The Chair

Like Neal, I usually have a project going at all times too. I bought this chair on Craigslist in July.

I love the shape of it. It's small enough to be a chair but big enough to sit in it with my two kids to read. It's French looking, antique looking, but clearly in need of a makeover.

Ewww. We started ripping it apart. It was pretty gross. There was a tag on it saying it was made in 1967, and had a custom paint job. So it's not really French or antique, but still fun. The lowlight was the cat pee smell in the back of it. That's one of the million reasons Neal comes in so handy. He primed the pee out of it. 

Then I painted it white. With little gold highlights in the detail work.

Then Neal made the first attempt at hand tying the springs.

Then Neal gave up on the project all together when I took two months to decide that I wanted it gold, and that I wanted the springs hand tied with Italian hemp spring twine. I did both. Have you ever tied springs?! My hands were raw for like 4 days. BUT, I persevered, and did it. 

Like a few (or lots) of my projects, I never end up liking them. Neal thought that maybe with this one I should have a professional handle the upholstery part of the project. I was so glad I did. I found some fabric that I loved from Calico (they are no longer Calico Corner, because "corner" must have made them sound so homely, as if "Calico" is super hip because it's not. Calico is the fabric of choice in the Little House on the Prairie books, good, but not quite "hip"). Here's the finished product:

Here's the before again:

I'm very pleased with it, and think it's a great addition to our bedroom!