Reuphosltering a Painted Chair

Remember the chair I painted?

Well, I ripped it up. 

I loved the way the chair looked, but unfortunately, painted velvet is kind of rough and sticks to some fabrics. So, I couldn't sit in the chair if I was wearing something made of delicate fabric, like most dresses. Or anything dry clean only. So I ripped up the fabric and decided to take a swing at reupholstering it myself. 

Keep in mind, this was my first time to reupholster. I had no clue what I was doing. I'm not really one to look up and read instructions and how-to's though. I'm more of a get-your-hands-dirty and learn-as-you-go kind of girl. It's more exciting that way. ;) 

Here is the final result. 

It is not perfect, but I am happy with it. I know I can only get better the more I practice. I have planned to leave the original tufted look, but decided I liked the look of the smooth back better. And now, the chair gets used more! (A very important feature of any chair is that people actually want to sit in it). ;)

Painting an Upholstered Chair

I keep seeing and hearing about painted upholstered chairs and thought it would be a good option for someone who can't reupholster (i.e. ME). Then, once I saw my friend's chairs she painted, I loved how they looked and decided to go for it. Look how cute hers are!

 

 

Adorable, right?

 

I used a chair I bought at a resell shop that I have been meaning to reupholster. I liked the look of the chair, but the velvet fabric was a little outdated and had some small stains on it.

 

Here is the chair before:

 

 

Here is another picture that shows the color more accurately.

 

 

You may remember it from this post.

 

 I was a little nervous to paint a chair I already liked, but once I got started, I liked the way the white looked. It provided more of a contrast to the color of the wood.

 

 

Here you can see the difference between the white painted part and the original.

 

 

 I thought about leaving the pins and the trim in the original color, but in the end, I wanted to keep it simple. I'm really glad I did.

 

I used white fabric paint from Michael's. The fabric paint makes the paint not as rough as wall paint would. I knew the paint would make the fabric more stiff, but I did not realize how quickly the fabric soaks up the paint. I probably used about six bottles of fabric paint on this one chair.

 

Here is the final product:

 

 

I like it much more in the white than the original faded gold-ish velvet fabric. Overall, it was a fairly quick and easy update!

 

 

The Best of Big D

Each year, D Magazine votes for The Best of Big D. This is a list of the favorite restaurants, shops, bars, etc. in Dallas. The people of Dallas vote for their favorites, and those with the highest amount of votes win the Best of Big D award and proudly display it in their business. It's quite an honor. I'm excited to see that the best home decor shop IMO in Dallas won! The shop is Vintage Living by Lisa Luby Ryan. Her entire store is done in neutrals with a French touch to it. Every time I go in there, I consider refusing to ever leave. The place is amazing and absolutely deserves this award. Here is a glimpse into the store:

D Magazine Online

Don't you just want to curl up in that bed and read a good book? That lush bedding is calling my name. 

Vintage Living

Gorgeous, right? My only complaint is that the store has very limited business hours. You either have to make an appointment or be a stay at home wife to make it there during business hours. If I could just convince Lisa to extend her business hours back, maybe I could make it back in there some time, and hopefully soon!

What I'm Wishing For...

It's been a little over a year since I bought and moved into my first house. I love the house, but am ready to make it look like I didn't just move in add some personal touches. There are a few specific pieces I would LOVE to own and put in the house. I just have to convince my soon-to-be husband he loves them too. :)

1. First, I would love a bed. Everyone should have a bed, right? The master bedroom really doesn't need a whole lot, but a bed would make a big difference. Restoration Hardware has a few beds I would love to own. It's probably a good thing that I can't pick just one. That way, my man can have the final say. It will eventually be his bed too. Here are my favorites:

St. James Bed Without Footboard in Antiqued Natural 

Chesterfield Upholstered Sleigh Bed via Houzz

Keyhole Arch bed 

Adler Tufted Platform Bed

2. I would love to replace the Target clearance bar stools in the kitchen. I have been wanting these bar stools for a year. D hates them, but I am not giving up. Hopefully, he will someday see the beauty in them. I even told him he can pick the color. :)

Madeleine Bar Stool

They can also be found at Ballard Designs:

Constance Bar Stool

3. The chandeliers need updating. I would love this one for the breakfast nook...

Mariestad 6 Light Chandelier

...or I would also take this in the 12 Light version and replace the outdated chandelier in the dining room.

For now, I will just keep dreaming about them.

**UPDATE: Thanks to Shades of Light and Kevin & Layla Palmer of The Lettered Cottage, I have to add another wish to my list!

