Repair/Repaint/Reupholster & Neighbours

Small communities are great.  If you have been following my last few posts you know that I live on a dead end road on “The Bay.” Up on the hill there are ten seasonal cottages that are home to some of the greatest people I have had the pleasure of knowing.  Also in my community - off the hill - are another great group known as the year-round homeowners.  We look out for each other, check on the winterized cottages, lend borrow a cup of sugar from and spend time with.

So, here’s the thing….

I’ve had a few challenges with my little cottage over the last few years, so living in a small community, filled with wonderful people has been a huge support.  Someone is always available to help with a leaky roof, a broken door handle, a disconnected gutter or a fallen tree. One neighboring couple, in particular, has my back…..always.  Never asking anything in return, refusing to be paid – just willing to help in a time of need.

So, when the Mrs. of this lovely couple arrived at my doorstep with a chair (and homemade cookies) rescued from the local Community Hall asking if there was any way to save it – here was my chance to do something for them.  We looked through paint colors and my stash of fabric until she found what she felt would work with their home.

Let’s call a spade a spade – this little baby had seen better days.  But I love a challenge and a chance to learn something new. When I find a piece of furniture to refinish I look for uniqueness - character.  Everything else can be fixed – glued, turned, sanded, caned, reupholstered or built. I love finding a piece that has bumps, dents and scratches – character.

The little chair BEFORE:

What you will need for this project:

Wood filler, Paint, Stain, Putty knife & Brush

Sanding Blocks

Cotton Rags

Upholstering Supplies

The first step was to fill the gap on the back side of the chair where a strip of wood had broken away (you can see the gap in the BEFORE photo - top right hand side of the back of the chair....a big gap). 

Using LePage Wood Filler and a putty knife I filled the gap and allowed it to dry completely.  I used my trusty orbital sander and 220 grit paper to sand the wood filler down level with the original wood (you can use a sanding block if you don't own an orbital sander).  I then changed to 400 grit paper and sanded to a smooth, level surface.  The chair was now ready for paint.

PAINTING

I painted  this chair with two coats of Benjamin Moore, Colonial Brick -  in eggshell latex, allowing each coat to dry completely and doing just a quick, light sand between coats.

After the chair had dried I used a 220 grit sanding block and distressed in places I thought would have been worn over the years.  When you are distressing remember to sand the surfaces where backs and arms have rested, feet have landed and backsides have sat. If your goal is to create an old piece of furniture - expose the nail holes, deep scratches and dents.  This gives your piece a more authentic look. It gives it character. 

After I had the distressing finished I applied one coat of Minwax, Early American stain.  I left that to sit for 30 minutes. I wanted the stain to set in the details and soak into all the wonderful exposed imperfections.  Once it had dried I used a clean cotton rag to remove any excess stain and gave it a good polish.

UPHOLSTERING

 To begin I used a piece of scrap brown paper and traced out the seat of the chair for my template. I used my scissors to cut the template down by 1/4" all the way around. Had I not cut it down, once the foam, batting and fabric were in place it would overhang on the seat - and I didn't want that! 

I placed the brown paper template on a piece of ¾ inch plywood and traced it out. Using my jig saw, I followed the line and cut out the base for the chair. A quick pass with my sander to remove any rough edges or possibility of splinters and I was ready to upholster.

The next step was to cover the plywood base with foam and then batting for a soft sit.  These were attached using my staple gun making sure when the base was in place I would not see the staples from the underside of the chair - about 1/4".

The final step was to attach the prewashed, ironed fabric. I found a beautiful flower in the fabric that I wanted to placed in the middle of the seat.  By eye, I lined it up and cut a circle leaving enough to gather and staple into place, over the batting staples on the underside. Ta-Da!

This once dumpster destined accent chair is now proudly living in my friend’s home – and I was thrilled to save this little beauty.

Here's the little chair AFTER:

The perfect little accent chair

Tomorrow I'll share how I turned an sweater into a great pillow.

Do you have a piece of furniture you don’t know what to do with or think is beyond repair?  Send me a picture and I will provide a free consultation for you!


“When we give freely and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

                                                              -  Maya Angelou

       Until next time – Live Simply!
                   Mary Elizabeth

                                                                                                               

Turn a Bench Into a Dog's Sofa

Anyone who know me - knows my love of animals.  I grew up on a farm and although my career took me away from the hustle and bustle of that life I longed to be back seeing cattle grazing in the fields, horses hitched to the sleigh and a dog by my side.  So, years later when I had the chance to have a hobby farm I took the opportunity – and rescued horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, rabbits, cats and dogs.  What a wonderful life!

So, here’s the thing…..

Angus and Fiona are two little sweeties! Destined for Death Row at a  Rescue Center - caged, unwanted and unloved, my friend stepped in and took these babies under her wing. They've never looked back. They now know that life can be good... and they have it good!  Winter jackets, studded monogrammed collars, home cooked meals, toys, treats, long walks and a warm bed that they gladly “share” with their master.

On a recent visit my friend asked if I could do something special with a bench she had picked up at The Joy of Antiques (a fabulous shop in Petite Riviere on the South Shore). She wanted to turn it into a raised bed for Angus and Fiona.  I loved the idea of those two beauties having their own ‘sofa” on which to lounge, up off the floor at eye level with their guests.  She asked me to paint it in English Yellow then heavily distress and reupholster in a fabric which looked like dog paw prints. I brought the bench home and went to work. 

Tools for this project:

Annie Sloan Chalk paint, wax and brushes

Batting, Fabric and other tools

Steel Wool and Sanding Blocks

Cotton gloves or Rags

Using my staple remover and plyers I stripped off the old fabric and removed too many staples to count!  The batting was in great shape so I left that for extra cushioning. 

The bench was a little high for Angus and Fiona so I sawed off the legs by three inches. I didn't need to fill the staple holes as they were going to be covered when I reupholstered - time saver!

One good coat of Annie Sloan English Yellow and the bench was taking on a whole new look.  Following a coat of clear wax, I distressed it with a medium weight steel wool and followed up with dark wax for the aged affect.  I went over the bench with a fine steel wool to touch up places where I thought the bench would be worn after so many years.

Then I painted the bottom of the bench in FAT Chalk Paint, Autumn, waxed it and added my stamp. 

Upholstering

I added another piece of batting and stapled it in place. I have to be honest - I wasn’t excited about the fabric my friend had chosen – I just thought we could do better. I know, I know, the client is always right….but I just had to run a few options by her and then I would do whatever she asked. One of the options I shared was a faux alpaca style fabric that I had picked up at Atlantic Fabric to make a funky bear or rabbit at some point.  The fabric is so long and lush – it was just begging Angus and Fiona to snuggle – so I was 'willing" to part with it.  Luckily it didn’t take any convincing at all and my friend was onboard.

I cut the fabric to fit the bench and stapled it in place.  Followed that up with a trim in the same color and secured it with a dark brass nail head. Ta-da!

Now why I don’t have a before or during photo of this bench – I don’t know.  I probably forgot my camera at the house or perhaps I only needed an after photo never intending to start a blog and share! 

In any event, here is the after photos of this little gem.

So cozy and funky!

It's all in the detail!

After I delivered the bench Angus and Fiona jump up, buried their heads in the long soft strands then posed for a picture!  Mission accomplished! 

(Insert: XOXO, Love Auntie M!)

Please let me know if I can answer any questions about products used on this project – or any other. I’d love to share them with you. Do you have a piece if furniture you don’t know what to do with?  Send me a picture and I will provide a free consultation for you!

“You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his dog.”   

- Peary Perry

Until next time – Live Simply!
           Mary Elizabeth