perma-smile

i don't know why i felt brave enough to tackle this project but i'm sure glad i did!!!

my grandmother gave me this chair, that she had in her house since forever, when she downsized a couple of months ago.... i thought it was a cute enough chair but the maroon red wasn't my cup of tea. one day i was feeling restless so i took a flat head screw driver and popped a few of the old nail heads off (see bottom left of the seat). after inspecting i told my husband, "oh yeah. i totally have this." i think i was trying to convince myself more than him :)

here's the chair in it's blood red state. mmm. blood red.

and the back. it wasn't a full re-upholstery job so i thought it was a good project to start with. now i have my sights set on one of her old wingbacks... another story for another day! (cross your fingers.)


i figured if i screwed it up and it looked awful:
1) it couldn't look that much worse than before, right?
2) then i'd just take it to someone and pay for them to fix my mistakes.

the only loss would be the cost of the fabric and nail heads and my time. piece of cake.




i took plenty more befores documenting what it looked like so i could constantly refer back to get it right when i was putting her back together. i recommend this step.

i looked back. ALOT.

here is me starting to sweat. there was no going back from here!

i started with the seat. removing the old faux leather was the hardest part in my opinion. my hands got battered and abused, and stabbed (only once) by my screw driver.... oh and stabbed once too, by those unsuspecting but ferociously sharp little nails.

turns out the whole thing was put together with those nails and nail heads. that's it.

again, me starting to sweat. i didn't replace any of the insides. just the outsides.

my white faux going down. i got the nail heads here.

i used white and gold to bring her up to the current century.

once the seat was done and it looked far better than i thought i would have done, i had to remove the back, front and arms.

again, it was hard. and it hurt. but i felt like i was in the home stretch.

the arms finished. (and please excuse any messy bits you see on my carpet... nobody said it was a neat and tidy thing to reupholster a chair.)

(and while we're on the subject of the floor, please excuse the ugly carpet. the owners before us chose that lovely color and we're working on a replacement plan.)

et voila!!!

she's done!!!

and i know that i didn't take her photo without the blanket and it may appear as if i was hiding something, but i swear, it's perfect! i can't stop looking at her, or walking by just to make sure she still looks awesome.

or smiling.

i added a little mexican blanket i got on one of my trips down there. it was looking a little too white in that corner. but we're working on that too.

and here's a shot of the tools i used. all ones i had. i know there are specific upholstery tools but i didn't even need them.

total cost of the job: under $45.

now, i understand this isn't the cutest chair in the whole wide world but i like it because it was my grandma and grandpa's.

and i like it when a project works and doesn't flop :)

happy monday.

JILL

more stripes!!

have you seen this from eddie ross? it's from the latest woman's day mag. he diy'ed it with a simple white mat and a magic marker. hello!

i'm not sure what it is, but lately black and white stripes are singing to me! i will have to try this out in my living room for sure.

{and speaking of stripes, i'm still loving these. i'm just waiting for kc to get their very own ikea. geez.}

JILL

i was busy this weekend trying my hand at my very first chair reupholstery job... i have pics to share. be back soon ;)

flowers for friday #26

happy friday everyone

and happy birthday elle!!!!!

i'm just loading the car, be there in 2.2

(i wish!)

happy birthday, friend. i hope it's a splendid weekend at home ;)

love.

JILL

{images from the neotraditionalist and apt. 34}

balloons and sparklers.

{via pinterest}

it is my birthday tomorrow. doing a little celebrating at home. call me old...tell me i have gone to the other side...remind me that i am a loser. whatever you say i could not be more thrilled to have a weekend with no plans. projects, movies, sweats, homemade dinners. sounds like the perfect way to turn a year older to me. no parties in the cold, no dressing up...if your lucky maybe a shower :)

good solid r + r

enjoy your weekend.

xoxo

elle.

let's here it for joe.

i found myself drooling over every photo by joe maer. his work is so comfortable, realistic and lived in. i discovered him as i was checking out the apartment therapy book, the big book of small cool spaces.

new york based prop sylist and set designer, joe maer, started in the industry through store designing for companies such as coach and fao schwartz. he now works as a freelance designer working on several major editorial, advertising and magazine campaigns. he has styled for gourmet magazine, nieman marcus, bloomingdales, food and wine, and is one of the lead stylists for crate and barrel, williams sonoma, and target.

sounds like the most fabulous job ever, no? well, joe sure does make it look easy.

xoxo

elle.

another italian delight

i have another post for you that will make you long for some sunshine and a foreign country ;) the first one can be found here.

this is catherine and erik's wedding in italy.

warning: it's full of dreamy color, beautiful photography and details, and a wedding dress with a killer view from the back. and of course, some love.

gorge.

same martha stewart menu template i used at my wedding ;)

i found these so love.ly.

JILL

{images via design*sponge}

an italian delight

a friend introduced me to this hotel in sorrento, looking out towards capri with a view of the infamous mt. vesuvius. i'm glad she shared her wealth of knowledge :)

the scenery inside is almost as breathtaking as outside.

it's the beautiful hotel la minervetta.

hanging off a cliff along the almalfi coast

i'm obsessed with the unique guest rooms. stunning. each and every one.

you know i love a good stripe.

kitchen area. hmm. not like other hotels i've made my way through.

alone it's truly worth a trip to italy, if not for the other 92,837,493 reasons.

has anyone else stayed here?


JILL

i must really need a vacation right now because i have an italian wedding to share with you a bit later... stay tuned :)

something we can all do more of...

etsy. (of course)

xoxo

elle.