This is the first time I have painted fabric furniture. I bought this ottom at a thrift store for $5 and I love it! It’s a cute style and it’s very sturdy. The gold color didn’t go to well with my decor and it had some stains on it but still! I decided to paint it. I figured if it didn’t work out, I could always reupholster it.
This was before I did anything to it.
My supplies:
Chalk paint
Chalk paint brushes
Spray bottle with water
Fine grit sandpaper
I started by spraying the fabric with water, one section at a time, saturating it.
“I applied the paint to the wet area in a circular pattern. When the chalk paint mixes with the water, it acts like a dye. I really worked it in. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite and white for the legs.
I covered the whole fabric area with one coat and let it dry, then I went around with a second coat.
I painted the legs white. It’s a bit of a contrast here but I applied dark wax over the two coats of white paint.
After the fabric dried, I took a fine grit sanding block and rubbed it lightly over the surface of the paint. This is what softens the fabric back up. I also scuffed the legs. I love a shabby chic look.
Let’s talk about this antique dresser. I curb shopped it…Yes, someone threw it away! My husband thought I was crazy when I said; “Stop, Let’s get that!” I seen the potential and had to have it! We put it in the Jeep, I remember it barely fit, It was very beat up and had country blue painted drawer fronts and white handles. It was covered in nail polish among other things. I had a heck of a time cleaning it. I also had to peel kids Snow White wallpaper from inside the drawers that someone used as drawer liner. I painted it with chalk paint then I bought new handles from Hobby Lobby and BOOM! It was just how I envisioned it when I seen it on the curb. It’s one of my favorite pieces.
We bought our dream home! My husband and I have talked for years about buying a lake house. We love the great outdoors! Our current full time residence is in the city. My husband retires from work in a few years. When that magic moment happens, our plan is to sell our house and move into our vacation home which happens to be on a lake! For now we are slowly decorating it to be our forever home.
Because we have two houses, there is more of an expense so we have to make changes slowly. I happen to LOVE thrifting! I have gathered a few things here and there to decorate the lake house with. I’m no professional, I just love making things homey and why not do it on the cheap? I will be changing things up when we make our move but for now, I am having fun decorating on a budget. There’s no shame in my thrifting game!
I wanted to share some of the cute items I have purchased from thrift stores, garage sales, consignment shops and curb shopping. I’m doing this blog series room by room so be sure to follow me so you can read them all! I will also be updating as I redecorate.
This post is a about the living room. I keep moving things around in here because I’m just having fun trying to see what goes best where. Almost everything in this room was either thrifted, bought at an outlet or free!
I found the chocolate microfiber sectional and end tables at a local furniture outlet. The outlet is a little warehouse really. I paid a great price for the size that it is. It’s so soft and comfy and it can hold my whole family! Don’t hesitate checking out outlet stores, you might be surprised what you’ll find.
I’ve wanted a big, chunky dining table that my family can fit around for sometime. My husband found this set on Facebook, a local moving sale. They wanted $300, he offered $250, they said “ come get it.” It’s heavy and great quality. They said they paid nearly $4000 for it and the buffet new. They had the buffet for sale too but we didn’t have room fit it. The table fits the room nicely. It also has an additional leaf that expands the table to nine feet! I just love it.
This Antler Chandelier…guess what, it was FREE! My husband’s work had a reward program and we saved up poker chips that they gave out for rewards and we were able to cash them in and get this amazing chandelier. It was over $300! I still can’t believe it was free. Here is a before of what it looked like with the previous chandelier.
Then there’s the vintage snow shoes above the glass doors. I wanted a pair so bad but every pair I found cost way more then I was willing to spend. I found these on eBay and I bid on them and won the auction. I got them for around $80 shipped from Canada! I felt like I won the lottery, lol. I found the poles at the local thrift store for .50! All the small decor around the room I either got at the thrift or on clearance. I very rarely pay full price for anything.
My antique trunk, I love this old thing. I curb shopped it. Someone threw it out! It was down the street from our house. I had my husband go look at it with me. He had just had surgery and couldn’t lift anything. I lugged it home. We joked about what the neighbors were thinking if they saw us, him walking behind me while I was carrying this huge trunk! It was heavy but I was determined to get it home. I did some research and estimate it to be from the very early 1900’s. Why would someone throw this away? It’s just perfect! Funny side story, my husband almost bought a giant brass mermaid to put on top of the trunk from a moving sale but they were asking way too much. That would have made a great conversation piece.
I got this cozy little rocking chair at an estate sale down the road. It was $20! It is like new, not even broken in. All the live plants were given to me from the lady that we bought the dining table from. So far they are doing great, considering they only get watered every month or so.
The area rugs are, believe it or not, machine washable! They are called Ruggables. I had to have these with the dog and we run in and out all summer with sandy feet. They are so easy to clean and totally worth the money. I found mine on Amazon, I didn’t want to pay full price on their website.
It really pays to shop around, literally. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of saving money. My next blog will be my shabby chic guest room. I love shabby chic and I’m having a ball with this one! Until then..thanks for stopping by.
