The Traditionalist

The classic Cane Barrel Chair…Timeless. One of those pieces that was just as relevant in home decor 100 years ago as it is today and with a little tweak here and there, you can have a furniture piece that will go with almost any decor.

Why it Works; Great lines, open weave and the tufted back add to it’s fabulous style, while it is designed perfectly for comfort.

When left in its natural wood tones and velvety fabrics, the cane barrel chair is right at home in a Traditional, French Country or English Country home. But if your looking for something a little different, check out how one chair can have very different looks.

Coastal Renaissance

This beauty was redone in a neutral, highly textural beige fabric. The frame was painted in an earthy white called Etiquette by Benjamin Moore.

Why it Works; Nothing says easy, breezy, beautiful like Covergirl and woven cane. The open airy feel instinctively makes us think of tropical beaches, sunny days and light breezes. Other fabric choices that would work well for this look would be twills, cottons and linens.

Totally relaxed in feel, this chair would love to chill out in a casual, cottage or nautical setting. To see how I transformed this chair, have a look at my post Chair Redo.

Uptown Girl

Same style of chair, but completely different look. Painted in a high gloss black and ever so slightly distressed to add an aged patina. This chair was covered in a fantastic vintage floral print that I scored from a friend. Always nice to have friends with style!

Why it Works; While its counterpart above was happy making a cool and casual entry, this chair is a little more Diva and demands attention in any room, just by simply – being.

This lovely gal would be sitting pretty in a hollywood glam, art deco or a contemporary setting where a pop of colour is just the thing.

Rugged Terrain 

The caning on this chair was in rough shape so rather than paying for the sides to be redone, I simply popped them out. This alone, transforms the look of the chair quite drastically. Going for a bit more of a rugged look, I painted the chair in a high gloss white and then heavily distressed every angle of the wood frame. Keeping with a masculine feel, I recovered the seat and back in a heavy two tone grey material.

Why it Work; By removing the cane sides and the button tufted back, this chair instantly becomes more contemporary. The heavily distressed wood and weighty fabric create a masculine feel that more than carries its own weight in any room.

This handsome hunk of wood would be look’n fine in a masculine, industrial or rugged contemporary decor.

When in doubt, Be Brave!

Your reward will be a fantastically classic chair that with a little lovin’, is happy making a statement in any home.

With a few alteration’s, I knew this fixture would look fantastic in my dining room.

The black and copper metal frame of the lantern did not suit my decor and I felt looked a little flimsy, so I was off to the hardware store to purchase some spray paint. Now there are a multitude of colours and textures of spray paint on the market and your choice is not limited to whats on the shelf as some stores are able to make a spray paint in any colour you wish. With all these choices available, I went waaaay…out there and got…brown. Boring, boring, boring I know, but I was after an old world feel in my dining room and I found the heaviness of this textured spray paint added both weight and dimension to the metal pieces of this lantern.

I also needed to grab the pieces to cover the lighting hardware. I was hoping for metal, but they were special order so I decided for a couple of bucks, I would try the white plastic covers first and see how they turned out. In the end, they were fine and once in place, you would never guess they did not come with the Fixture.

To paint the plastic tubes, I created a spraying station. I grabbed a chunk of wood, drilled a few holes and then screwed in a few bolts. Pop the plastic tubes over the bolts and voila, spray away.

I waited for a nice clear day and did all my spraying outside. This is the downside of spray paint. The fumes are awful so do it outside if possible. If not, make sure you have loads of ventilation. Just say’n, take care of those lungs. They’re fairly vital.

I had an extra metal extension piece (connects the fixture to the ceiling plate) from my previous light fixture so I ditched the chain that came with the Lantern and used the metal rod instead. Although I already had this piece, I originally purchased it at a local lighting store (McLaren Lighting), where they are available in various colours and lengths.

If using a metal rod, you MUST measure! Things to take into account are how high you would like the fixture to be from the table top, how long the fixture itself is and the depth of the ceiling plate. From this information you should get a clear idea of how long your metal rod needs to be and order accordingly. The chain is much more flexible as far as hanging goes, but in this case, I liked the clean simple lines of the metal rod and I had it, so why not!

Over the years I have sprayed fixtures in a high gloss white, a rubbed bronze, a black and a bright blue. All of these turned out to be exactly what I was shooting for so if you come across a second hand light fixture with great bones to be afraid to grab it and let your imagination go wild….or simply….go brown!

