Remember how we envisioned modern and cheerful green leather parsons chairs around a chunky wood table from pretty much the moment we moved in? And how we decided that dyed-green slipcovers were pretty much the same thing when we found chairs for $25 and slipcovers for $23? Well, we were wrong. I dyed two of the chairs green and they were just not “it” (even if we altered the shade of green, we just knew it was the wrong way to go for us as soon as we saw these babies):
Especially considering that there would be seven or eight of them around the table at all times (and we have the bold built-ins going on in the background and dreams of chic patterned curtains, a huge cut out opening to the kitchen, a giant chandelier above the table, etc). It suddenly dawned on me that of all the things in the room that there were going to be there, the chairs were not the things that I wanted everyone to be staring at. In fact, I decided that I wanted the chairs to blend in. To become best supporting actors items to a few other things that we’d love to be the stars (namely the built-ins, the bold patterned curtains, and the showstopping chandelier that we can’t wait to bring in).
But let’s rewind to two of the four colors that we considered before we reached for the dye at all. First we thought long and hard about whether we wanted to dye them in the first place. We mentioned that the off-white tone of the covers looked dingy in contrast to the glossy white trim and built-in shelving, but even so we still wanted to live with them a while before doing anything rash.
So we did. And we definitely didn’t like the clashy off-white tone any better after the weeks ticked by. It was time for action.
Next we considered trying to somehow bleach them white. That way they wouldn’t look dingy and would tie right into the white trim and those white built-in shelves. But the more we thought about one of our major goals (for this house to be kid-proof and not make us into uptight fearful hosts) we realized that even though white slipcovers can be bleached they’d still show dirt more on a daily basis. Even dark denim could leave a blue tint behind on them (which is something that we never thought of, but some light googling brought to our attention). And if something a little darker could hide a bit more dirt (resulting in less frequent washings and kid-related heartburn) we’d take it. Function first. Plus we felt like white covers would stop the eye and call attention to themselves since they’d be so contrast-y next to the table (which wouldn’t fulfill the blend-right-in goal that I’d eventually come to reach anyway).
So it was back to the green chair idea that John and I thought would be just the ticket (and later learned… not so much). I’m actually a dye novice. In fact I’ve only dyed one thing before (besides my hair throughout middle school and high school- yes I once was a blonde). That thing that I’ve dyed? Oh yeah, it was my wedding dress (so I could wear it again, like to other weddings):
I can’t believe I had the guts but it worked out so I guess I have a soft spot for dye. It’s a great, easy, and affordable way to breath new life into something you wouldn’t wear otherwise. I’ve dyed everything including shirts, sweaters, and even jeans! It hasn’t let me down yet.
Anyway, here’s how I dyed those two slipcovers just in case you’re about to take the d-y-e plunge. It was actually really easy thanks to the type that I used this time. A bunch of readers and even a few relatives recommended iDye (we found it at JoAnn). It was under $3 for each pack (and I could use each pack to dye two slipcovers at once). It’s meant for natural fibers like linen and cotton and silk (jackpot: our slipcovers are linen and cotton). When it came to picking the color, there were a ton to choose from (which is soooo much nicer than just one tone of green or blue, which is the case with a few other dye brands). In fact there were at least five different green tones (green, olive, kelly green, emerald, chartreuse, etc) so we narrowed it down to these two:
We liked that chartreuse would be modern and fun, but worried that it might end up looking a little too neon and highlighter-ish. And we liked that kelly green would probably be a bit more green and less yellow, so we ultimately decided it was the way to go for that apple green look that I wanted from day one.
Although there were some simple directions on the pack, I’m waaaaay too neurotic to settle for those. So I went to their site for a lot more instruction (aka: hand holding). The fact that this dye worked with front loading washers was a huuuuge perk for me. And it was simple. Burger could have done it if he could reach the dryer buttons.
First I put two cups of hottest-possible-from-the-tap water into a big bowl. Then I dropped in the dissolving dye envelope from the dye kit. And I stirred it up.
