Ugly Chair Makeovers

This is the first time I've actually purchased a copy of HGTV Magazine. I think I was subconsciously protesting their new TV format which seems to feature much more house hunting than decorating. But, there's always a first time. I was attracted to the current issue (November 2015) because of the article on "Amazing Chair Makeovers". (OK, I'll admit it, the great colors on the cover caught my eye too!)

 

 

My friend, Anita, recovered this old chair for her home in Pemaquid Point, Maine. Last year, when she and her husband downsized, she gave it to me.

 

 

I had loved this sweet little chair in Anita's home and am now loving it in mine. It was exactly what I needed to complete this conversation grouping at one end of our (very long) living room. Every time I see it I think of good times we've had traveling with Anita and her husband, Fred.

 

 

This chair inspired my sister, Joanne, and I to re-do an old chair from our Mom's house last winter.

 

 

The inspiration chair cost $1199.00; we did ours for under $50.00. Here's our chair "Before". Or maybe I should say "During" as we'd already painted the wood and rattan frame.  You can read more about this project here.

 

 

And here's our finished chair. We were pretty happy with the results since we really didn't know what we were doing when we started!

 

 

I did quite a few posts  about the work Joanne and I did to update our Mom's condo. Now Joanne and her husband own the condo and are doing even more renovations. They're currently having new flooring installed in the guest room/study. Since the condo is on Casco Bay, the flooring they chose is a driftwood color.

View of Portland from the condo

Last weekend, Joanne and I were brainstorming color schemes for this room. (Well, mostly me . . . wait until she sees the inspiration swatches I taped al over her wall while she's been at work!)

 

One idea she had was to use neutral gray walls with bright yellow accessories.

That's where the HGTV chair article comes in. Mom had a wing chair very similar to the "before" chair below and Joanne saved it . . . temporarily camouflaged by a simple beige Sure Fit slipcover.

When I saw this photo I got excited to try my hand at amateur re-upholstery again. I could see this "after" chair in a gray and white fabric with the bright yellow legs and piping in Joanne's soon-to-be-painted guest room/office.

 

Here's another "ugly chair makeover" from the HGTV Magazine article that would also work well in a gray room.

 

I love how this chair came out too. It would add lots of color to a boring room.

 

This chair wouldn't work in Joanne's room but I'd love to see six of these around a dining room table!

 

I think I'm probably referred to by my sisters as their "ADD older sister", always coming up with projects for them to do. Now all I have to do is sell Joanne on my latest crazy idea. Maybe we'll soon be re-doing Mom's old wing chair for her new room

             

Get out the yellow paint and upholstery tacks, Joanne

Here I come!

Partying with:
Flaunt It Friday at Chic On a Shoestring
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

I'm So Done With March!

Here in Maine, March came in like a lion and never went out.  

It was an unseasonably cold and dark month, but there were a few bright spots...

  



My bunny pillow...handmade by Claudia

Our infamous Gourmet Group, a group of friends who have celebrated dinner together every month or two for over 30 years, got together Saturday evening at BFF Claudia's house in Kennebunk. Although it was a  cold, rainy night, Claudia served a delicious spring-themed dinner of roast lamb on a gorgeous table decorated in an Easter theme.

 

The whole Bunny Family!

Claudia is a Home Ec. teacher who, as you might expect, sews and cooks beautifully. Not only does she teach middle school full-time, she also has her own very successful business creating gorgeous purses, totes and aprons which she sells online and at craft fairs. Each chair at Claudia's dinner table Saturday evening had a hand-painted, hand-sewn "bunny " pillow on it. What a surprise to hear that Claudia had taken the time to make one for each of us to take home!

 

And, for those of you who have been following along for awhile, I'm happy to share that our Mom's medical condition has stabilized. She is still in rehab. at Falmouth by the Sea and still unable to walk or swallow, but...she is comfortable, aware, and working hard to regain lost skills...which at 92 is not an easy task. She is well enough now to participate in activities at the facility, like the presentation by the Portland Museum of Art which I attended with her yesterday. She even wore a purple flower in her hair!

I love going to the events at Falmouth by the Sea with Mom. It's a beautiful facility, right on Casco Bay. In addition to skilled rehabilitation, the facility offers both long term care and assisted living. I've met some amazing residents there...with fascinating life stories...and hope to volunteer there someday when my Mom is no longer a patient. Older people have so much to teach us, if we take the time to really listen.

 

 

I couldn't help but laugh to myself yesterday at the Portland Museum of Art presentation though. The large dining room was darkened so that the docent could show slides of various paintings and, as she drew her rather lengthy presentation to a close, I realized that I was about the only person left in the room whose eyes were still open. Mom and most of her fellow art-lovers had fallen asleep!

 

 

The sun is shining on this first day of April and I am ever hopeful that Spring is finally here. This morning, DH shoveled off the back deck and went to LL Bean to buy a gas camping grill...both pretty positive signs of Spring.

 

But my personal favorite sign of Spring? Registration for Fiber College 2014 opened today!!! If you missed my 2013 post about Fiber College ("Summer Camp for Adults"), you can find it here. 

Fiber College is a chance to spend three or four days learning, creating, and making friends with other talented women in a beautiful oceanfront setting at Searsport Shores in Searsport, Maine. For more information, registration, and a list of 2014 classes, click on the Fiber College website here. 

 

I just registered for Fiber College 2014 this morning and am already getting excited. So far, I've signed up to take classes in Bookbinding...

  

and Needle Felting...



Dance Like Nobody's Watching by Kathleen Gerdes, Fiber College 2014

 



 I can't wait! 

 

 

 Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia