Last week, I made a quick trip to my favorite source for wine barrels.  I had a few projects in mind, one coming up later this week!  A short time ago, they were only $10 bucks, but apparently they’re in high demand abroad hence the price increase.  But still, at $20 dollars for a half barrel, that’s a good price considering the amount of hours that go into the making of one single barrel (see below), and the many uses for the staves (the strips of wood bent to form a barrel).    

Rustic and reclaimed wood is all the rage in home décor.  We’ve seen tree stumps show up as endtables and pallets reinvented in all sorts of ways in interior design over the past few years.  Wine barrels are getting their fair share of reuse too. 

When used as just the right accent in unexpected ways, wine barrels are a fantastic source of reusing real French or American oak.  I love the pairing of natural wood tones with casual furnishings, they always work well together.  I also love seeing products made from reclaimed wood placed in formal settings or in contemporary spaces ~ they have a way of keeping the space from feeling too predictable.  When juxtaposed against anything modern and glossy, reclaimed wood can take center stage.

New wine barrels have a shelf life of 3 to 6 years for aging wine, depending on which vintner you ask.  Most become planters, yet others get turned into some amazing accessories.  I was excited to see so many creative uses for a used wine barrel when I went looking around the web. 

VivaTerra sells several products made out of barrels, like this beautiful stave bread bowl ($95)

and this Lazy Susan ($129)

and this basket ($98)

I love all of these versions of end tables made from wine barrels!

Wine Enthusiast End Table

Restoration Hardware Side Table 

Whit McLeod Side Table

Monique Shay Coffee Table

I die over this chandy! I think this drum shade use of staves is so cool. 

How beautiful is this Wine Barrel Chandelier?  It’s priced $1,195 yet despite the hefty price tag, I absolutely love the look of this statement piece.

Here it is taking center stage in a dining room.  Oh.Em.Gee.  Love.

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Then there is the Wine Barrel Planet Chandelier, at $1,969, it’s pricey, but just as stunning. 

At this point I’m thinking, does anyone know a welder?  This would certainly be an advanced DIY project to pull off a knock off, but it could be done with some advanced welding, parts from an old chandy and some wiring skills.  That’s me, thinking out loud!  

Or if you happen to have $2,595 plus tax just lying around, you could buy this version of a Wine Barrel 6 Arm Chandelier from Restoration Hardware. 

I have to admit, every time I browse my local RH, I’m like “Sheesh, that is one incredible light fixture, would love that in my house!”   Then reality sets in and I realize I have to both eat and pay my mortgage every month.

Here are two examples of the same wine barrel chandelier used in very elegant spaces:

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Of course, the barrel itself makes a perfectly natural end table outdoors.  I spied this one on last year’s visit to Arista Winery. 

The art of barrel making is called cooperage, and a professional earns the title of Cooper.  To give you an idea of the amount of man hours that go into the making of each individual barrel, take a look at this informative video from our friends in the UK.   

Incredible right?  What’s interesting is that each year a barrel is used to age wine, it gives that particular wine a different flavor profile as the wine penetrates the wood.  Eventually the flavors are exhausted, and the barrels are reused for other purposes.  Recycling at its best! 

While we’re on the topic of wine, is anyone interested in a monthly post recommending favorite wines for the season?  Not just wines from California, but from all regions?  Maybe some hints on food pairings too?  I know this is a DIY blog, so I’m testing the waters here, but the hub and I do a lot of tasting.  So tell me, who’s up for something like that?  Lemme know. 

Did you know there is at least one winery in all 50 States?  Do you have a great source for used wine barrels in your state?  If so, please share!  I have a link for a source online, and I will share it with you when I show you my latest DIY project.

You can only guess what I used to make it.

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There’s just no place like home!  

Terri asked a great question yesterday on my Facebook page:

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Terri, I get a little nervous when my paint supplies dwindle so I keep several types of primer, paint and protectant around at all times. 

