Glad You Stopped By

By day I am a marketing professional for small businesses. I love to find and re-purpose forgotten objects, furniture and household items, turning them into usable stuff. I find interesting items at tag sales, flea markets and sometimes even thrown away along the side of the road. If I can find a use for something, I'll pick it up if it's the right price.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Roadside Pick Of The Summer

There is nothing that gets a DIYer's heart pumping faster than a good roadside pick. As I was walking my dog in my neighborhood, I saw someone putting out 4 ugly looking chairs by the curb. I quickly scooted over to chat with the owner and learned that the chairs had come from a local hospital's reception area and were given to him when they remodeled a few years ago.  He had intended to refinish them but never got around to it.  And the best part . . . . they were FREE.  I asked if he'd put them behind the hedge so I could run home and return with a truck. Well, here they are.


And there they sat, all summer.  It was just too hot and humid in our neck of the woods to think about sanding.  Plus, it took a while to find the right fabric to cover the hideous vinyl seats.  After combing the thrift stores for a set of large napkins, I was able to find a remnant for $5.00 at one of my favorite shops, Knack, The Art Of Clever Reuse, located in Easthampton, MA.  I told myself that Labor Day weekend would be devoted to getting these chairs out of the garage and finishing them.


I hand sanded each piece just enough to scuff up the old finish.  I used Glidden Pecan stain and waited patiently for them to dry. After washing the vinyl covers, I laid out the seat cushions on my fabric.


I suppose I could have finished the edges off, but who's going to look under the chair, right?


And here's the finished project, perfect for my office conference table. 


Total cost:  $5.00.  I already had the stain, a foam brush and the staple gun.  Onto the next project - a retro industrial stool.  Stay tuned!



2 comments:

  1. Liz, you constantly amaze me with your many talents. Also, thanks for taking a few minutes off from your project to answer my question. YOU ROCK!

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