Cane-Backed Chair

It wasn't a "meet cute" - it was more of a "meet grimy."  I wouldn't have even noticed it had I not tripped on it in the thrift store.  But as I was rubbing my shin, I realized the chair had potential.  The brown shellacked wood was in good shape, there was no damage to the cane-backing, and the stained seat could be reupholstered.  So one newly-upholstered-seat and a fresh-coat-of-paint-later we had... this guy:

The wooden frame and cane were painted in another home-made chalk paint concoction.  The original color was a flat finish Behr paint called "Fashion Gray" mixed with Plaster of Paris and water to get this chalky finish.

I felt like the chair-before-bling looked too sweet.  Now it's a little edgy with its metallic touches.  I started by tacking the nails loosely in place to make sure I had the spacing right.

Once I was sure I liked the spacing, I nailed them the rest of the way in.  It's no secret that I am rapidly falling in love with nail head trim. 

Adding in this Chartreuse ikat pillow really plays up the edginess angle of the nail head.

I actually went to the thrift store looking for bookends... and (of course) I left with 3 completely random and non-bookend things.  The chair being the biggest prize.  Want to know what happened to the other 2 random thrift finds?  You'll have to check back in for a future guest post ;)

Look how far we've come cane-backed chair.  Can you spot Thor in the Before photo?

 Yes this chair would make a cozy addition to a sunny porch or a serene bedroom.  I hope he finds a good home come Saturday at the 5th Chelsea's Garage Sale!  Check back for the rest of our Week of Peeks - this and many many other show-stoppers will be available for sale THIS weekend: 

Contact us for the address - located in Herndon, VA. Hope to see you there!

~Cate

This post was originally published on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as Chelsea's Garage.

Poppy green chair!

Both soothing and vibrant colors can make a room peaceful and tranquil without too much effort.
Classic Country, by Katheryn M. Ireland

Don't over think color. That's my motto, at least. If something catches your eye or strikes your fancy, there is a reason. We got our home down to a blank slate - neutral walls, furniture, rug, etc, when we first moved in 2+ years ago. Then we felt free to do absolutely whatever we wanted with color! In came the throw pillows, throw blankets, vases, mirrors, rugs, (not all at once, but here and there over the past couple years), and lots of paint :) I've found that I tend to lean more towards bright, fresh snaps of color as the contrast with our neutral blank slate is so peaceful and tranquil to me, just as Katheryn Ireland describes. 
 

Fresh and vibrant was the plan I had for a particular chair I've had for almost a year: Last spring I found this lot of 4 chairs on Craigslist, (discontinued from Ikea):

Three were used for custom orders...which left one for my imagination :)

The  top color is a mix of 2/3 Antibes Green and 1/3 Florence, (both are by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint). Under that is a soft coat of gray and under that is a bright coat of yellow. Layering colors is one of my favorite ways of aging a piece, especially one so simple as this chair.

Before I even started painting this piece I knew I would be adding nailhead trim. I loved the idea of taking a very ordinary chair and turning it into something one of a kind. It's like a piece of art now and I love that! Accent chairs should be anything but ordinary!

As you can see it is super sturdy :) 

{Will be available at the next Chelsea's Garage sale, date tbd}

Thank you for reading and enjoy your weekend!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt!