Here is a look at our new sitting area that once was a formal dining space.
It all started with the chairs we found on craigslist. I reupholstered them in a pretty blue.
Here is the link to the post for: Reupholstering Sofa Chairs-Part 2
Now that I had two comfy chairs, I had to add a little table. I picked this one up at the thrift store on half price day for $4.50, and went to work on it.
I sanded her down, stained the table tops and then painted the sides and legs. I used my favorite Dark Walnut from Minwax to stain it. I wanted to keep things cohesive in the space. (this was the same stain I used on the desk, crates and chair legs.) I wanted to keep the paint color neutral, so I used Sherwin Williams - Crisp Linen. (this was paint I had left over from another project.)
Here is the finished look of my little side table.
Of course, they don't go with anything in my space so they got a little makeover. The lamp was simple. A little spray paint is all you need. The lamp shade on the other hand was a bit more tricky.
I found some fabric that matched the Sawhorse and Bulletin board color and it was only $1.50/yard. Lucky for me! I didn't even the whole yard of fabric. So here is what I did....
- I pulled off all the red fabric but left on all the plastic (I was able to salvage it)
- then I wrapped it in the new fabric (used a quick dry craft glue every few inches to secure it)
- when I got to the end, I just folded over the fabric to make a seam
- trimmed up the top and bottom, folded it over and glued it down (the clothes pins worked great holding it until the glue dried
- I made a little trim by folding a strip of material in half and folding in the edges (Best part was no sewing)
- I then attached it to the top and bottom edges for a finished look
Here is what it looks like now.
Lighting complete. Or is it?
Then it was time to add something to the large, bare wall. I already had a plan for this. Last summer we had picked up an old window from Rebuilding Center here in town. (If you have a project to finish around your house, you should really check this place out. They have so much and the prices are great.)
Of course, like everything else, this window needed a face lift. It was layered with many coats of paint.
It had a layer of light pink, dark pink, white, green, ivory, another pink and then white again. As I started to prep the window for paint, I realized that I couldn't just sand it and add another layer. The paint started to chip off. So instead of using a paint stripper like I should have, I chipped it all off. Scraping a little at a time. (don't ask me why, I never seem to do things the easy way.)
Anyway, I finally got down to the bottom layer of paint, sanded, taped it off and then..... almost Paint!
I had some paint that I picked up a while back for a project in the kitchen (that is still not done, that's a post for another day). I opened the can, the paint was PURPLE. After a small panic, I decided to just tint the paint myself. I put some of the Purple paint in a tin can and then added some True Navy Apple Barrel craft paint until the color was just right. Now Paint! It was perfect.
Here is the area finished!
I think.... okay maybe not.
I am thinking about adding a shelf under the window. What do you think?
Also, I have some pillows that I want to add to the chairs but.... they are still in my head. (I come up with great ideas at the strangest times. But finding the time to finish them..... I'm working on it.)
You may be wondering why the lamp is different in this picture than above. Well when we went to hang the window, the brass lamp was to tall. So I went and found a shorter, cute little lamp to replace it.
We love this space! I sit here every morning and enjoy my cup of coffee (in between getting kids out the door for school.)
No comments:
Post a Comment