Fancied Up Barrel Chairs

Fancied Up Barrel Chair

I found these chairs at Goodwill in 2014.  Yep, its taken me this long to figure out what I wanted to do with them.  My original plan was to slap some paint on them, reupholster them and sell them.  And boy, have I slapped some paint on there!  In fact, so much paint has been slapped that I have become accustomed to calling this chair "The Chair of Many Colors"!

I had this turquoise fabric that I knew I wanted to use.  So I sewed the cushion first.  Then I thought a really cool gray color would look great on the wood.  Well, it turned out I was wrong about that. 

So then I thought a nice whitewashed gray might look nice.

Nope, still wasn't loving it but I knew I wasn't budging on that turquoise fabric!  How about plain old vanilla white paint?

So I did like this better but I wanted to do a different color fabric on the back.

But I couldn't find any fabric that worked with that off white color.  So back to the drawing board, I mean, paint bucket.  I went for the old trusty black color.  Once I had the paint color settled, this greek key fabric was speaking to me for the back.  I even went so far as to start stapling it on.  But then, guess what, I changed my mind.

I decided I should let it cool off for a while.  It's kinda my thing when I can't make a decision.  I just go do something else for a while.  Okay, so maybe it was more like a year.  But hey, I did finally come back to it.  And here it is, finally finished.  

Its like the mullet of chairs...business in the front...

party in the back!

I love all the details on this chair.  While I was looking for inspiration for the chair, I noticed that it was called a barrel chair, barrel back chair, tub chair, and even club chair.  

Here you can see that I put upholstery tacks about every inch or so.  I intended to do the same on the back but I'm torn.  Zoe said she thinks I should but Jamie likes it without the tacks on the back.  What do you think?

I decided to go with this Braemore Sangria Ocean Fabric because I love how it brings in the turquoise with light blue color from the chest of drawers beside it.  That is another piece I bought at Goodwill with the idea of fixing it up and reselling it but Jamie likes it so much, he said we should keep it.  So I guess this means I'm keeping these chairs too.  That is, unless I change my mind.

What have we learned from all of this?  I change my mind, maybe a little more than the average person. But I'm not sure. 

My Completed Family Tree Wall (well, kinda)

Let me just start by saying that there are tons of pictures in this post because its about my family tree wall.  That, hopefully, will include pictures of everyone on the family tree or at least all the ones I can muster up.  That is also why I say it is kinda completed.  I'm hoping to find more pictures as time goes on so it will always be a work in progress.

So here is the before picture from my family tree wall.

I knew I wanted a gray wall with some texture to it.  After lots of looking and hem hawin' around (that's a word, right?), I finally decided on this.

Ralph Lauren Metallic Paint in Iron Gate

I was looking around in Home Depot waiting for some great paint to jump out at me and then I saw the Ralph Lauren Suede paint.  It was exactly what I was looking for with just a touch a grainy texture to it to give it that suede look.  But then I thought about my sweet little dog that sheds entirely too much.  You can vacuum like a mad woman and then about 20 minutes later, you will still see a little dog hair tumbleweed rolling across the floor.  I was picturing one of those tumbleweeds stuck to the beautifully textured Ralph Lauren Suede paint so I put that swatch down.  Then right next to it was the Ralph Lauren Metallic paint.  I loved it so much that I couldn't stop staring at it.  I decided to go with the Iron Gate Color.


Do you want to see what it looks like?!?!?

We used a 3/8" nap roller cover for the first coat and a 9" sponge roller cover that also comes with the small sea sponge to make it easier to  get in those tight areas.  Home Depot makes it easy for you by having all those supplies right there next to the Ralph Lauren paint.  You really can't see the cool hammered metallic effect with all the frames on it so here are some pictures along the way.

My handsome husband likes to pretend that I rope him into doing all these projects but then he jumps in and takes over!  However it works out, I'm just glad he goes along with my craziness, no use fighting it anyway!

After the first coat

And a couple of closeups...