Then I added one cup of salt (since that’s what they recommended on the dye site for cotton & linen fabrics, which is what the slipcovers are).
Then I stirred again. Oh and I used a paint stick.
The next step was to pre-wet two slipcovers before adding anything to our front loader (this shot shows how not-white the slipcovers were – sort of oat-meal-ish in person).
Then came the heart-stopping step. Pouring my bowl of hot water and dye and salt into the bottom of our front loading washer. Is it weird that it made me a little queasy?
Then I tossed the pre-wet slipcovers into the washer and started things up right away. The dye instructions on the site said to wash them in hot water and mentioned that adding an extra rinse cycle would help the color develop more. So I set it on “heavy duty” (which used hot water) and clicked the “extra rinse” button before hitting start.
About an hour later things were looking pretty green! Happily they were super even and there weren’t any streaks or dark spots (which was my worry). They looked like green slipcovers you’d buy in a store. Sidenote: how much fun would a store completely devoted to slipcovers be? I’m picturing roaming aisles of every color and shape imaginable. Like the big wall of flip flops at Old Navy.
Oh but before I could take them out and dry them, I did one last wash with cold water and a bit of mild detergent (as recommended by the dye site) which basically entailed clicking it to “normal” (and making sure it was cold water) and adding a smidge of Seventh Generation detergent. The second wash with cold water locked in the color and rinsed out any excess dye. Then I dried the covers on delicate (low heat) so they didn’t take too much of a beating since they were originally dry clean only and I didn’t want to press my luck (like I did here).
As for the color that they came out vs. the color on the pack, I thought it was a pretty good representation. My vision was flawed, but the kelly green pack really did produce a nice kelly green-ish (or apple green-ish) color.
Sadly it just wasn’t “the one.” Onward!
The fourth (and final!) color that we contemplated was good old fashioned mocha. Or as the dye pack called it: brown. We went back to JoAnn and stared at about twenty options and it just seemed like the best way to go. They’d hold up to stains and fall back nicely to let other items in the room be the stars. And the contrast of a chunky wood table and upholstered chairs is a sweet little casual choice (we worried the room would look too formal with eight wood chairs pulled around a matching wood table). So even though it would be brown covers with a brown table we knew the plush chairs vs. hard carved table would be a nice pairing. And by going with the same tone as the table they’d slip in and have less of a “hiya-we’re-a-whole-bunch-of-chairs-so-look-at-us!” vibe (which would have been an issue with green, off-white, or white in the end).
When it came to the actual dying process, again it was the same dealio. Except I used a brown pack to dye two slipcovers at a time instead of a kelly green one.
In went the dissolving pack into two cups of hot water…
… followed by a cup of salt…
… which was then mixed and tossed into the wash with two pre-wet slipcovers. One hot wash and one cold one later, I had yummy mocha covers to enjoy. Oh and it’s worth noting that many fabrics take to dye better than the most-likely-synthetic stitching (which often remains the color it always was). Luckily, white stitching with the mocha = cool with us.
Once again our covers came out looking completely even and didn’t have any dark or light spots or streaking. And after the warm and cold wash the color was set (the color doesn’t rub off at all or anything, even if you’re wet and you sit on the chairs). Oh but one quick note about cleaning your washer after you’re done dying everything: mine was sparkly clean (after one extra rinse cycle as advised by the iDye folks) except for the rubber ring that’s right next to the door, so I just ran a few paper towels across it until they were no longer slightly tinted brown.
Ta da (don’t mind the wrinkles, I let them sit in the dryer far too long before tossing them on the chairs and quickly snapping these pics this morning):
We love how they tuck right into the room (no more of that look-at-all-the-chairs thing is going on) and how they don’t blend too much thanks to the subtle variation in color and of course the hard vs. soft thing thanks to the carved table and the fabric slipcovers:
Most of all I think we’ll love how much dirt they’ll hide when compared to lighter slipcovers.
What about those two “extra” slipcovers that we dyed green (remember we got ten even though we only have eight chairs thanks to John’s genius suggestion since he worried about dye issues)? Well, we figured we had nothing to lose by trying to overdye them with brown (thinking they’d probably turn out a muddy olive tone, but it was worth a shot).
