Yup. I spray painted chairs. Upholstered chairs. Dude, I’m the first to admit it’s weird. And it’s definitely not the answer if you’re sane. But when you’re a desperate woman with nothing to lose, well… stuff happens.
Remember these Craigslist chairs we found last March? They were originally from an old hotel (with faded and stained eighties fabric to prove it) but we got them for $25 a pop.
Then I tried to paint them a soft apple green color like a tutorial I’d seen, but didn’t have as much luck (read more on that hot-mess here).
We were set on green for a while (not this neon of course) until we realized it’s a ton of chairs in a room, so you don’t want them all screaming for attention and stealing thunder from things like our patterned curtains and the boldly painted built-ins. That’s when I got $20 off-white slipcovers for them from World Market (which clashed with the white trim and accessories everywhere – but were cheaper than buying fabric and making my own), so I dyed them brown.
But the slipcovers were a little schlumpy. After they came out of the dryer they were nice and tight, but over time they got droopy and sad. They just looked a little loosey goosey and messy. Sure, I could wash them again to get them looking nice for another week, but that’s a whole lotta work for something that should be low maintenance. Here in this pic from our House Tour page you can see the slipcovers looking a little baggy on the sides – and that’s from far away.
So I decided since I already painted one chair (and it works just as well as the others with the slipcover on it – it’s literally impossible to tell which one is painted when it’s covered) I figured I had nothing to lose by painting the rest of them (I could just cover them up again if they were blotchy and gross). And instead of using craft paint and textile medium (read more on why that didn’t work out for me here) I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to spray paint them with this old friend:
Who does that? $herdog does that. Beware of a woman with nothing to lose (and eight slipcovers to hide any potential disasters).
First I donned my trusty spray painting socks. Can your brain even comprehend this hotness?
I must really love you guys to share such glamorous shots of my life, huh? I just hate potentially getting my shoes or my flip flops all sticky/painted, so my painting socks do the trick (with the bottoms of my sweatpants tucked into them, so I don’t get stickiness on the bottom of my pants).
I started off slow. Really light light coats on just one chair. Nothing thick or drippy. Here’s a shot of things when I was just getting started. I was biting. my. nails.
I expected a total disaster, but after a few more light coats applied pretty much one after the other (maybe four total?) my first chair was looking pretty good. I was kind of shocked, actually because I expected to just do one and hate it and toss the cover back on. You still see the pattern in the fabric since that’s a texture thing that paint can’t change (the actual fabric itself has those patterns sort of embossed into it), but instead of being a riot of crazy stained/faded/eighties swirls…
… it’s all one color. A pretty gunmetal charcoal color. Almost the exact same color as Karl the Sectional actually. Which is funny because we have an avocado green kitchen between two rooms with soft gray walls (the living room and the dining room) both of which now have charcoal upholstery. Hooray for a little accidental house-wide balance. The funniest thing about the whole charcoal color result is that ORB is usually a dark brown color, but on upholstered chairs I guess things can get crazy. Imagine that. Ha. So I was expecting a dark brown look but I got a nice Karl-ish color instead. Which was a nice surprise. It’s like hoping to find a half-eaten box of raisins in the bottom of your purse when you’re starving and finding a granola bar instead. Cha-ching.
As for the spraying specifics (you know, for any other nuts out there with nothing to lose and thrill seeking spray painting tendencies), here’s a post with my general spray painting tips (like buy the good stuff, mist things to avoid drips, keep your hand moving, etc). There’s a slight metallic sheen when the light hits the fabric just right thanks to the type of spray paint we used (Rustoleum Universal Metallic in Oil-Rubbed Bronze), but they don’t look like Liberace chairs. It’s more of a subtle thing at the right angle, but most of the time they just look like charcoal gray fabric. Also, from certain angles in certain lighting you can hardly see the pattern in the fabric and other times it’s more obvious, but it’s much less offensive now that it’s all one color. The pattern is actually more noticeable in some of these pics than in real life (must be how light bounces off of them into the camera or something? No idea).
I spray painted the slightly-banged-up-formerly-more-reddish legs as well, which turned out a lot more like the typical ORB color (dark chocolate with a bit of metallic sheen). They’re our favorite part, because whether we decide to add the slipcovers back on or even reupholster these babies down the line, those sexy ORB legs will always be around.
