Vintage Dining Room Set Makeover: Paint It Black

What a difference a coat of paint can make! 

I've been pining over the look of traditional vintage dining room sets with black chairs and black table bottoms where the table top is left with a natural wood finish. (similar to the table and chairs shown in the photo below)

This photo was my color inspiration:

Inspiration photo

Then I came across an old dining room set that was decent quality and in pretty good shape, but desperately in need of a makeover. The hunter green chairs and table were still living in the 80's! Thankfully the table top was never painted, but left with it's beautiful natural wood finish. I knew then and there that I had found the perfect candidate to transform into the dining set that I always wanted!

Check out the before and after photos:
The old look (hunter green chair in front)
 Versus the new look (chair in back newly painted black)

DIY: The first thing I did was remove the seats from the chairs and painted the chairs black. I used Satin Black Rust-oleum satin paint from a can (classic low-sheen finish smooth protective enamel paint.) I prefer hand painting with a brush as opposed to using cans of spray paint. Not only do I enjoy brush painting because I find it relaxing, but I think brush painting gives you a more finished, professional look. 

If you prefer spray painting, it's available in a spray paint too!

After I painted the four chairs, I painted the bottom portion of the table and the table legs with the same paint. I left the table top as-is, with it's natural wood finish. (you can see the table top in the photos below) I love the look of the natural brown wood against  sleek black! (Don't forget to paint the extra table extension piece!)

The old seat fabric was outdated burgundy and was glued to the seat as opposed to being stapled, so I was able to easily peel the old fabric right off of the seat!

Next I laid out the old chair cover fabric over my new fabric and used it as a template to get the right size of material for each seat. I just cut right around the old fabric, leaving an extra half inch or so. Easy!

Here you can see my new fabric beneath the old fabric.

Next I pulled the new fabric around the seat and stapled with a staple gun. 

The finished seat! 

One of the finished chairs

My newly revamped dining set! (everything that is black used to be hunter green)

I used Waverly "Farmer's Market" decor fabric from Joanne's Fabric store. I was thrilled to find this fabric, which coordinated perfectly with my soon-to-be new dining room paint colors...

(yes I still have to paint!)

This photo was my wall color inspiration for my dining room and kitchen makeover (still a work in progress!)

I wanted sage green walls in the kitchen and dining room (my kitchen leads into my dining room - the previous owners knocked down the wall that separated the rooms) with one opposing dining room wall painted plum.  The paint colors I chose were:
Sherwin William's Expressive Plum:

and
Sherwin Williams Garden Sage:

The painting starts this weekend and after it is finished I will post photos of the completed dining room makeover, so be sure to check back!

Paint It Black: Stylish Black Painted Furniture

There's something about black painted furniture that I just love! Check out these examples and maybe you'll see what I mean...

Black accent chest

By Knackstudio via Etsy (and below)


Wallpaper decoupage on the outside of the drawers....


...and also wallpaper on the inside the drawers

Satin black Bombay chest dresser

Detail of a painted dresser

My favorite black look: black painted dining room set with natural wood tabletop

What do you think? Do you like this look?

How To Upcycle Thrift Shop Finds Into Trendy Home Decor

Thrift Shop Hot! What to look for right now....

In my last post I shared some tips for shopping thrift shops. Now I'm going to share with you some items commonly found at thrift shops that are great for upcycling into swanky home decor and crafts. These items are great because not only are they inexpensive, but they are very much in style as current home decor. Check it out! 

What should you be looking for right now?

1)  Silver-plated Serving Trays
I always see lots of silver-plated trays and platters when I go thrifting, and they're usually inexpensively priced from about $1 to $5 each. The neat thing about these trays is that they come in different shapes and sizes, and some have pretty engraving or ornate edging on them. 
What to do with them? Hang them on a wall as you would china plates, making a display that works well not only in a dining room but throughout the home. (Click here for more wall-display grouping ideas)

Pretty wall display

image via Apartment Therapy

Photo by Blayne Beecham 

Wreath made from silver platters image from Bees Knees Bungalow

2)  Vintage Scarves
Sometimes sold by the bag-full, vintage scarves are abundant at thrift shops and also cost next to nothing. They come in a wide range of colors and patterns, so they are great for repurposing and upcycling. Vintage hankies are great for repurposing too, but they can be a bit more difficult to find than scarves. 
What to do with them? Frame them as art, sew them together to create a unique curtain, or use them to cover throw pillows.
(Click here for even more ideas on how to use scarves and vintage hankies.)

Curtain made from vintage scarvesvintageisforlovers.com

Upcycled skirt by Flowerpie via Etsy

 Children's dresses made from silk scarves by Nixie (above and below)

Scarf curtain

Framed scarf

Pillows made from large Hermes scarves

3)  Picture Frames
I always check out the picture frames at thrift shops. Pay no attention to the colors, you can always paint them. As a matter of fact, I just painted a group of 6 frames black for a photo grouping for my family room. Once painted, they're brand new! The thing that's great about buying frames at thrift shops is that you can find a variety of unusual shaped and sized frames, which are great not just for photos, but also for framing  artwork.
What else to do with them? Replace the glass with mirror, cork board, or paint with chalkboard paint. Get the glue gun and cover them with twigs, sea shells,rocks, or any type of small found objects, or decoupage them with fabric or paper. Or, use them as-is to create a gallery wall of unique variety.

painted frames by MandolinGoose via Etsy (above and below)

Wall display of frames by Simply sadie jane

Chalkboard frames (above and below) by Shugabeelane via Etsy

*Check out my other blog post, Creative Uses For Chalkboard Paint for more chalkboard ideas and a recipe for how to make your own chalkboard paint!


           
Chalkboard paint comes in both brush-on and spray forms!

Twig covered frames

4)  Globes & Maps
Just like road maps, globes become outdated and are replaced with new, up to date versions. I don't see tons of them at thrift shops but I do come across them from time to time. 
What to do with them? Use old maps for decoupage projects, and old globes can be upcycled into pendant lamps.
Check out my previous post on upcycling globes  for a myriad of globe ideas. 
Also check out this post on upcycling maps and atlases for even more ideas!

Vintage globe lamps

Chandelier made from vintage atlas pages

Vintage globe clock

Dresser decoupaged with maps

Mod Podge decoupage medium for decoupaging maps and any type of paper

5)  Old sweaters
With a price average of $1 to $5 a pop, the men's cashmere sweater section in a thrift shop is a goldmine! Not only are these great to wear as-is, but these once pricey luxury pieces are perfect for upcycling into new items for yourself, your family, and your home.
What to do with them? Use them to cover throw pillows, or try your hand at fashioning some new accessories from them like the ones pictured below.

Upcycled cashmere baby blanket by Thismommamakesstuff

Yes, those are upcycled cashmere undies - perfect for keeping your tush toasty on cold winter nights!

Upcycled cashmere sweater pillow by mmwolters via Etsy

 Upcycled sweater pillow with DIY from Going a little coastal

Awesome & stylish upcycled cashmere sweater hoodie dress by darrylbalack via Etsy

Upcycled fingerless gloves by Flowerpie via Etsy




Rose pillow from an old sweater DIY from Fingerprints on the Fridge (above and below)

What do you think?
What's your favorite way to repurpose thrift shop finds?

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There's more! Click here to read Part Two of this article!

Check out my new DIY jewelry instruction book!