Have your kitchen or dining room chairs become dirty over the years, or just want to update them with a fresh new look (and then if you’re anything like me, one thing will lead to another and after recovering chairs you’ll need new table decorations then a new rug then new walls and on and on…. How fun!) And it’s easy to do especially if you have normal cushions and no backing it couldn’t be easier. If you have squared off cushions you’ll need some sewing skills. This tutorial will cover the basic padded chair.

 

Recovering chair pads probably comes second - after painting - for a relatively inexpensive and easy way to update the look of a room/ furniture. There are lots of good tutorials out there for recovering chairs (posts and videos) so here I will highlight some of the tricks that will ensure the chairs look professional and will last.

 

 

These instructions are for cushions that are not “box” shape. You will have to do a bit of sewing to get professional box and piping cushions.

 

 

If you haven't seen this "meme" going around the internet yet, it's instantly classic - How People View My Profession.

I had to do one for Interior Decorators (us low-lifes who do not have NCIDQ certification (or do from a non-accredited school!)) ;)

see it bigger here on Pinterest 

I wanted to fit one more in for "Furniture Shopping" but still this made me laugh making it.... photos are borrowed for fun, no money is made! Can credit if find them! .

Fun XO Letters Using Glass Vase Fillers

 

You can make fun (and heavy!!) letters using some very inexpensive materials. I made an “XO” set for Valentine’s Day. Here is what you'll need:

RUB N' BUFF - PROS & CONS

One of the most inspirational bloggers I follow - Centsational Girl - pinned anther blogger’s “Take the Side Streett” post about using Rub n’ Buff to re-color a metal framed mirror. I know she’d talked about using it to fill in cracks in leaf/sheet application and I wondered if she’d lost her mind. Girlfriend has great taste and style, and every time I’ve used it on top of regular leafing I cringe because I can see the huge differences between the waxy rub, and the actual leafing (by the way, this goes for the liquid “gold/silver leafing” in a bottle as well. They are NOT the same color. So I thought I’d give it another whirl since I love her work, and found that I actually do like it and can see it coming in handy.

For filling in gaps and cracks, I can see how it can be useful. I got new tubes of (regular) Gold, Antique Gold, Grecian Gold, Silver, and Patina and decided to check them out. Here are my findings.

 

 

Some doors tell a story. I collect pictures of interesting doors from around the world and try to imagine the people who live behind them, ensconced in their lives,  gently closed off from the world. Just through that door.... 

 

Hearst Castle, shot from the deck (San Simeon, CA)