Reupholstering the new living room chair...

I have said it before and I'll say it again...if you ever complain about the cost of reupholstering a piece of furniture, give it a shot!

Trust me, you will never complain again...and there is a good chance you will just buy new!

I spent over $200 just for the fabric for this chair!

It's not really "my style" but I wanted to use it to replace the big hulking brown leather chair in the living room and this one was a "freebie"...for obvious reasons. It had to be big enough for Cleo because that is "her chair."

Perfect fit.

And honestly, with a down cushion and deep seat, it is super comfy! Not that I would have sat in it before it was completely stripped and covered with new batting...but it LOOKED comfy!

There are THOUSANDS of tutorials on line for reupholstering just about any style of chair so I am not going to do a blow by blow tutorial on how I reupholstered this one. Your best bet is to find a tutorial for a chair similar to the one you are going to do. Besides, it took me a day to strip it and removed 2,453,692 staples, a day to sew the cushion cover and all the piping, and another day to upholster the main frame....my hands were in no shape to hold a camera!

My advice...buy a new chair! HOWEVER, if you insist on reupholstering a chair, find a good tutorial and settle in for some serious work!

I do love how this one turned out. I really want to infuse some "lighter-brighter" furniture so I went with the teal/cream print. I like the texture of the fabric and I think it will be very durable which is important since Cleo immediately reclaimed her spot!

Naturally the new chair means I will have to buy a new rug, but since Katie wants to take the existing rug to her new condo this summer, I have a valid excuse to buy a new one!

My next upholster project is this little MCM chair in my den....

Seriously, if I hadn't already purchased the fabric, I might have just said to heck with it and wait for the mauve and pale blue to come back in style. Or just buy a new one! But I adore this chair so when my hands regain their feeling, I'll move on to this project!

The weather has been pretty amazing so I have managed to finish up quite a few little projects, in spite of the fact I can barely grip a paintbrush, so I'll share a few in the coming weeks!

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Dining room table makeover and my recent angst!!!!

Choosing fabric for a piece for "resale" is a tad easier for me than when I have to make a decision for my own home! It is still a struggle, but not nearly as difficult as choosing a fabric for myself.

Primarily because I know how much work goes into reupholstering a piece and I know if I go too "trendy" I will end up having to redo it in a few years. It is one reason I "stay safe" with bigger pieces like couches and chairs...then I use throw pillows, blankets and rugs to pull in the "in" colors. Those things are easy to change...and I don't cringe too much if I have to donate a $15 pillow vs. a $2000 couch!

Example...I bought this ugly table and chair set at an auction....

In this condition, not appealing in the LEAST and not fit for any space...very dark and dated! But this is the kind of thing I know I can work a little "DIY magic" and make it perfect for another lifetime of use!

Not that I don't struggle with deciding paint colors and fabric for these pieces...this one sat for a while. I knew I would have to paint the top...it is laminate so it couldn't be "refinished." The legs on the table and the chairs are solid wood and in halfway decent shape but the vinyl brown seats had seen better days....that had to go!

I chalkpainted and distressed the table legs, primed and painted the top a flat black and painted the chairs a "steel blue." I found an awesome black/grey tweed upholstery fabric for the seats.

I saw several tables on Pinterest with this upholstery nailhead detailing and knew immediately I wanted to do it when I found the perfect table...and this table is perfect!

That little detail really makes all the difference, was relatively inexpensive (about .50 each!) and was not difficult. I just measured and marked where I wanted each nailhead to go, drilled a tiny hole, then hammered them into place! Cute as a bug's ear!

Obviously someone else thought it was cute as a bug's ear...it sold the day after we took it to 410 Vintage.

Which brings me to my recent angst! Chairs for my own home!!!

When I remodel my den last year, I knew I wanted to add a teal club chair. I bought this little MCM style chair a year ago and it has sat in my den since, waiting on time and inspiration! It is the perfect size and style for this space, but of course the upholstery is all wrong!

I finally went to the fabric store last week and pulled a bunch of fabric samples that caught my eye. I THINK I have decided I like this teal tweed fabric. This fabric works well with the style of the chair and is pretty much the color I was leaning towards.

