As luck would have it, I forgot to take a before photo of this actual lamp but here is the similar finish on another brass thrift store lamp.  It was super gold and shiny.  

I had a sample of L’Essentiel Botanics furniture paint on hand.  Michelle from Serendipity House had sent me some samples a while back.  I received the paint at no cost in exchange for a post about my project using this furniture paint.  I had already used Liquid Carbon, Pure White, and Coral.  So I selected Vintage Mint to modernize this lamp.  I simply dry brushed the paint onto the lamp in a random manner.  Here is a close up:

I love how the dry brushing technique adds texture to the lamp.  You can still see the gold and there is enough of the newly added Vintage Mint to color the lamp.

The Vintage Mint is a very pale, light green.  It gives just the perfect tint of green to this formerly dull thrift store lamp.

I think this color would be beautiful in a little girl’s room or a nursery or sun porch!  Ooh, how about a she shed??

L’Essentiel Botanics, an Austrailia based company,  specializes in all natural vegan paint products (does contain beeswax).   This furniture paint is all natural containing chalks, clays, minerals, and pigments. Products are sold in biodegradable containers and their wax contains no solvents (i.e. no drying agents).  The all natural clear wax can be used on hands, feet, face, and is often used by farmers.

Michelle is offering a discount on L’Essentiel Botanics to my readers! Serendipity House is the ONLY distributor for this Australian company here in the US.  Use the code “L’Essentiel20” for a 20% discount on all L’Essentiel Botanics furniture paint and accessories.  Here is the link:  Serendipity House.

I used several other colors for two previous projects.  You can read about them her:  Mid Century Modern console upcycle and the Children’s Table and Chair Makeover.

My favorite of all of the colors that I sampled is the Liquid Carbon (black).  It was the perfect consistency, a little on the thin side, with great coverage.  Check out L’Essentiel Botanics’ wonderful colors and let me know which is your favorite!  I know you won’t be disappointed!

A great big thank you to Michelle for allowing some of us bloggers to try this furniture paint!  It is always exciting to discover another wonderful paint product, especially one that is kind to our environment and health!

Now hurry on out to the thrift store or hit your local yard sale this weekend.  Grad a drab lamp and spruce that baby up!  

The post Upcycled Thrift Store Lamp appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Our generous sponsor this month is Spoonflower.  We were invited to select a fabric of our choice so I chose Fletching Arrow/Northern Lights Grey:

Spoonflower has so many beautiful patterns and fabric selections.  You can even submit your own patterns to create original fabric designs!  Their fabrics are vibrant, colorful and inviting.  Check out their wonderful selection here.

Sponsorship Disclosure:  Some or all of the hosts of The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest receive monetary and/or product compensation from the sponsoring brand, Spoonflower, in order to complete their themed projects. Spoonflower will also provide the prize package for the contest winner.

Where to Begin

The instructions state to wash the fabric first.  After drying it, I spread it across the chair wrong side to chair and began pinning the fabric to fashion a slip cover.

I was relieved to discover that the back of this modern upholstered chair was removable.  It was connected with two nuts and bolts.  So I easily disassembled the chair.

Once I removed the back of the chair, it was easier to replace the fabric.  I used a pin and tuck method on the bottom of the chair to fashion a slipcover.  Then I simply stapled the fabric to the bottom of the chair.

The top was a little more complicated because of the curved back.  So I had to sew a few darts to fit the form.  The project went more smoothly than I had expected.  Thank the Good Lord for removable chair backs!

The Final Reveal

I am super happy with the results.  Now to decide which of my kids get this beauty in their room!

This project was created as part of The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest, a monthly contest where bloggers are challenged to flip a piece of furniture using products provided by a wonderful sponsor.  

 

This is my second entry into an upholstery challenge.  You can read about the first one here.  Let me say that upholstery is challenging, to say the least.  My first project was very humbling.  But with each attempt, I learn new skills.  So have faith and give it a try!  Start with something small like a chair seat or a simple ottoman.  Build your skills and then attempt more challenging projects.  

A special thank you to our hosts and especially to Spoonflower for providing such  a wonderful array of fabric choices for this project!

I am sharing this post with the following blog hops:

Another Loverly Blog Hop:  Take a Seat is graciously hosted by Juliet of A Loverly Life.

Stephanie at Gathered in the Kitchen

Nicole at Adorn the Table

Ikorn Crafts

A Loverly Life

The post Modern Upholstered Chair with Modern Flair! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Some or all of the hosts of The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest receive monetary and/or product compensation from the sponsoring brand, Saltwash, in order to complete their themed projects. Saltwash and their sister company, Saltwater Salvage Designs will also provide the prize package for the contest winner.  I received one can of saltwash as a participant in this contest.

