A Little Red Goes A Long Way!

Not too long ago I posted about some chairs I bought from a hotel furniture liquidation warehouse, aka "The Boutique".

My intention was always to revamp these seats ASAP but before we knew it a whole year had passed and our chairs were still covered in the same sad, faded navy fabric.

Why the delay, you might ask? I'd like to say it's because I didn't have the time, but to be honest, I didn't make the time and on top of that Marc and I couldn't agree on a colour.

I initially had my heart set on something in a blue, or even a chocolate brown to balance out the lighter walnut wood, but he wasn't having it.

He wanted red.

Red like deep movie theatre carpet red. Red like you won't find anywhere else in our apartment red, but I wasn't so sure...

Then, recalling what a champ he was about the whole turquoise bathroom thing, I decided I might have to be the one to compromise this time around.

Not only that, I searched around online for inspirational photos and realized his red (or something close to it anyway) might be exactly what we need!

[Totally Home Decor]

[Shelly's Stamping Stuff]

[Build Direct via Southern Living]

Alas we hit Queen West and agreed on a brighter shade of red in a tough and hopefully durable linen.

Then, once we busted out the power drill and picked up a new staple gun, the whole process only took about 15-20 minutes per chair!

Just getting started...

Hmmm...

Forget it! Covering the old stuff works too!

And last but not least, the AFTER picture...

What do you think?!

I should note that we didn't fuss with matting or anything like that, so this was a very simple and inexpensive project... one that we could do all over again a year or two down the road if the mood strikes us!

Just cross your fingers that next time neither of us will break our elbows half way through!

Anyway, bottom line, Marc and I are both thrilled with the end results and a week or two later, I'm still amazed not only at how much the fabric brings the chairs to life but how much texture this small change adds to our living room.

Mission accomplished  :)

KLI

 

My Design Wishlist

With my Dad's side hailing from Minnesota, my family and I have always celebrated American Thanksgiving as well as Canadian.

This past weekend marked my fourth turkey dinner in the last two months, and with those family functions behind me, it's officially time to start gearing up for another jam-packed Christmas season!

I've yet to bust out my tree (not our tree, mine... Christmas is definitely not Marc's scene!) or hang any lights, but one thing I have done is give plenty of thought to my shopping list.

Being the compulsive list-maker that I am, I've also created a wishlist for myself, just for the hell of it!

It's a little ridiculous and self-indulgent (duh, it's a blog) but nonetheless, here are a few items that would feed my insatiable appetite for colour and also keep in line with my mid-century modern taste...

Turquoise KitchenAid 2 Qt. Curling Teakettle - $29.99

Vetiver Green West Elm Herringbone Quilt  (Queen) - $150

Vintage Walnut and Gold Sunburst Clock - Prices Online Vary

Turquoise Urban Outfitters Madeline Chair $349

Anthropologie Zinna Handles (for I don't know what... yet) - $18 ea

Perhaps an Eames Molded Plastic Armchair or two from DWR for good measure - approx. $262 ea

Too extravagant for a Christmas wishlist? Yes. Collectively out of my own budget? Definitely! But what can I say?

When you spend most of your time trying to work within your budget, a little unrealistic daydreaming  is bound to occur here and there!

What's on your design wishlist this year? Will you pick up items for yourself or the house while shopping for loved ones? Do tell!

KLI

"The Boutique"

Right before I moved in with Marc, I bought a terrific walnut dining table with a secret built-in leaf that I absolutely loved. Since my last apartment didn't really have much room for a table, this was a huge thrill!

It was the right price, thanks to an Ikea "Wacky Wednesday" sale, and it fit the space perfectly, but without chairs to sit on it was still a little tricky eating at the table...

I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on a brand new set, so my Auntie Lisa suggested I head over to what our family now affectionately refers to as "The Boutique".

The Boutique is a dingy hotel furniture liquidation store located in the northeastern part of the city, where millions of new and gently used pieces are just sitting there, marked down to decently low prices and begging to be revamped!

Whether you have your eye on modern pieces of furniture, antiques or misfits like these, a little imagination and the ability to look past slight wear and tear can end up making all the difference in the world to your space and style.

In Auntie Lisa's case, a little paint went a very long way for a couple of dressers and a nightstand, and most recently she's reupholstered a [now] gorgeous pair of club chairs. These finds alone were inspiration enough to get me in the car and headed north to hunt down chairs of my own!

With Marc's help, I ended up taking home four simple wooden chairs (like the one pictured above with worn navy fabric) that suited our table perfectly.

For over a year now they've served their purpose, and haven't looked half bad, but with the new fabric we finally picked up this past weekend they're sure to look even better in no time!

Stay tuned!

KLI