~CHALK PAINTED UPHOLSTERED CHAIR REVEAL~

Our day started off bright and early with two big trucks and a trailer parked outside our home...they hold our new furnace and A/C unit.  After three days of HOT HUMID TEMPS we are ready to feel cool again!

If you don't follow me on Facebook then you didn't see the reveal picture of the Chalk-Pained Upholstered-Chair reveal.  Here it is!  I still need to do a final sanding of the entire piece AND add the wax coating...  But~seeing this one finished to this stage was very exciting for me.

I will tell you this about the process...IT WAS WORK!  After the 4th coat I thought...WOW...this is grueling work and very time consuming.  At that point I wasn't sure painting the thing was going to work or IF it was possible to cover up the black and white Savoy-style print!  By the time the 5th coat went on I knew it was truly looking fab!

I added a tattered edge to the bottom and I will be adding one more coat of paint to that.  Because it is ruched up it has taken a big longer for it to dry.  Sometime tomorrow I will finish it up and start on Chair #2.  

I purchased these neat looking "feet" to add to the chairs as the original front legs were covered up with the flounce and looked too skinny/thin once they were exposed.  They will be stained and waxed.

So there you have it.  Will share photos again with the other chair is finished.  I wish I could snap my fingers and have it done

Have a wonderful day...I'm soooo looking forward to sleeping tonight with our new A/C system cooling everything down.  The Oklahoma humidity has been a killer.

Blessings~

Rebecca

~THOUGHTS ON A SUNDAY MORNING...Painting Our Upholstered Chairs~

CHAIR TO BE PAINTED

Our trusty A/C Unit bit the dust this weekend and even though it's never a good time to shuck out hard-earned money on something so expensive...we knew this day was coming.  My Mr. AGP Man was in the Air/Heat biz many years ago and knows the business very well...  He has babied the A/C along for a long, long time.  Yesterday we bid her good-bye and a brand new (hopefully more efficient!) until will soon take her place.  We've opted to have our very, very old furnace replaced as well (in 2020 it would have been 50 years old!).  While we wait for installation it's going to be insufferable around here.  We'll be sleeping at our daughter's because last night we were absolutely miserable...

AFTER ABOUT ONE COAT

Anyway...before all this happened with the A/C I had long before decided to take the plunge and CHALK PAINT my living room chairs (upholstered).  Yeah...I know!  SCARY!  I've had the chairs for 13 years and they were still in beautiful condition.  No rips, tears, sags, etc.  But...I had grown tired (very tired!) of the Savoy-style black and white print and had tossed about having them reupholstered for at least a couple of years.  The chairs are fabulous and except for the flounce (skirt) I still really love them.  So...after a ton of research and gobs of reading, I jumped right in!

I have two matching chairs and opted to do one at a time.  I had my guy haul them inside and put paint cloths down (I used old, but clean, moving blankets) to protect my floors.  Doing one at a time will better help me determine the final cost and just how much paint each chair needed to be completely done.

AFTER ABOUT THREE COATS

Here are some photos of where I am after three coats.  I'm certain they will need FIVE COATS of watered down chalk paint before they are ready to be lightly sanded and waxed.  My plan is to add a vintage French image to the top-back area.  Nothing big or floral...maybe an old ad or something like that.  We'll see.

 ORIGINAL SKIRT REMOVED

This is what the one chair I'm working on looks like after three coats.  Some places are still showing the Savoy print (flip side of cushion has yet to be done) and I suspect the chair will take at least another full day to dry before I can apply coat #4.

Opting to have the chair recovered ($400 quote on each one PLUS the fabric cost of $200 for each one!) made me sick.  I'd rather purchase new chairs.  So, opting to try the chalk paint was sort of a no-brainer for me!  I'll be out the cost of the paint if I absolutely hate the outcome...I figure it will take 1 1/2 quarts to do one chair.  About $50-$60.  

I'll also be out lots of labor.

LOTS OF LABOR.

The process is slow and slower.  But, I'd rather be out TIME vs. $$$$.

I'll share more pics later this week of how the chair came out!  OK?

Here's what I did!

I first cleaned the chair by giving it a thorough vacuum and then sprayed the entire thing with a good mist of water

Next I started with the paint.  I did NOT water it down.  I opted instead to dip my chalk brush (a must have!) into the paint and then the BRUSH TIP into a bowl of water.  The paint went on great and the first coat soaked right in.  That's what you want it to do.  You want the paint to penetrate the fabric vs. sitting on top of it. Lots of thin coats vs. thick ones!

I waited 24 hours between coats to give the paint a chance to dry.  The second coat covered a lot more of the Savoy print and the third even more.  Not all the coats are even so by the time I apply the fifth one I'm hoping I'll be done and the chair will be reading for a light sanding, wax and image transfer.

