Tag Archives: kitchen

before and after: kitchen table and chairs

table and chairs: after

I love paint. It’s such a fun and cheap change. And if you don’t like it later, all it takes is more paint. It’s easy and fixable, and it can be a great way to add color and character to your space on a budget. And if you’re a renter who can’t paint your walls, why not paint your furniture?

I started with a kitchen table and chairs that, though lovely, were not exactly my style, and I ended up with the perfect fun, bright table set for my kitchen. I guess I spoiled it by starting with the after, but here is the before:

kitchen table and chairs before

The chairs were covered in a forest green with woodland creatures. And the table was very nice, but not my favorite shade of wood.

kitchen table and chairs before

I wanted to add some color and make it my own, so I immediately turned to paint. With a few coats of paint and some new fabric for the chairs, I knew I could turn this table into something brand new and totally me.

I was inspired by an image I saw in HGTV magazine that unfortunately got tossed during the move. I love the strong red and the contrast with the white inside the bathtub. And the delicate wallpaper is so beautiful.

bathroom inspirationI decided on a two-tone table, using a bold color and white, and painted chairs to match. I started by picking out fabric for the chair cushion. I fell in love with this fantastic blue and white fabric that was delicate, graphic, and interesting–like the wallpaper in my inspiration. (Fabric is Valley of Azure, designed by Leah Duncan in the Meadow collection.)

recovered seat cushion

I waffled for days on what colors to choose and exactly how to paint the table, but I ended up with Midnight Swim and a pure white of True Value EasyCare paint in a satin finish. I decided on blue for the top and white on the legs.Continue reading “before and after: kitchen table and chairs”

sewing potholders

handmade potholders

I’ve been thinking and planning and pinning all kinds of things for my new apartment. I take a lot of pride in making my home a lovely place to be and even though I’m not moved in yet, I wanted to do something to get started. (I know, I know, I’ll have to move it. But these hot pads are small.)

So I went to the fabric store and picked out fabric for potholders. It’s a small enough project I thought I could get it done in the pre-moving chaos and pack it up and take it with me. I don’t know for sure what colors I’ll want to use or what things I’ll need–so I just picked out fabric I liked. If it doesn’t match, that will be ok. They were fun and turned out pretty cute.

materials for potholders

I used the Purl Bee’s pattern for liberty hot pads. I started by cutting out all of my materials: the fabric, batting, and a grosgrain ribbon for the edge. I wanted a bright yellow border and they had that color in ribbon, even though the pattern called for cotton twill tape, so that’s what I went with. It seems to have worked just fine, but I haven’t washed them yet. I used the teal pattern for one side and the gray chevron for the other, with the yellow border to tie them together.

putting together handmande potholders

And then I just followed their directions. This was the first time I had quilted anything, and I think it would be a lot easier and probably neater if I had the correct tools (like a rotary ruler and a cutting pad and some curved safety pins). I winged it, and they came out fine, but I don’t think they came out great. But that’s ok because it was good practice! And they definitely keep my hands from getting burned while I take things out of the oven (I tried it! Several times!), so they are good enough for me.

finished handmade potholders