1)  I always have oil based primer on hand, especially for laminate surfaces like floating wall shelves or for covering wood like this oak mantel.  No sanding required!  Spray paint formulas are faster, but thinner in coverage.  I like brush on formulas for surfaces that will get a lot of wear and tear.  If you’re bored or curious, awhile back, I wrote up a few tips on refinishing with oil based primer and paint. 

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2) I keep two kinds of water based primer around, basic white for wall projects like priming our wainscoting, and deep tint gray for painting darker pieces like this blue chalkboard table. 

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3)  .I love white paint in all finishes, so I keep several shades of basic white in my garage cabinets, including flat finish for ceilings, eggshell finish for walls or furniture, and semi gloss for trim and cabinets.  I also have clearly labeled all the different paint colors in my house. 

I keep an unhealthy amount of spray paint in my DIY cabinet.  It’s an addiction and I’m not embarrassed to talk about it.   You never know when the mood will strike to change the color of a picture frame to make a jewelry holder, or transform a free brassy chandelier.  I follow the Boy Scout motto: “Be prepared to spray paint”.     

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4)  I’m still working with high quality brushes since I haven’t decided which kind of professional sprayer to purchase.  As a result, paint conditioners are key for me for refinishing cabinets and furniture.  Penetrol is for oil based (alkyd) primers and paints.  I used it to refinish my kitchen island and the finish is so smooth, you simply cannot tell it was painted with a brush.   Trust CG on this one.  Floetrol is for latex paints and I used it on the gray blue dresser in my foyer. 

These two favorites are not paint thinners, they are conditioning additives available at larger home improvement stores in the paint department.  They practically eliminate brush strokes and drag in your paint, plus they lengthen your drying time just long enough to get a smooth finish.  I love these conditioners, and won’t paint furniture with a brush without them anymore.

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5) Polycrylic is a great protective finish for painted pieces like this dresser, this credenza, or even this lamp covered in silver leaf. 

Finally, I do keep an extremely large stash of acrylic artist and craft paints lying around as well, just in case the ‘so you think you can paint’ mood strikes, like last weekend when I fancied myself an artist and mixed a bunch of paints to begin a large abstract. 

If only I could get the actual painting to look as good as the palette . . . 

Hope this answers your question Terri!  

Now I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again, oh babe I hate to gooooooo….  Thank you Nashville for showing this California girl a good time, and John Denver for your addicting lyrics.

Cleared for takeoff,

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I stripped it down to its frame before the holidays began, but sadly, it was cast aside for the frenzy of Christmas crafts and holiday décor.  I tried to finish it before Christmas when I discovered how to make double welt cord, but then my last needle broke and the chair was returned to the garage.  This past weekend, I returned to this project, and finally finished it! 

Here is the chair ‘Before’:

And ‘After’:

I kept it classic this time.  I didn’t pick a snazzy modern fabric or the latest geometric for the upholstery to wow you.  Instead, I chose a neutral camel velvet because I wanted it to be a timeless piece ~ one I could rotate throughout the house based on whim, feeling, and mood ~ all the things that dictate furniture placement in my home these days. 

Here’s the brief ‘How To’:

First, I stripped the chair down to its frame, then gave it a coat of RustOleum’s ‘Canvas White’ gloss spray paint.

Note, there is a basic wood frame with springs that sits inside the seat of this chair (not shown).   I stretched the velvet to fit the back of the chair and stapled it in place.

Next, I added new foam, batting, and then the velvet on top, all stapled in place with a staple gun.

For the new cushion, I used the old fabric as the template.

Do you have disappearing ink pen?  They’re a fabulous magician’s tool for marking your fabric before you sew all the pieces in place.  The ink disappears the next day. Genius!  I found mine at Joann’s Fabrics in the sewing section.

I stitched up some basic piping in a casing like I mentioned here and then a simple slipcover around 3” foam for the entire seat. 

