~Renovated chairs~

More painting and renovating today.  Two of my chairs were on their last legs :)  They needed replacing before they collapsed.  These 2 lovelies came free from family - good quality solid dining chairs, just very worn and old. Cue me donning my Summer Outfit again - no not a Boden nautical holiday ensemble, but a pair of paint spattered shorts and t-shirt. The season's must-have outfit don't you know!?
Here they are... 

I think they were 'Old Charm' or something similar. I used a coat of primer as they were so dark, then 3 thin coats (so no drips!) of trusty Farrow and Ball eggshell in New White.

 

 

The 'drop-in' seat pads were covered in a neutral twill fabric I had already using my staple gun. No sewing required.

 

 

I know I've shown this before, but here is my dining area, with furniture acquired relatively cheaply and renovated.



 



 Green chairs - Ebay, M&S solid quality chairs, 4 for £30. Painted in F&B Cooking Apple Green
Table - Ebay, cost £50 but was a state. I gave it a good sand and painted the legs in F&B
Dresser - gifted from a friend, just needed a few coats of paint
Vintage ceramic chicken - £3 car boot sale

I am also linking to Frugal Queen's room renovation post yesterday. I hope more people feel inspired to re-purpose rather than buy buy buy. I've always tarted thing up because I've had to make do and mend rather than buy new.  However, I like the process too,  and rather than resenting the fact I can't afford expensive painted furniture from Laura Ashley or Barker and Stonehouse, I feel blessed that I can turn my hand to most things.
I'm now off for a shower to scrub the paint splatters off my legs :)

~I ♥ Standard Lamps~

My Mum has a talent at sniffing out great things on Ebay and this week she managed to find me a Standard Lamp (minus the shade) for less than a tenner.  They're much sought after at the moment and I've been on the lookout for a cheap one for a while. Sod's law that when things get popular, the prices and bids go mad on auction sites and I didn't want to spend much. It was a collect-only item, just 10 minutes down the road.  This weekend I'll be giving it a coat of paint from leftover F&B eggshell that's already in the garage, as I can't afford the Annie Sloan paint I would like.

Though listed as 'mahogany' and 'in full working order',  it was in fact painted dark brown gloss and didn't work. Never mind, it has now been rewired and got a new plug...

Mahogany?  I think *not*!!

I will now be scouring the charity shops and car boot sales for a swanky vintage shade that I can tart up.  I'm thinking down the lines of these shades by Leeds-based Two Material Girls. 

~Finished Make-Do-And-Mend Dresser~

If you remember back in July in my
  ~ Dresser Envy ~    post I started the renovation of a dresser for my kitchen which looked like this....

I used any old leftover cream and white matt emulsion to give it all 2 coats of undercoat, with sanding between coats with either wire wool or fine sandpaper.  Then the shelves and back were painted in F&B Ball Green leftover emulsion, and then waxed.  The drawers and cupboards were lined in leftover Cath Kidston wallpaper from my bedroom, and the main body had 2 coats of F&B New White eggshell.  I was under pressure as we've got some friends coming for a meal on Saturday and I didn't want it half-done.  So here it is seen in it's fairylight glory...

 I haven't fully decided what to put where; OH says it's already *too busy* ...oh dear!
I love the green alcoves and wall paper...

It does feel good to get it finished; it was a bit of a 'Forth Bridge' project, but worth it!

~Dresser Envy~

Dresser Envy is something I have suffered with for quite a few years now; exacerbated by sneaky peeks and glorious transformations of dressers on the blogs I follow...

I've always coveted Steph's lovely dresser at Curlew Country...

Picture from Curlew Country blog

 I loved Scarlet's thrifty transformation loaded with Hornsea Pottery at Tales From Beyond The Nook...

Picture from Tales from Beyond The Nook

And I adore Kazzy's dresser at Country Rabbit - so much loveliness to peek at!

Picture from Country Rabbit blog

Well,  lucky me - heaven knows that I don't have the pennies to buy one - I now have my own dresser ripe for transformation!  

It wasn't thrifted; it was gifted -  from generous friends renovating their kitchen. 

 Here it is...

 It's lovely and solid, with oodles of storage.  I have bought a tin of F and B Estate Eggshell in New White, but my other materials I already had - some F and B Ball Green emulsion, some finishing wax and half a roll of Cath Kidston wallpaper.  Here's a sneaky peek...

I'll carry on during the Summer holidays tackling it in manageable chunks! The main body will be New White, with Ball Green on the inside and back. 

One more day at work then roll on Summer!