Desk Chair Makeover

Happy Tuesday fellow bloggers! Sorry for the absence, last week was a crazy week for me. I had two birthdays, a work dinner, a wedding, a bbq and month end at my job. Unfortunately, blogging had to take a backseat because life got in the way! However I am happy to be back today and showing a project I completed over the weekend.

It all started when I found this chair on Craigslist for a whopping $5 bucks. 

It looks much better in this photo than it did in real life. The finish was scraped and scuffed, and the blue and white striped seat cover was faded and stained. See?

I knew it was nothing a little bit of spray paint and new fabric wouldn't fix. I started by taking the seat off with a drill and hauling the chair frame outside for some sanding and cleaning. Here it is all ready for it's makeover! 

Next, I coated it with two coats of white spray paint to match the desk already in my office. Here it is after (almost*) one coat. 

*Yes, I ran out of paint mid-project. I had two half cans laying in my garage and unfortunately that wasn't enough. That's ok, when Sunday rolled around I was able to finish her up! 

In the mean time while I was waiting for the paint to dry, I turned my attention to the seat. I already had the fabric on hand as I ordered it to match the bigger side chair already in my office to make coordinating pillows and curtain trim out of. The seat was already plenty cushioned, so I just flipped it over, cut the fabric to size and stapled it to the seat. I'm not the best upholster-er in the world, but I can't handle minor seat cover changes. 

The fabric is Premier Prints Madison in black/white. 

 

The next day, I finished spraying my chair and reattached the seat. Here's the finished product!*

 *After I got it in, I realized that left leg needed a big more attention. See it? That's what happens when you spray paint in very bright sunlight :p

Now this chair coordinated well with my side chair. The fabric is an exact match, just in a smaller scale.

 

This is the Swoop Armchair from Target. 

The pillow is from Home Goods. 

 

See those too-short curtains in the pic above? Those are my next victim :)

There you have it! It's amazing what $10 bucks and a couple of hours can do for a piece. Did you work on any fun projects this weekend?

I'm participating in the Terrific Under $10, Tuesday's Treasures, and Tutorial's and Tips Link Parties today! Go check out some of the fabulous projects!

Check out the Hi Sugarplum 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway!

Check out the Hi Sugarplum 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway here! She's giving away some fantastic prizes!

Look Ma, I can SEW!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are looking forward to your weekends. I am attending a housewarming party this weekend for one of my best friends, and I can't wait! I whipped up an easy little gift for the hostess that I'll share with you next week.

I did want to share the pillows I recently made for my living room with you. My mom taught me in a night, and now I'm addicted! I think the mix of patterns looks great together.

The pillow on the far left is Wilmington Covington fabric. It's available for a great price here. I plan on also using some to trim the curtains in my living room, which are currently solid brown with a cream velvet stripe on the bottom. I was hooked on this fabric after seeing the gorgeous curtains in Emily's office.

 The middle pillow is the Premier Prints Zig Zag fabric in rust, on sale here. The orange pillow on the far right was made by mom mom using some fabric from Hancock Fabrics in the remnant pile.

I love how great the Zig Zag pillow looks on the Avington chairs in my living room, currently on sale here.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! :)

I joined the Remodelaholic party today! Go check out all of the wonderful inspiration!

Pattern Love: Suzani

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of anything patterned. I like bright, vibrant patterns on my clothes, my dishes, my furniture, my curtains, and the list goes on and on.

One of my favorite patterns right now is Suzani. I love how it's almost always done in bright shades, and it has a slight Moroccan tinge to it that I can't resist. 

Here are some of my favorite Suzani patterned items right now:

 

Dwell Studio for Target Suzani Bedding

(I ordered this for my guest room makeover)

Amber Suzani Napkins via World Market 

 

Suzani Medallion Appetizer Plates via Pier One

Suzani Throw Pillow via Castle Creek Designs

Suzani Curtains via Thefarley4

 

Dwell Studio for Target Andalucia Bedding

 

Manvi Suzani Print Lampshade via World Market 

(I want this!) 

 

Suzani Upholstered Chair via Graham and Green 

What do you think about the Suzani pattern? What's your favorite popular pattern for home decor right now?