I attached the foam wrapped in batting, and new slipcover to the wood seat frame mentioned above, then attached it to the chair frame.  As a last step, I attached my double welt cord with some hot glue.

There is one thing I learned from this latest makeover: it will be a long time before I reupholster anything with velvet.  It is not a forgiving fabric, rather, it’s a temperamental stretchy diva of a fabric. 

Is it absolutely perfect?  No Siree.   Is it good enough for me?  Yes indeedy!

I am rather proud of the back, it is lovely.

Do you approve of the new lattice pattern wool rug?  I exchanged it for the blue version you saw here.  If you love it too, you can buy it from RugsUSA.  I had big plans to take this chair upstairs and let ‘The King’ use it for himself.  Alas, I think it might just have to live downstairs for awhile to make ‘The Queen’ happy.

Speaking of The King, have you seen ‘The King’s Speech’ ?  We saw it this past weekend, hello Colin Firth?  Incredible!  I’m in love love love with Mr. Darcy.  And he won the Golden Globe for ‘Best Actor’ last night!  

As great at the story was, I also loved the cinematography.  Several walls throughout the film took my breath away.  Some were the gorgeous wallpapers from Lionel’s home (Geoffrey Rush who plays the speech therapist), big props to the film’s set decorator and art director.  The wall in Lionel’s office just mesmerized me.   Layers of muted but colorful plaster, like a giant piece of abstract art.  Stunning! 

I highly recommend the film, but note I’m a lover of well acted period dramas that tug at your heart strings!  This one definitely qualifies. 

What about you?  Dragged anything home from a thrift store lately?

xoxo,

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I started with a credenza I found at (where else?) a thrift store.  A few weeks ago, I stumbled across this piece for $40 dollars ~ it was the perfect size measuring six feet long and mostly solid wood, but the finish was all wrong wrong wrong.  First, the top is laminate, and all scratched up.  Ick.  Second, the base was a different shade of honey tone wood that clashed in my eyes.  Usually, I like mid century modern style furniture in a medium stain, but this two-tone finish just wasn’t working for me, so I gave it a makeover to suit my space.

Before:

After:

Slate blue/gray paint + sleek contemporary pulls + geometric pattern on top = perfect!

Some of you are probably wondering how the heck did I get such straight painted lines on this piece?  Well, it was tricky, but I’ll tell ya how!

First, let’s start at the beginning.  Scratched laminate top?  No.Thank.You.  Slick surfaces never deter me, no sirreee!  My favey fave oil based primer to the rescue to cling baby cling!

Here you can see I’m painting the laminate shelf on the inside.  Remember oh yes, oh yes oh yes you can paint laminate!  All it takes is the right kind of primer.  This is it!  (You can also use the Zinsser oil based shellac in the red can too.)  I roll mine on with a foam roller for speedy coverage, then follow it up with a brush to keep it all even.

Note the can says "No sanding" but people ask me all the time if that is for real.  Peeps, it is fo real.  BUT, that said, I always ‘scuff up’ my piece with a coarse sanding pad beforehand.  Call me crazy but something inside my little brain tells me that scuffed up surface will hold the primer better, but I could just be living in a bubble.  Anyway, I do scuff up my piece then I wipe it down.  I don’t degloss or sand away the varnish, I simply scuff it up.  Got it ?  Repeat after me.  Scuff scuff scuff.  OK, that’s enough.

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Moving on.  Knowing I was going to paint it dark, I gave the surface a quick coat of deep tint (water based) primer over the white oil based Zinsser.  Why the dark primer?  Because it ensures your dark paint will stay true to its color.

It’s not absolutely necessary when painting a piece dark, but I find you risk having to add an extra coat or two or three of paint, so I use a coat of dark primer cause it’s a guarantee I can get one coat coverage with my dark paint.  And I can’t find a dark tint oil based primer that’s as good as Zinsser, I’m still searching.