In a sweeeet turn of dye-related events, the brown totally took over and produced the identical color to the other brown covers (even with the green dye under it). So we have two extra brown covers on hand in case something catastrophic (sharpie, scissors, blood…) happens to any of the eight everyday covers that we have. Oh happy dye day.
In the end, it all came down to some basic math. Bold built-ins + patterned future curtains + a large view into the office + a large future chandelier/pendant + a large future punched out view into the kitchen + bright chairs = too ca-razy. So we’re down with brown. And we’re excited to let things like the built-ins and the future curtains/light fixture steal the show. Speaking of which, check out the designer fabric we snagged at a deep discount thanks to a slight imperfection that we can work around:
We love that it has brown tones (to tie into the table and chairs), white tones (to tie into the trim and built-in shelving), deep teal tones (which relate to the back of the built-ins) and pops of cheerful apple green (if it wasn’t right for the chairs, at least I’ll get it in the curtains). So it’s safe to say that we’re excited to get down to curtain making business soon. But most of all, we’re thankful that our chairs don’t look like this anymore:
Hallelujah. Oh and when it comes to the whole chair budget breakdown, here we go:
- Each chair: $25 (for a total of $200 spent for eight of them)
- Failed painting supplies: $10
- Each slipcover: $23 (for a total of $232 spent for ten of them)
- Six iDye packets from JoAnn (one green one and five brown ones): $18
- Total cost per chair: $57.50 (which also includes two spare slipcovers)
Have you guys dyed something around the house? Curtains? Pillow covers? Cloth napkins? Or are you a dye virgin who dreams of giving it a shot? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to (or what you’ve been dyeing to do – har har).
Psst- We’ve had some pretty weird adventures with our $25 chairs. Here’s the post where we found them and here’s the post where I tried to paint one, and here’s the post about finding and shrinking the slipcovers.
Update: Check out how our dining room is coming together thanks to those curtains that we finally made here. Woot.
Kat says
Love the brown. And those curtains?! Fantastic! I’ve seen the fabric on the internet and dismissed it as to muddy. Your picture shows it as very bright. I’ve now got to go get a sample because I love how it looks. I too have a “Sue the napkin” color scheme in my condo. A couple months ago I took a $19.99 neutral slipcover from Ikea (for my Kippan couch) and dyed it chocolate brown so it would go better in my living room. It turned out great even though I used Rit dye in a top loader. Can’t wait to see what you do next!
CATHY says
Hey! LOVE how the chairs are looking and think they’ll look amazing with that GORGEOUS fabric for the curtains! do you guys sometimes mourn the loss of an idea? I know that when I plan something and it doesnt work out I get kinda bummed. this would definitely be something that would get me down.
YoungHouseLove says
I think we mourn it until we hit on the solution. So I was soooo bummed when I saw that green wasn’t the way to go and then felt all nervous and weird until we dyed the first two covers brown and I slipped them on and immediately loved it. Then the mourning stage was over. Haha.
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Talk about I DYE-or DIE for that Robert Allen fabric!!
jenb says
Thank you! I have slipcovers on my family room couches that have faded over time. I wanted to dye them, but didn’t even know where to start or what to use. I also have a front load washer. I will be doing them this weekend! One question- did you do all the slip covers in one load or multiple loads?
YoungHouseLove says
I did two slipcovers at a time with one pack of dye. Definitely click over to the dye site and read their directions for your materials though (ex: certain fabrics call for salt and some call for vinegar, etc).
xo,
s
Allison says
When I saw the green, first thing I thought of was Kermit the Frog! I absolutely love the curtain fabric. The green you are looking for will definitely stand out in the curtains and other accesories in the room. I can’t wait to see how the room ends up.
Dana @ House*Tweaking says
Love the brown chairs!!!! They almost look like suede due to the texture. Great mishap turned success! Can’t wait to see the curtains. I’ve been eyeing that same exact fabric for months now.
Lindsey says
Love the brown!! They almost look suede-ish in the pics…very plush and comfy looking!!
