Newlyweds and Nesting: Elizabeth Anne Designs Living: A Food, Lifestyle, and Craft Blog » furniture

Making Our House Actually Sweet: Dining Chairs

Hasel — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:52 +0000

The first to-do on my list is to was to find new chairs for cheap – and I mean cheap. In the heat of the moment at our garage sale, I sold part of our “collection” of hand-me-down dining chairs. After that we were stuck using half folding chairs, half wooden chairs. After the garage sale, we took a trip to IKEA, where I picked up these two white slipcovered chairs. I highly recommend them if you are in the market for a basic Parsons style chair. That solved part of our problem, but I still wanted to replace the mismatched chairs and go back to using the folding chairs for their real purpose – extra seating.

{author’s personal collection}

My dream chairs are the Thonet Bentwood Chairs, featured below in the now-defunct domino. Growing up my grandmother had a version of these chairs with caning seats and I have always wanted a set. I found a source for them at a reasonable price ($99 per chair), but they are not in the decor budget just yet – other pieces of furniture are higher on my want list. (Like a new sofa to replace the plaid one and provide us with an extra bed for guests.)

{left: from domino, photographer unknown; right: from domino May 2007, photographer Dittie Isager}

I set out searching for a cheaper, temporary alternative. I remembered a photograph of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s Hampton house dining room with different chairs all painted black. I loved this look, it seemed eclectic, but still unified!

{Elle Decor, photographer William Waldron}

So I headed to some thrift stores in search of four to six different chairs, possibly using one of the hand-me-down chairs we already had. On our first trip to a nearby Goodwill, Nick and I stumbled upon four matching chairs with good bones and a cloth seat for only $8.99 each. On Tuesdays, they offer a discount if you hold a rewards card from a casino. Jackpot! We did and we were able to score all four chairs for less than $25. That’s exactly the kind of cheap I was looking for.

{author’s personal collection}

N removed the seat cushions and the old fabric. I sanded the chairs to rough them up and painted them using Home Depot’s paint and primer in one in black. After two coats, they were good to go and I used wipe on polyurethane to make them more durable and wipeable.

A note about painting furniture: I painted my desk this summer with no problems. I primed separately using a tacky primer from Home Depot, then painted, and polyed. The desk is fabulous – not perfect, but super shiny and durable just the way I wanted. For the chairs, the poly did not dry as well; after a few days of drying it was still really tacky. I left them in the sun and that helped, but I can still see some streaks from the poly. I would recommend priming and painting separately, not using the all-in-one. That and not giving the chairs as much drying time in between coats of paint might be the reasons I didn’t have the best luck with this project. For more information, on painting furniture see Bryn from Bryn Alexandra Interiors’ guide and Jenny from the Little Green Notebook’s tips.

At a designer’s tag sale last year, I’d picked up a remnant of this caning fabric from Michael Miller for $10. It was perfect for the seats – I’d get my caning after all! After the chairs were painted and the polyurethane dried, Nick stapled the fabric onto the seats and put them back onto the chairs.

{author’s personal collection}

All things considered, I am really pleased with the way the chairs turned out. The full reveal of the dining and living room will be coming soon. Up next on the to-do list: the gallery wall.

Have you finished any home decor projects lately? Had any experiences painting and/or recovering furniture? Do share!

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Posted in: crafts, decor, furniture, home tour

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More Nursery Progress!

Julia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:17 +0000

I have so many nursery projects to share with you readers! My inner Martha Stewart has really come out for this event and even if you aren’t the most crafty person in the world, I think you could do a few of these projects without too much trouble. Making the nursery personal and yet inexpensive is one of my top goals for the room (besides making it totally awesome and modern and bright….those are good goals, too, right?). So I knew we’d do a lot of DIY projects and I’d hunt for gently used pieces of furniture that just beg to be refinished. So far, so good.

My loving fellow-crafty lady mother come up to The Great North to visit her only daughter a few weeks ago. Our sole mission was to pump out as many projects as humanly possible in 2 full days. So we first went fabric shopping and found a literal JACKPOT at a local quilting store. Narrowing it down to just three prints was painstaking but I’m really happy with what we chose:

My mom got to work on the sewing machine (since I still haven’t sucked it up and learned how to sew) and made two sets of orange curtains with green tie backs, a green window seat cushion, and two yellow cushions for the rocking chair. The window seat is definitely one of my favorite spots in the room so far.

