From Dowdy to Sophisticated

 My uncle loves to scour garage sales looking for things he can resell at a better price.  This beauty was one of the things that he picked up.  Actually she was paired with her sister, a more substantial rocking chair who will make her debut in a future post, for $135.  I knew I had to have them.  This poor thing did not want to look like this any more.  She was ready for a fresh new look.  

We needed a facelift, new outfit the works.  

So, I started with taking her down to the basics

I did a lot of contemplating what I had to work with.  I had never tackled this kind of project before.  But, let me tell you, that won't stop me!  Thank goodness for Youtube!

So after much research and contemplation I decided not to attempt respringing it, and cut out a seat from MDF.  But, I get a head of myself. 

Before I took on the upholstery I worked on exfoliating the years of grime and stain and other signs of aging with my handy dandy Black and Decker mouse sander.  

 Once she was au naturale we applied the makeup using Bombay Mahogany Polyshades in Gloss for an evening look.

It did a gorgeous job, but I think there has to be an easier way.  It took coat after coat after coat.  It took forevvvvvvvvvver.  Also, I do not have a delicate touch or much patience.  So, it probably wasn't applied precisely as directed.  Fortunately it worked out (if you don't expect it too carefully). 

I had picked up some upholstery fabric at a thrift store that had a sort of raw silk like quality and some texture.  I felt it would give her a classic timeless look.  

Problem is if you pick up things piecemeal sometimes it is hard to coordinate the accessories, and accessories can make or break the outfit!  I ended up using a twisted cord from Joann Fabrics.  I don't remember what size, but I know on the seat it was big to cover up gaps and staples.  So love how things get covered in reupholstering!

So..... Drum roll please!  Here she is in her big reveal!

All dressed up, and not quite right

I was browsing in the local thrift store with my daughter when I found these lovelies.  

They weren't dressed up very pretty, but they had good lines, and were crying out to be made beautiful and fun.  How can you have these curves and not want to have fun.  

I couldn't deny them.  I'm no expert, I'm still in my amateur refinishing stages, but I felt like I could give it a go.  So I did. 

It was my first experience with chalk paint.  But they wanted to be a fun color so it seemed like a good idea.  I made my own chalk paint after researching on Pinterest.  I settled on: 

                                     1.  2 cups latex paint.  I used the cheapest stuff at ACE Hardware in eggshell.  

                                     2.  5 tablespoons Plaster of Paris

                                     3.  3 Tablespoons water.  

                                     4.  1 foam 4" roller

So other blogs that have taken on the adventure of chalk painting use fancier paint.  My budget is limited and these girls were experiments so, went with the non-name brand stuff.  I didn't have any complaints with the quality, the color wasn't quite what I had wanted, but it worked so no complaints.  

The Plaster of Paris did a beautiful job making latex paint transform into chalk paint...except...it created clumps.  Tiny little clumps.  Of white powder.  Randomly all over when I rolled on the paint.  Not like scrap the whole project, sorry ladies I give up bad... but, more a dang it I totally can't pretend this project is perfect sort of thing.  

Also, note to self, don't paint things in the sunshine on a hot summer day.  Paint dries fast which works great if it is on the chair, but not so much if it's still in the container.  

Any hoo, got these lovely ladies painted.  Took about 3 coats of paint, pretty easy breezy.  I did notice a place that needed another quick coat, when I mixed a small batch of paint this time I sifted the Plaster of Paris, I'm not sure if it was that or the fact that I didn't paint in the baking sun or both, but it seemed to work much better. 

So downside of chalk paint is that it is very rough when dry.  I am very sensory focused and I did not like touching them.  Fortunately this whole application of wax phase that is blowing up Pinterest saves the day.  Or...would if i were more patient.  I am a good 30 minutes from getting to any store that would be useful.  I knew I should get a clear wax, I only had dark wax and that was not what was called for in this project.  But, I couldn't justify the expense to drive an hour round trip for wax, and I didn't have the patience to wait.  The little voice in my head was telling not to do it, to wait until I could get different wax.  But the other voice in my head was like, it's cool the dark wax will work, it'll be fine.  - or not...

Yeah, not really a good choice in the end.  But, what's done is done.  Unless I want to strip them down and redo, which I don't, we are all going to pretend they're cool.  They aren't terrible, just not what I would consider sellable, which was the point.

The seat turned out pretty nice.  Fabric was upholstery fabric from Joann's, one of my most favoritest places.  Some batting that I got from my brother when he worked at a sport center.  (Evidently snowmobile engines come wrapped in batting, who knew!) and I reused the existing padding as it was in good condition.  Stapled the batting and fabric to the seat and voila, it is done.