Make me an offer... bench

This poor bench was in the garbage pile at a make and offer sale. The same day I got a chest of drawers and this bench. I hope to have the chest done soon, but this project was much quicker for this weekend. I got both for $7, so I guess maybe I paid a dollar for this bench? It had a caned top, but it was broken so I took it out. I had my handyman cut a piece of wood to fit in the hole so I could upholster the seat. I sanded and then painted the wood with black spray paint leftover from another project. Instead of buying an expensive piece of foam for the seat I used some quilt batting to form a cushion. I splurged on this fabric - $5 for a half yard. I cut the fabric and folded the batting in multiple layers. Pulled the fabric around each side and used the staple gun to secure it. Make sure to pay special attention to the corners. Here it is! It's slightly more puffy than I thought it would be, but still pretty cute for less than $10. It also provided me something to do on a Saturday night. I'm going to use it in the entry way to sit on when we put on shoes... so we don't have to site on the stairs. What have I inspired you to do? I wish I could find something to inspire me to finish taking down the bathroom wallpaper... I guess I might have to wait until all the furniture in the basement is refinished - either way it all has to get done! :)

A New Year - A New Room!

I know how the slogan goes... a new year a new YOU. I like a new ROOM much better, don't you? Enjoy the pictures below of my newly arranged living room. Can you guess what's different?

New

Old

You guessed right! I have a new chair. We went into a new furniture store after lunch today and it was one of the first I saw... loved... but really didn't need. It was a great price and just the right size and color for the front room. I had to rearrange the room. Don't you feel such a sense of newness when you just change a room around? My husband loves that it's free decorating... unless you count his back pain the next day.

The picture doesn't show the two buttons on the backrest of the chair. How cute!!! The color matches the armless chair perfectly. I love that it's both a neutral and interesting chair.

I would encourage all of you to take a room you are all too familiar with and try something new. Who knows... it might just feel like a new room!

Make an offer!

That's what the sign said... So I made one - $5 for the 3 drawer dresser, he said $10, I said $7 and he took it. Then I saw this beaten up bench and remembered a fellow blogger's post about a bench she'd recently transformed. I had to have it. I asked $10 for everything and he took it.

I'm thinking of making a cushion for the top since I don't know how to cane. I'm leaning toward putting this in the kitchen! Wait and see!

I'm going to be busy the next few weekends so I'm sure these will be collecting dust, but I promise they will turn into something beautiful.