Chatelaine says
I’ve died onesies with RIT dye from Michael’s. they faded in the sun…….. crap!
Adam says
I agree, the mocha looks so much better than the green. In fact, I think they look softer in brown than they did in off-white… and I like the white stitching. Some places make you pay extra for contrasting thread color! I’m still a newbie to this blogosphere, but I’ve got my first poll up and running and would love it if you or John would stop by and vote!
YoungHouseLove says
Just voted! Color scheme two all the way, baby! Haha.
xo,
s
Kate says
I have a set of sheets that I have been thinking about dying, but couldn’t figure out how to do it (a bucket is too small, didn’t want to stain the tub, etc). Someone suggested using the washing machine to dye the sheets and it took a lot of self control to not roll my eyes and laugh, but after seeing your success I’m so going home today and trying that.
I loved that color green, but you guys are right that it wouldn’t work for all those chairs in that room. I can’t wait to see the curtains. Did you get the fabric for $12.99, or did they discount it even more for you? Hope to see that post soon
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, it was $12.99 a yard (down from $30 or something crazy). And since we only have to make two panels it wasn’t bad at all! More info when we actually make the curtains. Right now all I do is stroke the fabric and tell it how much I love it. Haha.
xo,
s
Angie says
Love the chairs! The whole house is really coming along! Here’s a friendly tip–the photo shows you pouring the salt out of a liquid measuring cup–it’s not as accurate if you measure a dry ingredient from a liquid measuring cup. Obviously your chairs turned out great, but if you ever need to measure something really precisely, it’s best to measure liquids with a liquid measuring cup, and dry goods from a dry measuring cup. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! Never knew that!
xo,
s
Laura says
Wow, that was like a chair fairy tale! I am so inspired! I have to say, I was never sold on the apple green chairs. Green is my favorite color, but I just couldn’t see it on a set of 8 chairs in your posh pad. I am surprised at how much I like the brown though! It is really calming and I think the curtains will add the perfect mix of color in there. That’s some great fabric!
I’m wondering if you ever considered an eggplant-y color for the chairs? When you said the green didn’t work out, that was the first thing that came to mind. I think it could look really good with the teal shelves (a little more formal maybe, but not at all uptight) BUT that said, I think the brown with the curtains you picked out is going to look FAB-U-LOUS!
I also like others’ suggestions of painting the legs–lots of different woods going on with the floor, table, and legs… or is a rug in the dining room’s future? That could help break up the wood. (I have an issue with too much wood/brown if you can’t tell ;) It’s allll over my house)
ALSO, I am SO excited to hear that idye can be used in front-loaders!!! I have been considering dying our white duvet cover, but I don’t think the laundromat would appreciate that very much! Thanks for everything…this post is getting marked as one of my favorites!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny, the only other color we remotely considered was a deep plum slash eggplant tone! But in the end we worried that it wouldn’t tie into our curtain fabric and might end up competing with the built-ins. I think we also feared that it would be a faded lavender color which wouldn’t work at all (dying things super dark colors can sometimes be tricky). As for the rug question, we’re thinking we’ll add a rug near the front door to visually define the entryway. And since we already have a rug on the other side of the room (in the office) that will be a nice balance (one rug on each side of the expanse) so we plan to leave the table rug-less. At least for the young kid years. Haha.
xo,
s
Amanda says
I thought the same thing when the chairs were first introduced. I liked the combo of Apple Green and Eggplanty Purple from Sue the napkin! But now, I think I like the brown the best!
Christine says
I agree, the green would have been a bit much now seeing it “in person.” In my mind, though, it seemed so right! Do you know if the dye can be used on a striped slipcover? Or does it have to be a solid? I’d love to turn my colorfully-striped armchair into a single-colored piece!
YoungHouseLove says
I think if you dye something striped the stripes will still show but it’ll be all one tone (ex: green dye will make a striped cover look dark green and lighter green striped). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
You could always take a chance and use a colour remover on the slipcover prior to dying them.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a good idea! Definitely worth a try.
xo,
s
Katie says
I’m not going to lie – I’m going to miss the patterned chairs. At least the curtain fabric is the most fabulous pattern ever – it’ll help console me :) Great job – isn’t it awesome when your vision becomes a reality?!
