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Right now I am trying to get the motivation to repaint my dining room table and chairs. It is, in my husband's words, "a good solid table" and has two great features going for it. It is large enough to seat eight (with the leaf added) and the chairs don't have a weak spot in them, even after eleven years of kids "rough-handling" them. Yes, my set is like a comfy pair of shoes...that doesn't flatter me!!
We purchased the table and chairs in 1996 just after buying an old farmhouse in the country. The house had a large formal dining room and needed more than the train set and ride-on -motorbike that the boys used on a daily basis, as its decor. We didn't feel the echo helped make for a cozy feel, so Paul relented and agreed to buy the dining set. He is a forest engineer and knows good wood. It seemed the sets I kept picking out were either too expensive (who me?) or "not solid enough." After many squabbles and the threat of buying nothing since we couldn't agree, I relented out of desperation and bought the "sensible shoes" instead of the "pretty high heels".Fast forward 11 years, and here I am, brush in hand, ambition...I'm not sure where!!
I think my reluctance stems from the fact that it will be a ton of work and I'm not sure it will make me feel much happier about the table. You see, the chairs have not been blessed with beautiful genes or style. I often lament that the set doesn't reflect my taste and I often state the disclaimer, " it wasn't my choice" when someone new comes over (as if most people would actually care). I think my main objection to the table is the colour of the wood, or maybe it is the busyness of the design, or maybe...maybe it is me!! I think I basically just want something lighter, prettier, and more reflective of my style. It is all a bit silly as I certainly don't need to change it, but this is a decorating blog after all, and we all suffer from a propensity to overthink these things!!!
Well, my mind is made up. If we ever get any consistently nice weather, I'm going to haul the table and all SIX of the chairs outside, roll up my sleeves, put on my gas mask, and start spray painting!! That's right...spray painting...at least the primer coat anyway. What colour I end up with for the final coat, I'm not sure. I could go cream to be safe, a pale shade of robin's egg blue (though I'm afraid I'll tire of it), or something totally different. Any suggestions??
Perhaps I'll end up painting one chair, losing steam, and wind up buying new chairs like the examples above and have a funky new look! We'll see. Wish me luck...and a heavy dose of motivation!!!
**I just love these aluminum chairs. I think they would be a great contrast to my table, but perhaps a bit cold on the behind!?!?!!
Thank goodness for slip covers!! They have been a "blessing in disguise" for me in my home. It is not in my budget to purchase new sofas as often as I would like, so I have taken advantage of the slipcovering craze! The first sofa I ever purchased was back in 1992 and was in true "country" style-a blue gingham sofa bed that was neither comfortable nor very adaptable to different colour schemes. We kept that sofa for 9 years...long past its time as the springs were gone from the boys jumping on it. The next sofa was a compromise...I wanted a pale yellow waffle weave sofa I saw in one of the local furniture stores. It was, however, out of my budget so I settled for a yellow, plain sofa from the Sears catalogue that was on sale for $600. It was well made and close enough to the look I was going for and in fact is still serving us well in my present home, but is SLIPCOVERED. After too may moves to count, it had seen better days, but was still in great shape (i.e. no sagging, busted springs, etc.). I met a wonderful seamstress lastr Spring and she did the most incredible job making me the slip cover I had always wanted but just could not find in stores. I have wasted too many dollars on those department store slipcovers that look atrocious after sitting on them for 5 min. They are impractical and make more work than they are worth. The whole point of a good slipcover is to hide the ugly, not create more of it!
