Before and After: Shabby Beach Chair

Spring cleaning!  I've been trying to clean out one of my sheds and I am happy to say I have put a dent in the project!  I found this old chair in the back of the shed - I think it has been there about 18 years!  I've used it to stand on when painting rooms in my house so there was a little "history of our paint jobs" on it!  Not to mention, spiders, dirt, mud, and everything else that comes from living in the country!

It is extremely well made and there is not a wobble to it so it is a perfect candidate for a makeover! There are metal rods embedded into the rungs where your feet would land while you are sitting so it is extremely sturdy.  This chair was deserving of a new life! So I promptly began cleaning it up, first with just water and a brush, but then I ended up with a sander!  The years of paint splotches were not coming off with just my elbow grease so to the power tools to the rescue!

To prevent any of the stains on it to bleed through the paint, it was primed with some gray spray paint because that was all I had left in the shed and I thought to myself, "It doesn't really matter what color you put underneath if you are going to paint over it." Then I had to decide, always the hardest part, what color should I paint it?  This chair was a relic from the 50's and had been a teacher's desk chair.  Perhaps red?   It is just a simple chair, no embellishments, so it would fit into a cottage, country or coastal setting.  Tiffany blue!  The color has become much more popular lately and this chair seriously needs brightening up!

I started brushing on the paint really thick at first, wanting to get this project done and into Melange for our sidewalk sale.  The paint was wearing thin and the brush needed to be redipped in the bucket - but I liked what I saw.  The dry brush was creating a great shabby dry brush effect and texture, with the grey primer coming through underneath the tiffany color. It was beginning to be reminiscent of an old beach chair that had sat out for years so I continued with a dryer brush and covered the whole chair.

This shabby beach chair  had been freshened up and ready to be brought back to a life.  Gone are it's days sitting in the front of the classroom and in the back of the shed with the spiders and dust.  A whole new life awaits this chair to whomever cherishes it from Melange!  And you can imagine the new stories this chair will have to tell!

Before and After

 "Before and After" will be a weekly posting where I post pictures of my treasure hunting finds and how I repaint, restore, or repurpose them!  If you or someone you know is interested in any of the items posted, I can fix them up to your specs - color, fabric, etc. Just email me at susan@cherishhome.com or post a comment!

I picked up this vintage metal cabinet at an estate sale last week but it needed some work!  I love the detail along the top and the sliding doors make it perfect to use for bathroom storage - so I sanded it to get all the rust off and prep it for paint - then I sprayed three light layers of "powder blue paint" and . . .

Voila!!  A beautiful "powder blue" Powder room cabinet!  It is for sale and on display now at Melange!!

This bookcase is the perfect size for a child's room and I love the corner detail at the top corners! But with peeling paint and the back falling off it may not hold the books for long - so I sanded it all down,  repositioned the back, and then decided to put a fresh coat of paint on it - but what color?

Sweet Pink!!  Now it is ready for a little princess or home office and it is for sale at Melange!  Leave a comment or email me at susan@cherishhome.com if you are interested in any of the pieces I feature in "Before and After" - There is lots more coming - here's a sneak peek!

 

 

 

 

Can you guess how I am going to make over any of the above items?  If so, post a comment or suggestion!  Are you or someone you know looking for any of these items?  I can redo any of these to your own specifications so email me - I'd like to make all of these something someone will cherish!!

Melange - Historic Folsom

Historic Folsom is a quaint little area just east of Sacramento, California. There are numerous antique shops, gift shops, art galleries and eateries. Melange does not fit in any of these categories and can only be described as unique! Melange has vintage, antique, re-purposed, handmade and new items but the overall look and feel in the store is shabby chic with a french twist.

I rent a room in the back of the store where I set up vignettes, tablescapes, and arrange my furniture and other vintage items for sale. I will be posting new additions to my space as well as feature some of the other creative women and their wares here on my blog! So click the "follow me" button or sign up for email - you will get a message telling you I have a new posting! Meanwhile, check out these great furniture pieces that just came in Saturday!

This sweet rocking chair used to be pale yellow and had a worn fabric seat - I sanded it down, painted it antique white and added the pink paisley fabric - now it is ready for a little princess! I also have two vintage white hobnail glass lamps with shades I covered in the same paisley fabric to match! The pedestal table was found with worn and cracked varnish on the tabletop - lots of sanding and three coats of fresh paint and this 42" diameter table is ready for a young family or kitchen nook.

This vintage cupboard has all sorts of storage space - two large drawers on the bottom as well as the three smaller drawers inside make this a great piece for someone looking for extra storage. I love the detailing at the bottom and the vintage glass hardware. Use it in a room where there is no closet, to store scrap booking supplies, or even a kid's room for toys and books. Kelly was so excited when she found it and almost didn't bring it in the store to sell!



Stacy just brought in this huge beautiful chest of drawers! This is a statement piece that would definitely add that "WOW!" factor to any room. I could see this piece in a bedroom with either French, Victorian, Coastal or even Colonial decor. It would be a beautiful wedding gift for a new couple or gift for a recent college grad with her first job!


Lastly - a beautiful re-purposed piece by Jennie! Jennie transformed this vintage window into a display cupboard! The chipped window frame has worn edges with multiple colors showing through that add to the character of this piece. Jennie built a box with weathered boards and added two hinges to make this cupboard. It is a perfect for a shabby chic room to display a collection or even to store perfumes or accessories in a powder room!

All of these pieces can be seen at Melange - 307 Riley Street in Historic Folsom, California. Store hours are Tuesdays - Sundays from 11am - 5 pm.

If you need any more information about any of these pieces you can email me:
susan@cherishhome.com or call the store (916)357-5800