Cane Chair Makeover - Part 1

About a month ago, I spotted this chair at the ReStore in town.  

I can honestly say it was love at first sight.  I immediately started transforming it into something more contemporary and beautiful in my mind.  After several minutes contemplating the possibilities, I came to my senses and realized I had NO idea how to reupholster a chair this complicated.  I left that day empty handed and with a sad heart.

A few weeks later, while browsing Pinterest, I came across some very similar chairs that people had redone.  Some of the blogs had step by step instructions on how to reupholster a chair this style.  I initially thought I would be in over my head because this chair has a separate seat cushion that is fully upholstered and the cording around the edges, which I had no idea how to do.  However, I decided to go back to the ReStore, just to see if the chair was still there and take another look.  And guess what!?  The chair WAS still there and was marked down another 25%!  I couldn't resist.  That chair was coming home with me, even if I did have to tie it to my trunk to keep it from falling out on the way. 

My other score this week was a box of power tools I found at a garage sale for 30 bucks!  I almost bought a power screwdriver the day before at Home Depot to take the seat off this chair, so I'm glad I waited!  I will most definitely be getting good use out of these in the future and feeling very self sufficient in the process.

 

So, with my drill in hand I started the process of turning this beast into a beauty a few days ago and am loving it so far.  While I anxiously wait for my fabric to arrive, I have been busy looking at all of the transformations I can find online.  Here are some of my faves!  Be sure to visit their blogs to see the before pictures.  Their makeovers are pretty impressive!

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I am so excited to see how my chair turns out and to show you all!  So stay tuned for the finished product! 

                                                                                                                                     

Navy + Coral

I ordered my new sofa yesterday, and I am very excited about it!  I thought I would share a few of the considerations I took into account when picking it out.

Picking out the frame wasn't difficult.  I have loved the sofa below since it came to the floor of the furniture store I work at.  It is a great classic style and can work in both contemporary and transitional rooms.  I had an "ah-ha" moment, as a coworker would say, when I sat on it for the first time.  It is a great length for my space, has detachable and flippable cushions which will extend the longevity of the sofa, and is made right here in Oregon.  Our economy needs all the help it can get, so I love that part!

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The next step was selecting the fabric.  I knew I wanted to do a neutral fabric for the body of the sofa and I needed something that is tightly woven (preferably a microfiber) that my cats won't destroy.  The one I eventually chose is a warm grey that goes fabulous with the fabrics I fell in love with for the accent pillows.  I was inspired by this navy and coral bedroom by Kate at Centsational Girl.  

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 I LOVE the two colors together and when I brought home the fabrics I was considering, I realized they actually worked really well with the painting I did last week.  

My new sofa should be here within a month, and I look forward to sharing the photos with you all.  In the mean time, here are some beautiful coral and navy rooms that have inspired my choices.

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Every Home Needs a Gallery Wall

 In all of the shelter magazines (and pinterest posts, of course) we have been seeing gallery walls of photos, prints, diy projects, trinkets or whatever it is people want to display on their wall.  It is one of the hottest trends in design right now!  I am thinking of creating a gallery wall in my bedroom on a big blank wall or along my very long wall above my sofa in my living room (where I currently have this piece which I would move to the bedroom).  So, I have been searching for ideas on the internet and in my favorite magazines, House Beautiful and HGTV.  I thought I would share some of my favorites here.  

Over this past weekend, I was in Central Oregon visiting with family and a friend asked me, "do all of your pictures frames need to match?"  My answer was a very strong "no!" and that "I like it when they don't!" Here are a few examples of them not matching and working perfectly!

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I LOVE the whimsical theme in this one.  I'm going to have to learn how to make those butterflies!

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In this one, she used the symmetrical wall on the left to balance the asymmetrical gallery.  I love that there are a few of each frame style and matting and the others are different.  This one is perfect from the wall color to the long narrow console table and the items below, it all balances each other.

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If the mismatched frames bother you that much, try using frames that are the same color but different sizes and shapes, or using a combination of black and white frames.  You will get a much more cohesive look that way.  I might be making a trip to Ikea soon! 

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There are also endless arrangements you can do with your gallery wall. These next two are each hung along vertical or horizontal lines.  If random layouts bothers you, try creating a place for your eye to rest along a straight line.

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Does anyone have a gallery wall in their home?  My mom has had her hallway lined with photos for years.  I've always wondered about her random arrangement of photos and mismatched frames.  Maybe she knew that look would eventually come back around ;)  I can't wait to get started on my own gallery, I'll keep you posted on the developments!

Living Room Art on a Budget

Disclaimer: I am not a professional artist.


So don't judge me if YOU are.  I have never even taken an art class - design classes excluded because we didn't learn how to paint in those.  But, for my mom's 50th birthday bedroom redo, I attempted my first ever canvas and acrylic paint project.  That one was more of an abstract and I got inspiration from a piece I found online called Purple Rain I by Lanie Loreth.  Looking back, I would probably change it a bit, but here it is in her room.

 

And for my second ever canvas paint project, I made a piece for my living room.  I found inspiration in a piece that I really liked at work, but even with my discount it would have been $250.  Maybe someday I will be able to afford that for a piece of art, but not right now!  So I took a stab at making my own with acrylic paint and a canvas that I picked up on sale at Michaels.  

I actually really like the way the colors turned out.  There are shades of aqua, grey, navy and even some periwinkle.  The branches didn't turn out exactly like I imagined, so I may end up changing or eliminating those.  My painting skills will just have have continue to evolve with practice and this may be an ever changing piece, but for now I will enjoy it like this.