Just In Time For Dinner

This chair above was one of the 4 that came with the $75 dining table we bought at a yard sale a couple of months ago. I really hate them. They look like something out of a dark, stuffy, smelly restaurant. Because the table would have been $70 without the chairs and since the sellers were nice enough to deliver the furniture to our house, I took them.
We're saving up for some nice dining chairs, but in the meantime we need to sit somewhere when we're having guests over for dinner (usually, we eat in the kitchen or outside). I decided to go wild with color and paint them blue. First, I had to sand and prime them, which took some time. Then it took 3 coats of satin finish paint. The great thing was that it only cost $4.25 for the sample size paint. I finished them with a coat of glossy varnish.

I like how one or two chairs look next to a little side table. Eventually, these chairs will probably end up in the finished basement where I plan to make a craft room and playroom.
Since our dinner guests came over last night, I had to rush and staple some fabric I already had right over the old blue leather. It seems to be working out OK that way. The fabric came from Japan. One yard was just enough to cover 4 seats.
So easy, even a child can do it! Well, not exactly. This wasn't the most difficult DIY job I've ever done, but it did take about 3 days from start to finish.

Now for the table. I can't believe I didn't get a decent before shot. It was really gross with all these water stains and scratches on it. This was my husband's project and he did a darn good job. It looks like a new table!

He sanded with two different grit papers (first a rough 100 grit, then a finer 180 grit). Next he stained (2 coats) with Minwax (a winning combo of 2 parts Jacobean and 1 part Ebony which is what we used on our floors). Last, he did three coats of water based Polyurethane (sanding with the fine grain paper in between applications). Sounds like a lot of work, but it's nothing compared to doing floors!

The extensions are the most amazing improvement. Before they didn't even look like they were part of the same table because the color was so off. Now they blend in so much better. Nice work, Hubs!

So now we have no shortage of color in dining room. It's kind of fun for now. And we got it all done right in time for our first dinner guests. My friend thought I'd bought a new table and chairs since she last came over. But the chairs still don't fit in with my master plan. They're too clunky. I want something with a lower back and allover sleeker. As for color, I think we'll do a dark wood to match the table or maybe white or lime green.
We'll keep the dining table because it looks so great (and not unlike this table we saw at Pottery Barn for $1,700!). 

But when we get new chairs, we'll look for some like these:

Or maybe this one which looks a lot like the Danish wishbone chair I blogged about earlier.
Or how about this one from Design Within Reach?  We'll be saving for a while if we go with these, though, because everything in their catalog is just out of reach. 
But then I found these at DWR and they're not so bad at $150 for natural wood finish or $175 for the painted versions.  Decisions, decisions. At least I have some time to think about it.





Comments

Anonymous said…
The chairs and table turned out great! Wonderful transformation. Can't wait to see what's next on your list.
Vanessa said…
Thanks! I think painting the girls' room is next.
Anonymous said…
I just have to say...because I've looked at this post again ... the "before" chairs were really hideous. I wouldn't have even wanted to put them in my car. Not even for just $5. I wouldn't have even taken them if they paid me $5. So the fact that you made them into something so cheery and cute shows that you are very talented and have a great eye for seeing beyond the obvious.
Vanessa said…
Haha. Yeah, they were disgusting. I think I felt guilty about leaving them (the sellers) with 4 hideous chairs that didn't match anything. Next time I go yard sale shopping I'll be tougher.

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