Here’s a slightly inaccurate long shot of them in the room. Haha. They look darker and more patterned in this photo than in real life. We can’t wait to add a giant chandelier over that 70″ table and bring in a nice large rug to break up all the wood (wood floor, wood legs, wood table). And of course it looks less like a black hole with a colorful runner and some dishes on the table. We’ll eventually refinish the floors to be the same color as the one in the kitchen, so the future rug (perhaps something big and jute?) will be lighter and should help the darker legs/table and floor pop while keeping them all from blending together in one big mocha-wood-fest. Someday…
The big question is probably “what do they feel like?” I went into it thinking that a few coats of spray paint might make them feel rough like burlap or thick like leather, but they feel pretty much exactly like the original durable-hotel-upholstery fabric felt beforehand (which was always firm and not too soft, but not crunchy or anything). It’s kind of hilarious that they didn’t really change. The only way I can explain this phenomenon is that I’ve noticed when I get spray paint on a pair of painting pants, for example, they still feel the same (just as soft in that spot, but they’re a different color). Maybe it just goes on thinner than paint applied with a brush or roller so it’s less obvious on some types of fabric?
Update: A reader (thanks Krystie!) cracked the code by reminding me that the reason it worked so well on these chairs might have been because the hotel fabric is a Crypton (which means it’s coated in a protection to keep anything from penetrating – so the spray is sitting on top and not soaking in and getting crunchy/blotchy).
But let’s be clear. I never (inamillllllionyears) would have had the confidence to give this a try if we didn’t already:
- paint one chair green and know that it worked just as well as the other unpainted ones once the slipcover was on it
- already have slipcovers to hide my little paint job if it went bad (not much to lose there since they can be covered)
Remember, I was a woman with nothing to lose and a deep love of spray paint. I have no idea how other fabric would do, but these chairs were made out of thick upholstery grade fabric, so it wasn’t as soft as cashmere to begin with. But if you’re dealing with something like velvet or silk, the spray paint could very well make it crunchy and hard. I’m 100% certain that different fabric or even more thickly applied spray paint (or a different brand/type) could yield different results. Maybe you can find similar fabric to the item of furniture you’re thinking about spraying and just apply a few light and even coats of spray paint on your test fabric to see how it works out first?
Another question might be “if someone sits in them, can they rub off on their clothes?” After allowing them to dry a while (we left them outside for four days after making sure there was no rain in the forecast) they’re all cured up and don’t smell like spray paint. And just like dried spray paint that gets on painting clothes, they shouldn’t rub off (I wash mine and they remain ORBed and don’t bleed on other clothes – even when they’re wet in the washer). If someone spilled water on the chair it shouldn’t rub off since it’s oil-based paint. I even rubbed a wet white rag on them to make sure nothing transferred.
As for how we feel, we’re still sort of on the fence. They’re definitely better (muuch better) than the green painted chair debacle. And in person we think they’re marginally better than the baggy slipcovers. But we’ll probably recover or replace them someday down the line – so I think the verdict is “fine for now.” We still have the brown slipcovers so we can always throw those back on or somehow tailor them someday? No idea. It would be cool to learn how to reupholster them or sew better slipcovers but with eight chairs it’s too big of a job for right now, so we’re happy to live with what we have. Who’s on Team Gray? Any Team Brown folks? Anyone care to join us on the fence? I don’t think there are any Team Greens out there, are there?
There’s probably a lesson in here somewhere about how $25 craigslist chairs might not always be the answer if they have a crazy pattern and don’t fit typical store-bought slipcovers. Ah well, live and learn. At least they’ve served us well for the past year and will seat our sweet family whenever they come over until we figure out what we want down the road. Has anyone else reached the end of their rope and spray painted something in an act of defiance and desperation? Can you believe I’ve painted, slipcovered, dyed, and re-painted these guys? One thing’s for sure, I’m a stubborn gal and I just can’t leave things well enough alone.
Sara says
Green > Gray > Brown, in my opinion. But I know the green isn’t an actual option for good reason – so yay for gray! And those sexy legs. :)
B Mom says
wait a minute, duh,
these need one more layer of paint –
like those cute stenciled barstools you guys had on here a while back!
