The Music Teacher's Chair- {Antique Chair Makeover}

This chair has been hanging around for about 2 or 3 years now.  I have had different visions of it being a bold color or a fabric that just says LOOK AT ME!  But it wasn't until about 9 months ago that I decided what I wanted to do with her.

She is a real beaut I tell you.  A true antique made by Louis Rastetter & Sons of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  The company began in 1882.  This company made folding chairs during the 1920s to the 1940s.  The company was around until about 40 years ago.  The chairs though still remain in existence.  They truly are amazing quality chairs.  They were made for businesses, churches, cruiseliners...you name it. Apparently they are sought after by collectors. 

This particular one is from the earlier days since the company is stamped into the wood.  The newer chairs had sticker labels on them.  I found this one on Craigslist a few years ago.  I did not have a place for her, but I had decided since it is a music chair, it would be the chair I would use next to the piano to teach my girls lessons.  At the time there wasn't a place next to our piano.  Since moving she she has finally found a home.  Next to the piano.  And now that I have added the extra cushy batting to it, my bum won't be so sore.

So with all of the other color lurking in this room, I decided I wanted her to be neutral. I know, boring. But she is what she is.  I bought the fabric 7 months ago and I FINALLY got her done today. Yea for Grandmas who take half the kids for a sleepover.  And yea for popsicles, sidewalk chalk and bikes that kept the other 2 busy while I worked.  And I finished just in time before the rain. Miracle.

The original chair was stained and had a leather seat.  Somewhere in the process the leather seat was painted TURQUOISE. Imagine my surprise when I took off the nasty denim fabric and found MY FAVORITE COLOR. 



If it wasn't in such bad shape, I would be tempted to use the original seat!

I am not sure how you get turquoise leather.  Did they paint it back then? Was this truly original? Or was it later painted?  Oh the stories old furniture could tell.  And then at some point it was painted with a black lacquer.  My husband said it looked fine and why was I painting it!?!? Call me crazy, but I think I like it better...

...NOW.

If you have never reupholstered a seat, it is very easy.  Now a CHEVRON pattern or any other lined pattern, is a wee bit harder.  Only because you have to make sure and line it up PERFECTLY straight.  And when you are working with a curved seat, you are going to have to accomodate--as you can see my left corner is less than perfect, but close enough.

The chair was painted with my version of Homemade Chalk Paint (similar to Annie Sloan's expensive stuff).  I used leftover paint from my bedroom.  It is Valspar brand from Lowe's.  I color matched a color from Wal-Mart's Better Homes and Gardens line called Driftwood.  This is my all time favorite gray.  And my fabric matched perfectly.   You would have thought I color matched the fabric! FABULOUS.

I used Annie Sloan's Clear Wax to finish it off.  I used some dark wax (AS as well) but decided I didn't like it on this piece.  So it was used very minimally.

So now my favorite chair in the house finally has a home.

Furniture Makeover: Beauty and the Beast

The Beast: My 70s Laminate China Cabinet BEFORE I got my hands on her.

So I rescued this BEAST (so usually this refers to a HUGE heavy piece when referencing furniture, but in this case, it just means super UG.LY.) from a farm barn for $15 off Craigslist almost 2 years ago. 

The front door glass panel was missing.  A base cabinet was damaged (which got further damage during our move—the door hinges got LITERALLY ripped off and took a chunk of cabinet with it).  There were TONS of dings, dents and BUGS galore.  In short, it was just plain GROSS.  Covered in webs, dead and ALIVE cockroaches, spiders and more….if I had been by myself I would have turned the other way and ran.  But my friend had driven his truck ALL THE WAY out there to help me load this cheap piece to turn into a treasure.  He didn’t believe it could be done after seeing it.  I had to prove him wrong.  And here she be folks…..from BEAST….

to BEAUTY. 

