Monday, April 30, 2012

Fit for a Tar Heel




I have a rule when I go shopping.  If I see something at the store that I like, but I don't feel 100% sure about buying it, I usually just leave it there.  If I just winding up forgetting about it, to me that means I didn't really want it after all, so no big loss.  But when I find myself thinking about it again, especially on multiple occasions, regretting not buying it, I'll usually go back and get it.

That was the case when I saw this guy at the Goodwill:


I guess it's kind of obvi why I didn't pick that bad boy up right on the spot.  I definitely wasn't 100% sure about it, plus it was the same time there was that guy there telling me how he restores old furniture.  What I didn't add before was that he then proceeded to complain to me about how expensive everything was at that Goodwill.  Even when I started to walk away, he was still yelling out prices to me.  I needed to get out of there stat!

But I found myself thinking about the chair all week, imagining its potential, so I went back a week later and bought it (and paid too much for it according to random furniture guy).

When I brought the chair home and saw this tag on the bottom, I knew I had made the right decision.

Made in North Carolina, this was meant to be.

So here's what I did:

Goodwill Chair Makeover


Removed the old cushion.  Just had to unscrew the four screws attaching the cushion to the base.



Cleaned the chair with TSP and filled in a small hole with wood filler.  Then I sanded it lightly and wiped off with a cloth.


Primed the chair.  I used Kilz Original Primer Spray Paint.



Realized it was much too windy out for spray painting, and moved the operation inside.  Then I added two coats of Krylon Spray Paint in Peekaboo Blue, boo.



At this point it was looking way too blue blue and needed to get toned down a bit.   Plus it has really cool details and lines that I wanted to bring out a bit. So I added some Martha Stewart Glaze.




And wiped off.



And once that was dry, I added 3 coats of Minwax Polycrylic to protect my little masterpiece.



So the base was ready but the cushion needed a makeover too.

Grandma called, she wants her nightgown back
I started to take off the staples attaching the fabric to the cushion.



But then I realized that's what was keeping the padding attached, so maybe I shouldn't remove it.  I checked to see if the old fabric would show through the new fabric, and it didn't so I just let the old fabric stay put.  Removing it would've been way more trouble than what it was worth.

For the new cushion, I didn't know exactly what fabric I was looking for, so I just checked out the sale rack at Jo-Ann until something spoke to me and picked up a yard of it.

I measured the seat to make sure I cut enough fabric to cover it.



And then it was time to put the staple gun to work, something I'd never done before.



I literally let out a Vicki Gunvalson-style "Woo", for the first 5 to 10 staples that I punched in.  That thing has some power behind it. That's what she said.

I just kept pulling the fabric tight as I stapled around the cushion until it was all put together.



Then I just screwed it right back in the base.  Voila:




My shopping trick prevails again.  And I don't care what random furniture guy says, it was worth every penny.


Now I have a chair fit for a Tar Heel.

Getting my link on:

15 comments:

  1. Mandy, it's absolutely beautiful. That staple gun feels powerful, doesn't it? I bought new chairs (8 total) and also covered over the fabric seats using my trusty staple gun. About time to do that all over again. Please, also join Linky Followers for those of us who no longer connect via Google. Thanks, Helen

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    1. Yes it does! Why did it take me so long to get one of those things? I had no idea. Now I'm almost about to volunteer to screen in our porch so I can use it again. :)

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  2. I love how it turned out! The color is great! I need to paint some chairs I have in my dinning room. Thanks for the tutorial! Your newest follower, I hope you come and visit my blog.

    http://www.remodelandolacasa.com

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    1. Thanks so much! I probably should've included a disclaimer that painting like this can become highly addictive, as it appears to have become for me. Thanks, I'll definitely stop by!

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  3. Oh your chair is just so fun now! You know how you left the original fabric? I keep thinking how when someone redoes your redo, (many years from now, of course!) what fun they will have discovering the original fabric underneath. Wonder if it will be back in style by then?

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    1. Haha, yes I know what you mean! A little historical artifact. Plus my badge of honor to remind me that I redid the chair back in the day.

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  4. I am so glad you shared this on my blog this morningl. I'm new to link parties and your blog so this is a double treat! I really love this idea and can't wait until naptime when I can explore your blog more! xoxox

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    1. Hey Julia! Thanks so much for letting me share! Love your blog and all the fabulosity that you bring into the world.

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  5. Mandy,

    That chair is perfect for a TarHeel! I love your color and fabric choice. Great job.

    I'm visiting from the Uncommon Slice linky party. I would love it if you stopped by my blog.

    Thanks for sharing,
    Laura

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  6. Its a fabulous chair--the lines on the back are so cool! You did a beautiful job on it. Thanks for linking up :-)

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    1. Thanks so much! Me too, the lines are what really caught my eye and had me thinking about this doggone chair for a week. :)

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  7. that is adorable! love the style of the chair and the color is fab! though i am a demon deacon... ;)

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    1. Haha, uh oh, thank you for your kind words despite our differences. :) We can still be friends though right?

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  8. I'm so glad you went back and saved her from Goodwill! Such a beautiful chair, and that glaze is just so, so perfect. I'd like to see what Goodwill guy has to say now!

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  9. Baby blue and brown are one of my favorite color combinations.

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