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| Love these dining chairs from Neiman Marcus - only $1600. each |
When I was a younger, I often bought used chairs from the restaurant supply stores on the Bowery in New York. The chairs were around $2. each back then. They were a perfect scale for an apartment, and the were sturdy, and the design whilst boring, was clean and classic. The chair could be painted, and the fabric on the seat and back could be changed out easily with a yard of fabric and a staple gun.
With that in mind, I think with the design sensibility all you clever bloggers have, you could take the humble restaurant style chair and doll it you like the one from Neiman Marcus pictured at the beginning of this post that sells for $1600. each!
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| You can copy cat chic this chair! Really! |
And to help you out, I offer a couple of sources for supplies, including the chair. Of course, check out your local restaurant supply stores for used chairs. I doubt they will be $2. like in the olden days of my youth, but I suspect they will be eminently affordable.
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| This is a chair from a restaurant supply - It's brand new - You can get it HERE - It has a very similar form to the NM one |
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| The chair color is good as it if you like wood, but if you want a painted chair go for it - Everyone seems to love this Annie Sloan chalk paint touted as chick decorator paint because it is so easy to use - Anyone want to share the dealio if they have used it for a DIY project? It's a little pricey - is it worth it? |
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| The chair seat looks good as is - You could just re-do the chair back - I love the houndstooth fabric on the expensive chair, and found a site for you with a few houndstooth fabric choices HERE - But any fabric you love would work |
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| Adding nail head trim to the existing bottom seat and around the new fabric on the back will make the chair have that couture look - Nail heads are hard to do, but the nail head strip makes it a little easier - You can get them at your local hardware store, or you can get them online HERE |
I'm not saying this is a quick and easy project, but it certainly is a way to create a chair with an expensive look for a lot less money than 1600. per chair!
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Since my future seems to be holding a new home in an old house, these little tips will be invaluable for me one day.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the nail head strips ! fabulous ..
I have a feeling that our Thonet dining table and chairs will end up as kitchen table and chairs and I will be scouring flea markets et for a big old wooden table and 6-8 mismatched chairs.
I can't wait :)
Annie Sloan paint really works good. No sanding etc needed to prep aside from cleaning a bit. A very nice flat finish that you go over with wax. I havEe painted some small pieces. Colors are very nice also and you can mix up to get the perfect shade.
ReplyDeleteSmart move, as always! Happy May, Valorie!
ReplyDeleteI used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and loved it. no priming + no sanding = worth the $
ReplyDeleteI also used the Annie Sloan wax (mixing clear & dark as the dark is really dark). There are several instructions for making your own chalk paint floating around on pinterest.com as well - using grout// plaster of paris // calcium carbonate.
You are so clever! And wouldn't we be laughing all the way to the bank?
ReplyDeletewww.chattafabulous.blogspot.com
One of your best posts, VV. It combines your NY resourceful/savvy traits with, "by-osmosis" Southern grit. AS chalk paint is somewhat pricey, and leaves a gritty finish unless a lot of wax is applied. I'd like to see readers' results.
ReplyDeleteHey Girl,
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven’t touched base but I’ve been keeping up with you through the blog. I wanted to tell you that my mom took the Annie Sloan paint class. She signed up for it here in NOLA but no one ever contacted her. So, she and her friend went to Houston and took the class at a place called Wonderfaux Studios (http://www.wonderfauxstudio.com/).
The class was from 10am until 3pm. She learned six different finishes. (She has the samples she created if you’d like to see them). My mom isn’t very good; it takes practice I suppose. It’s a lot of work! My mom tried it out on an old desk… she had to paint, then wax to seal, then wax again to finish (thinning with mineral spirits) and then follow up with a buff wax. It’s a lot of supplies to accomplish and expensive (but supposedly the paint goes a long way).
That’s my report—haha! Hope you and Alberto are well. Would love to you see soon.
XOXO,
Kellie