I have eight chairs.

I have eight chairs that need to be re-done.

I have a minimal, minimal budget.

I also have a baby coming and I'd like to get them done before then.  The end.

That is my story.  The story of my eight chairs.  Since we're not planning on staying in our current rental house for very long, I've decided to switch my focus from staging the perfect rooms to up-cycling the furniture we currently have.  For example, I'm not giving a lot (or any) thought to window treatments – since those are ever changing with the house (and dang! they're expensive!).  Good furniture, however, is like a loyal friend – always with you, and always beneficial, no matter where you land.

First, let's meet chairs #1-4.  Our dining room chairs.  These beauties are from the early 1900's and were purchased at a local furniture consignment store.  I love them.  They are functional, pretty, and old.  Just my style.

Currently, they're a wee-bit hard though (years of squished padding).  They are, however, vinyl, which makes them very easy to wipe up with a toddler.  I'm planning on leaving the wood as-is (it matches the dining room table perfectly), but am looking to really jazz up the seat cushions with some new upholstery and padding.  Something function, but fabulous.  Too much beige and brown is really starting to wear on me in this house…

Maybe something like this?

But less blue?  I don't know.  I'm trying to break out of my green and brown habits.

It's hard.

Here's a few other, ahem, expensive fabrics I found at a local shop that I love.  Your thoughts?

#1: Perky.  Festive.  Vibrant.

#2: Blue floral, I'm not too sure about it, but something about it works…

It shouldn't take but a few hours and a few yards of fabric (did I mention these crazy-expensive fabrics are currently 40% off?!)  to re-upholster these chairs.  We've done it before and it was very straight-forward.  It's just a matter of saving for the upholstery fabric (which for the good stuff, can be sort of spendy).  I've bought the cheap stuff before and quickly paid the price.  I want these bad boys to last.  Do you have a favorite place to buy your upholstery fabric online?

Now, we're on to chairs #5-7.  Currently, these three little ‘ol brown chairs are lined up along the wall in our living room.  The wall is a bit boring, to be honest, but for the time being – that's what we got.  We're the type of people that are still acquiring enough to fill our current space – there are not nearly enough ‘pretty things' yet in the house (which is nice in that it's uncluttered, but sure can make decorating a challenge!).  Anyway, I am ashamed to admit that every piece of furniture in my living room is brown.  Brown couches, brown chair, brown mirror, brown chest…it's all brown.  See my purse that snuck into the picture?  Even that's brown!  

I want a POP of color along this wall and in the room – I'm thinking of repainting them in a subtle teal and removing the pads until we need them (G just pulls 'em off and onto the floor anyway).  I think with a new bright color on these chairs, along with a few new accent pieces, it could really up the life in this room.  

Something along this shade, perhaps:

I'm sure I could get by with a pint of paint…which means this is about a $8 project.  I need to just bite the bullet and get started already.  Maybe this weekend?

I saved the toughest re-do for last: the dutch chair.  I picked this chair up for $7!!! at Goodwill.  I love, love, love the style of it.  This was my ‘nursing' chair with Georgia, and unfortauntely, I spent so many hours in it that the pads are completely shot.  Currently, it may be the most uncomfortable chair in existance.  I'd like to replace the chair pads with new ones completely – new padding and new upholstery.  Problem is, I don't have a clue where to begin looking for something like this.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

My friend Meghan at Pink Peppers just re-did a few chairs like this and they turned out wonderful.  I love her fabric choice and the buttons were a wonderful touch.  Take a look:

Aren't those beautiful?!

The frame of this chair is in excellent condition, so it'd really be just a matter of finding the right pads to fit it.  I've never quite tackled a project like this before though… should I try and find some pads online or should I find a local upholstery shop to help me?  What would be the most cost effective?  

I won't go cheap though.  I'm not going to re-do it if I can't re-do it right, ya know what I mean?  I'd rather wait until we had the money to have it re-done properly than to settle for ill-fitting pads or ugly upholstery.

Call it homemakers-pride, if you will.

And that's it.  I have eight chairs.  And three months.

Ideally, I'd like to have these few lingering projects done before baby.  Although, more importantly, the baby does need a dresser for the nursery…I need to find and refinish one of those as well…

All in proper perspective, I suppose.  Living with the same ‘ol chairs for another year won't kill me.

But this home is my job.  I want to make it beautiful.  I want it to reflect joy! and life! and fun! and color! 

I may need reinforcement.  And a can of teal paint.

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