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Next, I thought I was sooooo smart to paint the rough pattern in white, lay painter’s tape on top, then add the gray paint over the top of that.  No.  Bad idea.  I ended up with horribly uneven lines and had to do the pattern all over again.  And I know better!  I had such an easy time painting stripes on this dresser so I should have followed that technique.  Sadly, I didn’t and the lines were just awful.

First attempt:

This I have learned.  The best way to get a straight stripe line on a flat surface is to peel up the painter’s tape while the latex paint is still somewhat wet!  Don’t wait until it’s completely dry.  Peel it off slowly  when it’s wet.  Reason being, once latex paint dries, it peels, and it takes little pieces of the stripe with it.

Therefore, I declare, wet paint is good for making stripes!

Aaaaaaand this is how I should have done the geometric pattern in the first place, but hey, this gal’s still learning.   This is also a great time to mention that the final paint color on this piece is a slate blue/gray color by True Value called ‘Avoidance’.  It ended up being a little bluer and less charcoal than I really wanted, but oh well.  It still works!

**Please note, I have no experience painting stripes on textured walls.  For those of you who have, please feel free to chime in and share your secrets for perfect stripes on textured walls.  We’re listening!

I gave this credenza two coats of Polycrylic in Gloss for added sheen.  Me likey shiny.  Pur-tay!  I also added some contemporary hardware I found at True Value. 

This piece would have been just okay refinished in gray, but the addition of the sleek nickel pulls and the white geometric pattern makes it something special and one-of-a kind. I love it!  It’s so nice to have all this storage for paperwork and now at last practical has met pretty.

Practical, meet pretty.  Pretty, meet practical.   I think you’ll get along swell.

True Value Blog Squad legalese:  “I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience.  I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project.   However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”

I’ll show you the entire office soon!

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My problem was that I couldn’t find anything tall and skinny with character to fit that narrow patch of wall.   Also, there’s a meddlesome electrical panel inside the pantry, which restricts any decor in this space.  But then I spied an old wood framed mirror with chipped paint at the local salvage yard.  I decided to give it a makeover, and repurpose it as a little chalkboard in my kitchen!

Here’s my sweet little salvaged mirror turned memo board !

The layers and layers of chipping paint were pretty awful, so I decided to get down to the bare wood by stripping it all off with some Citrustrip. 

You can read my previous detailed adventures in stripping paint with Citrustrip right here.  

Based on the grooves in its side, I determined this mirror was actually a double hung window converted to a mirror at some point.  I gave the window a quick coat of gray paint because I thought I wanted to do a distressed look with gray undertones, but then changed my mind halfway through and decided on a pure white paint finish. 

I wanted to cover the grooves on the sides of this old window, so I formed a frame by cutting some wood with my miter saw, attached it with finish nails, then filled in the seams with with wood filler from True Value.  I added some appliqués for decoration, then sanded around the edges of the appliqués with my Dremel.

Let’s pause. 

Can I get an ‘Amen’ from all of you out there who own a Dremel ?

LOVE this tool !  Santa gave me one last year. 

If you don’t have one, put it on your list, pronto!

They have Dremels at True Value. 

And chalkboard spray paint ! 

Two layers right on top of the mirror, plus two coats of True Value’s ‘Calming Sensation’ for the frame left over from the boy’s dresser. 

My little pieces of chalk sit right on the window ledge.

I love how its sits so perfectly in my little happy corner of our kitchen. 

And it’s just skinny enough to not obstruct the microwave door. 

Perfect perfect perfect for reminding myself of necessities. 

Or writing sentimental notes.

I was forced to hang it high because of the electrical panel inside the pantry wall.  I had planned on using this for just my own scribbles, but this little guy wanted a turn, even if he had to struggle on his tippy toes !

My munchkins sure are smart. 

They always figure out ways to get their paws on new things. 

Then I noticed what my first grade daughter had written just before my little guy had his turn.   

