Office Chair Redo

So this year is off with a bang and I’m wondering if anyone else is having the purge and clean out bug hit them?  We have been in the abyss (AKA our basement) this past weekend doing some much needed decluttering and straightening up and out!  It is such a gratifying feeling to have some (much more needed) organization back down there.  Needless to say, the garbage service will love us this week as well as  Goodwill.  I have managed to get Christmas not only put away, but I was also able to weed out things that haven’t been used in years and send them off to be used in a new home. One thing is for sure, I will never run out of Christmas decor!  It’s funny how your tastes evolve through the years.  Or maybe it’s the older you become, the more you long for simplicity and time spent enjoying the holidays instead of the mad panic to get all 534 snow men put up (I don’t really have 534 snowmen…but I did have a lot!).  Anyway, I am so enjoying the feeling of getting things organized and knocked off my to do list. How about you?

I’ve also been working on something this week and thought I would share the finished product.  A few months back I purchased this chair at one of my favorite places to find new projects and it has been sitting in my garage ever since.  I’ve decided that I want to really finish up pieces that I already have sitting around before I purchase anything else.
This chair was much needed for my office  and will be so much more comfortable than the previous hard metal chair I was using.  It has beautiful lines and detail, not to mention its very sturdy and well-made.  However, I do not think I’ve ever had such a dirty project to start out with! Let’s just say, a lot of elbow grease was involved as it was probably sitting in a dusty attic somewhere.  I knew it would take time to remove all of the hardware tacks and staples… I did not realize how long, but I worked on it a little each day knowing the finished project would be worth it.  After the hardware was removed and the old material taken off, it was time for the fun to start.

I wanted it to match my desk so of course it got three coats of ASCP (Annie Sloan chalk paint) in pure white slapped on and then a nice coat of clear wax.  When it was buffed to a soft finish, I did a light distress with some sandpaper.  To me, that’s when the character really comes alive.  I love seeing the intricate carved pattern and all the grooves that pop when sanded. The moment I saw this chair I knew I wanted it to have a large buffalo check pattern on it and I could not have been happier with this material I found online. I feel you can never go wrong with black and white.  It’s such a classic feel and will work for years to come, or until I want to change it! (insert laugh here).

I am so happy with how it turned out and the fact that it is so comfortable is the best part since this is where I do my blog (insert smile).  This is the second chair I have re done that included material and I feel that with each piece I am learning and improving my methods.  One of my goals this year is to expand my knowledge of learning new projects and so to do that I have been watching tutorials on upholstering and sewing slipcovers.

There are many great ones out there, but I always tend to go back to one of my most favorite bloggers, Miss Mustard Seed.  She (Marian) does such an amazing job and her videos explain her methods well.  If you have never checked out her blog, I would encourage you to take a fun trip over and check her out!  Sewing is just one of the many talents she has and you will love her house tours.

I hope this gives some inspiration and I want to challenge you to try something new for your home.  It’s so much fun and you never know what you might find you have a real talent for!  Be sure to check back soon…for more new projects that I will be learning.  I would love to hear any ideas that you have!
Have Fun Creating!
Heidi