I may seem like the most unlikely person you would expect to rummage through other people’s garbage… but nothing gives me more of a high than buying shoes ! and finding unwanted chairs by the side of the road !!!
Speaking of chairs....My husband fell off his own chair when I came home one day with a brand new Black and Decker hand sander !
Not the typical tool of choice for your average Fashion aficionado.
I pretty much get into my zone the same way many of you head to the gym to run on a treadmill and release your frustrations.
Not the typical tool of choice for your average Fashion aficionado.
I pretty much get into my zone the same way many of you head to the gym to run on a treadmill and release your frustrations.
I have absolutely no experience or expertise in the area of DIY, but what takes the pressure off is: Let's face it, it was junk to begin with , regardless what it ends up looking like, to me it's way better than it’s original state.
The piece I am most proud of, is this variation of a Louis armchair I took from DRAB to FAB!!
A house warming gift for my cousin. Seeing it was a gift, I felt it best to purchase it off Kijiji instead of rummaging the garbages !
Here she is in all her outdated, green upholstery, scratched dark wood stain and all !
The piece I am most proud of, is this variation of a Louis armchair I took from DRAB to FAB!!
A house warming gift for my cousin. Seeing it was a gift, I felt it best to purchase it off Kijiji instead of rummaging the garbages !
Here she is in all her outdated, green upholstery, scratched dark wood stain and all !
Here are the steps and tricks I learned along the way.... should you wish to tap into your own D.I.Y energy.
 | Required Tools: An assortment of tiny screw drivers Pointy tip pliers A sharp blade Upholstery staple gun & staples Sandpaper ( different grades ) Paintbrushes A glue gun Spray adhesive glue & an empty container to keep all your STAPLES!! |
Words of Advice:
- Breathe and Enjoy the process. Your first piece may or not be perfect,
- Consider it as creative therapy and don't overthink it... let the piece speak to you.
- Document your steps with pictures and notes ( It's a lot easier to put it back together again)
- When in doubt Youtube it.
Let's get started:
1) The longest and most painful part of this whole process is the removal of staples.
In which time you may question " is this all worth it ?"
But don't despair.. it took me nearly 3 weeks to get all those suckers out !
It was within that time that I wanted to pitch that chair in the garbage so many times.
1) The longest and most painful part of this whole process is the removal of staples.
In which time you may question " is this all worth it ?"
But don't despair.. it took me nearly 3 weeks to get all those suckers out !
It was within that time that I wanted to pitch that chair in the garbage so many times.
2) The interior foam cushions were in good condition and unstained so I decided to reuse the same… otherwise you can easily retrace the same shape and size to replace.
3) I salvaged the original upholstery pieces to serve as a pattern to recut in my new fabric.
3) I salvaged the original upholstery pieces to serve as a pattern to recut in my new fabric.
4) Unexperienced at removing the staples I dinged the wood in many places, I needed to sand both with the B.D sander and by hand because of the detailed carvings to remove the varnish and some of the stain. I used wood putty to fill the larger holes and even out the surface.
5)I knew I wanted a black chair so if some of the original stain remained it would not have been a problem but the varnish must be sanded down.
Once satisfied … I needed to decide on the finish.
Black glossy? or Black matte. Each finish requires their own prep.
5)I knew I wanted a black chair so if some of the original stain remained it would not have been a problem but the varnish must be sanded down.
Once satisfied … I needed to decide on the finish.
Black glossy? or Black matte. Each finish requires their own prep.
6) I decided to use my favourite all time paint ever ANNIE SLOAN chalk paint in Graphite.
This paint is so easy to use.. often referred to as a woman’s paint because no sanding is required.
( you can paint directly over any stain, colour or varnish. The paint is so thick: it’s formulated to cover virtually everything and anything. )
7)Once you've applied your 2-3 coats of paint… let it dry and finish with the ANNIE SLOAN clear or dark wax. ( The wax seals your paint colour and serves as a varnish )
Wax On ...Wax Off!!
Now that the easy part was completed I needed to reassemble and recover the chair with fabric. My cousin is young and trendy, so I went for a mixed pattern of complimentary designs. ( A large Zebra pattern, mini Zebra and a black ground script design. )
I arranged the bigger pattern on the biggest area: the seat, the largest zebra pattern at the back rest and the mini zebra at the back side of the rest.
8)I applied a thin layer of spray glue to hold the fabric over the foam pieces and keep everything in place as I proceeded to staple keeping a 1/2” distance.
( Remember to pull the fabric as tightly as possible, so that the fabric remains smooth.)
F.Y.I : I had staples flying all over my workspace. Probably a good idea to wear protective eyewear when using a staple gun….
Nearly complete, all I needed was the finishing touch to hide all those hideous staples…
I purchased a black braided edging ribbon and hot glued it all around the areas I wanted to finish.
She was finally completed and totally redone. I felt like the proud plastic surgeon who took the plain jane to the outstanding and marvelled in her beauty and yet amazed that I was able to bring out her true potential.
This paint is so easy to use.. often referred to as a woman’s paint because no sanding is required.
( you can paint directly over any stain, colour or varnish. The paint is so thick: it’s formulated to cover virtually everything and anything. )
7)Once you've applied your 2-3 coats of paint… let it dry and finish with the ANNIE SLOAN clear or dark wax. ( The wax seals your paint colour and serves as a varnish )
Wax On ...Wax Off!!
Now that the easy part was completed I needed to reassemble and recover the chair with fabric. My cousin is young and trendy, so I went for a mixed pattern of complimentary designs. ( A large Zebra pattern, mini Zebra and a black ground script design. )
I arranged the bigger pattern on the biggest area: the seat, the largest zebra pattern at the back rest and the mini zebra at the back side of the rest.
8)I applied a thin layer of spray glue to hold the fabric over the foam pieces and keep everything in place as I proceeded to staple keeping a 1/2” distance.
( Remember to pull the fabric as tightly as possible, so that the fabric remains smooth.)
F.Y.I : I had staples flying all over my workspace. Probably a good idea to wear protective eyewear when using a staple gun….
Nearly complete, all I needed was the finishing touch to hide all those hideous staples…
I purchased a black braided edging ribbon and hot glued it all around the areas I wanted to finish.
She was finally completed and totally redone. I felt like the proud plastic surgeon who took the plain jane to the outstanding and marvelled in her beauty and yet amazed that I was able to bring out her true potential.
I almost hated giving her away… after so many months together !
I gifted her away and promised to visit every so often...... and always keep my eye out for garbage !!!
I gifted her away and promised to visit every so often...... and always keep my eye out for garbage !!!
Written by: Elena G
Photo Sources: Elena, Tumblr
Photo Sources: Elena, Tumblr
RSS Feed