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
I like your decision. I had my concerns about the green in that you would have a lot of competing focal points and the eye would haven’t a good resting spot. Love the fabric – perfect colors!! If you have a horrible incident with a slipcover, you might want to try another dye job so might be worth having an extra packet stashed somewhere :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh good point. Maybe I should pick up a few more $3 packs just for backup.
xo,
s
Maggie Rose says
I was worried about the green chairs too so I’m loving the brown… especially taking the curtain fabric into mind. When you toss that in, I think this is shaping up to be my favorite room in your house so far!
tamrah ryan says
Love the brown! I am ever inspired by the risks you take… You’ve definitely made me see the benefits of just going for it!
Tessa says
I’m so excited to see the curtains!! The mocha chairs are spot on and/but think the table wants that pop of green in the form of flowers or greenery… I love this time of year when I can raid my own backyard for free “decor” :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah when we start to layer in more elements (like the curtains and the chandelier and art, etc) we’ll definitely bring in some greenery for the vase and maybe even set the table if I’m feeling fancy. Haha.
xo,
s
Robin @ our semi organic life says
My first dye experience was a disaster so I’d be nervous to try again. I rit dyed our patio director chairs. They were grey fabric (on a black wooden frame) and we dyed them red. After about a month in the sun outdoors – they’re now faded back to dingy grey. Fail.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh I have an idea! iDye sells a fade-resistant additive that you can toss in with your dye (for outdoor items I think)! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Robin @ our semi organic life says
Really? Now that I’ve seen your success I could try again since what do we have to loose? I’ll definitely look into outdoor fabric dying. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! At the JoAnn where we got ours there was a display of all the colors and one of the packs was just UV Protection or Fade Protection or something. Not sure if you add it while you dye or treat the fabric after with it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachel Tatem says
Wow that’s awesome! I love diversity! So creative
Susan says
The covers are great! I love the way they harmonize with the table, but have enough of a color & texture difference to not completely blend. They have a little bit of a suede-ish look (from a distance in the photos). I like the chair legs the way they are–I think white could be a bit jarring between the wood floor and the brown of the covers. The curtains and other things you’ll be adding will give enough interest/contrast.
Laura says
I tie dyed my white toms a couple of weeks ago…purple! I love them so much…the white was too easily dirty and the purple adds a lovely punch of color to my outfits : )
Jacci in Ohio says
I don’t know, guys. I hate to be a big stick in the mud or sound critical. You all do such an awesome job with your rooms :) I sort of think, though, maybe you should’ve done the curtains first and then decided on a color for the slips. The mocha just seems like a such a literal choice from the curtain pattern. Kinda “matchy”. (I know! I’m sorry! Only “kinda matchy” though!!!) I wonder if you overdyed them with a light gray, if that might add some dimension to the color and keep it from being too close to the brown in the curtains, but still definitely working with them (?).
There’s just a ton of brown in the center of the room now, making it feel very heavy to me. White legs, I think, are a no go if you’re keeping the wood floor bare. All you’d see is 32 white sticks on the brown background. But just a little tweaking of the slips might do it.
I’ll be excited to see what y’all pull together. It’s going to look fabulous, I’m sure! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jacci! I think we’re just happy to see how things unfold. If we add the curtains and the chandelier and some art and bust out the hole into the kitchen and it’s all too brown in the middle we’ll definitely consider tweaking the chairs. Well, first I’ll probably add a runner and some greenery in the center of the table (since that could solve the problem without breaking out any dye). Haha. But now that we’ve learned how not-thaaaat-scary dye can be we’re definitely open to seeing how things evolve!
xo,
s
Bre says
I’m not going to lie, those were some bright green chairs, i was a little concerned at first! It all came together so nicely and looks quite lovely! What a great spot for entertaining.