The Wooden Wine Barrel from Shades of Light 

I love the rope detailing Kevin & Layla added to theirs:

See their post about it here. (Or if you just want to follow their sweet blog and/or look at beautiful pictures of their cottage style home.)

The Golden Globes

Normally I don't pay that much attention to awards shows, or even celebs for that matter. However, I was very impressed with the trends this year. Everyone looked so elegant. I saw more beautiful gowns than ever before. Here are the women I thought were best dressed this year.


Katherine McPhee  

I love this because it is simple, elegant, and sexy. You really can't go wrong with black. In any other color, this dress probably would not be on my favorites list. I love that she kept the shoes, accessories, and hair simple. Instead of noticing all the accessories, you notice how great her body is. She really did a great job with this look.

 
Julie Bowen

I'm not sure everyone would agree that this is one of the Best Dressed, but I love this look. The material of this dress is gorgeous! The color is beautiful and looks great on her. The flowy, silky material looks very Roman goddess. I like that she kept her hair up and simple, doesn't have a necklace, but has statement earrings that look great with her dress. She also kept it simple, but very elegant, and definitely not boring.


Amy Adams

I have never thought of Amy Adams as a style icon before, but now I'm thinking this girl knows her stuff- or at least her stylist does. I love the soft, pale color of this dress. The dress by itself is gorgeous, but it seems to  appear as if it is made for her. Her coloring matches this dress perfectly without her getting lost in it. I love her vintage side swept hair. It really looks classy. Her eyes really "pop" in this look. Maybe because the look is very monotone, it makes the color of her eyes really stand out. Plus, I am a sucker for any dress with tulle.


Kerry Washington

I love this look. She looks so beautiful. I love the sheer fabric of this dress. It makes the dress sexy without trying too hard. I love the soft palette of the dress, and the beadwork really dresses it up without being over the top. She kept the accessories simple. Her hair has a gorgeous, natural-looking ombre highlights to it. I love the bangs. This look really shows off her beautiful skin, hair, and eyes.


Jessica Alba

Wow. I think the creeper with the shades really sums up everyone's reaction to this look. She is absolutely gorgeous and this dress is perfect for her. I love the side swept curls. I think this is really a timeless look. Not everyone can pull off this dress. She makes it look like it was made for her. My only complaint is that orange fur purse.


Isla Fisher

While this is not the best picture of her, this dress is stunning. I love the soft palette of this. The dress doesn't need any jewelry to add to it; it stands on its own. I love the side swept curls. The only thing missing is her smile.

(One of) My Best Friend's Wedding

Remember that movie? Gotta love Julia.


                               Kit & Kaboodle

When writing this post, I couldn't help but think of that title. In October, I had the honor of being a bridesmaid of one of my college roommate's wedding. The wedding was adorable. The bride made, planned, and designed all the decorations herself (with a little help from her parents). She is basically Martha Stewart, but younger and without all the legal problems. ;)

Here are a few pictures that show off her creativity and craftiness.






She made all the bunting flags, chalkboard signs, and put together all the decorations. She also made these Kraft paper and burlap programs, complete with their wedding logo.

She made these burlap wreaths featuring cotton and Anthropologie letters.




Instead of petals, her flower girl sprinkled these paper hearts down the aisle.






She used an old mattress frame as a picture holder. (Aren't they such a cute couple?!)






Her wedding sign in table- all in chalkboards, ribbon, cotton, and wood.



Their legacy table





The wedding was in October. Cute little pumpkins lined the walkway to the chapel. The bride made those cute burlap flags.









She designed their invitation suite





and put fun stamps on every envelope.





Cotton and burlap lined the aisles. Aren't these so cute and simple?





She also made these wedding streamers to wave after they said "I Do."







She made these centerpieces with tea lights, branches, glass jars, and galvanized hearts.











Her dad made those crates to give the centerpieces height. :)

She also made this chalkboard tray for their champagne toast.





She is very talented with chalk.















Monogrammed burlap signs for their chairs.





Fun sunglasses, maracas, and tambourines were provided for guests and kids at the reception as well as glow sticks :)









and you gotta have a photo booth!





They made toffee for the wedding guests and sealed it with stickers with their wedding logo






as well as koozies




Cookies made by the Mother of the Bride




Cake table










Textured cakes decorated with cotton for her and a Texas map for him




These are the cookies she sent all the BM's. They were delicious. :)




She also made each of us these shirts. She tie-dyed and screen printed them herself. You can see more about this here.




Didn't she do an amazing job?!?! (Great job, Dell!)

If you love her stuff, you are in luck! She now sells just some of her creative work. Check it out here!