I have always been a fan of Barrymore furniture so I was super stoked when I spotted two matching Barrymore chairs for a steel of a deal at 60 bucks for the pair. Yup, that’s right, $30.00 for a Barrymore. Gotta LOVE IT! Even more incredible was the upholstery was a nice neutral colour and in pretty good condition. This meant there was no need to reupholster, which can be both time consuming and costly. As is, I felt the chairs were ok, but not exactly the look I was after so…

here are a few easy steps I did to update the look of the chair

First and by far the easiest step was to remove the back cushion and replace it with a decorative rectangular through pillow. Doing this reveals the tight back, instantly giving the chair a more contemporary streamlined appearance.

Next, I removed the skirting around the bottom edge of the chair.I did this using a pair of needle nose pliers and basically went along the bottom edge pulling staples and removing the tacking strip as I went. While I was busy removing staples, I went ahead and removed the bottom dust cover as well.

With all the skirting off, I removed the liner from the back and the piece (not sure of it’s technical name) that kept the skirt stiff. I was a little gentle as I removed these pieces as I knew I would be reusing the material.

I then pinned the skirting material together making sure it fit snuggly around the base of the chair. Once I was confident the fit was right, I sewed the skirting together to create one continuos piece.

I then put the material snuggly in place around the bottom edge of the chair, inside out, lining up seams as best I could. The use of a tacking strip creates a perfectly straight line when the fabric is folded back over and gives a professional look so it is worth purchasing some or making your own with some thin cardboard. After measuring carefully, start stapling the tacking strip in place.

Once the material is secured, fold it back over the bottom of the chair. While pulling tight against the tacking strip to create a smooth fit, staple the material to the bottom of the chair.

The legs on these chairs could not be removed so I had to fold and manipulate the fabric around the exposed legs. To do this, leave material a little longer around the legs so there is enough to tuck the material inside itself. At this point, leave the material around the legs unstapled.

I chose to reuse the piping as well so if doing so, take the piping and start stapling it in place around the bottom edge. Once you get to the legs, tuck the extra material of the piping under your folded edge. Pull tight and staple in place as close to the legs as possible.

Make your way around the base of the chair and overlap piping at the end.

Lastly, replace the dust cover to the bottom of the chair.

A quick and easy update to give your chairs a more contemporary look.

I scored this ripped up, worn out pleather ottoman for free. Geesh, I wonder why? Although the pleather material was in awful shape, the frame and legs were solid. I decided to take this hunk of massive sumpin and transform it into a more formal feminine piece by recovering it with a silvery/green chenille and topping it off with some bling bling in the button tufting.

To begin a project like this, first remove the legs from the base as well as all mounting hardware.

Then proceed by removing staples. There are usually oodles of staples so grab a cup and joe, crank the tunes and get ready to hunker down for a while because just when you have pulled the last staple from the dust cover, a whole new row of staples holding the material in place is exposed.

Now comes the satisfying part. Take off that old tired pleather and chuck it in the lapsap tong (a little cantonese for ya), as now we get to create a whole new look.

Measure the top and the sides of the ottoman adding a 1/2 inch extra all around for sewing allowance. For example, if your top is 40″ x 40″ cut a piece that is 41″ X 41″. This will give you an extra half inch on all sides. I first cut the square top to size then sewed on the piping around the entire outside edge. After that, I sewed all the sides together ensuring they were a tight fit around the ottoman. At this point I laid the top material on the ottoman frame and pinned the sewn together sides to the top piece. Complete the cover by attaching the sides to the top.

The foam on the ottoman was in good shape so I did not replace it, but the batting was a bit worn so I opted to add new. With the new batting in place, the new material can then get stapled onto the frame.

Because of the size of this ottoman I decided to break up the great expanse by adding tufting. To add tufting, you will need to fall back on some of your math skills – I know…I know! – and measure the top surface and depending on how many buttons you wish to add you need to figure out the button spacing. I like to do this on a piece of paper first as I am a visual person. Once I have it clear in my head, I measure and mark the button locations on the furniture piece. Then, using an upholstery needle and some waxed string, add the buttons in place.

On the underside of the ottoman, tie off the waxed thread with a bit of material shoved in there. The material is there to keep the knot from pulling through the foam. Some of the buttons were simply knotted in place, while depending on location, I was able to anchor some of the buttons by stapling the string to the frame.

With the tufting done, the ottoman is almost complete. To finish up, simply staple the dust cover back in place, replace leg mounting hardware and pop the legs back on.

All there is to do now is find a buddy and carry this beast to the desired location. Sit down, put your feet up and enjoy.

Over the past several months, I have embarked on many furniture revival projects. Although some of the projects have proven very challenging, once completed, they always prove rewarding.