YoungHouseLove says
Someone attached a link to a chair they painted and stenciled and it was so cute!
xo,
s
Penny says
1st, the title of this post is cracking me up because I’m hearing it in a Paula Deen voice. 2nd, I like the color and shape of the chairs, it’s the swirlies that look a bit odd to me. 3rd, I admire your gutsyness. Is that a word? Gutsytude. I admire your gutsytude.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- thanks Penny!
xo,
s
Heidi Nicole says
Those chairs look amazing with the dark finish of the table. We are in no position to purchase a legit dinning room table any time soon but the dark wood/metal theme is what we would end up with…basically exactly what you just made that old hotel set into. It looks great, glad you took the chance with spray paint!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Heidi!
xo,
s
PaulZak says
How did the chair you painted green come out? Can you tell it had an extra coat of paint on it after you spray painted it in comparison to the other chairs?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh I didn’t spray paint the green chair since that sits in the playroom (we’ve had seven chairs around the table instead of eight for the past year just for more elbow room- and now that we have four more seats around the kitchen peninsula we don’t really need the eight chair much these days).
xo,
s
Elizabeth Peremans says
I never liked the brown slip covers… I’m liking this a lot better!
Kate says
A little too 80s disco ball for me. I would trek over to Ikea for a few modern looking chairs. I think it would work with the space. Sorry – you’re spot on for everything else!
Cat says
Love your stick-to-it-iveness with these chairs.
I think you should BARTER with someone who sews slipcovers to get you exactly the look you want with just the fit you want. BARTER = SAVE MONEY
My sister lives in VA (too far from you, though, in the Leesburg area?) and she is a talented upholsterer and seamstress. She is very much in demand, and I know she will barter with people for her services if they ask and if they have an item or talent she can use.
You could offer someone your DIY/decor help in exchange for some just-right slipcovers. Bartering is how we paid for a beautiful flagstone walkway to our home–we traded the car we were trying to sell!
YoungHouseLove says
I love the barter idea!
xo,
s
KC says
I love these! Call me crazy…but I would keep as is. So creative and so unique! Very nice work.
Courtney Foster-Donahue says
I was dubious at first, but the end result is great! I would totally buy fabric that looks like that — very pretty :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Court!
xo,
s
Robyn in Chicago says
I definitely like them better than the saggy browny-tan covers. A temporary fix though, I know you will find something better. Everything that surrounds the table and chairs is SO.COOL and perfect (ikat curtains, dark turquoise shelf backs, amazing decorative object arrangement, office chairs, art above chairs, gleaming new kitchen, etc, etc) that the chairs feel out of place right now. I know it will eventually be amazing cause you guys do such a great job.
Do you ever question the table? A rectangle farmhouse(ish) table would look so great in there…..just a thought. I know they are so expensive though. Tables, in general. Making slip covers though? Totally feel you on that. Could be a total frustration and big waste of time if you don’t like the outcome.
YoungHouseLove says
We were dreaming of a big round table for years just because a friend of ours has one and we love how everyone chats and there aren’t sides who don’t get to talk (since they’re further away). If it makes sense, everyone is on equal ground so there isn’t a “head” of the table – it’s really casual and nice for relaxing and chatting with everyone. So we never question the table choice. It’s probably one of the most complimented things in person too since the top is this uneven sort of hand-scraped wood, so every time we sit down someone is stroking it. Haha. The table is a beloved member of the family at this point. Also since the dining part of the room is basically a square (since the entryway on the end will someday get defined with furniture and stuff on that side) a round table keeps within the dining area and won’t encroach on the front door like a rectangular table might.
xo,
s
Cassie says
You’ve inspired me to want to try spray painting some of my projects, but I can’t get over the thought that my house might end up all fumy! I know you said you waited for these chairs to outgas, but I still have a hard time believing that’s ever possible. Is Rustolum better than the 97 cent Walmart stuff in out-gassing? Maybe that’s what I’m missing?
YoungHouseLove says
YES! Buy the good stuff. And apply it thinly and evenly. Anything applied too thickly won’t ever cure up correctly and it’s always be tacky and smelly (the cheap stuff usually is no matter what). Thin and even coats of the good stuff but many days of drying outside in the sun = no fumes. I’m crazy about that stuff, so if I bring something inside and lock it into our airtight sunroom and it even has a slight odor, it goes back outside!
xo,
s
Blair says
Sherry! Look what I just stumbled upon (gotta love pinterest.com): A no-sew chair slipcover using remnant fabric tutorial! Perhaps for other chairs down the line or if you change your mind about the painted ones.
