Yes, you heard right - the curb. If this thought bothers you, you may not wish to read on. ;) I was driving my son to school one dreary morning after it began to rain. I noticed that a neighbor around the bend from me (who I don't know personally, but a close friend does) had put something on the curb on trash day. This something made me slow down and look closer as I passed. Being the daughter of a mother who is a collector, finder, redo-er and seller of "special things" (for a better term), I have never once taken anyone's "trash" in order to make it "treasure." However, on my way back home, I realized why I slowed down in the first place. I stopped, opened the back of my SUV and heaved THIS into the back of it.
One large, heavy, navy blue chenille chair....someone's trash. I know, crazy, but I somehow looked past that part and saw potential. Mom's "special" genes must be seeping in! ;) I liked the chair's shape and wooden detailing. I did find a busted spring, but I still deemed it makeover-worthy. You see, a few days prior, I was exploring the wonderful world of Pinterest. I came across this pin and read the how-to. Because of this, that chair grabbed me....so I grabbed it. :)
The pin is from Hyphen Interiors by Kristy Swain and the popularity of the post has since greatly increased! It's an easy tutorial on brush painting paint+medium onto upholstered fabric. All I needed were latex and acrylic paint, textile medium, a spray bottle, a paintbrush and a little sandpaper.
I let the chair dry and air out a few days outside. Then I attacked it with Lysol, upholstery/carpet cleaner and a vacuum. Disinfecting it in addition to the painting process would rid the "old and used" and make it new again. Once clean and dry, I began the process....
I followed every step in Kristy's tutorial. I chose black paint. I considered other colors (green, pink and even cream), but with the dark blue fabric, I thought black would be a safer, easier color transition that would better hide dirt, wear or flaws. The first coats (2) latex+medium+water coats were the primer coat, creating a thin stain look on the fabric. A little buffing with the sandpaper helped soften the arms other areas after each coat dried. The coat of acrylic+medium+water transformed the chair from blue to black. Once complete, the fabric's texture was now more of a soft canvas, versus its former chenille.
The wooden details came next. Below are close-ups of them beforehand. I replaced the old brass casters and with larger modern black ones ($4.99/pair at Home Depot), for a better roll on my chair mat, rather than sinking into it. As for the wood, it certainly needed some love.
And love was added. Spray paint works wonders. It's a totally new chair!
And to go even further, I tried something for the first time. I'm in LOVE.
Cue Angelic Voices!
How do you like my new throne? :)
How do you like my new throne? :)
Requisite Before and After photo:
I am completely in love with the look of my new and improved upcycled chair! The only downside is the the broken spring that I have resolved by adding a thick pillow cushion so I don't even notice it. :) And now...
Curbside Treasure Meets Creative Space!
Spiritually, when I think of making the old new, I am instantly reminded of the gracious blessing of being made new in Christ. And He is still making me new today.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come!" 2nd Corinthians 5:17
Does anyone love the song Beautiful Things by Gungor as much as I do? I'll confess that I've listened to this song multiple times in a row on multiple occasions. :) It's very relevant here. It's beautiful and powerful (with strings!) and the "You make me new" bridge is my favorite part! Spiritual or not, I encourage you to click to listen.
Thanks for visiting!
Keeping Him in mind,