I used LOWE'S Valspar Chalky Paint in the colorway of Kid Glove only because I was too lazy to drive 15 miles away to buy Annie Sloan.  Kid Glove is a white color and I like it.  I've used it once before on a project and had good results (not a chair, but a dresser). It is $29, but it is three ounces short of a full quart.  So far I've used one container for the three coats!  I did a test run on a scrap of the Savoy fabric and I knew ahead of time it was going to take at least five coats.  Keep in my mind my chairs are good sized chairs.  Yours might take more or less.

I can't wait to show you the final reveal.  Hoping to have the one chair finished later this week.

~*~

Today I'm thanking God for two good hands, a good strong back, healing neck AND a house that right now feels super hot on the inside.  I'm trying my best to live my best life and be positive and grateful in all things.  I'm very aware some people do not have houses or even chairs to paint.

God is good.  

ALL THE TIME.

Blessings...

Rebecca

~EEEE GADS...MORE WHITE FRENCH PAINTED FINDS~

~TRANSFORMED VINTAGE CHAIR~

A few weeks ago I shared with you some pictures of my La Chaumière de Briarwood and how most of the things my hubby and I have purchased for our home were bought second hand.  Something doesn't have to be old for me to love it or for it to have value.  I've uncovered some of the most incredible finds over the years and even though sometimes I walk away empty handed I never feel like a trip to the thrift store has been in vain.  

~VINTAGE HITCHCOCK CHAIR~

Today I'm going to show you two things I snagged at our local Goodwill early last week.  Both were great finds, one old and one newer!

The vintage chair you see above was at one time a fairly high-end chair.  I saw a pair sell recently for $275.  Sadly, this particular one was NOT well taken care of.  It was close to what I would call filthy and the back and front glue joints were popped.  The chair was heavily scratched, dinged and nicked.  Since it was originally painted and hand stenciled there was no way to restore it.  That made it a perfect candidate for a makeover.  Some glue clamps, sandpaper and a couple coats of my favorite paint and she was ready for some artwork.

 ~LOVING THE RUSH SEAT~

Amazingly the Rush Seat was un-damaged.  I couldn't believe it!  It made the $4.99 asking price a no-brainer! :)  I gently distressed the chair after it was painted and added hand painted accents to the back using a mix of wrought iron black and deep brown paint.

~GREAT KITCHEN STOOL~

The second thing I found was a fabulous medium sized stool.  It was in perfect condition with the legs still in their original wood finish with the seat a chalkboard black.  I sanded down the entire thing (removing the shiny finish) and then painted it with the same paint I used for the Hitchcock chair. 

 

~SWEET FRENCH PAINTING~

This piece was actually a little harder to makeover.  All those spindly legs take time to paint!  But...I'm loving how it came out.  The stool cost me more than the chair did, but only by a couple of bucks.  Had it needed ANY repair work I'd have skipped on it.  Glad I hauled it home with me now!

 

 ~VINTAGE MAIL BOX~

I love old mail boxes, but generally I paint roses on them.  I haven't found one in a long time.  This one had a motif on the front I hated and when I removed it it left two holes.  So...I opted to attach a sweet rose floral applique to the front panel and skip the painting.  Sweet for a change!

 ~MISS K's ARTWORK~

After ten days my Miss K goes home today :...( and I'm kinda bummed.  I'll get more work done once she leaves, but I'm sure going to miss her.  We had so much fun!  Here's a picture of her Fleur-delis and Paris painting.  Not sure what else was going on here...but I always let her paint SOMETHING when I'm working on a new project!  Between the stories, the shopping and the endless giggles I'm

ONE BEAT NANA!

Hope your Monday is wonderful...

Blessings as you recycle, renew and repurpose...

~VINTAGE JAMES REILLY CHAIRS - Shabby Cottage Chic Reveal~

OLDER THAN I THOUGHT

I'm a die-hard junkin' fan! You should ALL know that by now! Whoot!  Whoot!  Tag Sale Shopping in my blood... I tell you IT JUST IS!!!!  And...I've decided that except for my Mr. AGPMan (he's got the mullah and the brawn) there is no one I'd rather go a slummin' with more than my sister, Linda!  She knows the BEST places to shop in her neck of the woods just like I know the best places to junk in Oklahoma.  Together we are a tad bit lethal...boy did we have tons of fun!

 

SIMPLY TO-DIE-FOR

A couple of days ago I showed you the photo of three chairs I hauled back home from Tennessee!  I promised to show you pictures of the two I finished and here they are!  Now...let me share with you what I found out about them...

As I was priming the first chair my guy asked me if I'd found a Maker's Mark.  I shook my head no just as he pointed one out under the front band of the first chair!  He grabbed a magnifying glass so we could read the hard to make out name!  Between the two of us were able to determine the first word was the name "JAMES" and part of the second world was the name of "REILLY".  Underneath that we could read  only the letters "M-A-N".  I immediately Googled what I had and discovered the chairs were from approximately 1877 and were made by James Reilly, Manchester, England.

What I wouldn't give to know just HOW they made it to America...and even more so how they landed in a junkie little antique shoppe outside of Nashville...

