Experimenting with Green Chairs

In my quest for dining room chairs I love, I am experimenting with green finishes.  I found a green paint that I find very appealing.  I had several chairs in my attic waiting a new finish.  I am using those to experiment with. 

Back in the summer my sister-in-law and I came across two vintage chairs just waiting for a makeover at the bargain price of 2 dollars each!  They are sturdy and well made. 

 

First I painted them with several coats of Behr Premium Plus Ultra Paint and Primer in One, custom mixed to match Martha Stewarts MSL106 - Rhododendron Leaf. I have really been liking this paint.  It has ceramic in it.  I've only needed two coats for everything I've done so far.  Plus, it seems really tough.

At this point, the green is pretty, but it's a little boring.

I did some distress sanding, then mixed up a glaze.  I didn't waste a lot of time fretting over my glaze.  First I mixed a brown I liked by using a bit of medium brown craft paint I had on hand and adding black to make it a darker brown.

Then I added the glaze mix.  I had a ratio of about 2 parts glaze to one part paint.  Even so, I had less time to play with it than I would have liked.  I would also rather have a glaze mix in a container that was easier to pour. 

Glazing is OK, but I think I like using Howards Citrus Wax in mahogany better for adding a little age and character.  (I'll show that technique in a post coming soon about an end table I just finished.)  I also might try the dry brushing technique used by Miss Mustard.  I talked about that and linked to it in my last post.

The photo below shows the two chairs in two stages.  On the left the chair has been sanded, but not glazed.  On the right, it's finished.  My glazing was fairly subtle.  I wiped a whole lot off.  It's not all that easy to see a difference, but it definitely looks more aged after the glazing.  These chairs didn't have a lot of nooks and crannies for glaze to accentuate.  The dry brushing technique probably would have been more appropriate.  Unfortunately, I came across that idea after I had already glazed.

On a funny note, after my husband saw the distressed and glazed chairs, he said they looked like chairs that needed to be painted.  He was trying to push my buttons.  I swear, that man lives to aggravate me!  And clearly, he doesn't recognize that he is in the presence of an amazing artist!

Here's a closeup. Again the one on the right is glazed.  The one on the left is not.  The closeup shows how the glaze got into the imperfections just enough to add age and character. 

I moved the chairs to the dining room to live with the color for a bit.  (Sorry, no photos)  I like the color and I like what the color adds to the room.  These two chairs are not the style I'm looking for.  

What kind of chairs am I looking for?  I want chairs with tall backs and solid seats.  They need to be heavy and sturdy.  And they must be comfortable.  I know I'll find MY CHAIRS one of these days.  I have a feeling it won't be long.

Inspired By...

I've been doing so many Inspired By posts that you'd think I'm not doing anything by surfing the web.  Truly, that's not the case.  It just seems that I'm seeing a ton of great things online in a very short period of time. 

One blog I like to take a look at periodically is Queen of Tarte.  She's just opened a new store in Oregon.  This post and several others leading up to it have a few photos.  Cindy has been working on getting it ready for the last couple of months.  She has such flair. Check out my Booth Inspiration Page for another great photo from a previous booth from Queen of Tarte.  It's one of my all time favorites.

Miss Mustard Seed did a wonderful post on how to find the best stuff on Craigslist.  I often peruse Craigslist so I thought I knew what I was doing, but I still found some good tips in the article.  I also found a number of additional tips in the comments.  Several folks recommended using CraigEasy to search easier by seeing the photos.  I definitely plan to try it out.

Also from Miss Mustard Seed - check out this desk and ottoman she just redid.  Don't you love the wonderful slouchy look of the ottoman?  I also like that she made the top of the desk wood.  Sometimes having an entire piece painted the same gets boring. There are a number of interesting tidbits in this article.  FOr instance, she didn't do any distressing to the desk.  She just dry brushed with antiquing glaze.  I was also excited to see that the paint color she used was Sherwin Williams Creamy.  I have that color!  Woo Hoo! We think alike!  (I wish)

My Re-Purposed Life has a great post - Blog Tips for New Bloggers.  I'm not a new blogger.  I have over 300 posts.  Even so, I came across a few tips that I will likely use.  Plus, I have a few friends who have just begun blogging and I know they would find this article useful.  She's really big on Windows Live Writer.  I have seen a number of bloggers recommend it.  I looked into it a while back and for some reason, didn't go with it.  I don't remember why.  I might re-investigate when I get a chance.

I came across a new blog with all sorts of tips and advice and inspiration for my life as a booth renter - Selling in an Antique Mall.   One thing I found out is that home magazines are a tax deduction.  That's a source for keeping up with style and color trends.

That's all for now. I usually post in the mornings when I'm fresh and energetic.  I'm getting a little sleepy!  Early to bed, early to rise...