Take a Seat

So, I was driving down the road and I saw a chair. 

Around these parts we have "free" (property taxes, but worth every penny!) heavy item pick up so each part of the city on their designated week sets out big stuff they want to get rid of, but often it's decent stuff that someone just doesn't want to mess with anymore. So you can snag some really cool stuff for free if you keep your eyes peeled.

I checked the chair over; I knew it had only been outside for a maximum of two hours since I'd just been down that street earlier in the morning, and discovered a dog had clearly tried munching on it.

Otherwise it was in good shape and I really needed something for the basement. So I sanded it really good. (And got a splinter in the process, sigh.)

I decided not to try to patch the armrest where a chunk of wood was missing. I don't need this chair to look perfect, it's just a spot to plop down when playing Wii. 

Then I spray painted it with Rustoleum with built in primer. It's actually for outdoor use so I expect it will be durable. I don't think it was labeled with a color name but it's a dark taupy gray. 

The cushions were in great shape and a neutral tan so I just cleaned them.

Is it the best chair ever? No, but it was free and it's quite comfortable. Now I don't have to worry about extra seating in the basement for awhile.

Summer Lovin'

I love what a difference a can of paint can make! We had this wicker chair,

that was looking a bit worse for wear. It used to be an indoor chair, and I didn't need it anymore so it became an outdoor chair. First I cleaned it.

Then I picked a color that screamed summer:

Rustoleum Summer Squash

I sprayed and sprayed. Here's a tip I discovered with this chair. You know that recommended 8 inch distance and broad sweeping motion with spray paint? Yes, it's true and necessary with a flat surface (or it will drip and run), but with wicker I needed to get up close and personal. I think because it's an open weave. I just know a 3 inch distance and short strokes worked better and I had no problems with dripping.

The paint helped so much!

But then it took forever to find a cushion. Here's the old one:

It's okay, not terribly exciting though, and that is an indoor cushion. I'll never remember to bring it in all the time. I even looked into outdoor fabric, and our local store had nothing I liked and all the outdoor fabrics were $20 a yard. I don't think so.

I finally found this orange one at Target for $15, 

but woh-woh, it's a bit too small. Grr!

For now, I'm keeping the orange because I like the color and it's comfortable even if it doesn't fit perfectly.

So, the cushion isn't going so well, but the wicker looks so much better in the sunny yellow color! 

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