A couple years ago I bought 6 dining chairs and a china cabinet off Craigslist for $125.00 total (and yeah I know, total slacker here!). I basically got the chairs for free since the china cabinet alone is worth $125.00 so it was a big score. However they all needed a lot of work. I knew I was going to paint and reupholster them before I could use them anywhere so they stayed in storage or hidden throughout the house over time. They were hideous!

See what I mean? I did like how they were tall, the cushions were in great shape (very sturdy), and they were in the “french” realm which was right up my alley. I knew I wanted them white and we had a paint sprayer that went with our compressor so we thought we would give that a try….

[Read more…] about Dining Chairs Before and After

My breakfast area chairs were looking a little worn out and just plain dull and since I could not buy new ones, I figured I would go to my FAVE store Hobby Lobby and get some fabric to re-upholster them. This is what they looked like before… YUCK!

They were brown microfiber and over 7 years old. They had stains and some areas were wearing out.

I only needed a yard and a half of home decor fabric, and luckily it was 30% off. So I got a beautiful velvety-bluish fabric with a trellis design on it.

[Read more…] about Breakfast Chairs Re-Upholstered

My grandfather is very ill, and the last time he came out to visit us from Puerto Rico, he bought my dad these outdoor chairs. It was the last thing he bought my father before he became too ill to travel back out of the island. My father’s work travels took him away from home and after a couple of years the chairs took a bit of wear from constant exposure to the cold winters and the hot summers, but since the chairs were of so much sentimental value to my father, he never wanted to get rid of them…. So, I had a bright idea.

This past Father’s Day, I wanted to make sure my dad got something really cool, so I thought I would fix the chairs up for him. Originally they were a set of 4, but one was broken and too hard to fix, so I dedicated myself to the remaining 3. This is what I had to work with.

I took out my primer and started spraying away. The chairs took a TON of primer and paint since they were so dry. I ended up using 6 cans and one clear top coat, but it was so worth it.

Here they are while I was priming them…

Here is one of the chairs with only one coat of paint. I painted it Jellyfish Gloss by Valspar outdoor paint. Here is what the can looks like.

Below is the chair with the first coat of paint.

Don’t mind my big head in the picture. Ha!

Here is the chair with the final coat of paint and top coat…

Here is a close-up of the color…

I was happy with the work, but I still thought it still needed a lil somethin’. I thought some cushions would be a perfect finish! So AGAIN, I went to my local Garden Ridge and found 3 striped cushions with blues and greens to keep that masculine touch…

And here you have it!

He was totally stoked when he got them! He keeps them in his garage when they are not in use and he makes sure to take very good care of them. The best thing about it is that he can still enjoy his father’s last gift to him for many years to come, so the gift is priceless…

When was the last time you actually made something for someone instead of buying them something… Or brought something back to life? The satisfaction is immeasurable!

Your Latina,

Yami

Okay, so I have become a major Craigslist JUNKIE!  There is no 12-Step program for this addiction yet, so in the mean time I will enjoy basking in the delightful high that you can only get from buying furniture a-la cheap!

So, please meet sad dresser #1 that I scored for only $30!!!!  The owner wanted it no mas and I was glad to take it to a loving home.  The look on my hubby’s face was priceless when I said I wanted to buy it! But deep down inside I knew he had FAITH. I apologize for not having a picture with the hardware on it, but I did get a close-up of those tarnished old things.

You can see all the scratches on the surface of the dresser.

First thing’s first – I removed all of the hardware and sanded it. It had received a little wear and tear over the years and even though I was not able to take all of the scratches out, I made it look MUCH better.

After a TON of research on the web and bombarding my local Home Depot paint sales clerk I primed it using the best primer out on the market: Zinsser Cover Stain Oil Based Primer. Note: You can prime a piece of furniture with oil-based primer and then paint over with latex paint, but you CANNOT prime with latex primer and then paint with oil-based paint. Comprendes????

This is what the can looks like. I gave the piece 2 coats and gave it a light sand once it was dry.

I will also add that the products I list here are products I have read about, tried out and have come to like. I am not being paid to advertise – I am just sharing with you the products that I have used and have come to prefer.

Back to business… Okay so I am really into grays, blues and light greens and I found the perfect shade of grayish blue: Antique Silver Premium Interior Paint by Glidden. I chose a semi-gloss because I wanted a smooth easy-to-wipe surface with a little bit of shine. I did 3 coats of this just because I really wanted a thick and smooth surface.

One tip: I use this product called Floetrol – it is a paint conditioner and it comes in an orange bottle. This can only be added to latex base paint. It is supposed to make the paint much smoother and reduce brush marks. It also allows the paint to dry in a much slower time (in case you are painting in your garage in the middle of summer!).

This helps when the paint is really thick too, which is usually the case with enamel paint. If you want a good paint job, then use this with your paint – TRUST ME. See inventory below!

Tools: I used a 4” foam roller. You don’t need a big one since drawers aren’t really wide. They cover well and they apply paint better than a paintbrush since they don’t leave streaks. For the corners and crevices I use the small foam brushes that are CHEAPO (both shown below).

Always remember to allow at LEAST 24 hours for your paint to cure. NEVER rush or you will spend twice the time fixing what you did wrong. It can get very tempting to rush, but DON’T DO IT. The end result will be so worth it if you just wait!

The final step for the dresser paint was to add a sealer. I used Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Projective Finish in Clear Semi-Gloss (also shown above). I wasn’t sure how much “traffic” this piece was going to receive, but I did want to make sure it would take a lot of wear and tear so I did 2 coats of the sealer.

NEXT came the hardware. I REALLY wanted to restore the brass knobs, but after over 20 hours of backbreaking buffing and several failed attempts to strip the tarnish with chemicals, I learned I was getting nowhere fast… so I said FORGET THIS!

I raided my spray paint stash and pulled out some Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Projective Finish in Clear Semi-Glossand spray painted the crap out of them! Then AFTER letting them dry for 24 hours I used Krylon Short Cuts Gold Leaf Spray Paint. I ended up using about 3 cans, but it was worth it. Check it out!!!!

 Here is a close-up of the hardware….

I currently have this in my dining room and it doesn’t go with the wall art, but here is what it looks like from afar (I am also learning how to take better pictures with my Nikon, so bear with me!).

I just can’t help myself! Here is another angle! I love the Modernized French Provincial Style -totally me!

I am very proud of this piece. Hope you enjoyed! I have about 14 other pieces in my garage waiting for a face-lift and I can’t wait to share the transformations with you.

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