Bringing a 1980’s Teak Furniture Set Back to Life

I fell in love with this Danish Teak love seat and chair on site. Although the fabric was very well used and tired, structurally, these pieces were in fantastic condition which makes for a great starting off point. All the exposed teak was given a light sanding and re-oiled while the cushions were reupholstered in a mid-century inspired avocado green. Classic in design, this furniture set will always be in style.

Restoring a 1970’s Arborite Cabinet

This 1970’s cabinet was given a completely new lease on life with a fresh coat of high gloss paint. The colour I chose was a mid-century tone green called Jalapeno by Benjamin Moore. I was totally inspired by the clean lines and lovely legs on this cabinet. In the end, I decided to emphasize the legs by leaving them and the shelving area in a natural wood tone. The tricky thing about this cabinet was that it was Arborite which requires a slightly different painting procedure. After a bit a research, I sanded the cabinet following the grain. I then primed the piece and let the primer cure for several days. Once primer was fully adhered to the cabinet, I then painted it, again allowing several days for curing between coats.

Giving This Masculine Bench the Lift it Needed

This beautiful bench was a special request from a client. To begin, I wiped the legs down with turpentine to remove marks. I then touched up the wood with a stain pen and gave it a rub with some Lemon Oil. I love me the Lemon Oil. It leaves a beautiful finish on the wood and has a great lemony fragrance. To reupholster, I decided to add some piping between the wood base and the padded top just to add a little sumpin, sumpin. The foam was then recovered with the new fabric and reattached.

Repurposed Piano Bench 

I picked up this tired, but solid piano bench from a local Salvation Army store for a steal of a deal. A piano bench is a great size for adding a little extra seating for just about anywhere in your home. I love the clean lines of this bench and with a new bright fabric it will add a pop of colour and interest to any room. Of course, like many piano benches the seat lifts for storage which is perfect if using by the front door or in the bathroom. Any hidden storage is always a bonus.

And now for a few other ottoman’s that have been given a new look.

The top ottoman holds a special place for me, as it was my first try at Tufting. The bottom photo is of what was once a typical tired and torn brown leather storage ottoman that will now certainly be a pop of colour and style that every room needs.

This Queen Ann style bench was painted white and upholstered in a silvery blue fabric to create a more modern look.

One of the biggest transformations would be this 1970’s footstool. All solid wood and metal construction and updated with new fabric this footstool will last for many years to come. I chose a funky maud material to recover the stool and eliminated the ruffle bottom so the cute legs were exposed. Now the challenge with this sucker was the bottom is considerably narrower than the top so I discovered that I couldn’t just sew it and then slip the fabric over the frame so I had to pull out my handy dandy curved needle and practice the invisible stitch, sewing the sides while the fabric was in place. Learning something new with every project.

Vintage Wood Desk

Gorgeous vintage desk that just needed a few tweaks here and there. A fresh coat of paint, a couple of new drawer pulls and a touch of wood glue in spots equals a lovely desk that would work well in any room. In the end though, this piece found it’s place in a clients walk-in closet to purpose as a jewellery stand.

And lastly I leave you with this antique solid wood table. Gorgeous curvy legs, original casters and a coat of graphite black paint make this table a statement piece in any home.

Okay, okay, so I know she doesn’t look like much with the dated original fabric, but I fell in love with this beauty on site. The gorgeous lines of the solid Oak bentwood frame made this chair not only virtually indestructible and unique, but beautiful from every angle.

The frame was in great condition and only required a quick vacuum and wipe down.

Now for the fabric. I choose this fabric for a couple of reasons. The first was that it was in the sale bin and the second was because I LOVED IT! I knew this chair was going to require a fare chunk of material so in order to keep costs down I was on the hunt for something less expensive, but good quality. After measuring, I purchased 5 meters of this mid century inspired fabric that would transform the look of this chair entirely. At less than $10.00 a meter and a couple spools of thread, I was out of the fabric store having spent less than 60 bucks.

I then used the cushions to mark, cut and sew my new fabric. I typically like to reuse as much as possible, as this not only keeps costs down, but also keeps perfectly usable items out of the rubbish bin. For this reason, I took the time to remove the zippers from the old material and sewed them onto the new fabric. A bit fiddly and time consuming, but a venture that I consider worth taking.

After the main cushions were complete I covered the 3 throw cushions. I decided to offset the pattern by doing the 2 smaller cushions in a creamy white. Super happy with the end result of this chair that would look perfect in an open concept room where it could be viewed from every angle.

Okay, so she didn’t look like much when I picked her up for 25 bucks, but I could see the potential in this lovely lady. A prize piece that just needed a little TLC. Well, let’s face it, she needed a complete overhall.