That's a neat trick I learned from my wonderful mom who will paint, wallpaper or reupholster anything that sits still long enough!  For this textured paint, we used a regular paint brush for the first two coats.  Then we used the small sea sponge on the last coast so the texture would be the same as the wall.  Having all the light switches and plates the same color as the wall helps your eye go straight to the focal point...the family tree.

I had my family tree fan chart printed for just a couple of dollars at a local print shop.   Here's a link to where I got mine.  Any time I get new information I pull it down off the wall and pencil it in.  I'm slowly but surely framing all the photos of ancestors.  Recently, I found (okay, Jamie found it) a box in his mom's attic with tons of family history information.  It's quite the treasure chest that certainly gave me a huge amount of information but also brought up more questions.  I definitely see post in the future about that box.  Even the writing on the box is a mystery.  Maybe someone could help me solve it!

Andrew Halvor Johnson and Martha Marie Husebye

Olga Marie Rydland and Donald Edward Lommen

I'm so happy with how this wall turned out.  I love how the old wood credenza and copper frames look against the gray wall.  Now I can't wait to get started on my next project for this wall.  Subway art with old family sayings...coming soon.  I think I can almost hear my husband's exasperated sigh as he reads this!

Storage Bin Transformed into an Ottoman

You know the phrase, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," right?  Sometimes I can take it to an extreme!  Partly because I hate to spend money when I could turn something I already have into what I am looking for.  It might also have something to do with the fact I am a very picky person.  So being a thrifty and picky person usually means that I can't find anything in a store that I love that is also in my budget. 

Enter my latest project.  So for I have this project, I am repurposing a curtain that I made out of a sheet a couple of years ago.  I have tons of these 18 Gallon Storage bins.  I think I buy at least one whenever they go on sale, which is everywhere right now with all the kids going off to college.  They are just so handy.  We use them for traveling on vacations, recycling, storage around the house.  But while they are inexpensive, they are not so adorable.  Until now!

Supplies
18 Gallon Storage bin  with lid (mine is Sterilite)
Twin Flat Sheet ( if you are using fabric, its around 2 1/2 yards)
Standard Pillow
Elastic
Glue Gun and glue sticks

If you are using a Sterilite bin, you can probably use these measurements.  If not, use the notches underneath the lip of the bin to help you measure.

Cut the fabric.  For the bottom, you'll need:
2 pieces of fabric that measure the same as the wide side (about 21 inches in width and 18 inches in height), allowing yourself 1/4 inch on each side for seams

2 pieces of fabric the same width of the smaller side (about 18 inches inches in width and 18 inches in height), allowing 1/4 inch for seams

4 pieces that measure 4 inches by 12 inches for the faux pleats on each corner

For the top, you'll need:
1 piece of fabric cut to the same size as the lid of your bin (I used a pencil to lightly trace mine)
1 piece about 72 inches long ans 8 inches wide (top side piece)

Sew one long piece to one short piece with the right sides of the fabric together.  Repeat for the other side.  Then sew them together to complete all the sides.  I stopped sewing mine at about 10 inches from the bottom.  This is where you will sew the faux pleat.   Put it on the bin to see how it fits.  You may notice that it fits snug around the lip of the bin but is not fitted underneath the lip of the bin.  I have done several of them this way and I like this a lot.  It will lead to a boxier looking ottoman.  However, for this one, I wanted it to be a more fitted cover.  So to get the more fitted look, turn the cover inside out and pin it along the sides.  Then pull it off and sew it down the sides.

Sew the 1/4 inch hem on the the remaining 10 inches of fabric.  Then hem the bottom edge of the cover and the bottom and sides of the faux pleats.

I

Sew the faux pleats on each corner of the fabric corner.  Fold down the raw edge at the top and use the glue gun to secure it to the bin.

Sew the lid size piece to the top side piece.

Then sew a two inch band for the elastic around it.  Thread the elastic through and sew the ends together. Finish sewing the band.  Put a standard pillow on the lid and then the cover.

Yay!  You made a new, one of a kind storage ottoman!  Or if you want me to make one for you, you can order one at our Etsy Store!