http://loveyourroom.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-morning-slip-cover-chair-project.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s super fun!
xo,
s
Alison says
You know Tulip makes fabric spray paint? That being said, I really like how the chairs turned out. They are so much more bold now and go with the rest of your house. This is definitely something I would have done. Cheers to you Sherry!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we used some fabric spray paint for book projects and really liked it! Although we hear it’s best to use it on white or very light fabric (so I didn’t know how busy multicolored fabric would take it), hence my crazy spray painting stint!
xo,
s
Jaz says
Wow, Sherry! What a neat idea! I would have never thought of doing this…of course, before finding YHL, I never thought to spray paint anything. Now, I have many ORBed features in the house :-)
I think they look really cool – kinda shimmering, yes? Thanks for the great write-up on the process, too!
YHL = still the only blog I read!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jaz!
xo,
s
Belinda says
Seriously?? No, really, seriously?????? Last time I checked April Fool’s Day was about 3 weeks ago. You need to stop being so cheap and grow up and BUY SOME QUALITY FURNITURE!! Not everything has to be DIY. Not everything has to cost $1.50 once you’re done with it. Not everything has to be a cutesy hack job just because it will add content to this insipid blog. And your lemmings who “ooh” and “ahh” over these ridiculous, Kindergarten ventures are just as pathetic as you are! Your blog was interesting and inspiring for about 10 minutes and what’s worse is that you are now going to become much richer when your book comes out. A book that will be filled with childish DIY projects that will have a shelf life of about 6 months before they turn to crap. Seriously, act your ages, stop being so tight and buy some real furniture and stop blogging about this crap. You should be embarrassed and ashamed for posting horrible crap like this.
YoungHouseLove says
Sorry this post got you so heated Belinda! We never meant to upset you by sharing what we choose to do with our own money in our own house! We also mentioned this is a for-now solution and we’d love to replace/reupholster our chairs down the line (and have spent thousands of dollars on things like our kitchen redo, so we just choose where to splurge and where to save as it makes sense for our family). I also appreciate that you’re making a guess about what’s in our book, but it’s not even out yet so I’m not quite sure you can say that the projects in it will turn to crap in six months. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion though, and all of our 2,000+ blog posts or the 250 ideas in our book definitely won’t be for everyone! Here’s a post that mentions how we deal with folks saying things like “don’t be so cheap and grow up and buy some quality furniture” – hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lynn B says
Wow, Belinda was heated, wasn’t she? Commenting in all caps, telling you how to spend your money, and guessing what’s going to be in your book when it’s not even out yet. Good for you for dealing with insipid (her words) comments like this with grace and charm, Sherry!
Hannah says
Look at Belinda yelling at you about how to spend your money! That’s hilarious. The only person who “should be embarrassed and ashamed for posting horrible crap” is her.
Alison says
Hey Belinda,
There is a simple solution to your “problem.” It’s called if you don’t like it don’t read it. Wow so simple!!! I’m going to assume you had a really bad day. Go have a glass of wine and a nice hot bubble bath. I’m sure you’ll feel much better. :)
Hakuna Matata
Courtney Foster-Donahue says
Wow, Belinda. That’s charming. :/
And well done, Sherry. My mother would pat you on the back for what she calls “killing them with kindness.” :)
Sincerely,
One of those “lemmings that ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs'”
Lauren M says
Belinda, why you trippin?
Kelli says
I love your bravery and thinking outside the box! I’ve finally convinced my husband that spray painting something–anything for $3 can equal new awesomeness.
I know chairs can be super pricey. (I know because our six parsons chairs are on Craigs list right now and I have been scouting out new ones for a long time). But I vote for John and Sherry to get some new chairs! You guys rock at bargain hunting, you’ve been working your tails off, you deserve some new beauties. Habitat or Goodwill would love your new sparkly chairs. :)
Kathleen says
Next up: reupholstery. It’s fun, I promise! (I started with a whole couch….)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s certainly on the long-term possibility list! Just have to work up the momentum for eight whole chairs! Haha.
xo,
s
Carly says
Ah, you’re brave! But I love a good DIY risk! And they turned out really great
Shannon says
“It’s like hoping to find a half-eaten box of raisins in the bottom of your purse when you’re starving and finding a granola bar instead.” – love this. And I think that this was a great temp solution, better than the upholstery. I can see when you upholster or find new chairs, something in the same charcoal with maybe a slightly lighter grey pattern/piping/accent? I think some kind of visible texture/pattern would be my preference against the wood table, wood floor, and future jute/neutral rug. Unless you completely change chair type then who knows!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds amazing! Definitely something we could end up with in the long run! We saw lighter covered chairs from Ikea and they were great, only issue was we weren’t quite ready to buy eight of them! Haha.
xo,
s
Natalie says
Yay! I like the gray so much better! (of course I’m a sucker for gray anytime, anyplace) Good work!
