A Pair of Bamboo Chairs

I make it a habit of visually scouring the neighborhoods for furniture when I am driving.  I should be looking at the traffic, but instead I keep a look out for peoples trash on the side of the road...One day I "stumbled" upon a pair of bamboo chairs.  They looked alright, the bamboo was in great condition, but the seat was dirty and the foam inside was turning to dust. eww!

After a good paint job and new cushions, these chairs look hot!! I love the fabric soo much..the little birds in cages are adorable.  I choose to pad the back rest but keep the ratan exposed in the back. Here are couple photos of the final products:

Mom's Recliner

I have forever hated Lazy Boy recliners and couches and all they stand for, but here I find myself biting my tongue.  When I was home for the holidays this last month, My mom wanted me to recover this old nasty recliner of theirs. There was a huge grease spot where the head rests and the seat has riped from the continual sling-shots backward into the lounging position.  That little lever cracks me up, its just so silly.  But, we saw potential in this monstrosity somehow and I decided to dive into the machine.  It was very exhausting to deassemble and reassemble all of the springs and gadgets, this was a learning experience.  Here is the before:
























Here is the finished product with refinished arms and an intensely tailored upholstery.  I do have to say that I am quite satisfied with the result.  I guess anything can be saved...

Paper Bird Mobile

I saw an idea for a mobile with that was using sticks and thought it was so clever. I decided to tweak the idea a bit and create paper birds that act like sails in the breeze.  With the use of a very fine string, the twigs appear weightless.  Here are two variations: one with recycled paper and another with Florentine papers.

Yardage Chart

Here is a tool that is handy for estimating how much fabric would be needed for various projects. Click on the image for a larger view.

Red Side Table

I loved the character of this side table right when I saw it.  It had potential, the natural look was nice but there were a few flaws in the wood that would not have been easy to fix.  I loved the tiny drawer at the bottom and the nice tapered legs:

Here is the after which I have painted a glossy red that I buffed down just a smidge.  The red isn't too vibrant but still looks sharp.

Grey and White Lounge Chair

I stumbled across this chair on my way home from work and could see the potential in it right away.  It looked as if it had been outside for awhile soaking up the elements... Originally the fabric was a black pleather which had torn to shreds on the seat and was exposing the inner foam. The side handle are a heavy duty plastic painted in such a way as to resemble wood. Here is what the "After" looks like:

The first thing that had to be done was painting the arms a nuetral color to cover up the faux wood.  I choose a white that created a strong contrast with the grey fabric.  

Grey and White Tufted Sofa

Here you can see a once gorgeous sofa that had evolved into a dirty and faded mess...What you can't see is the torn-up and exposed foam tufts that are hiding under the afghan.  Also these cushions had to go, the foam inside was so old and worn that it was crumbling and working its way through the fabric. So with an extensive overhaul...here is the sofa today:

New cushions and updated fabric turned that horrid couch into a focal piece.