Vintage Chair Makeover
Thursday my physical therapist instructed me to "lay low" and recover from traveling. Specifically, no pulling weeds (she acts like she knows me or something!). My upper right arm had some mild swelling, a sign of possible lymphedema. Because all of my axillary (underarm) lymph nodes were removed, I am at a high risk for developing this condition--known best for it's pain and swelling.
I decided to tackle a small project that's been lurking undone in the corner of our dining room since Eli (ahem) peed on it after bath time one evening.
I call it my chameleon chair. I picked up a pair of these chairs at a thrift store in my mid twenties. At the time, they were fire engine red, with the dirtiest red striped fabric cushion. Oh, wait, like this....
Ew. Right?
Since then, the chair has had a toile seat, been painted orange, distressed, the toile swapped out for a blue cotton ticking cushion...it's my go-to anytime a room needs a little something fresh for little (or more often, no) money. It's not particularly well made (Jason just glued one of the legs back on), and it doesn't have very distinct style lines. It's just So. Darn. Easy. This is the only "before" photo I could find.
Right now I'm in the mood for something crisp.
I decided on white chalk paint and some vintage Marimekko fabric.
I used Folk Art Chalk Paint from JoAnn Fabrics. It mixed easier than the Amy Howard Chalk Paint that I've used, but it was THICK! I was a little concerned about the brush strokes, but since I'm going for a matte, farm house look, I decided to roll with it.
After one coat of paint....
Next, the cushion. I'm Marimekko obsessed, and fortunate enough to have a few vintage pieces from my grandmother. If you haven't heard of Marimekko, I'm sorry. Just kidding. Let me fill you in. It's a Finnish design house. Target is currently carrying a revival Marimekko line. Their prints were super hot in the late sixties and seventies. My grandmother on the Pryor side loved all things Finnish (and Norwegian, and Swedish...). My grandmother on the Hamill side is Finnish. For these reasons, and many more, I have a soft spot for their iconic prints.
Because I'm chicken when it comes to cutting my Marimekko, I used a piece that already had some large cuts (Grandma probably made a pillow from it). I didn't take many pictures when I stapled the fabric onto the seat of the chair. The press board is hard as a rock and, well, who sees the bottom of the chair anyway, right? Let's just say its not pretty.
But the finished product? Oh so pretty.