LAURA ASHELY PINK ROSES

Now...I'm quite sure the purest of antique dealers would faint over me painting the chairs.  If they had been in pristine (or even premium) condition I probably wouldn't have.  But...you know me...I just LOVE painted furniture!  So, I tossed caution to the wind and kept painting.  Shabby Chic Rules! 

I absolutely LOVE the final result!  I used a long retired Laura Ashley soft pink and creamy white toile fabric for the cushion covers (which were completely replaced) and that was pretty much it!  I actually wanted to place a tiny ruffle around the bottom edge but it would have made the cushions an even tighter fit so I opted to leave them plain!

Hope you love the transformation as much as I do!

Now...just want until you see the pink chair!  It's fabulous, too!  All three will be on my website AND offered for sale in my Oklahoma City Antique Booth Space! 

Thanks for stopping in...more transformations coming up soon...

Blessings for a beautiful week!

~FROM DRAB to FAB...Vainty Chair Makeover~

~SIMPLY CHARMING~

I know I keep saying it over and over again...so much so I'm sure you are sick of it! :(  But, I've been in my studio working non-stop for days and days!  The line between my daytime and nighttime hours is beginning to blur and I'm really starting to think I  should be fairly skinny by now! 

So why is it I'm not?

For once in my life I'd like to be called 'rail-thin'...:) Just ONCE! :)

 

 ~SOOOO ROMANTIC~

Anyway...I LOVE working and it's been super fun finishing up some projects that have languished half completed for too long!

 ~BEFORE THE FACELIFT~

Remember the Vanity Bench/Chair I showed you a couple weeks ago?  She's be P-P'd  (hahhah Primed and Painted) and her seat has been recovered with that gorgeous vintage reproduction Barkcloth from Susan at Urban Gardens (why was it discontinued anyway???).  I LOVE this fabric with it's creamy white ground lovely pink roses...yum!  (*Don't forget...Behr Cottage White Paint and ZINSSER PRIMER!)

~REPRODUCTION BARKCLOTH~

And...just in CASE you are wondering...it WILL be offered FOR SALE when I reopen my website in just a little while.  And...if you are local you can see it in person at my booth space at French Quarter Antiques in Oklahoma City (it's being offered there as well!).

Glad you could pop in today...

Blessings to you as you enjoy these first awesome days of spring...

FUNCTIONAL TO FABULOUS REPURPOSED VINTAGE SEWING CHAIR

A SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL FIND

My Mr. AGPMan and I were just a young married couple living in a small Texas town when we snagged our first piece of vintage furniture. If the truth be known we didn't have much more than a dime to our name so buying anything we didn't absolutely need was truly sacrificial. I mean...our goal was to buy and then EAT food! Simple as that!

I couldn't have possibly have understood it then, but scrounging up the $15 bucks (of which $5 was loaned to me by my dad!) to purchase a tiny wooden love-seat and matching chair (circa 1935) put into motion a love affair with all things old. It's a deep love that remains to this day! (By the way...I STILL have those two old pieces and I promise to share them with you before long!)

The vintage Sewing Chair you see above is another old piece I own-I actually have two! They are such sweet little beauties and they are impossible for me to pass up! I've sold a few (thank you Michele-my California friend) over the years, but because of their diminutive size it is difficult to part with them. They fit almost anywhere and I simply adore how they look once they are transformed!

BEFORE HER MAKEOVER

Check out this "before shot". Sweet, but nothing especially wonderful! But, after a quick sanding, several coats of fresh paint and some 2die4 fabric, beautiful old finds such as this one can be lovingly transformed for use in our cottage homes of today!

GREAT FOR STORAGE

How we did it:

We began by removing all the wooden pieces from the square base of the chair. Each piece was sanded down and primed and then hand painted (not sprayed). I opted to paint both the interior and exterior of the base (I did use spray paint for the inside).

After the pieces were all dry and cured (at least three days or MORE!), the chair was reassembled (except for the lid). The flounce (skirt) was then attached with a staple gun (use upholstery strips for a neat, clean lines) up near the top edge. I left the inside of this one plain, but you can also line them with fabric!

PRETTY BACK VIEW

A tiny hand gathered ruffle was added to the lid after being re-padded with quilt batting (I opted to remove the vinyl cover on this part). The inside lid cover was replaced and then it was re-attached to the body of the chair!

Lastly, shabby cottage chic roses (in pink, of course) were hand painted on both the front and back of the chair. Wahhhhhh Lahhhhhhhhh! Done!

I placed this charming old find in front of a vintage sewing cabinet I found at yet another tag sale. The circa 1920's cabinet is much, much older...but I still LOVE how they look paired together!

UP-CLOSE VIEW OF FLOUNCE

Use your imagination when you're out shopping in your area for charming old finds! Hope you enjoyed another peek into my home! Promise...much more will be shared in the future! Would love to have you follow along...

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever. It's loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness..." Keats

Blessings to you on this rainy, snowy and stormin' Oklahoma day...Rebecca