Chair

Vintage Grey Distressed Chair

Published May 6, 2013 | By Shanna

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend!

I was going to city-wide yard sales Saturday, but with the rain and freezing temperatures, we decided to pass.

I did, however, take the fur babies to get groomed … and that was a disaster. Topher and I had all three of them freaking-out in the car while the rain was pouring on us.

Gracie freaked out so much she pooped in the back of the car (my car, too), and then in frantic pacing managed to walk through it! Poop paw prints all over my car, and the smell was making us literally gag!

So we pulled over and in the torrential rain, and Topher tried to clean up the dog and the car. By the time we got to the groomer’s, we looked like drowned rats and smelled like … well, you know what.

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Posted in Before and After, Chair | 3 Comments

Cane Back Chair Farewell

Published April 25, 2013 | By Shanna

Over the summer I found a great set of cane back chairs at a yard sale. They were filthy and yellow with horrendous teal velvet seats.

I got them late into garage sale season, so at that point my garage and basement were packed, and I may have promised Topher I wouldn’t bring home anything else until the garage was cleared out.

These were too good of a deal, but I knew I would have to get these redone and resold quickly so Topher wouldn’t blow a gasket.

I do recall the day I got them — it is was a 101-degree day, but I sat out in the sweltering garage trying to strip them down. After prying-out eight billion staples, I removed the nasty teal velvet seat cover only to find an even more hideous yellow velvet.

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Posted in Before and After, Chair | 9 Comments

Restoration Redoux’s Top Ten Projects of the Year!!!!!

Published December 31, 2012 | By Shanna

Since we are about to start off a new year, I thought I would reflect on this year’s favorite posts.

When I first started reading other DIY blogs, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated. Every project they did looked so perfect. When there was a tutorial, a lot of them used terms or techniques I wasn’t familiar with, and so I would never try them.

I was searching for a blog that brought it down to a beginner’s level. I wanted one that would say “Hey, I’m no expert, but this is what did or didn’t work for me.” I didn’t just want to see perfect houses with their perfect lives. I wanted the “Hey, my husband’s been out of town, my house flooded, the kid is sick, and the house is a wreck … but here’s this easy project I completed in the middle of it all.” I wanted real life. I wanted someone to tell me that not every project they do turns out perfect, or that they had to do a technique 3 times before they got it right, and I wanted to learn from their experiences.

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Posted in Chair, Coffee Table, Desk, Dresser, Lighting, Living Room, Side Table | 30 Comments

Cane Back Chair Redoux

Published December 6, 2012 | By Shanna

So I have told you about this set of dining chairs I got at a yard sale this summer. There was a set of 5: two captains chairs and 3 without arms.

They were godawful yellow with teal velvet seats.
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Posted in Before and After, Chair, For Sale | 11 Comments

Step It Up

Published November 28, 2012 | By Shanna

In the last post I made about the kick boxing class I took, I made have a quick comment about me possibly attempting a step class also. After receiving many inquiries on the results of that venture, I have decided to give you all the gory details (and yes folks, I know you are laughing at me, not with me because I’m not laughing).

On the bright side this was a few years back, so it wasn’t a recent humiliation.

I wanted to take a class at the Y, but being coordinationally challenged I wanted something fairly easy.

On this particular day they were offering a beginner step class … perfect, how hard could that be? So I walk into class and see what equipment everyone else has.

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Posted in Before and After, Chair, For Sale | 7 Comments

On The Road Again

Published November 14, 2012 | By Shanna

My daughter received her learners permit, so anyone in the Andover/Wichita area should stay off the roads if at all possible.

First of all, I can’t believe she is old enough to have her permit. It makes me feel old. Actually, there are a lot of things anymore that make me feel old — but back to the story.

I started off having her drive down dirt roads. She did alright except anytime another car would approach, she would pull to the side of the road and come to a complete stop.

Every time we would complete her dirt road driving lessons, she would pull into our driveway, jump out of the car, and rejoice with a “Yay! I didn’t kill anyone!” (which was exactly what I was thinking).

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Posted in Chair | 1 Comment

Blue, clawfoot chair

Published September 4, 2012 | By Shanna

I found this chair at a yard sale, in a barn, way out in the country. It was filthy but I could see the potential. The leather padding on the seat was still intact, it had neat claw feet, and it was actually comfortable.

After cleaning 2 lbs of dirt from it, I taped off the leather seat with frog tape so I wouldn’t get paint on it. I then gave it 3 coats of chalk paint, distressed it, glazed it (I didn’t want it to lose the vintage feel) and coated it with wax a few times to protect it.

Of course I forgot to take the before picture! Here is the after.

It’s going on craigslist tomorrow but if any of my subscribers want first dibs, I’m asking $40.

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Bright coral bench

Published August 28, 2012 | By Shanna

I bought a black bench at a yard sale the other day. It needed a little sprucing up.

I coated it in black chalk paint followed by a coral. After some distressing and some wax it needed a cushion. I found some material for $6 (a steal) and some padding and voila!

Posted in Before and After, Chair | 1 Comment