 

Kelly Green Bookcase Makeover

After yesterday's post about the color Kelly Green used on furniture, I thought I'd show you the piece in my house I recently transformed using this color. This little bookcase serves as a console table in a corner in my living room. 

Here is the before:

Not terrible, but far from fabulous. I don't like the way I had it accessorized either, so giving it a fresh coat of paint inspired me to do a little bit of redecorating too. 

Here it is now!

 

(Don't worry, I swept underneath after this picture was taken :) 

Isn't it so fresh and springy? To be honest, I just took to this thing with some sandpaper and then two coats of spray paint. I spray paint furniture whenever I can, for two reasons: one, it's a whole lot faster and the coats seem smoother than when done with a brush, and two, because I change things so often I don't need a super durable lasts-forever finish. Though I haven't had a problem with furniture flaking that I've sprayed with spray paint. 

I used Rustoleum's Meadow Green in a Gloss finish:

I swear by this stuff. It's magic! 

So what do you think of the transformation? Better, no? 

The Color Diaries: Kelly Green

Hello! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I didn't get a lot done around the house because I was out of town at a wedding, but I did sew up a couple of new pillows for my living room. They are made of the popular Wilmington Covington fabric and are a great pattern in my otherwise solid living room!

Switching gears, one of my current favorite color trends is the use of kelly green on furniture. This vibrant shade of green can transform an otherwise outdated piece of furniture to a piece that breathes new life into a room. Need proof?

via Kelly Wearstler Designs

via Emily A. Clark

 

 via Everything Yellow

What do you think? Would you go bold with a piece in your house and paint it a vibrant bold green? I jumped on this trend and am loving how it turned out...Look for tomorrow's post to see the results!

Go join the No Minimalist Here Open House Link Party!

I joined the No Minimalist Here Open House Link Party!

Check out some of the fabulous homes and projects of others here.

Jewelry Armoire Makeover

Ever had a piece in your house that was both a blessing and a curse? Something that's absolutely essential for your needs but is SO UGLY that you hide it away? Enter: my jewelry armoire. 

I got it as a gift from my mom quite a few years ago, and despite it's ugly appearance, I desperately need it for all of my treasured baubles. Until recently, it's been stowed away in my closet so that I don't have to look at it :) 

I didn't want to put any money into purchasing a new one as it's perfectly functional, but as my wardrobe has expanded my closet has gotten seemingly smaller and I needed to find the armoire a new home. There has always been an empty spot in my master bathroom between the closet and the shower, and so with a fresh coat of paint, I got this: 

This type of furniture has never been to my taste, but I love that when painted a vibrant color it almost looks....modern? 

And I think it ties in quite well with the shower curtain when styled. Also, the aged brass flower plaques tie in with pattern on the shower curtain as well as match the aged brass of the drawer pulls. 

Do you have any brightly colored furniture in your house?

Stylish Substitute: Crate and Barrel vs. Target Chairs

Welcome to the first installment of a new series on my blog: Stylish Substitutes! I'm all for fabulous design that can be found for less than my mortgage payment, and there are often very good look-alikes if you just do some searching. This week's post is about side chairs. I love to use a chair to make a great side vignette in a corner of a bedroom, and these are small enough that they wouldn't dwarf a tight space.

Crate and Barrel Saija Chair  - $999.00

Target Mitchell Accent Chair - $139.99

Dare I say I like the Target version better? I'm not crazy about the pattern on the CB one. Also, Target has a ton of other upholstered and leather choices here. I'm loving the green floral one and may pick it up if it comes back in stock online. 

What do you think? Would you go with the Crate and Barrel version believing it was better quality, or go for the budget priced Target counterpart? 

~Julianne

Welcome to Repurposed Life Designs!

Welcome to my blog, Repurposed Life Designs. My name is Julianne and I am a 20-something living in Nashville, TN. I am an inspiring interior decorator who enjoys all things decorating, fashion, cooking, music, and design. I am currently working hard to turn my first house into a home, all on a budget of course!

I hope to bring input on various topics from furniture makeovers, color trends, sewing, recipes, fashion, and home decor on a budget. I hope you'll enjoy me for the ride! 

~Julianne