*sniffle*

Don’t you just love chalkboards?

Me too.

“I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience.  I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project.   However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.”

Before I forget, the very sweet and oh-so-stylish Sarah of A Beach Cottage is featuring me today, so pop on over to learn something new you never knew. 

My home office?  My living room?  My master bathroom?  Yep, they’re mostly blue.  I make no apologies, I happen to find the shade is extremely calming, and complements just about everything.  Think about it.  Soft blue works with chocolate brown, red, pink, orange, gray, green, white, everything !  So I prefer it over other colors, as long as it has plenty of gray in it. 

Now I’ve gone and saturated the family room with blue too, but more by force than by choice.  Allow me to explain.   

Here’s our family room two years ago:

Let’s just pause for a moment and soak in its ordinariness. 

*silence*

Now let’s look at it today:

Much improved.  Now, we’re getting somewhere, whew. 

The dark olive green couches we’ve had for a decade, but the fabric is waaaaay too dark and drab for me, hence the reason I’ve never photographed our family room.  To reupholster the green monsters in my fabric of choice will cost me muy moola  so that’s on the back burner.  But then I had a middle-of-the-night genius! idea to switch them with the slate blue PB slipcovered sofas from the guest space.  Now why didn’t I think of that months ago???   The room was instantly lightened by making the switch. 

The family room lacks its own window, so we moved the family photos to another room, then added mirrors above the sofa instead.  The power of mirrors to pull light into a room never ceases to amaze me.  This trio mimics the divided white panes in our kitchen’s garden window which is directly across, and also lightens and enlarges the space. 

I had a pair of these Grand Palais mirrors from Ballard sitting in my garage for over a year ~ they were ordered for the living room last year but ended up being too big to fit above the living room mantel, so I ordered a third, then spray painted them with Rustoleum’s ‘Heirloom White’, a favorite shade.  

Since the kitchen is all white, and the adjacent dining room is very neutral, I felt the dark family room was in need of a splash of color, so I started with this $5 dollar brass lamp from the Goodwill.  It got a dose of Rustoleum’s glossy ‘Night Tide’ spray paint leftover from my laundry room makeover, which is a gorgeous  shade of deep teal or peacock blue.  So did the satin ribbon that trims the drum shade ~ oh yes you can spray paint fabric ribbon !

Just a little hot glue to trim the linen shade with the ribbon did the trick.

So I admit these colors all all very summery ~ if I had my act together, this all would have been better timed and I would have made these changes back in May, but I’m so easily distracted. 

The peacock blue velvet throw pillows and white tray are from Pier One. 

Although these are summery colors, they still make sense for August.  I’ll tweak the room for cooler weather in October.  As I mentioned here, deep blue and dark orange can look incredible together, so for fall I’ll mix it up with a pumpkin throw and other earthy tones, and I’ll bring out the fall candles.

I’m desperate for a new rug for this room, currently loving these, the first from Overstocks, the second from Dash & Albert.

Maybe Santa will be generous this year.  

So there’s the new ‘summer’ look for our family room . . .

. . . just in time for all the fall decor in all the catalogs.  

Spruced up any of your spaces lately?

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For example, this white Parsons desk had me thinking it was the perfect bedside table.

 House Beautiful

so did this white console table. 

 via Elements of Style

How lovely is this white lacquered desk ?

Traditional Home

I’m loving this buffet in this foyer

House Beautiful

This sideboard is striking against the mocha grasscloth, dark walls and floors.

  Palmer Weiss

And this low coffee table certainly creates a modern feel in this living room space.

via Decorpad

Another white lacquer coffee table at the beach

Architectural Digest

I was drawn to white lacquer to balance the traditional dark wood in our room ~  I really love the Parsons collection from West Elm, but none of these fit quite right next to our bed.   

To get my lacquer fix, I settled on a pretty little green tray from West Elm.  In lieu of a shiny white lacquer end table, I shopped my house and found this piece instead. 

