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...

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Hung up on guns....

If you are anti-gun, don't read this post!

Actually, you might like this post...because I managed to "refurbish" a vintage gun in a way that makes it safe and fun!

I know a lot of parents these days "don't like guns!" But your husband or father may have an old shotgun, rifle or pellet gun they hold dear and wish they had a way to display without offending mom's good gun senses! In the south, we cherish our old guns, even if we don't want our kiddos playing with them!

I bought this 1952-1954 (per their website) vintage Crosman 22 at an auction! It was a mess...again, my photography skills are lacking. But trust me, it was a mess. And it was not functioning!

The metal parts on top where actually taped to the stock of the gun! And it wouldn't hold any air pressure! I guess someone could refurbish the gun and make it functional, but I decided to do what I do best and make it functional for my purposes!

Many vintage guns have the most beautiful wood stocks...usually walnut, and very easy to refinish.

IMPORTANT WARNING! This is where I am going to tell you the number one rule of gun safety and handling! ALL GUNS ARE LOADED!!! Even if someone tells you they are not, ASSUME THEY ARE! Check and recheck...and until the gun has been checked and rechecked and disassembled with the barrel facing AWAY from any human or animal or window, just assume it is loaded! Once you are satisfied there are no pellets, bullets or shells lurking in the depths of the gun somewhere should you handle it freely!

After disassembling this air gun, I stripped the finish off the stock with laquer thinner...unfortunately it took the black off the barrel as well! The metal barrel was in pretty bad shape and I was planning on doing something that would render it completely "useless" as a gun, so no biggy. AND once I removed all the bluing (that's the black finish on the gun barrel) I found the model number and the manufacturer's name stamped on pretty brass!

After removing all the old finish, I sanded the stock with 220 grit sand paper. I also sanded the metal parts to remove all the rust spots.

Three coats of tung oil on the wood stock (no stain, that is the natural finish!) and flat black spray paint on the barrel...then I glued the barrel to the gun, glued all the moving parts so the gun is not functioning, added a few little hooks, and....

WHALLA!!

A nifty little hat/coat rack fit for a little cowboy...or cowgirl! Or maybe a hunting cabin!

This is not something you want to do to an heirloom gun...not without permission from the owner! And it is NOT a toy! I plan on putting wall hangers on the back so it can be secured to the wall.

But it is a relatively easy little project and a great way to "disarm" and display old guns lurking in the attic or back of the closet!

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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.

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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.

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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?

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Mid century side tables...

I have been working hard to find pieces I know others will just love! Problem is every once in a while I find pieces I absolutely fall in love with and I know I will have a hard time letting go! Especially after working on them all day!

I believe these tables are black oak. The tops, sides and drawers were veneer, but the bases were solid. Really beautiful tables with great "bones."

I primed and painted the boxes. Then I stripped and stained the drawers and bases and coated them with 4 coats of tung oil.

Honestly, it will be tough letting go of these two.

But someone, somewhere will love them....hopefully as much as I do!

FOLLOW BECKWITH'S TREASURES ON FACEBOOK! Now if I can just figure out how to put one of those little Facebook widgets on this blog!

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Little stool...

I have bought so much at auctions and sales that I sometimes forget to take before pictures of the little items!

I bought a little stool at an estate auction a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention and hadn't really looked at the little guy...just saw it from a distance and before I knew it, I bought it.

Unfortunately, it was poorly constructed so it required some reconstruction. The wood base was MDF which doesn't hold up well to a lot of wear and tear. So the legs were major wobbly and the fabric was, well, blah. And it had this really disgusting "fringe" stuff on it.

But it had good iron legs....and the nice thing about buying something like this is the "template" is already there. So I deconstructed it, used the MDF base as a template for a new wood base, painted the legs black and recovered the whole thing in a brighter, cheerier fabric!

Cute as a bug. This is one of those items I doubt I recoup my time and materials, but it is a cute little piece that will draw attention and hopefully will go to a home where it will be loved...now that it is sturdy enough to actually sit on!

I also made a little cork board to match the stool. I painted a frame a pretty yellow and covered cork board and backing with the stool fabric!

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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!!!!

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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!

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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.

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