Shabby Chic table and chairs!

I was strolling around Goodwill yesterday and spotted these gorgeous antique chairs. They had such character and were just so cute in stature that I had to have them. There were 4 side chairs and one arm chair. I wasn't sure what I would do with them since there was not an even number but as soon as I got home and looked around...I found a table and then it snowballed into two seperate projects...of course. I love to juggle. Here are the culprits that started the whole thing.

Isn't the carving just precious and they were only $7.99 each!



I had a table in my art studio that I really never liked that much. It was small and painted black with no drawer or anything. I had a ladies' type desk at Rick's dealership that I had put in the back office to work on when I was there. It had a drawer in it and was a little thicker all around. I had him bring home the desk for me and I planned on using the arm chair for my new desk chair. I took the table out of my studio that I didn't like and it went with the chairs perfectly! Look!

I was so excited that it was going to make the cutest little set that I went straight to the fabric store to find some cute cottage type fabric to re-cover the chairs. I found a Waverly that was 1/2 price that had a denim blue background with pale yellow and cream colored hydrangeas and celery colored leaves. It was perfect!

I have mentioned in my blogs before that I have never really considered myself a "blue" person but lately I have been drawn to the beautiful blue colors that are so popular right now in home goods. I decided to make the set mostly cream colored and wash and dry brush with the green and the blue. Here is what I did.

Lay chair seat face down on wrong side of fabric. Cut about 3" around each side. Using a heavy duty staple gun, staple all four sides of folded over fabric leaving little "corners" to fold over at each corner. You'll see.

After all four sides are stapled, pull the corner fabric tight and staple the little triangles down to the back of the board.

I painted the chairs a cream color. I had to double coat them to get good coverage but I did leave it messy since I was planning on sanding it back off. I then went back and dry brushed some celery green and then sanded back off. The final result was amazing! So cottagey cute!! Is cottagey a word???

Here is the "gripper" coat to cover the black. I did do the legs but just didn't get a photo of it. : (

I painted the whole table cream and then let it dry and then went back with a wet towel dipped in denim blue and "washed the table" I alternated coats of cream and blue until I got just the right patina letting each coat dry before applying the next.  Then I dry brushed some celery green around the edges of the top and down the legs.

You can see the cute hydrangea fabric I picked for the chairs. Look at the edge of the table. The blue and green sort of blended together to make it look as if the table had been painted multiple times. It added a timeless look to it.

Here is the set at my A & J's booth complete with floral centerpiece and romantic bunny. You can tell from the photo that there is a slight variation in the paint on the table top. I wanted it to look this way. Some people refer to this style as "milk" painting. I hand rubbed at least 7 layers of paint. It makes a smooth table top and gives it so much character. Below is the little basket of hydrangeas I put together today to replace the wreath and bunny. I wanted a theme to tie in to those cute little chair cushions.

There are cute pink wispy little flowers as well as fake lavender in the denim blue basket. So cute. ..Remember that desk I had Rick bring home? I did a different finish on it. First step...you guessed it...gripper! second step, I coated it in cream colored paint. Third step... painted a messy coat of celery green over the top only. Painted the arm chair butter yellow, re-covered the chair pad with the hydrangea fabric and then dry brushed denim and celery green over the yellow chair and sanded off edges to make it look super vintage. Here is the result! Still not finished but had homework to do so I set it up in my art studio and I'll go back and paint it where it sits this weekend when I have more time!

This is inside my art studio. I am in the process of re-doing it so it is rather sparse right now, but I spend a lot of time in here creating and writing so I want everything in this room to be something I absolutely love. I absolutely love the chair and desk. They turned out so cute. The desk I had and for $4.50 in fabric and $7.99 for the chair and about $2.00 in paint, it is so shabby chic! Have fun thrifting! Comment me and let me know what your favorite find is!!! XOXO the thrift addict!