From Junk to Chic

In these tough economic times everyone, myself included, is trying to save some cash. Cutting back on big purchases is a first step. Luckily for me, Louisville has a wonderful thing called Junk Day.

4 times a year you can put out pretty much anything and the City will haul it away for you. This is a great opportunity to furnish your home if you've got a good eye and a big trunk. Most junk piles get picked-over pretty quickly. But, I've managed to grab a few good pieces now and then.

My most recent acquisition were 2 dining room chairs. I picked them up from my neighbor's junk pile. I was sure with a little TLC and pain they could be awesome.

Here are some before shots.






Of course, the chairs sat in my dining room for 6 months before I got around to doing anything with them.

I finally got the energy to fix them up a few weeks ago. After a quick trip to the hardware store I was busy sanding, gluing the joints, and priming the chairs. Then I gave them 3 coats of paint and a spray clear coat. Next I recovered the seats. The hardest part was pulling all the staples out of the seat bottoms. I got a few blisters for my troubles.

All in all, I spent about $50 for paint and fabric. I also spent a whole lot of my time!