Meanwhile, I became familiar with repainting woodwork. We found this awesome changing table/dresser on Craigslist for $75. It is solid wood and 15 years old, so it needed a bit of revamping. I swapped the wooden red knobs for some simple brushed nickel ones and voila….a brand new dresser!

And after scouring the internet for The Perfect Rocker, I decided we could not justify spending hundreds of dollars on a nice upholstered rocker that would probably only be used in the baby’s room. Well what do you know, but my in-laws had a handmade rocker created by my father-in-law back in 1972. The clean lines made it a little more modern and he didn’t mind if we painted it. And so, painting cane became my nemesis but I succeeded after sanding, priming and painting the heck out of it.

And with the fatty cushions my mom made, we have a modern and functional rocker for next to nothing. And isn’t the changing table/dresser cute sitting next to the rocker?

Henry totally digs ‘his’ new chair. I tried to rock him like a baby in it but he was mortified and refused.

The dog that inspired the doggie prints in the nursery:

He really thinks he owns the whole room, poor guy.

And a few shots of the whole thing:

Now all that is left is making a bumper and bed skirt, getting some small shelves for the empty wall, and going crazy with frames and wall decor! Plus the closet needs a renovation for sure but I might put that off awhile longer.

Moral of the story? Craiglist is your friend. Quilting stores have amazing fabric for things other than quilting. And if you try to do too many projects in a weekend you will literally start slurring your speech. But it’s so worth it, my friends:)

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Posted in: crafts, decor, fabric, furniture, modern, pregnancy

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DIY Terra Cotta Lamp

Rebekah — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:11 +0000

After moving to Nicaragua, I realized that fashionable lamps were in short supply. The best option was to DIY a lamp, as hardware stores and terra cotta pots are plentiful and cheap. The entire project cost us under $10 for two lamps.

Supplies Needed :: Terra Cotta Pot, Light Bulb, Lamp Kit (includes socket and cord with plug), Electrical Tape, Knife or Razer Blade, Rocks or Fireproof material (lava rock or pea gravel work well)

Step One :: Gather all of your supplies in one place.

Step Two :: Carve into the bottom of the pot to create a niche that will prevent the pot from wobbling once the cord is ran through the bottom. Make sure the hole in the bottom is large enough to fit your cord through.

Step Three :: Take the cord with the plug and strip the ends of rubber, using the knife or razer blade. Feed the cord through the bottom of the terra cotta pot.

Step Four :: Strip the ends off the socket (this is typically done for you with removable caps). Match up the ends of the socket and the ends of the cord and twist the copper together. Take your electrical tape and wrap the ends, making sure to cover the copper in several layers.

Step Five :: Add the rocks around the base, building up the socket to a level that is satisfactory. Screw in the bulb, and plug in!

Disclosure :: The material used to build up the lamp base HAS to be fireproof. The light bulb and terra cotta pot will get very hot. It would help to cut a wire mesh screen to place on top of the lamp to prevent dust and other objects from falling in the lamp. We do not have children, and the lamps are in a place where we can easily check for foreign material before plugging in. Flood lamps such as these are a great alternative to regular light bulbs.

Originally posted on Honeysuckle Life.

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My Budget Fabulous Guest Bedroom Re-Do

Rachel — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:02 +0000

One of the nice things about having a house is the fact that we have the space and are able to have friends and family come and stay with us. But as of late, and especially after the wedding, our guest bedroom had really become a no-man’s land full of things that didn’t really have a home. It certainly didn’t reflect a welcoming feeling. With 3 sets of visitors coming to visit and stay with us this fall, I decided that it was high time to do something about it.

But here’s the thing: with budget being a huge issue, I needed to re-use and re-purpose what I already had and make it work.

Armed with 2 gallons of paint (that I got on sale over Labor Day!), I got to work.

Here’s an embarrassing view of what it looked like before:

It wasn’t pretty!

I decided on a wall color, thanks in part to Mrs. Limestone and her own guest bedroom, and also decided to paint all the furniture an antique/off white so that it would look less mis-matched.

