little more formal and neutral. I let Brian pick from 7-8 fabric samples...wouldn't you know he picked my least favorite, but in all honesty, it turned out beautiful! I opted for the double welting vs. the nail heads. I contemplated having it recaned....but decided against it...maybe next time! And I have just enough leftover material for a little pillow!

Every chair in this house has been bought or repurposed to uphold to "abuse" from kids and animals. But this chair is special and it will be tucked away in the corner of my room where the worst thing that can happen to it is one of the cats will find it!

Maybe someday, when I am long gone, one of my children will cherish it as much as I do....thanks Dad!

Info

3 Comments

Pretty in pink....and a little zebra....

Earlier I posted this "before" picture of a little dresser I brought home from the apartments.....missing a drawer and really not attractive! (I found it, and this one, in the same unit!)

But it was relatively sturdy and I knew I could install a shelf where the drawer was missing...perfect for little decorative baskets! Or books...or whatever!

I never posted a before picture of this chair....and unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture BEFORE I took it all apart. But basically it was just a little gray chair I found at the apartments...kinda nasty as usual and veeeery boring.

Both have been in my garage for months...kilzed and ready to go. What to do, what to do. I just couldn't get "inspired." I don't have a problem doing this stuff, I just have a problem deciding exactly WHAT to do. But the other day I was walking through Hobby Lobby and I saw all this pink and zebra stripe little girl's decor, and I thought "Oh MY!" Inspiration at last. Keep in mind, I have NO place in my home for this but some little girl somewhere is going to love this stuff....

The zebra stripes on the drawer fronts are hand painted. Don't get too impressed. While I have a tad of artisticness and creativeness in me, I'm honestly not THAT talented. Here's a little secret...if you see a design or picture you want to put on a piece of furniture, trace it onto a piece of wax paper. Then place the wax paper on a piece of sewing trace paper and trace it onto your piece. (TIP: use sewing trace paper...it doesn't "smudge" as badly as other traceable papers and the markings are easy to remove with a damp cloth!) You can do this on ANYTHING...walls, glass, furniture, anything!!! I painted the drawers white, traced the fabric design on wax paper and then traced that onto the drawer fronts....then painted them with black latex paint. And with everything, I sprayed it with a clear coat!

You can even print things off the computer and trace that...if the printed picture is too small for the project you are working on, just take the picture into any edit program and break it up in sections that can be printed off and then taped together. If it is REALLY big, you can always project it onto the object with a projector. We did that with a mural on my daughter's wall...if she EVER gets her room clean enough for me to take pictures, I will share her mural...totally awesome. Ever hear of a "fail whale?" Google it...it really is awesome!!

Anywho....animal print is not really my cup of tea...evident by the fact that I pretty much hated my bathroom when I decorated with "leopard print" in a failed attempt to decorate around my ugly gold shower doors!

But after seeing a little inspiration and how "fun" it can be, this was a fun little project.

Info

Comment

Pull up a chair...and another...and another...

I have a thing about chairs...and tables...unfortunately, I am running out of room. But I can't help myself...I see an old battered and abused chair and I KNOW it can be beautiful again.

A few of these you have seen...but I thought I would share a few more. As I have mentioned before, I was DIYing before it became vogue so I have many pieces I don't even have "before" pictures of...I just brought them home and did my thing....

I think I bought this little guy at a garage sale for $5. Can't even remember what kind of fabric it had on it, but I bought it when I was remodeling my youngest son's room after he went off to college (it was the last room to get laminate...hence the green carpet) The oak frame was in pretty bad shape, but a little cleaning, stripping and tung oil spruced it right up and the alligator vinyl is just awesome!

Another apartment find...I remember it had orange vinyl and was in pretty bad shape...walnut maybe? Again, strip and oil! The seat was VERY uncomfortable so I added 4" foam and batting. I expected the fabric to be "funky and whimsical" but it actually turned out kind of nifty looking and is perfect in my den! What was really interesting about this chair was the little plaque I found on the underside....

Every piece has a story...I just wonder how this little guy made it all the way to Arkansas from a bank in Galveston, Texas!

I told you at one time my taste was more "traditional." I loved antiques....I bought a mahogany dining set at an antique store 18 years ago...I think it is all I have left of "that phase." I have six of these chairs and the table...absolutely beautiful wood. I know a lot of people are painting these now, but I just can't! Over the years I have stripped and oiled them and just recently changed the seat cushions...again. Nice thing about these chairs...the seat fabric are easy to change when your style changes! I keep eying the "mid century modern" sets floating around but I'm just not ready to turn loose of this set! Yet!

I found this nasty little oak creature when we were cleaning out a house...a little cleanup, Kilz and green and white paint and it is now a sweet little desk chair at Kaitlyn's! Sometimes you have to be willing to look past the grunge!

I have no idea where this chair came from. I do know it has been in my attic since I moved here 13 years ago, and I remember moving it around for many years prior to that! When I remodeled my office, I searched high and low for the perfect chair!

One day I found this lurking in the back corner of my attic and I pulled it down with the intention of cleaning it up and painting it. But after stripping away all the nastiness I found a beautiful mahogany chair...so I put 4 coats of tung oil on it and recovered the seat....sometimes the very treasures we are looking for are hiding behind our Christmas decorations...lol!

There was a reason this chair was 1/2 off at a thrift store...but I saw potential! And I think it had a little! ( I will not mention the horrendous mistake I made during the construction of the cushion because no one but me probably notices that a very important element of the fabric design is JUST ALL WRONG and is the perfect example of mistakes one can make even when they are being VERY careful and SOMEDAY when I have an extra 4 hours to spare I will redo the cushion...until then, I just keep hoping nobody notices! Grrrrrrr! )

I have posted these along the way...but they are just reminders of my obsession with chairs. And it doesn't stop inside. In my yard I have built two swing pergolas, one large patio pergola and have started collecting the old metal lawn chairs from the 50s and 60s...I may be constantly moving, but when it is time to plant it, I want something awesome to plant it on!!!!

And last but certainly not least, my dad's walnut chair. It is currently sitting in the corner of my room and

every day I look at it and wonder what upholstery will do it justice. I've looked for fabric several times and I just haven't found "it." I will...one day a fabric will just "jump out at me." And it will be perfect. Until then.....

Doing a project "right" is about being patient...taking your time..sometimes waiting for the inspiration!

Info

2 Comments