Pamela says
This room looks amazing. I am in love with your large round table! I am definitely on the hunt for one of those. Just beautiful. Your house is lovely and looks like a very comfortable and inviting home. Congrats.
Lani says
You guys inspire me to make my home so much better everyday, and as….mean(?)…..as this sounds….I love to see you guys fail in projects too. I mean that in the best way….it’s just coming off all wrong. It just shows me how real you guys are and believe it or not, it inspires me to keep trying new things. If John and Sherry can try, try again…so can I! It’s hard to keep up with the perfect crafters and cooks and DIY-ers that make it look so effortless, then when I try I get all discouraged. Basically, thanks for keeping it real! The mocha chairs look awesome and I hope someday for a bigger space to get a huge dining room table like that. It’s seriously my favortie thing. And I am LOVING that fabric you found. I die. Thanks guys!
Cheri says
Here’s the most important take away – keep trying until you are happy with it! I think the biggest mistake people make seems to be talking themselves into something because they’ve already started in a direction. The green would have been fine in terms of your color palate, but for the focus of the room, the brown is the right choice.
And yes, I too now want to dye something…
Ashley @ Spite or Flight says
The chairs look great!! I love to dye stuff around the house — especially when I can’t find what I’m looking for in the store. We’d been looking for some rugs for inside our backdoor where the dogs go in and out all day (they are allllways muddy!) but I couldn’t find anything that would hide the dirt, and not slip around on the tile.
I ended up with a bunch of white cotton bathmats from Ikea for only $9/each — and I just dyed each one a chocolate brown. Now I don’t have to wash them every day, they don’t slide around, and they didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
Also — sorry, longest comment, ever! — I regularly take my husbands old white t-shirts and dye them to wear to the gym (that way they’re not see through anymore)!
kelly says
Honestly-
I really don’t like the brown. The green was kind of bright but the green leather would have looked great, especially with the rug in your family room. I personally think this is a case of diy just not working out. In, my opinion you would have been better leaving them off/white, putting curtains up and a rug and saving for those green leather parson chairs. It looks dreary to me.
Amanda says
Even though apple green in my favorite color, I LOVE the way the mocha turned out! I especially like how the thread on the slipcovers didn’t take the dye and stayed white, it looks really professional that way, like you bought brown slipcovers instead of dying them!
I am not loving the curtain fabric though, too much going on with the sleek clean lines that already exist in the room. It’s like you’re replacing the crazy chair pattern with an equally crazy curtain pattern.
Danielle D. says
When I saw that first photo of the green chairs next to the dining table I was like, oh god. that. um. doesn’t look good. hahaha So glad to read ya’ll agreed and I’m not just missing something :D Excellent dye job, you gave colorists everywhere a run for their money!
skye says
while i did sort of love the apple green i can definitely see where it might take over the room! :) i would have never thought to use brown because the table is brown but it turned out awesome – from a distance it even makes the slip covers looks like worn leather a little bit! or at least in the pictures! :) i love that fabric – what a steal! :)
jess says
Loosk great! I like the mocha vs. the green. It really lets the bookcase and will let the curtains, accessories, etc shine. I like that tone of mocha w/ the table too.
Carol N. says
Sherry, since you are all down with the sewing now, you can whip up some apple green table runners edged with brown grosgrain ribbons and tie that look in easily! Love that curtain fabric and what a steal on Robert Allen fabric! I may need to take a road trip to your fabric store!
Wom-mom Ethne says
I am thrilled that you were able to match those green ones to the other brown ones. I would never have guessed that. I agree – dying is fun. I’ve only done it once on the dress at this link – with mixed results. I did know going in that one of the threads was unlikely to take. Still, I am all for trying it again – this time with a white bathroom rug that I love but which my 3-year-old girls spilled red nail polish on…
http://www.wom-mom.com/2011/03/double-header-friday-dress-re-style_25.html
Katie says
Too bad you didn’t know you were going with brown originally, because it would have been easy to find a $50 parsons chair in that color…lots on overstock right now.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah you’re right. But I think it all worked out well in the end since the slipcovers are softer and less dark than slick and sometimes more formal looking brown leather. My big fear is for the dining room to look too formal so I’m so happy with the casual and almost suede-like look of the slipcovers!
xo,
s
Katie says
These are the chairs I have: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Zen-Wenge-Dining-Chairs-Set-of-2/2505479/product.html
I got them at $100 for a pair and the color in real life is almost exactly like your slipcovers…and the material is suede.