Here are some “in progress” shots:

I had no problem getting the walls painted. But last weekend a Texas monsoon washed in, and – no kidding – it rained for about 48 hours STRAIGHT. In fact, the rain has been on and off until even today!

Our original idea was to use the paint sprayer and spray all the furniture. Even with the rain, we decided to give it a try anyways. We thought that hanging up a tarp to sheild our covered porch might work.

It didn’t. Honestly, it was a nightmare.

Never….NEVER…. try to paint in the rain. Even under a covered porch. Or your paint might wash off if it gets wet.

After I gave the armoire it’s first coat of paint with a brush (inside, where it was dry!), I decided that the patchy and non-even paintjob actually looked pretty cool! I decided then to kind of “antique” all of the furniture with a little sanding paper. It was super easy to do, and I think it helps the furniture to not look so juvenile.

Once all the paint was dry, all that was left to do was put the room back together!

And here’s what it looks like now:

The painting above the bed is one that Chris’ grandmother painted, and it is very special to him. I like that it adds a pop of color into the room, so I’m hoping to find a pillow or some fabric that has a rich blue in it to compliment the painting. I also need to find a curtain panel for the window. The sheer that I originally thought I’d use ended up being too yellow. Since I bought the panels that are in front of the closet from Pottery Barn, I’ll just watch the sales and grab another one from there. More artwork, possibly an alarm clock, and some accessories also need to be added, but those can wait a little bit. For now, the room is done, and I know our guests that are coming to stay this weekend will notice (and hopefully appreciate!) the big change!

Total cost for this project?? About $50 + a lot of elbow grease.

You can read a little more about the project over at my blog – just look for ”Guest Bedroom” under the tags.

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Posted in: decor, furniture, painting

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“That chair is worth how much??”

Rachel — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:00:26 +0000

This was the response I got a couple of weeks ago while shopping in New Orleans with one of my friends. We had stumbled into a vintage furniture store, and they had a pair of Brno chairs by Mies van der Rohe. I, having studied him and them in some of my college design classes, was excited. It’s always so cool to see things like this in “real life”. My friend, however, was taken aback by the price tag – over $2500 for the pair! To me that wasn’t a surprise, knowing what true liscensed furniture like this is worth. And so a dialogue was started.

Most people who buy pieces like this consider them like functional art. They are beautiful in form, and are timeless in design. These pieces will never go out of style. Not to mention that the true licensed pieces are so well built that they will last you a lifetime.

The Barcelona collection (above) from Mies van de Rohe is instantly recognizable, along with the Tulip table designed by Eero Saarinen (below).

These Harry Bertoia Diamond chairs (below) are also popular.

But, the one piece that I’ve always wanted, however, is the Le Corbusier lounge (below). It is so comfortable, and is able to slide up or down allowing you to sit more upright or reclined.

This only scratches the surface. There are so many beautifully designed pieces of furniture like these. Some people collect art. If I were able, I would collect these.

*all images from Knoll

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DIY headboard

Julia — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:45 +0000

Blogging on a ‘Living’ website makes me want to dig deep for some inspirational decor/craft posts. I know I have it in me somewhere if only I can cut through my randomness. In March 2008, after we moved into our duplex, I was losing my mind over decorating a clean slate of sorts. Truly in my own personal heaven I found my inner Martha and whipped out a few projects and I believe I will share them with you.

My largest craft to date? Our upholstered headboard that my Mom and I made one weekend while she visited us in Our Great Northern Habitat. This project is super easy [I swear!] and inexpensive, while making a regular old bed seem much more regal and dare I say it….more like a grown-up bed? There’s just something about a headboard to make the bed seem….grounded and official. Someday when we own a home with more bedrooms than we can possibly handle [which is when I'll lay around in my pjs all day long while sipping coffee, eating bon bons, and watching Oprah] I can imagine making a different headboard for each guest room. Ah yes, that imaginary mansion of ours. Someday, my friends.

My inspiration from JC Penney:

I wasn’t too happy with the online instructions floating around out there so I’m going to make this post as detailed as possible, to encourage YOU to make a headboard, too. It really wasn’t too hard at all but I decided to skip the decorative ridges in the board and made mine thinner, too. I’ll explain why later.

