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

Updating Mom's House #4: A Coastal Maine Table

My sister, Joanne, and I are updating and redecorating our Mom's condo for her while she recovers from a stroke and thought it would be fun to share our progress with you. We started with the Living Room, moved on to the Master Bedroom and Bath, and are about to start on the kitchen...

A COASTAL MAINE TABLE
 

It was almost dinnertime when we finished cleaning up from painting Mom's bedroom. We were tired and looking forward to a quiet dinner and a glass (or two?) of wine.
 

 

Our Mom's home is not just on the ocean, it hangs right over it!  Our little corner of ocean is Casco Bay in Portland, Maine. We're lucky to always have the table with the view...

 

 
 

When Mom originally chose the colors for her kitchen, she was inspired by the busy harbor outside her windows and decorated the room in red, white and blue.
 

Joanne repainted the kitchen chairs and picked up some new accessories to dress up Mom's table....red and white linen napkins, blue pottery dishes and crystal-beaded napkin rings...and was anxious to use them. So, amidst the messy paint buckets, drop cloths, brooms and brushes...

 

Joanne set a special table for supper.

 

We're lucky to be just a short walk from the local fish market...

 

Fresh fish, a green salad, and wine...served on a pretty table overlooking Casco Bay...what more could we want after a long day of painting and redecorating?

 

 

"Any time women come together with a collective intention, it's a powerful thing. Whether it's sitting down making a quilt, in a kitchen preparing a meal, in a club reading the same book, or around the table playing cards, or planning a birthday party, when women come together with a collective intention...

 

 

 

       ...Magic happens."  *     

 

*Quotation from Phylicia Rashad

 

 

This post is linked to:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On the Porch

 Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

First Light

Since Mom has been in the hospital, I've been keeping my sister Joanne company at Mom's condo in Portland one or two nights a week. Since I tend to fall asleep on the living room couch, I have an amazing view of the sunrise over the harbor each morning.

 

As the easternmost state in the continental U.S., the sun comes up early in Maine, especially here along the coast.

"The nearer the dawn the darker the night."  

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Portland, Maine, 1807-1882)

Lobster boats have already begun heading out to sea...

While pleasure craft sit snugly at the dock, awaiting summer.
 

Did you notice that the sailboat in the middle has a light on in the galley? It, and a few other boats in the marina, have propane heaters and are lived in year round...Brrr!
 

The 6:15 ferry from Peak's Island arrives in Portland
 

As the sky lightens, another day begins.



"Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door."

Emily Dickinson