YoungHouseLove says
Great score! They definitely look pretty similar.
xo,
s
Amanda says
How long did the slipcovers agitate with the dye? The i-Dye site says to do it as long as possible, but I have a rather simple front load model, and I don’t know how long is long enough. It was a big sacrifice to give up my top load simply because of dyeing! Hooray for dyeing again!
YoungHouseLove says
I did a regular wash cycle with the “extra rinse” button clicked on. Not sure how long that was exactly – maybe an hour? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jaime says
Wow, these turned put great. I love how you are fearless in making your decisions; the thought of dyeing anything paralyzes me. But please don’t paint those chair legs white. I think it would look cheap and country and I love how the current look of the legs blends with everything else!
Torrie @ a place to share... says
I’ve yet to dye anything, but you’ve got my mind absolutely *spinning*… Oh, the possibilities!
Love, love, love how they turned out!!
Kate says
I love the mocha slips, and they look fantastic with that gorgeous curtain fabric! If you’re planning to sew curtains yourself, definitely check out Janell’s tutorial at Isabella & Max Rooms (http://isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com/search/label/DraperyPanelInstructions). I just bought my own Oh Brother over the winter, and after a few pillows, these drapes were my first big project. The tutorial was a lifesaver — they came out great!
MBB says
How timely. I am asking my bridesmaids (all 8 of them) to purchase an awesome white dress (cotton and machine washable!) that we are going to dye purple. Eek!! I think with this raving review I’ll be going with iDye too!
Alex says
hey i have a question! I have slipcovers that look like the same sort of fabric as those, but they are a darker mocha and I want to lighten them up! Whats your experience bleaching things? I know it can sometimes lead to things being a funny colour…
YoungHouseLove says
I have zero experience. Haha. I was just going to google around if we decided to try to bleach the covers. Does anyone have a link or advice for Alex?
xo,
s
Laura says
Love the chairs and the Robert Allen fabric. Where did you get fabric? What is the name?
YoungHouseLove says
I got it from a local store here in Richmond called U-Fab. It’s called Khanjali Peacock (it’s ikat). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Patti says
Once again you guys prove to me that you know what you’re doing! The green was definitely SCREAMING for attention but the brown with that curtain fabric … is SMASHING! Can’t wait to see it all pulled together.
Jess says
I love the mocha! Great choice!!
Sheena says
I absolutely love your adventures with the dye. I am now tempted to try out something at home now. I guess you have unleashed the hidden dye-hound inside me!! I am just raring to go. BTW, I absolutely love your blog.
OMG-YHL says
This is hilarious– I was actually debating while reading your painting post whether I was a fan of your decision for apple green slipcovers for the chairs combined with all of the other colors you already put in the room. I like the brown (or “mocha,” if you want to be fancy, which you should always want to be) much better. I’m still amazed at how good the slipcovers look on the chairs!
Jill says
Great job on the dying! I have been eyeing that fabric online but the pics online make it seem more greenish. Is the color of the fabric really more teal-like like your picture shows?
YoungHouseLove says
It has some green in it but I think the overall background color is a blue tone with teal accents. We have heard there are other versions of it though, so just be sure it’s the same version before ordering (I think there’s a lighter one too). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Oh everything is going to look so great with those curtains!
And I wanted to let you know that I tried something I saw on your pinterest…a tutorial for spray painting doorknobs. Except I took an old brassy-gold floor lamp and sprayed it a nickel color. It looks so much better! Thanks for the inspiration.
kristy~ says
The chairs are so beautiful!
Great job with the dying process! They almost have a suede look to them in the photos, which i think is so pretty! I have really enjoyed watching the transformation of your dining room, and can’t wait to see the next step :)