Andrea says
Hmm not a fan :/ Maybe I’m the only one but the chairs had me at hello. I loved the bold pattern as well as your idea to upholster them with apple green fabric.
Carla says
My only concern is that spray paint is toxic and not a great choice for inside projects, especially with young children and their developing brains. With the polyurethane on your kitchen floors, and the spray painted chairs and high chair, I would consider researching air purifiers that pull out gassed chemicals from your home.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the concern Carla! If you read back through the comments you can see how we deal with offgassing. Things stay outside to bake in the sun for 2-4 days to accelerate the process, then come into our sunroom which is a sealed off holding area that makes any smell apparent (and if it still exists the piece goes right back outside). We did seal our cork floors with poly, but it was water-based (not the higher VOC oil-based stuff) which had zero odor once it cured (years before we had Clara we sealed our first house’s wood floors with oil-based poly and it smelled for months so we learned that lesson the hard way). We also have an air purifier and many Nasa recommended air-purifying plants throughout the house (and we open windows/ventilate the house as much as possible along with having a radon mitigation system). Haha, we’re kind of crazy about air quality!
xo,
s
Victoria says
I may be in the minority, but I’m team green!
Some of my projects like this I end up looking at cost of paint, angst in achieving good finish etc, and wonder if it wouldn’t have been cheaper to buy the better thing in the first place. But usually it’s a bespoke finish and I’m so pleased with my achievement that it seems worth it.
The best bit of the post was the painting socks. I have a whole wardrobe of painting clothes, right down to underwear, after I once ruined a nice bra by wiping my paint covered hands on my painting vest top and it went through.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, check out the last paragraph about there being a lesson in this! Haha. If I had a crystal ball and could see how many things we’d have to try, we might not have bought these $25 craigslist chairs! I think in general we just use trial and error to end up with a home that we find to be functional and beautiful and some projects work without a hitch and some are a bit more of a rocky road- haha. But for some (possibly sick reason, haha) we wouldn’t have it any other way!
xo,
s
Amy A. says
I like the texture as well. What about making a few small lumbar pillows to tie in your teal accent color with the table/chair ensemble?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure if we’re pillows at the dining table people, but we love bringing in an accent color with a table runner and some colorful china when folks are visiting! It’s much less of a big brown circle of a table that way! Haha.
xo,
s
jackie says
-looks almost like shiny vinyl. Looks great. Good job.
Erica says
Soooooooooo, hate the be the bearer of bad news but that paint WILL come up after you sit on it. I used that SAME paint on a metal chair, wicker chair and lastly fabric and even WEEKS after it dried it comes up. Yes, I used primer for the two furniture pieces and since I loved the color (mine was gold) I opted to put down some throw pillows as chair cushions to keep anyone from ruining their clothes.
I suggest ripping that fabric off and starting over. It really doesn’t do your table or room justice IMO. I can envision something MUCH classier in that space that some strange looking Jetson style chair :-/ Sorry :(
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Erica! I think it must depend how thinly it’s applied and what fabric it’s applied to (ours is Crypton so maybe that changes things?). I have scrubbed them with a wet white rag to make sure it doesn’t come up and it’s locked on there good!
xo,
s
christine says
you are awesome! i actually spray painted an pleather ottoman i picked up from the side of the road. used a creamy white and have to tell you it looks luscious.
so go girl, don’t look back!
Jenna says
You guys! For the money you’ve spent on chairs + slipcovers + fabric paint + dye + spraypaint, you could have bought absolutely lovely new chairs that work with your decor!
Like these great modern ones at $55 each: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Ronnie-Wire-Base-White-Chairs-Set-of-2/3351572/product.html?rcmndsrc=2
Or the grey upholstered Ikea parsons ones. And this isn’t even counting the investment of your time!
