Many months ago, right around the time I was under contract for my new condome (condo + home, not sure if it works but I am trying it out for now), and while driving by a consignment store downtown, I spied two well-loved chairs placed in the lawn by the store front. The chairs were perfect…at least they had the makings of perfect. Upon closer inspection the chairs needed a little love but I felt confident that I could give them the help they needed and the price was right so I bought them.
Visions of me stripping and staining the wood and then learning how to re-upholster filled my mind and my google searches. I was excited to take the project on until I started looking at the chairs more closely and realized the chairs needed a LOT more work than I thought. They needed to be completely taken apart and put back together again with wood glue and using clamps and let’s not even talk about the state I found the seat padding in when I peeled off the first layer. I quickly became overwhelmed. The project would be labor intensive and require either expertise or a LOT of learning on my part. I am all for learning, but the truth is, I am not in a position right now to learn how to completely restore furniture. So what to do? Pay someone else to do it of course.
So, I kept the chairs in my parent’s garage for several months while I saved some money and in the mean time I have been hunting for the perfect fabric. Picking fabric was a real trial. There are tons of fabrics out there but I was trying to find something that really worked in the decor and with the colors I had already established in my front room AND something that didn’t cost $50 a yard. The style of what I was looking for was such that I had to focus my efforts online as the local places that sell home dec weight fabric are either too traditional for my taste or way too expensive. Finally, about a month ago I stumbled upon the perfect fabric and finally took my chairs in to a local shop anxiously waiting to see if my vision of the chairs would become a reality.
Perhaps you should judge for yourself.
Before:
After:
So although these chairs are not at all a result of my craftsman skills, I still take credit for having a vision and my style choices. I am so, so happy with them.
ohmygosh, the chairs came out beautiful.
They’re perfect in your living room. Well done! 🙂
oh yeah they turned out fabu fabu ~you have mad talent
3 words…FAB-U-LOUS!
They look so awesome! Good eye, my friend.
Gah! What an eye you have! Please come decorate my condome when we move in!
(By the way, the fabric on your drapes is great too! I love the way you’ve used that circle-y motif. You really do have a great sense for these things.)
Absolutely perfect!
wow, they look amazing!! great job.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Can’t wait to see them in person.
They are perfect! I just acquired a sofa in the same style that needs to be refinished. You did an amazing job pulling it all together!
They are insanely perfect. And don’t pretend like you found them on your own…
so impressed!
Wow, they look great.
In love!
WOW! I have to admit that while I was reading your post, the “old” photos were hovering down there underneath all the text and I was thinking, “Well…I guess they’re OK, if that’s her style…” And then I got to the part where you said they were the “before” photos and I was a little relieved. But the after photos–AWESOME! You’re really making me want to awesomify my apartment now!
Those chairs are fabulous! Seriously!
Wow! You did an awesome job envisioning what they could look like! You are an inspiration to me for my grandma’s chair, which kind of looks like your before photo, except yellow brocade fabric. I’m scared what it will cost…
It looks incredible! Very stylish!
After scrolling down past the “before” pictures, the “after” made me gasp. They are beautiful! Good eye on the fabric and refinishing choices. The rug is amazing too 🙂
They look fabulous! I love the fabric choice.
Um, bravo. Totally awesome. BTW, was that your dad that spoke at conference on Sunday?
Did you happen to check out Home Fabrics in Midvale? I used to work there (emphasis on the past tense, which means this is not a sales pitch) and they are the best place in the valley for home decor fabrics at sensible prices. They have a lot of the same stuff as Calico Corners and the other high-price places.
Heart. Those chairs are amazing.
Mmm. Yep. Love them. Definitely statement pieces!
They’re fantastic!! What a great eye you have!
Love, love, love! What a great choice of fabric and that rug is a perfect combination. Love the rug too, btw, it’s just gorgeous! You have great taste.
I have that chair and an armless version as well and I’ve been thinking of painting them out and kind of funkifying them! What a great inspiration yours are! Beautiful job!
i can’t stand how much i love these.
i can’t stand how much i love these.
i can’t stand how much i love these!
(did I already say that?)
Love them! Fantastic makeover dahling.
These are beautiful and incredible. Great idea Erin! LOVE them!!!!
WOWWWWW! Amazing.l
living rooms should be decorated with style that is why i always get some living room decoration idea on the internet ‘.~
[…] what if I didn’t recover these myself. I am so in love with how these chairs turned out. I could only hope that the fabric I picked worked with the style of the chairs and […]
Oh boy oh boy……you are good. 🙂
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