I had to really work on this little dear.  Between wood filler, wood glue, new hinges, sanding, painting, distressing and waxing….SHEESH.  This sure was a labor of love.  Because I KNEW that I could make her pretty.  I KNEW that I could tackle GROSS and WORN. 

To avoid a huge mess when breaking glass, adhere contact paper and break with hammer.  Most of it will stick to the contact paper.  This is not a CLEAN project no matter what, but this at least helps.

I painted the outside with my version of homemade chalk paint--I used a cheap contractor's untinted white paint from Lowe's as my base for the paint. 

I painted the inside a mixed paint.  I color matched Driftwood by Wal-Mart's Better Home and Garden paint using Lowe's Valspar paint for my bedroom.  This color is custom mixed by your's truly with a lighter gray that I used in my laundry room. 

I worked on this project for an entire day from 9am til 8PM (thank goodness for kids who know how to make ramen for dinner, right?) and STILL was not done.  Another day of work.  One day at a time. The next day I finished it.  I get so impatient once a project is done I cannot wait for Mr. H to get home to help me move things.  But as hard as we tried, the girls and I could not get this one in without help! 

I replaced the glass with chicken wire and reattached the doors.  I finished if off with 2 coats of Annie Sloan's Clear Wax and also Annie Sloan's Dark Wax after I gave her some light distressing.  I kept the original hardware because I LOVE antiqued brassy bronze hardware!

My life is just one project after another.  Next project? Summer break! Only 2 more days until school is out! Yippee! I LOVE having my girls home. We like to stay busy, but it is always FUN busy.  I have a list of all of the things we want to do and goals to accomplish this summer.  We’ll see if we can get it all done!  I am the QUEEN of planning and goal setting—but then my ADD kicks in and I jump from one project to the next.  It is especially hard to finish projects that require Mr. H around.  He works late and on the weekends so I only have 2 projects that have to be done this month on my list that require him---craft room cabinets and set up the trampoline!  When we moved the trampoline got thrown in a heap in the back yard.  And there it still lies months later.  Not exactly a one woman project or else it would be done. Here’s to Summer and all her projects! 

Furniture Makeover: The Princess Chair

So my daughter's 9th birthday was this last week.  For her birthday present I bought her 2 pieces of furniture to refinish.  I started with the chair.  This chair was a bad makeover project gone terribly WRONG.  I found her at a yard sale.  Obviously the owner knew it was THAT bad because I asked how much and she said , "Uh, 50 cents."  I RAN with that chair!  Under all of that faux black, white and pink fur and laquer paint job was a beautiful antique chair just CRYING out to be refinished---perfect as the seat for my little girl's vanity.  (The vanity is the OTHER birthday piece...details on that when I finish!) 

I decided that this piece needed some TRUE love--in a soft PINK if I might add.  First I reupholstered the seat in a quilted white fabric.  I picked up this fabric for $2 at my local Wal-Mart in the fabric section. 

Our Wal-Mart has not been remodeled yet so we are LUCKY enough to still have a fabric section.  Ya'll don't even want to know how far I am from another fabric store...it would give you nightmares.  Out of this darling fabric I managed to make a pillow cover, reupholster the seat and still have some leftover for something else.  WHAT A DEAL!

Then I sanded my little heart out-- the rough patches and the dings-- and then painted the chair in a soft pale pink homemade chalk paint.  I simply cannot afford Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I have heard it is fabulous and most wonderous.  But remember?  I only have PENNIES---not $36 for a quart.  Instead I bought a gallon of contractor's paint for $10, had it tinted pink and use it for a number of girly projects.  This is my 3rd project so far from that gallon of paint and there is still more than a half of the gallon bucket left!  The black paint underneath was the perfect base for distressing.  I just LOVE how it turned out.  But the best part?  The birthday girl does too!

So this project redo had a grand total of..... $5!!  This includes even the 1/4 yard of pink fabric I bought for the roses on the pillows!  And I have some of that left too!

This is my trash to treasure story for the week...what is yours?