Total time spent: 3.5 hours
Total cost: $106 [because of some fabulous 40% off coupons at Joann Fabric]

Supplies needed [specific measurements for a queen bed]:
~plywood [cut to 4X5 feet]
~4 2X4s: 2 that are 66″ and 2 that are 53″
~fabric of your choice [ours was 2.5 yards]
~liner of your choice [cheapy 'muslin' is what we used]
~batting [2.5 yards]
~foam [we chose the 1" kind after we discovered the 3" to be VERY expensive. Needs to total 4X5 feet to cover the plywood without anything hanging over the edges]
~buttons to be covered by your fabric [you can buy a kit for this]
~kite thread
~darning needle
~staple gun [or if yours totally sucks like ours, you'll need upholstery tacks instead]
~spray adhesive
~drill and nails

So here was the before:

And the after:

Care to read on? Here we go:

1. Find a handsome boy to construct the actual board part of the head board. What? You didn’t think Mom and I did this from scratch, did you? Said boy also drilled holes into the board for our buttons–make sure to do this before you cover the beast or you will not be happy. Make sure to keep a [creepy] watchful eye on this boy, as seen here:

2. Spray the plywood with your adhesive and stick the foam onto the board. Trim the foam accordingly. Then place your batting, then your liner, then your fabric. You don’t need to use spray adhesive for all the layers here, just make sure to line them up while the board is on the ground….and no wrinkles allowed! Once you have them aligned, you can tilt the board upright:

3. Now comes the part that will make you question your sanity: the stupid buttons! First, you will need to cover all 14 of the buttons with fabric using a kit of some sort. Once you regain consciousness, you need to attach them to the board. Remember those holes the boy drilled for you? Here is where they come in handy. Using a kite string and a darning needle, poke into the fabric from the backside towards the front. At the front, hook the button through the string and pass the needle back to the other side. Make sense? Here is my stellar demonstration of the famous ‘pass back’ technique.

4. You’ll pull tightly on the string and tie it around a piece of batting so it won’t pop through. Each time you add a button make sure to smooth out your fabric to avoid wrinkles. I realize the end result isn’t the most asthetic and I won’t even tell you what this image looks like to me—but nobody will see this part anyway:)

Here it is with the buttons added:

5. Now secure the edges of the fabric to the back of the board. We planned on using a staple gun but the fabric was too thick or something, so we went with upholstry tacks instead.Trim the excess fabric as needed.

And voila, you have a headoard! Nate drilled ours into our bedframe and it’s pretty sturdy….still standing over a year later! And I realize my white color choice was bold…someone once asked if it gets dirty from our greasy heads. Um, no….haven’t had that problem yet but it’s a thought?

This is our current version, complete with a bedspread makeover as well. I did not make that one:) Please note the fluffy white dog playing king of the mountain as well:

So there you have it, a real craft/decor post. Is anyone going to take on the headboard challenge? It will be worth it!

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Decor: Thrifty Decor Chic’s $20 sofa table

Feisty Tourist — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:00:45 +0000

Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chic is always sharing creative ways to spruce up a home without spending too much cash. She recently posted a neat tutorial about how to make a sofa table for less than $20. Check it out!

P.S. Don’t you love how her cats like to get in the pictures? So cute!

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Posted in: crafts, decor, furniture, painting

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Craft: Wallpapered Dresser

Rebekah — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:00:47 +0000

I might as well just repost everything from CraftyNest. Her projects are THAT COOL.

Go check out the before on her blog!

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Posted in: crafts, decor, furniture, simple solutions, storage, style

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Craft: DIY Hemp Pendant Lamps

Rebekah — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:00:23 +0000

via Craftynest

Can you believe these were DIY versions of the pricier West Elm versions?

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Craft: Ikea Lack Table Hack

Rebekah — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:00:33 +0000

Had an immediate “Ooh! I want to make!” reaction to this Ikea hack over at Craftynest (via Craftzine). The instructions are incredibly detailed and well put together. She’s selling some of her old projects, including the modular storage I loved so much! You can purchase on Craigslist.

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Posted in: furniture

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