My new lacquer tray sits on top of my ‘new’ glossy white nightstand . . .

You’ll recall I repainted this Dorothy Draper knock off in blue and white last summer for the guest space ~  read all about it in this post.  But this little chest wasn’t getting used in there, and I needed a new nightstand, so repurposed it in our room instead.  I gave it two coats of Rustoleum’s ‘Gloss White’ spray paint, a new favorite, and then hand painted the detail with an artist’s brush and three coats of champagne gold paint (a custom blend) ~ now it’s so very glam in our room ! 

* Reader inquiry: Yes, this piece has already been primed and painted with oil based formulas, so it was safe to go over it with more oil based spray paint.  See the original makeover here. 

More master mini makeover details coming soon.  Meanwhile, what’s your feeling about lacquered furniture, do you love it or loathe it ?  Is it chic and bold, or way too cold for your taste?   Do share your thoughts !!  

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As I meandered up the hill behind the grapevines, I was reminded of the thrift store bistro set I found a couple of years ago that I had every intention of refinishing but I just never got around to it.   The set sits on a little gravel patio that has a great view of the vines, but it certainly been been neglected.  After leaving the bistro set out all winter (so dumb), the set was, how shall I say . . . . what’s the word ?  . . . oh yes.  

GROSS. 

I meant there was moss growing on top of the table, the paint was chipping everywhere, and it was covered in spiderwebs.  ICK. ICK. ICK. 

So I decided the time had come to give it a makeover.  I convinced myself I’d have a fresh new set in no time at all with just a little paint and fabric.   Well, that’s what I did, repainted and recovered the seats.  But in the middle of my revamp, something rather unexpected happened.  Something I hate to relive.  But you’ve just got to know. 

First, take a looky loo at this retro bistro set Before:

And After:

Purty, huh ? 

It’s just such a great set for sitting and watching the grapes grow. 

The Revamp:

So the first thing I did to revamp it was carry the set all the way down the hill into the front driveway. I had every intention of spray painting it, so I need a wide open well ventilated spot. 

Wearing a mask AND goggles, I sanded the top of the metal table with my orbital Black & Decker.  Moss and paint particles went flying everywhere, hence the mask.     

Then it was time to give the spiderweb covered set a good scrub and power wash.  So I filled my carwash bucket with suds and began to scrub. 

But then I felt some beady eyes staring at me. 

Oh, you can’t quite see down that disgusting umbrella pole chamber ? 

Neither could I at first. 

Then a creature from ‘Arachnophobia’ leapt out of the middle. 

OH.

MY.

GAWWWD.

Let’s move in a hint closer shall we ?

That would be an extra large poisonous black widow spider ready to pounce. 

EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK !!

First, I have to tell you I am not typically afraid of spiders.  In fact and in general, they do not scare me at all.  I find most spiders useful and think the little ones are kind of cute.  But my reaction to spiders is based solely on size. 

My Sliding Scale of Responses to Spiders:

1/2 inch or less:  “Awww, how cute, hey kids, come look at the baby spider!”

1/2 inch to 1 inch garden spider:  “I see your value – you may live in my garden at least 20 feet from the house.”

1 inch to 2 inches:  “You shall swim with the fishes.”   Translation: you shall be flushed down the toilet. 

2 inches or more:  “Holy mother of God – EEEEKKK – call animal control !” 

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I didn’t know what to do at first – I’d NEVER seen a black widow this big before, usually they’re only an inch big, but this mama was twice that size and had molted many times.   I panicked.  Then my primordial mama bear instinct kicked in and I killed it with a big garden spade.  What’s a mother to do with small children nearby ?   EEEEEEKKK !   So it perished at my hand.  

When Mr. CG came home and I showed him the pictures, he said this, I’m not kidding, “Why didn’t you preserve it for the Natural History Museum for future study?”

“Um.  Because it’s a black widow spider.  And I’m a mom.”  

