You guys know by now how much I love a good find.
Especially when it is free.
Here is “The Most Amazing Curbside Makeover Ever.”
This is what I started with.
Every spring when our city has cleanup, I like to “yard shop” so to speak, and rescue cast off items that I believe deserve a second chance. (You should see my attic…)
When I found these on Tour De Junk 2016, I wasn’t sure where they would go until I found this laminate table.
It is a match made in thrifted heaven! Anything is possible with a coat of paint and some imagination.
The first thing I always do at the start of a new project is give the piece or pieces a good scrubbing. I took the chairs apart, keeping all the original screws, tore the paper off the bottom of the seats and scrubbed them with Bar Keeper’s friend.
With Bar Keeper’s Friend, you can make a paste, apply it to the surface, and let it sit for a bit. I have used it on multiple projects, including this one.
Here they are all nice and clean. Make sure they are totally dry before reupholstering. If you decide to cover over the existing material like I did, you might want to wait a full 24 hours to make sure it is really dry.
I found this fabric at IKEA about 5 years ago, in their clearance room. The pattern isn’t what I usually go for but the colors were perfect for the kids play space.
I ironed all of the wrinkles out and cut it into four equal pieces.
With each seat, I made sure to center the seat on the fabric piece. If you choose a piece that has stripes, you might want to make sure they are to your liking before stapling.
I was able to use my new stapler/air compressor that my husband gave me for Christmas, but a regular staple gun would work fine too.
Start on one side, then do the opposite side, pulling tight the fabric the while you staple. This will help keep creasing and wrinkles from forming, and will keep the fabric nice and straight.
Once I had two sides done, I did the other two sides, saving the corners for last.
The corners were a little tricky at first, my goal was to make sure the fold were the same on all four corners. I played with the fabric for a while, when I was happy with how it laid, I stapled it in place.
Once I finished the first one, the rest of the corners were easier.
When the corners were complete, I cut off all of the excess material.
Don’t you just love it? After this, I used the original screws and reattached each seat to each chair.
I don’t have pictures of the chairs during the painting process, I forgot to take some, but I primed them first with Rust-oleum spraypaint primer for metal, then followed with two coats of semi-gloss in white.
When I rescued these chairs, the existing rubber feet were in really bad shape. It is always a good idea to keep all of the original parts until the project is done in case you need them for reference.
I needed to put new feet on the smaller chairs, and the only place I could find the right size was on Amazon. Just measure the old caps and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding what size you need.
Perfect fit.
The chairs are just the right size to fit under the kids work table. And, the fabric coordinates perfectly with my children’s toys. Primary colors for the win!
The detail on the backs of these chairs is why I snatched them up off the curb in the first place. It is easy to see why I believe this is the most amazing curbside makeover ever!
I have a feeling these chairs will be a part of this space for a long time.
I wonder if these chairs could talk, what stories they could share. Maybe they were a part of someone’s kitchen where they were a part of sharing morning coffee with love ones.
I am sure they would have plenty to say after a day in the life of the Young’s!
