Sunday, March 29, 2015

the goodwill chair makeover.

one of my very favorite stores is the Goodwill. I can always find a treasure there, whether it's a worn antique couch [one of my best finds to date] or a chipped cake stand. treasure hunting--it's one of my favorites hobbies.

my sister moved cities last year after graduating from receiving her Masters [she's a go-getter, clearly] and started her first big girl job as a special education teacher. she needed a chair for the desk in her bedroom, so I kept my eyes peeled. after a few months, I came across this beauty at our Goodwill for just $9.99!


I loved the French cane backing and that's pretty much what did it for me. it needed a little paint + good reupholstering, but that wouldn't take much. so I bought it, brought it home, and immediately let it sit in my garage for about nine months. as you can see, I could take a few lessons from my go-getter sister.


this past weekend, I figured it was a good time to sand it down and get to work. I don't have photos of the painting or reupholstery process because 1) I just didn't take any and 2) it's really a simple process. anyone can do it. and I just used regular ol' latex paint because I don't mind sanding, but I do mind spending money. so until my husband hits it big, chalk paint is not an option.


the "fabric" I used is just a canvas dropcloth you can find at Home Depot. we used these for our wedding reception as tablecloths and they've been used since as curtains, ottoman covers, and now this. I used a staple gun to recover the seat. since this was my first "reupholstery" project, my craft veteran mom helped because the corners are a little tricky.


I did a light sanding, used about three coats of paint, roughed it up to give it a worn-ish look and here's what it looked like when I finished. 

I'm really pleased with it. it's simple, but classic. and I wish it was mine.



but to sister's house it goes!