Needless to say, for the rest of the day, with every wisp of hair that brushed my cheek, I felt like there was something creepy crawling on me.  

The worst part is I realized that I carried that table all the way down the hill, over 30 stairs, with that poisonous spider inches from my fingers.  EEEEEKK !!!!

Sorry, I just had to share that eerie experience. 

Those of you who live in the country near woodpiles feel free to mock me.

Now back to my revamp. 

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After my close encounter, I power washed the entire set, then gave the table and chairs one coat of white primer and two coats of spray paint in Rustoleum’s ‘Shell White’, designed for outdoor metal furniture.   

Yep, I cheated on my favorite ‘Heirloom White’.

Since the set was spray painted outside, I also lightly sanded between coats with a sanding wedge to rid the surface of the few teeny floating particles that got stuck in the surface. 

I recovered the seats with some medallion print outdoor fabric I found at Joann’s – ‘Morgan Tile’ in cardinal. 

With the help of some 1” foam and a staple gun,  the seats got more comfortable and more stylish.  

I just love the retro look of this outdoor bistro set !

Total cost for the makeover ?  $12 in spray paint + $9 in fabric + $15 in foam = $36 dollars.   

    The perfect spot for lemonade.

What about you ?  Are you shaking up your spray paint cans to makeover some furniture this summer ?  Had any creepy experiences with a poisonous spider ?  Do share !

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I happened upon a little coffee table a few weeks ago, and some funky little chairs (at where else, a thrift store) and decided we could give them a little makeover so they would work in his room.  I paid $25 for all three pieces. 

Here’s the not-so-attractive set before (ew, yuck)

And here’s what a little paint, new foam and fabric turned them into:

Here’s the simple steps in their transformation. 

I stripped down the chairs as fast as possible and ceremoniously burned the fabric.  Heh heh.  No, I removed the fabric and tossed it out, yuck yuck yucky.  Then I painted the legs white and added some foam to the chairs.  

Next, I sewed some simple slipcovers with this blue and white tweed for the upper and lower portions of the chairs.   I found this fabric at a second hand store that had a collection of vintage handwoven tweed fabrics.  I paid $6 dollars for three yards of it.

Then I attached the slipcovers with a staple gun to the underside of the wood frames of these chairs.   

Chair 1

Chair 2

Here’s the step by step on the chalkboard table

I sanded the old coffee table by hand, then primed it with oil based primer – Zinsser in the brown can.  I gave the top two coats of primer. 

Then I smoothed my primed tabletop down with my sander to get rid of obvious brush strokes.  I also added a second coat of dark primer, knowing I’d be adding the deeper tint chalkboard paint on top.  Dark primer works better with medium to dark colored paints to help your paint stay true to its color. 

Then I added two coats of this ‘Deep Ocean’ paint to the top (available here). 

Voila, a chalkboard table for my four year old boy ! 

He can play tic-tac-toe with his sister, doodle some dinosaurs, or he can just write “You rock Mom” which would probably look more like “u ruc” but I know what he really means . . .

. . .or he can draw racetracks, construction zones, and airports, you know, the important things in life when you’re four.  The chalk washes off with a damp rag.   

In a couple of years I’ll find him a sensible desk. 

  Meanwhile, I’ll leave him to his imagination. 

Here they are Before . . .

. . . and After

All it took was half an hour of sanding and and an hour of painting to give them a fresh new look with some paint and a little distressing !

The chairs were covered in grime when I found them.  Ewww.

Nothing that can’t be solved with some coarse sandpaper . . .

A fresh coat of paint from my stash – this is Dutch Boy #582-03

A little distressing along the edges with more sandpaper . . .

And that’s it !   I plan to give them a coat of Polycrylic this weekend. 

I love the casual cottage look and the distressed edges !

I simply never get tired of spring green and white.

Isn’t the power of paint magically delicious ? 

Welcome Spring !

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