I think it’s time to cut the losses. More money sunk into ugly chairs (upholstering them or slipcovering them all) is just more money sunk into ugly chairs, at this point. Just cut your losses and buy chairs you actually love. There’s being frugal, and then there’s being pennywise and pound-foolish!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, check out the last paragraph! Hindsight is 20/20! If we knew how much we’d have to tweak these guys we probably wouldn’t have bought them, but nearly everything we do to make our house a home is just trial and error and some things end up being a lot easier and cheaper than we expect (ex: we budgeted 10K for our kitchen reno and came in thousands under), so it all seems to even out! As for “sinking money” into reupholstering them, we don’t see it that way. We love the lines of them and always wanted upholstered parsons chairs (to break up all the wood of the table with something soft and comfortable) so it’s definitely still an option for us along with replacing them with something like the Ikea ones (which we also mentioned as a possibility). Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Bonney says
Call me crazy, but I kind of like the green one.
Stephanie says
I love that you just went for this and did it. It’s really great to be fearless in your design choices.
Personally, I think you should sacrifice greenie to the re-upholstery gods. Someone needs to take one for the team and I bet it’ll end up being easier than you think. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, agreed! Poor Greenie must be shaking in his boots. I’m coming for ya, Greenie! Maybe in a couple of months… haha.
xo,
s
Kim Birum says
This is the second time I’ve seen posts about painting upholstery this week. I was amazed at this gray couch http://biblicalhomemaking.blogspot.ca/2012/01/how-to-paint-furniture-upholstery-diy.html?m=1
You are so brave to just go for it. I say if the spray painted chairs keep you from having to fuss with slip covers or cringe at the sight of a wrinkly chair they’re a good thing.
YoungHouseLove says
HOLY COW! What a makeover! I love those back cushions she sewed for it too!
xo,
s
Eve says
I like them in the color they are now, much better than the brown slipcovers! :) I even liked the green shade you went for, though I can see how it might be too much with so many chairs. It’s hard to say from the pics, but depending on how much the pattern shows up in real life, it could be neat to stencil a large single damask shape on the back of each chair. It might look funny against the pattern, though.
And I agree with the others that the reupholstery might not be too bad! I think it’d probably even be easier than sewing up slipcovers, because there’s probably not much sewing involved beyond the piping – just stapling and cutting. But I hear ya about the time involvement – sounds like a fall/winter project! ;)
Nupur says
I can see that you love spray paint, but I wonder- how many cans do you use and are the empty cans recycled? To change one’s mind and spray paint something over and over (which is something I see on so many design blogs) seems like such a waste to me. I’m not picking on you- seriously- just wondering.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we recycle them at the local drop off along with our empty paint cans. I used five spray cans total and just bought three since I had the other two already in the basement (I tend to hoard ORB since it sells out, haha). I think everyone just wants to allow their home to evolve over time until it feels like them, which might mean tweaking something a few times. That’s the thing about DIY, sometimes it’s easier and cheaper than you expect, and sometimes it takes a few tries to get something right (or to learn what you don’t like and start over, haha, that happens too!).
xo,
s
Lindsey K says
Where is the vase from on the dining room table? I saw one at Home Goods just ike it a couple months ago but didn’t grab it… of course when I went back to get it, its no where to be found! :(
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s from HomeGoods! Maybe it’ll come back! Also I’ve seen similar things at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s (they’re all owned by the same company) so you might want to check there too!
xo,
s
Nicole says
I bet you could find a local seamstress who would whip up some slipcovers for you at a reasonable price. I knew a lady in Utah who did amazing stuff, fast ( and cheap!) Wish she was closer!
Good luck!
Jessie says
You should take the slip covers off, turn them inside out, then pin any excess fabric-usually along an existing seam. Then sew, following the pins. You can do it, girl! Super easy, and it will tighten those slipcovers right up.
YoungHouseLove says
Ugh, I’m pinning impaired! I totally tried that a few times and since there is a side panel (not just one seam running up the side) I just can’t figure it out. The part where it meets the chair seat at the bottom on the side always looks bunchy no matter how I pin them. Grrrr.
xo,
s
Cate says
Team ORB/silver/grey all the way!! I think they look kind of awesome, and I really did not like the frumpy slipcovers (the fit and the color). Way to have the guts to use ORB on them. It looks cool!
