Summer Projects & Dining Chairs

What a blessed summer.

Lots of BBQing, s'mores, volleyball with family, planting new grass, cutting trees, sitting around the campfire, boating.  A blessed summer.

I've been squeezing in some projects here and there and thought I'd show you a few in progress. 

As you know, we finished the surround on our sitting room fireplace in March, and I painted the bookshelves around that same time.  In April, I found a light fixture on craigslist for $40 and, although a tacky brass, I knew it could be stunning with a little time and Krylon's Oil-Rubbed Bronze.


In case you're wondering how on earth I found the patience to tape off each and every glass section on this fixture, I will confess it was a 2-3 day ordeal.  My precious 12-year-old son agreed to cut newspaper pieces to fit each area using a template I made.  Then, as I was (literally) waiting for paint to dry on other pieces in the garage, I taped off a few areas at a time.  The whole time I taped I was thinking of the age-old question, "Do you have more money, or more time?"

Well, this summer I've definitely had more time than money, so hi-ho...hi-ho...it's taping I go.

Here's how the fixture looks after a little spray painting.  Quite a difference.


This is the part that goes inside.  Beautiful, isn't it?


I'm now impatiently waiting for Mr. Wonderful to install it for me so I can show some reveal pics.

Last week I had the pleasure of watching my brother's 4 children, ages 6 and under, for three days while he and his wife enjoyed a little getaway.  On Tuesday, we were confined inside due to rain, so like any crazy multi-tasking auntie, I thought, why not paint the studio/guest room while we're confined indoors?

The color was originally a chocolate milk/silly putty shade.  With this room's northern exposure, the color made the room feel dreary and dark.  When naptime came, I went to town & lightened it up a bit with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. 



The door in the following pic is the door to my daughter's room.  This space was set up as a mother-in-law suite, but we use it as two separate spaces.  While we occasionally use it as a guest room, I am transitioning it into an office/studio for myself as well.




I'm painting most of the furniture white except for a pine-colored dresser that holds craft supplies.  I'm using Sherwin Williams Alabaster, coating the sturdy craigslist work table pictured above, this craigslist sleighbed,


...and this amazing office chair I found at a garage sale in Kenai about 7 years ago.  I don't have a before picture, but it was this blonde-colored wood that badly needed some attention.  The chair adjusts up and down, and even tilts back. 

So much more character than the black plastic/fabric covered office chairs you see today.


I need to put one more coat on each of these three pieces.  As I climbed into bed last night, I told my hubby I think I finally wore out my wrist and forearm after a day of bonding with my Purdy paintbrush.  I'm definitely looking into paint sprayers soon.

And last but not least, I realized I never showed final reveal pictures of the dining room chairs I recovered last winter during my long evenings of Christy episodes. 

My dining set is quite formal, although I still really love it & will probably keep it forever.  Recovering the seats was my way of freshening it up and lightening its mood a bit:



I'd like to sew slipcovers for the two end chairs one day to break up all the wood.  Miss Mustard Seed has some wonderful skirted ones I'd love to replicate. I nice sisal rug under the table would be great, too, but I'm in no hurry.  Especially with the sun still shining at 10 o'clock pm around here!

Off to play :)

Jaimee

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