I found this chair just last week and I THINK I want to use it to replace my big fat leather chair in the living room!

It is a tad more "traditional" than what I really like but that is okay...again, that is the great thing about having a mosh-pot of styles...or "eclectic" as they say!

One of the reasons I want to replace this chair is because it has become "the dog's chair." In other words, Cleo has claimed it as her own. She sleeps in it, sits in it and jumps on it when anyone comes to visit her (and EVERYONE is coming to visit HER!) As a result, it is in pretty bad shape.

So naturally, she has to check out the new chair to make sure it is comfortable FOR HER!

Not nearly as roomy as the leather chair, but she looks pretty comfy!

Again, fabric samples and nail biting choices....

I kinda sorta like the idea of doing a "two fabric" design. The grey geo on the sides and back, and the black for the cushion. But then again, I worry about being "trendy" with something that is going to require a lot of time and work, so I am leaning towards the simple, one fabric choice in blue.

What to do, what to do. For now I am taking my own advise. Looking to Pinterest and Google search for "inspiration." Looking for chair upholstery I LOVE that will work with this style and in my space!

It is the ONLY way I know how to make a decision and know it will be one I will be happy with for many years.

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Updating a little chandelier...

I am almost embarrassed to admit where I got this ugly little brass chandelier....

Out of the back of a strangers pick up truck at the dump. Seriously...I was paying out at the local dump and this guy drove up in a truck loaded with trash. Sitting on top was this light fixture. So I asked him if I could have it...and he said SURE!

Geez...I have become one of "those" people who dig through other people's trash! Crazy cat lady, annoying coupon lady...and now this...(shaking head in disgust)

Whatever...I wasn't sure what exactly I was going to do with it but I knew it could be "updated" if I could just find the right inspiration. I knew I was going to paint the dated brass, so I decided to start there until I could figure out exactly what I wanted to do with the fixture!

Originally I primed it with metal primer, then started painting it with plain ole' off white spray paint. (Remember, when you aren't sure what to do with something, take it to "base neutral.")

And that is when a little DIY project turned into a total disaster. Yes, it happens. Even to me. Even though I shook the spray paint can per the instructions, it still started spraying all "clumpy." I don't know how to describe it, but rather than a nice smooth finish, it was all grainy and rough....AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!

Made me so mad I tossed the fixture in the back of the garage and said "SCREW IT." (Yes, I curse at innate objects!) I knew I was going to have to completely sand it down and considering the "ornateness" of it, I knew it would be a royal pain. My "vision" was just a heap of "mess."

Then I saw this on Pinterest...

Andrea at "Personally Andrea" took a plain ole' chandelier and dolled it up a bit by using jute twine to wrap the ugly little plastic tubes.

Hum....just the "inspiration" I needed to dig the "ruined" chandelier out of the back of the garage and give it another shot!

I sanded down the "grainy" finish, reprimed where needed and then painted it in my current favorite teal spray paint! (This time I shook the crud out of the can AND test sprayed it!)

Covering the ugly plastic tubes is super easy. Andrea used tape, but I used hot glue. I ran a little line of hot glue along the tube as I wrapped it in the jute twine.

WORD OF WARNING!!! Hot glue is HOT...and the plastic sleeves are a tad flimsy so use the glue sparingly or you will actually melt the little tube which will make it impossible to slip back onto the light. (Lesson learned the hard way...fortunately Lowe's sells replacement socket covers for under $3 a pair!)

I think painting the fixture in black or oil-rubbed bronze would have made it a little more "formal." But I was going for "fun" and "hip" and a little more casual!

I liked the look so well I decided to do the same to my dining room fixture using the plastic covers I purchased at Lowes!

I found some glittery gold fabric/paper kinda looking stuff at the craft store that I am going to use to cover new socket covers for the Christmas holiday! I will share that later when I do my Christmas decorating!

Don't turn your nose up at the dated brass fixtures...as I have shared many times fixtures, lamps and fans are super simple to update with a little paint.

And of course a little inspiration! Thanks Andrea!