Poppy green chair!

Both soothing and vibrant colors can make a room peaceful and tranquil without too much effort.
Classic Country, by Katheryn M. Ireland

Don't over think color. That's my motto, at least. If something catches your eye or strikes your fancy, there is a reason. We got our home down to a blank slate - neutral walls, furniture, rug, etc, when we first moved in 2+ years ago. Then we felt free to do absolutely whatever we wanted with color! In came the throw pillows, throw blankets, vases, mirrors, rugs, (not all at once, but here and there over the past couple years), and lots of paint :) I've found that I tend to lean more towards bright, fresh snaps of color as the contrast with our neutral blank slate is so peaceful and tranquil to me, just as Katheryn Ireland describes. 
 

Fresh and vibrant was the plan I had for a particular chair I've had for almost a year: Last spring I found this lot of 4 chairs on Craigslist, (discontinued from Ikea):

Three were used for custom orders...which left one for my imagination :)

The  top color is a mix of 2/3 Antibes Green and 1/3 Florence, (both are by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint). Under that is a soft coat of gray and under that is a bright coat of yellow. Layering colors is one of my favorite ways of aging a piece, especially one so simple as this chair.

Before I even started painting this piece I knew I would be adding nailhead trim. I loved the idea of taking a very ordinary chair and turning it into something one of a kind. It's like a piece of art now and I love that! Accent chairs should be anything but ordinary!

As you can see it is super sturdy :) 

{Will be available at the next Chelsea's Garage sale, date tbd}

Thank you for reading and enjoy your weekend!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt!

Blue; not just for the boys anymore

My most recent piece, hot out of the garage, is this darling blue dresser. It is a custom order for a bedroom of....GIRLS!

Spray painted white hardware adds just the perfect touch of soft sweetness

After making these fabric tassels for Shire's dresser knobs, I am obsessed with using them to adorn girly bedroom pieces. (Fabric tassel tutorial to the right of the page)

So, how about some blue in our little ladies' rooms? :)

The low-down:

-Spray painted a flat white primer

-Painted a thick coat of white

-Rubbed areas where I wanted the white to show through with Vaseline so the blue would rub off easily

-Painted a thick coat of blue, (a custom mixed color)

-Used a dry kitchen sponge to remove the blue off the spots where the Vaseline was rubbed

-Used a medium grit sanding sponge over the entire piece to smooth things out

-Sealed in polyurethane semi-gloss

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt!