Cane Chair Makeover: Before

About a week ago I ventured out to run some errands with the baby and just so happened to be in close proximity to one of my favorite thrift stores, the Discovery Store. Okay, I parked right in front of the place but went to two other places before hitting up the shop.  This place is pretty small but nicely organized. It didn't take very long for me to spot a chair I've been coveting for months now -- a cane low-back barrel chair.

The price tag was $35, which was a little higher than I wanted to pay but still cheaper and much sturdier than a similar chair I had seen at Goodwill a week before.  It just so happened to be my lucky day.  After some friendly chatter with the lady volunteer at the register, she whispered, "Let me see if I can get a better price for you." I decided then the chair was meant to come home with me and was worth a little annoyance from my husband (I tend to bring home a lot of "projects").

Here's what I got for 20 bucks. The discount price may seem high to someone who hasn't thrifted in the Bay Area, but it's actually a pretty good price.  I've gone to a few Goodwills and am surprised by how high the furniture is marked. Anyway, the upholstery looks and smells gross.  I figure it's worth a shot upholstering it myself.  I'm going to be following the tutorial from the amazing Jenny @ Little Green Notebook.

I plan to remove the dark stain and upholster it using white canvas.  I'm in love with this chair and it would be really lovely if I can do something similar to mine.

pinterest

I also like the thought of mixing it up a bit. I have some blue ikat fabric that I bought about a year ago and think it might be fun to do just the seat cushion in a pattern.

Lime in the coconut

I hope this chair makeover is worth the time I putting into it.

~ Sandra

Why I'm House Blogging

They say the devil is in the details and nothing could be closer to the truth. Our house has gone through some significant cosmetic changes (retexturing of walls, new floors, paint, etc.) but there are a bunch of little things that are unfinished and I'm tired of it. I want reach a point where I can really enjoy my home and not be annoyed by the door trims needing to be painted or repaired.  Let me just say, that I am not a perfectionist but I've been living in my place for over 3 years and its about time we get all these details squared away.  I hope that by documenting all this stuff I'll stay motivated to keep gong and finally finish, sort of like a get fit journal for a person who is trying to achieve/maintain a healthy lifestyle. (I've also started a blog on that subject ... The Skinny On Me).

Also, I'm no longer digging the decor in my house and I blame all the blogs for exposing me to all the possibilities.  I wish I had known to check them out when we first got our house so I wouldn't have felt rushed to fill it with things that I don't really love, but lesson learned.  I'm trying to sell some furniture items and hopefully get a reasonable price for them since I really don't have the cash-flow to easily replace them. For the reason just mentioned, I should just probably keep everything as-is but I'm going to try to redecorate thoughtfully and on a TIGHT budget.

~ Sandra