Royal blue parlor chairs

I couldn't help myself. This set of 4 turn-of-the century blue velvet parlor chairs just seemed like an appropriate project for this week as the exciting news of a little prince made its way across the pond. 

These chairs came with the blue velvet loveseat that I posted last week and are upholstered in the same fabric.

Before:

After: 

I painted two thick coats of Paris Grey and dry-brushed a thin coat of Old White, both by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. See my dry-brushing tip at the end of this post.

SOLD

Painters tip: Dry-brushing is a great way to achieve a weathered, layered look with your paint. Make sure your first color goes on thick. Then for your top color, just dip the very tip of the brush in the paint and wipe off the excess across the edge of the paint can. Cover small areas at a time with your brush, moving back and forth swiftly and evenly.

Thank you for reading!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

I can Ikat; you can, too!

Try saying that five times fast!

Every now and then a piece which is up for sale will stick around a little longer than I anticipate. And as they sit lonely in our garage awaiting a new home, fresh ideas for how to refinish them start to bubble up - not all the time, but sometimes. I've posted 're-do's on here before and I've got my favorite re-do to show you today! It's not really a re-do as much as an add-on. 

Here is a very simple little drop leaf table I did a few months ago. I painted the top and the legs in Old White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Drawer left in original finish with original antique hardware.

After it sat and collected dust for a while, I felt like playing with it a little more

Ikat is a super trendy pattern right now; as it should be! It is fun, vibrant, and brings a laid back, relaxed vibe to traditionally formal spaces such as living rooms and dining rooms. There are a zillion variations of ikat when you google image the print. What's not to love? I decided to try my hand at creating an ikat pattern on my unsold table with a simple kitchen sponge, plastic plate, and one of my favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors, French Linen. I cut my kitchen sponge down to the simple ikat shape, (basically a diamond, but I left my long edges rounded). 

Then I dipped my sponge into the paint, wiped the excess across the edge of the plate, and pressed it onto my table in imperfect rows. I eyeballed my rows to stay consistent but it wasn't precise. (You can also see the dark wax I added to the top surface)

My little bird, itchin' to help.

And a very good help she was!

Our little table before rubbing it down using a medium grit sanding sponge - my favorite distressing tool. I wanted the pattern to look faded and worn, which was an effect the sponge already helped create with it's natural texture.

Then I took a pretty standard break for some twin love before sealing our table up and bringing it in for pictures.

{Wouldn't you know it, this table sold before I even had the chance to post it here}

So there you have it; an easy DIY ikat project you can easily do from home! This would also be cool to try on canvas to create your own custom art. Or tea towels. Hmmm...Christmas is 5mo away... :)

Thank you for reading!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Victorian Love

I received an amazing gift...

~Before~

~After~

The story on this piece is short and very sweet. My brother has fallen in love and will be marrying an amazing girl next January. Her parents, who are moving, very generously gave me some pieces from their home to do what I please. Every piece which they have given be will be available for sale upon completion, (including this Victorian loveseat). Whatever is made on each piece will be given to my brother and his fiance as a wedding gift. Matt and I were very blessed, (and continue to be), by the support of our family, especially early on in our marriage. It is a dear pleasure to be able to pay that support forward in this way.

The secret to a crisp, clean paint job on a superbly upholstered piece? B-L-U-E  T-A-P-E! So many curves and so many details to keep protected. I used my fingers and very gently tucked the tape in, ever so slightly, wherever I could. Also, paint slow. Very slow. No quick brush strokes. Be patient and use appropriately sized brushes for different areas. I am very relieved to say that I did not get a single spec of paint on the fabric, but if I had, I kept a bowl of cold water and a dry cloth within reach so I could very quickly remove the paint. Grateful it didn't come to that on this job!

Victorian pieces are all about details...

SOLD

Thank you for coming by!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.