We are beginning a bedroom renovation at home for my youngest son’s bedroom.  He will be 14 this July and has never had any input in decorating his room.  He has selected some colors and furniture to make his room more contemporary and appropriate for a high school student (my baby will be a freshman in August)!!!  He decided to part with an old buffet that was currently holding his TV and some game systems.  I always get excited about a buffet upcycle!

And here she is…

If you have visited my blog, you know I love to distress furniture!  It is simply my favorite finish.  So I was very excited to try Saltwash™.  The theme for this flip is Coastal Inspirations.  When I think of the beach, I think of the tans and greys in beach wood, vibrant aquas and blues in the ocean, and deep dark brown from algae and sand along the shore line.  These colors were my coastal inspiration.  I selected this piece for my project because of the dark brown color.  I thought this color would be incredible peeking out from beneath the blues and greys.

This buffet has certainly seen better days.  Because of some of the mars and chipped veneer, this piece was perfect for a Saltwash™ finish.  This finish would hide many of the buffet’s flaws an imperfections.

I selected some paint that I had on hand at my store The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment. Saltwash™ can be used with virtually any paint!

STEP ONE – Buffet Upcycle

Because I wanted the dark wood to appear beneath the paint layers, I started immediately by adding my Saltwash™ to a bright turquoise paint.  I applied this in a pouncing motion per instructions leaving some peaks of paint across the piece.

Here is a close up of the first coat:

After the first coat was completely dry, I added Saltwash™ to some medium grey paint for the second coat.  Once this was completely dry, I applied a final coat of an off white.

STEP TWO -Buffet Upcycle

This is always my favorite part…where the magic happens…sanding!  I sanded through the peaks across the entire piece.  In some spots I went heavy to expose the dark wood base.  I varied sanding across the piece to highlight the turquoise in some spots and the grey in other spots.  Even  with three liberal coats of paint, it was relatively easy sanding through the layers.  In areas where I wanted more turquoise exposed, I lingered a little longer with the sander.  I continued until the entire buffet was a collaboration of all 4 colors dispersed throughout the piece.

And here she is completed:

I am so grateful to the FFFC for enabling us to try these new products and challenging us with these wonderful themes!  If you are a blogger who is into DIY and is interesting in participating monthly, simply inquire toby email to: info@fabfurnitureflippincontest.com.

This month’s hosts are Colleen of 58 Water Street, and Carrie of Thirty Eighth Street.  Each of these wonderful hosts has completed a project of her own using the fabulous Saltwash™.  Check out their projects and thumb through the links at the end of each of their posts to see all of the projects submitted this month.

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I’ve had this gorgeous vintage sofa in my store for probably 4 years now!  I was immediately smitten with the beautifully carved wood.  Even the gaudy gold didn’t turn me away since I have an uncontrollable love for things Italian-made like these items currently in my store, The Blue Building.

But I must admit that I have been super intimidated by the very thought of how to overhaul a vintage sofa.  I can do simple upholstery but every time I would inspect this piece, I would walk away shaking my head. Me?  Completely overhaul a vintage sofa?  Yeah right!

The fabric  was torn and outdated but I loved her immediately!  My first plan was to reupholster this beauty with my own crazy quilt fabric.  I have been saving these examples on Pinterest since her arrival!

It started out, as so many of my projects do, as THAT great piece that will be a show shopper!  I was saving it as my “special project”.  Needless to say, until yesterday my “special project” sat untouched in the same condition in which it some arrived 4 years ago!

Over those 4 years, she did have a few different looks but you must admit, that fabric really can’t go incognito into any vignette!  But I tried.

Finally the inspiration came at The Chapel Market this past October.  I wish I had a better picture but take a look at this beauty from Littleville Blue.

Littleville Blue simply stripped the fabric off of this beautiful settee to nail this exquisite vintage look!  The cotton batting might be a little too primitive for most mainstream taste but it certainly makes a statement…and gave me some much needed inspiration.

Here she is…stripped and ready to go!

This was so much easier than I thought it would be.  I started by simply grabbing the trim from the top right edge of the sofa.  It was a little tough to tug on but once I got it started, it pulled off easily.  The fabric was even easier.  Since it was old, it pulled right off.  I had to work at pulling the stripped fabric from the very edges and needed to remove all of the upholstery tacks.  Many of the tacks came out as I yanked (technical term) off the fabric.  This, couple with the dust from the old fabric, was the most tedious and annoying part of the process.

She still needs a good vacuuming and perhaps some touch up paint around the edges but isn’t she beautiful???  I suppose I should have waited on this post until she was prissied up but…I just couldn’t wait!  I think I will still keep her with the intention of eventually completing the crazy quilt upholstery.  In the meantime, however, she will blend nicely into every corner of The Blue Building!

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