DIY: Reupholstering Chairs

Today, the Inn Keeper (LOL) decided to try reupholstering chairs.

We bought these chairs and the cute, glass-top table that matches in 2013 for our home in Dunnellon. It was a super cheap Craigslist find. Even back then, BC (before child), we knew we'd need to recover these seats though. off-white is just not a good look for upholstered kitchen chairs.

So, you may recognize the material from the dressing screen project a couple months back. I'm all about using up my materials AND tying common threads (pun intended!) throughout the house.

This was a relatively easy project considering I haven't ever reupholstered anything. Granted, a seat cushion is pretty easy to tackle; there isn't much learning curve.

I turned the chairs upside down on the table, unscrewed the seat cushions, draped and tightened the new fabric over the old (yes, I know), and then screwed them back on.

Now, here's the thing, I still need to trim a little bit of the excess off. Plus I want to add a few furniture staples to secure it all. But all in all this was an easy, fast way to get a fresh new look in our kitchen!

UPDATE: now that I've had all the chairs recovered and I've had time to really look them over and get used to the new printed fabric, I'm starting to feel like a fresh, new color on the metal would be a great idea. And would most likely better suit the fabric choice than the metallic grey/black with gold accents. Repainting them would require taking the cushions off again, but I considering how easy that is, it'd be so worth it if the color is spot on.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Late Night Decorating.

That's it. I've finally hit the point where I just can't take it any longer.

I cannot continue living here with no things on the walls - no mementos, no trinkets on shelves. I've got to finally unpack some boxes. With Dom tucked in and fast asleep, I creep downstairs to sort through memories bound up in bubble wrap. Nostalgia and excitement waft into the air as I open the boxes and begin deciding where things should go.

I took out pictures and laid them out across the floor, trying to envision them in their new homes on the walls.

Arrange and rearrange.
Picture them in new places.
Try and try again.

The butterfly collection was a wedding gift from JM's cousin, Susan. She found it fitting because we were married in the Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Garden and Atrium. It was a beautiful wedding (not that I'm biased) and a wonderful gift to commemorate it. No matter where we move, I'll always want this piece on display somewhere common so it can be appreciated by all.

So anyway, this is the arrangement I settled on. I like it, I do, especially the large collage. But I'm still not convinced everything is where it ought to stay.

Take the two paintings on the stairs for example. Neither of these feels like the right fit in this location, but I can't decide what else to put there. Maybe it should be nothing. Maybe I should just paint that wall a glorious, funky, vibrant color. We'll see. For now, this is it. And I love what it is ... so far.