To start this project, I began by completely dismantling the bench.

The curvy lines of the bench legs were fantastic, but were falling apart and badly damaged so they needed to be re-glued and refinished. Even though I loved the wood, I decided to paint the legs as busting through the thick layer of varnish to bring them back to their glory days would require a LOT of work.

Next, I removed the orange pleather material, which as you can see was done by pulling mmmm maybe a thousand randomly placed staples.

With the bench now down to it’s bare bones, it was time to start the reconstruction and transformation. The legs were painted in a warm white called Etiquette by Benjamin Moore and new batting and material was stapled on to the bench frame.

Out of pocket for this bench including the purchase price of 25 bucks, was $50.00 as I had to purchase new material and batting. A lovely little piece that compliments the room just nicely.

As usual, I wanted an easy and affordable solution to this problem. So, instead of smashing the tile or cutting it out and refinishing, I decided to put a cap on it.

First we began by making a template of the shelf using a piece of scrap cardboard.

We then used the template to cut a piece of plywood to the exact dimensions of the surface of the corner shelf.

Once we ensured the size was spot on, we covered the plywood with some leftover hardwood flooring (same flooring that was used in the front entry) using clamps to hold the wood in place until the glue dried. We then added a trim piece to the front edge. I knew I was painting the cap so no need to match wood types, we just grabbed a piece from the scrap wood pile in the garage.

After the glue was dry, I painted the shelf to match the trim which was done in Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White in a semi-gloss so it would be both durable and washable.

Quick, cheap and easy way to cover a tiled corner shelf. The end result…LOVE IT!

]]> /2015/08/get-your-cap-on/feed/ 0 /2015/08/picture-perfect/ /2015/08/picture-perfect/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2015 16:06:03 +0000 /?p=1318 When you are out and about in the world, it is always nice to bring a treasure or two home. Of course, when you are travelling with carry on bags only, space is it a premium so picking the right treasures also boils down to size and weight. While our family was on the Island of Java in Indonesia, I fell in love with a hand done Batik painting. In fact, we were actually on a city tour by rickshaw (or Becak as they call it in Indonesia) when I purchased this painting. This was a perfect treasure to bring home as I purchased the painting unframed so it was both light weight and took up next to no space in my Luggage. Once I was home with my painting I had to think about framing and being the do it yourselfer that I am, I wanted to tackle this project on my own. After looking at a few home decor stores for framing ideas and pricing, I headed to my favorite second-hand store, the Salvation Army, to check out their selection of frames and sure enough, I found the perfect frame.This bad boy had the right dimensions, already had a hanging bracket on the back, was in great shape and was the perfect price at 4 bucks!

I began by first painting over the board with white primer. I had some Benjamin Moore Fresh Start kicking around so that it was.Once the frame was dry, I gathered up the materials I would need to complete the job. A hammer, needle nose pliers, a screwdriver, a staple gun and some staples.

I started by centering the material on the board. I then carefully flipped the board over while holding the material in place. I then tacked the material down by adding one staple in the middle of each side. With the material now held in place, I double checked the placement and I highly recommend the double check before moving ahead with the staple gun because if you have to make any adjustments this is the time to do it.

While stapling, I worked my way out from the middle of all sides then completed my corners last.

And there you have it…a quick, easy and affordable way to frame your painting.

Even though I loved it, the Restoration Hardware desk was way out of budget and really was far too large for our particular application. But from here, I had an idea of what I wanted and I was off and running (ok, walking…not a lot makes me run these days). I went to a local used building supply store and found some super cool corbels that were removed from an old building. For those that don’t know (I did not know myself when I started this search), but a corbel is a structural, sometimes decorative item found on buildings and can be made of wood, metal, stone or other materials.

This is an example of a concrete corbel.

The corbels I found were made of wood and were very simple in design. Something to keep in mind when shopping for corbels, is the height. I wanted mine to be typical desk height so I had to ensure that the ones I found were the right measurement from floor to desk surface. It just so happened that I found the perfect pair of corbels. Right height and right paint color. I did not have to do a thing to these beauties other than mount them on my wall.

After mounting the corbels to the wall I had a piece of glass made that would become the desk surface. I chose a fairly thick piece of glass and made sure it was tempered so it would be safe. I then topped off the desk with a phone and computer and we were set. Because I was trying not to take up much floor or visual space, I added a simple lucite chair.

The corbels were $75.00 a piece and the glass was $120.00. I purchased the chair for around $80.00. This corbel desk stayed well within budget and was definitely less expensive than the Restoration Hardware desk, however, arguably not nearly as ornate.