My Pinterest Challenge Chair

by Katy on March 14, 2012 · 29 comments

John and Sherry over at Young House Love are hosting another Pinterest Challenge, where they challenge readers to:

“Do your own personal take on something inspirational that you’ve pinned (and link back to the original creator of the project that inspired you, be it a company like Anthropologie or a personal blog that got your wheels a turning).”

And since I’ve been such a Crafty Caty lately, (not to be confused with Krappy Katy) I thought I’d share my own recent Pinterest inspired project.

First, here’s the inspiration, which is a reproduction Thonet chair from ABC Home. At $150, it’s both out of my price range and truth be told, not really my style. (I am too deeply in lurve with my debonaire Carnegie library chairs to be setting them up with cutesy girls.)

However, seeing this pin reminded me that I had a similar-style chair sitting in my basement from a garage sale in 1995 or so. (Worry not, it does get used when my son’s friends come over for “band practice.”)

And here’s my chair, which shares a similar bent-wood back and general vibe/silhouette:

 Not an exact replica, but certainly within the same furniture family. (Second cousin once removed?) This chair may look like she went a few rounds with Mike Tyson, but she’s sturdy and worthy of a makeover. A can of Krylon Fusion spray paint in Ivy Leaf was just what she needed. Here she is after her first coat:

 

I didn’t keep track of how many coats of paint I ended up spraying, but it was at least four or five. (Should I have primed the chair first? Umm . . .  yeah.)

And here’s the chair in her rightful place of honor in my younger son’s room:

I just ♥ how the apple green complements the colors in the map blinds. Not matchy-matchy by any means, but certainly holding her own.

And just for fun, here’s a full-body shot of the chair:

Better, right?

Thank you to John and Sherry for hosting this Pinterest Challenge. I know I’m having fun painting, Mod-Podge-ing and generally fixing stuff up. Are you?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }

Mindy March 14, 2012 at 7:15 am

Ha! The chair I’m sitting on RIGHT NOW is that exact same color. It was a side of the road find. So I’m a little partial, but yours looks great! :o)

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 7:18 am

The pink or the green?

Katy

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Claudia March 14, 2012 at 7:29 am

Looks fantastic. Great color, the green one.

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 7:33 am

Thanks! The color on the cap was a bit more avocado, so I was really happy that it ended up being more apple-y.

Katy

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Julia March 14, 2012 at 7:37 am

love the fix-ups. I did a bunch myself lately, but will have to start another round. Spray paint is da bomb.

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 7:41 am

Yes. And now I’m starting to eye the very plain blonde-wood stool that sits in my kitchen.

Katy

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Samantha March 14, 2012 at 8:33 am

Love the green colour! I’m converting an old dresser into a TV stand and I’m going green too. It’s such a fresh and happy colour.

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 9:36 am

I totally agree! 🙂

Katy

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Emily @ The Diligent One March 14, 2012 at 11:04 am

Oh, I’m in LOVE with it! My son (14 yo) would love it, too!

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 11:08 am

And my (almost) 14-year-old son is pretty happy with it as well!

Katy

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Heather March 14, 2012 at 11:44 am

Looks great on the thrifted rug 🙂 I love green. I think “complements” might be the right spelling in this case 🙂

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 1:10 pm

There you go, catching me being human again. I was trying to keep it a secret! 😉

Katy

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Auntie Karen March 14, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Great job, Katy-girl! It looks like you have returned a late 1800s bentwood spindle-backed student chair to it’s original purpose. Probably oak, but it could be birch, and is typically found in abandoned country schoolhouses through the Midwest. I think it’s authentic—note the sweet turned shaping of the top of the spindles and the gentle curve of the bentwood where it attaches to the seat. The leg stretchers also look hand turned. There usually are two on the sides and one on the front to deter restless lads from hooking their boots over the lower one and “rocking”. Perhaps your son will be inspired by thoughts of studious scholars of yore. Although that gorgeous room with the maps and coordinated color palate ought to be inspiration enough!

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 1:09 pm

Thanks for all the info. I can now picture it in an old sod schoolhouse.

Mwah!

Katy

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Laura's Last Ditch--Adventures in Thrift Land March 14, 2012 at 7:22 pm

It’s really cute! I like the before also. Sometimes a distressed look can be neat, too.

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Katy March 14, 2012 at 9:33 pm

Then you might have enjoyed the decades old gum that I chiseled from the bottom. Apparently I had never turned this chair upside.

Katy

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Laura's Last Ditch--Adventures in Thrift Land March 15, 2012 at 4:39 am

Hilarious! I do have a soft spot in my heart for old stuff. I’m not positive it would extend to old gum, but it might!

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Linda March 14, 2012 at 7:47 pm

green is my new favorite color. The chair looks amazing. As soon as the weather gets better I have an old soda fountain chair to spray paint. Maybe in April.

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Jo@simplybeingmum March 15, 2012 at 2:40 am

Looking good…mighty impressed. Just posted about my fixed up boots if that counts? They tend to get an annual service. A second-hand purchase 3 years ago at a cost of £35 and I’m now spending approx 35% of purchase price each year on maintenance. But hey, it’s the principle of the thing isn’t it (or is it madness?!?!?)? Sure got the ‘make do and mend’ bug! Breathe new life into old stuff! Gotta do it!

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Katy March 15, 2012 at 6:27 am

Awesome boots! You should have posted that photo of yourself wearing them with the black (?) tights that you’ve shared before.

Very hot mama. 😉

Katy

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Jo@simplybeingmum March 15, 2012 at 6:34 am

There was enough thigh on that one photo to last a lifetime! Never again!
p.s. – The tights were kinda tartan (but a hand-me-down so who’s to look a gift horse in the mouth?)

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Jinger March 15, 2012 at 4:19 am

Lovely makeover! You can see my green chair makeover here! I wish I had a before photo…ugly old brown chair…now transformed!

http://iliketomakethings.blogspot.com

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Katy March 15, 2012 at 6:24 am

So cute, I love the blue color!

Katy

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Maja March 17, 2012 at 5:13 am

That’s lovely! Great colour, very uplifting! Such a nice way of making something old ‘like new’. 🙂

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Paula in the UP March 21, 2012 at 9:21 am

Love the chair!!! I’ve been on the look out for an old dresser…..but I’m being picky and want one with legs, where the drawers don’t go to the floor. Then I will paint it, not sure of a color yet. It’s going in a spare bedroom that I just painted the walls “clear blue sky” with white trim and black and white bedding…….green might make it a statement piece!!!

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eva June 13, 2012 at 7:45 am

this is beautiful!!! don’t you need to seal it? just spray paint?

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