I’m beginning to think that planning is overrated.
At least, it’s overrated when you are a novice planner who is largely accustomed to winging it. My original plan for our dining room chairs, after all, did not involve pure white with green and white seats.
To be fair, my deviance with the chairs occurred not because I am capricious and picky but, rather, because the fabric I had initially selected just didn’t work. The scale on the one was too large for the chairs and the fabric intended for the curtains was practically neon. Both options looked way more promising on the computer screen than in real life.
It was sort of like those pants that are lovely on a hanger, and then you put them on, and all you can think is that you’re wearing your great-aunt’s bed sheet that some well-intentioned but visually-impaired Girl Scout turned into trousers, using a penguin as their model.
But I digress.
After shipping the rejects back to Fabric.com (for free—seriously, it’s the best feature ever of online shopping) I settled on Dwell Studio Bella Porte in Watercress. Reupholstering the seats meant first wading through layers upon layers of previous fabric, each one grimier than the last. Note to self: Scotchguard seats ASAP.
The new non-grimy fabric scored major points in the kitty department. It was so nice of us to provide them with their own personal pillows.
As for the chairs themselves, I used white Rustoleum 2X spray paint after spray priming them. It cost more than hand-painting, but the finish is so much smoother and it didn’t take as long. At least, it wouldn’t have taken as long if I had finished the chairs at an approximate speed greater than 0.75/week.
And confession time: only 6 of the 8 are actually done. We are limiting our dinner guests until I pluck up the motivation to finish off the last two. And confession time again: The word ‘pluck’ grosses me out. Why did I just use it?
Our dining room is finally growing up. Sniffle.
Whaddya think? Any other sites you know of that offer free return shipping? Who wants to come over for dinner? Space is limited, so book soon.
***Linking this up to Primitive & Proper!***
Love the fresh look of the chairs! Your kitties have good taste.
ReplyDeleteWoah, they look great!! And way to go with the lines in the fabric being straight - I would have made them all crooked. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe fabric is great, but I just love painted white chairs. It's so fresh! I also think the style of your chairs stand out more in white.
ReplyDeleteHaha I'm dying at your "pluck" comment. I love them! Green is always a charmer, and the white is so bright and cheery.
ReplyDeleteLOVE them! The look so pretty and modern!
ReplyDeleteThey look great!
ReplyDeleteAnd planning and motivation are overrated.
Oh me! Pick me! I want to come over and eat in your grown up dining room and stay in the bra guest room. :)
ReplyDeleteThey look great!
ReplyDeleteLove them! They look so clean and fresh. I think you non-plan worked out great!
ReplyDeleteI'll be right over! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd those chairs are gorg! I love the green and white paired together. I'm also a little nervous that you spray painted your chairs vs. hand painting them. I hand painted our dining room chairs and they almost.killed.me.
Phew. There appears to be dinner spots left. I was afraid I was commenting too late. Save me a pretty chair!!
ReplyDeleteSave me a spot - but I'll totally take the old wooden chairs, so I can have more pretty white and green ones to look at. I'm crazy about that fabric!
ReplyDeleteI love the chairs - and I love that the cat approves :)
ReplyDeletegreen + white = gorgeous seating! (However, I'm still cringing at the nasty layers of grimy ancient previous upholstery...)
ReplyDeleteI love them :)
ReplyDeleteAWESOME!:}
ReplyDeleteWell despite however many snags and hold ups you ran into the end result of these chairs is FABULOUS! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to make a reservation for two, or if you only have room for one I'll leave the husband behind ;)
I love the new fabric; it looks great with the white!
ReplyDeleteEight is too many to cook for anyways......but you can add me to your dinner party list anytime. My butt needs to sit on nicer chairs than the 50 year old leather seats at my house. Which my husband won't let me change "cause they're vintage and you like everything vintage".
ReplyDeleteWowzzer! Totally love these white chairs with the green and white fabric......and pluck is not such a bad word. -Angela @ Mrs. White Twig & Tea
ReplyDeleteI love those chairs! I have a "thing" for chairs anyway and I totally love your shield-back style chairs, too. I snagged a couple a few years ago that I sanded and spray painted gold, then recovered the seats in a beautiful two-toned red striped fabric. I'd still have them, but a friend loved them so much that she kept wanting to buy them from me. They had cost me a little over $40 total (chairs + fabric + paint) and I sold the pair to her for $50.
ReplyDeletei don't make plans... i can't keep them. i just keep on rolling with it. :) love the chair seats!
ReplyDeleteErin! They are awesome! The shape says "sophisticated", but the fabric says "fun". A good combo for a dining room.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly transformation. Glad the other fabrics didn't work out because this one looks AMAZING.
ReplyDeleteOh man! I love that green fabric! And, weird enough, I have a friend who just refinished her dining room chairs and upholstered the seats with the same fabric!!! Great minds think alike, I guess. :)
ReplyDeleteLove how they turned out! I like when plans go awry and you end up with something even better!
ReplyDeleteThese turned out so well. I lie the white against the green. And I'm sort of obsessed with that fabric I have the yellow color in my dining room and the blue in Henry's room. Green may be next.
ReplyDeleteThese look so awesome! I love the white chair against the green print.
ReplyDeleteCatching up on your blog. Looks like lots of rooms are growing up! Congrats! So much work!