Anna M says
I love your might as well try attitude, but think it might be time to learn how to reupholster furniture…
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, it’s definitely a possibility!
xo,
s
Jessie says
There should be a seam where the seat back meets the bottom, usually more of a dart, which is like a graduated half seam. That is where the problem lies. If you tighten them up, the sagging problem should go away. Cheers to you!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jessie! I wish I was savvy enough to decode that! Haha. Here’s hoping I can figure something out!
xo,
s
Carla says
Chemicals from spray paint will continue to out gas for a long time, and just touching them and sitting on those chairs can we very harmful. Absorption is instantaneous into the skin and nervous system. I doubt your air purifier is designed to address chemical out gassing.
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t read that Carla! Do you have a link or a source for that info? Everything we have read says that offgassing is sped up by the sun and once things are brought into a sealed holding area and have no scent the process is virtually complete. We have never heard that touching something that has been spray painted and is then fully cured can result in absorption to the skin and nervous system. Would love the name of a book or link with that info!
xo,
s
JoDi says
I like these much better than the slipcovers. The color just fits in better with the room. The brown always looked “off” onscreen, but it may have looked better in person.
I love the way you keep working on them to make them better. The style of the chairs, size, etc. all seem perfect for the table and room, but the fabric isn’t quite there yet. I think reupholstering is definitely the way to go, and I hope you tackle it someday!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks JoDi! It’s definitely next on the list!
xo,
s
Lulu says
Well – it looks like it’s working for you better that the covers (no wrinkles). But I’m guessing you’ll go with a completely different kind of chair down the line. You’re just waiting until something fabulous appears.
Denver says
there’s just something really unappealing about sitting on a spray-painted (fabric) chair to me. I applaud your effort though! I think they look dated with the sheen and the pattern showing through…more like the hotel chairs they originally are.
YoungHouseLove says
As we mentioned we still have the covers, so we can slip those on if the mood strikes! I just had some fun taking a nothing-to-lose chance! In person we actually think they look better than the baggy covers do- but who knows where we’ll end up!
xo,
s
S Reeves says
I lurve you. But I don’t lurve those chairs.
There are so many super gorgeous fabrics available for reasonable cost. Please reupholster them very soon so they don’t distract from your beautiful room and adjacent new fab-u-lous kitchen.
YoungHouseLove says
Check out the last two paragraphs! We’re definitely open to replacing or reupholsteung them down the line (eight chairs is just too much of a project for right now). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
S Reeves says
Yes, I understand, Sherry. I’m just a fabric geek who would jump at the chance to shop for fabric. I don’t have anything that needs new fabric at home…. unless I make a n o t h e r pillow ;^)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, too funny!
xo,
s
Lynda says
My mother got mad at our father back in the 60’s and painted all the living room furniture with house (oil) paint!!! It was very stiff, but it would clean. People came from all around to see it.
I like the look of this and if it has a good texture, that would work well. There are slipcovers you can make that could be used over these; in fact, they would probably work better over painted chairs rather than the fabric.
Amy Knisely says
Wow, those look pretty cool! I like the texture too.
I thought of you yesterday! I started a new kitchen chalkboard project and I busted out the trusty chalkboard spray paint and thought “What Would Sherry Do?” and I giggled and remembered to put on appropriate “spray painting” attire and use a fine mist and even strokes.
I still have to spray paint the frame and put it all together, but the chalkboard portion of it went well!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, high fives for spray painting socks!
xo,
s
Erin C. says
Hi Guys! I think these came out really well and I definitely like them more than the slipcovers, both for the color contrast and the “fit”. I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and have become a regular follower. I’m in the process of filling my first apt and have given myself a limit of $50/item pre-renovation (can we say Craigslist and yard sales) and while it’s challenging, it’s really a lot of fun and gives each piece some meaning. Of course, it helps to have some inspiration, so keep up the great work.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Erin! So glad you found our blog. And I love the $50 limit! So much fun!
xo,
s
Shweta says
I don’t comment very often guys but I am a regular reader. I just wanted to tell you when someone is not nice to you I feel like they are not being nice to my close friends :( It’s upsetting! You guys rock for sharing all your stories. One time out of a hundred, if there is something that doesn’t come out right, it still is a lesson for the readers… Shouldn’t we be thankful you saved us from making a mistake?
Having said that, I love the grey!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no worries Shweta! I think some folks didn’t read the last two paragraphs (understandable since we blather on and on) so they think we think this is a great long-term solution and we’re in love with it- haha – not the case!
xo,
s