Remaking a Craigslist Find

One thing that has come from doing this design blog is inspiration from other bloggers. The DIY movement is alive and well...and there are folks out there creating fabulous things with a lot of effort and a little money. After seeing dozens of examples of courageous bloggers transforming thrift store/yard sale/Craigslist finds into gorgeous showpieces, I figured it was high time I gave it a shot. I have to confess that I have become a major Craigslist shopper. Granted, I've only bought two things there, but I look every single day, hoping to find some amazing item that might just need a little spit and polish. And such was the case with this shield-back chair I scored a few months ago.

I paid $40 for it...and if I'd had the wherewithall to negotiate, probably could have gotten it for even less. It was not pretty. The dark stained wood frame bore the scars of years of use. The plaid teal upholstery was from another time. When I unloaded it from my car, my better half gave me that look that said, "And THAT is going in our house?"

Was probably gorgeous in 1988..but I loved the shape.

"Don't worry!" I said, "It will be fabulous!" This was right around the same time I'd scored an amazing buy on some Imperial Trellis-ish drapery panels for the study. I figured with a little elbow grease, the ugly teal chair could be gorgeous. And so I dragged my drapery panels down to the fabric shop and picked two inexpensize fabrics that matched the colors in the panels. Then, armed with an exacto knife and a few cans of spray paint, I got to work. Now, I'm no upholsterer. If it's anything more complex than a simple slip seat, I've got a few good workrooms on speed dial. So, after removing the fabric, making a few repair to loose joints, and painting the frame, this old girl went off to the upholstery shop.

And she came back looking like this:

Much better, no? I chose a light beige fabric and piping in a deep espresso to match the drapes.

And an Imperial Trellis pillow (scored on etsy) finishes it off. Fabric, paint, and labor, I'm in it for about $200--still a bargain in my mind!

I'm linking to the Met Monday party at Between Naps on the Porch.

And the weekly party at Addicted to Decorating!