Reupholstered Channel-Back Chair

A few years back, I bought a gorgeous vintage channel-back chair from a local consignment store. The upholstery was yellow brocade, but in bad condition. But the price was low, so I brought it home. The shredded upholstery held up very well and gave off a cool, shabby, boho vibe. But all things must end.

My brother and I had plans to reupholster this puppy during his next visit - he was super handy like that. There was a fleeting moment when I considered digging into it myself, but I thought better of it and sent it to a professional. After a little research in the DFW area, I found Back Alley Furniture in Carrolton to help me with the job.

I decided to save some money on fabric by covering the chair with a gray canvas drop cloth, purchased for 30 dollars at Home Depot. It's super durable and the color and texture is awesome. I could not be happier with the results. Back Alley Furniture was AMAZING to work with and the chair was done in a week! The cost was also very reasonable.

Whimsical Paris Home

I am completely charmed by this Parisian home owned by designer Patrice Gruffaz. The purple, green and red color scheme is gorgeous and the carved wooden mushroom table and chairs are amazing. Playful whimsy mixed with old world architecture, stacks of books, interesting art and bird figures scattered about - what's not to love?

Artist Feature | Paco Camús

Paco Camús describes his pieces as "functional sculptures" and are a cross between furniture and art. His pieces are so unique that it is sometimes difficult to ascertain their function just by looking. I have a soft spot in my heart for all things Art Nouveau, and these pieces seem to stem from that tradition. Hailing from Valencia Spain, Paco now makes his home in Connecticut. He studied Industrial Design and was influenced by comic book art of the '80's. But I'll wager that if he were pressed, he would agree with their Art Nouveau connection. Check out these astonishing furniture pieces below:

And in other news, 

La Maison Boheme hit ten thousand followers today on Pinterest! 

Wowie Zowie!

New (Free) Area Rug

What's better than a new rug? A free one! A friend of mine bought this beautiful rug for her home, but decided after a while that it didn't really fit with the room. Now it's mine!

Since painting my living room blue last year, the space hasn't had a suitable rug. I've had some beautiful flat weave rugs, but they aren't really practical for us because our youngest is either in his wheel chair smooshing the rug up with turning wheels or he's getting caught up on the edges scooting around on his bottom. Now I have a rug that stays put and meshes perfectly with the vibe of my living room. I'm a happy mama!

Most recently I had a beautiful rug from Pottery Barn, but the color wasn't right for the space - see the photo below. I've moved that rug to my dining room where it is much happier.

A Pair of Vintage Chairs

I love nothing more than a pair of reupholstered vintage chairs. No matter what kind of space you have, it can always be updated with these little blasts from the past. I've got three sets in my house: mustard colored club chairs in my office, turquoise midcentury vinyl waiting room chairs in the dining room and a set of blue-gray barrel backs in my living room. I can't resist a good pair of vintage chairs. How about you?

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And here are some vintage chair pairs from my abode:

I Love Bulk Trash

This weekend was bulk trash pick up in our neighborhood.  A friend of mine once told me that she rents a truck and prowls the fancy Dallas neighborhoods during bulk trash weekend.  I've heard of people scoring entire Restoration Hardware patio sets, beautiful Midcentry sofas in mint condition, pairs of Victorian wingback chairs, lucite console tables and more!

This weekend I scored two wooden rocking chairs from the bulk trash.  They needed a paint job, some new screws and a little wood glue.  I also found a door with little square windows.  It was damaged around the edges, but not so badly that it couldn't be repurposed.  I painted the name of our home on the glass panes and hung it from some rings and an "S" hook.  The weight of the door (this mother is heavy!) rests on the ground and the hooks keep it upright.  So, thank you bulk trash for the free spring update!

DIY: My Dining Set Makeover on Houzz

I'm so excited to share my latest article for Houzz.com.

Its a DIY story about my dining room chair makeover!

From the article:

When my husband and I bought our Dallas ranch house, we also became the owners of a dining set the previous owners had left behind. It wasn't our style, but it was sturdy and comfortable, and as my dad says, "Love the one you're with." After living with the hand-me-down dining set for three years, I was ready for a budget-friendly upgrade. Here's how I took my dining chairs from blah to bold one weekend.

Dining Set Makeover: Paint and Tea-Tinted Fabric Make Old Chairs New

Tools and materials needed:

• Staple gun
• 3/8-inch staples
• Screwdriver or drill
• Spray can of B-I-N Shellac-Base Primer (I used two cans for four chairs)
• Spray paint in your chosen color. (I used two cans of glossy Apple Red from Rust-Oleum to refinish four chairs)
• Spray can of polyurethane clear gloss topcoat

Seat cushion materials:

• Box of tea to stain upholstery fabric (I used 10 bags of Earl Grey)
• about 1/2 yard fabric of your choice per cushion, depending on seat size
• Plastic bucket, sink or soaking tub

Again, from the article:
I love the look of script, so I chose this typographic fabric from Ikea. I covered five cushions using less than 3 yards of fabric. The fabric was too white for my dining room, so I altered the color with a simple tea stain.

 

Ta da! I love the bright red chairs against our dark dining rooms walls. All in all, the job was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I can't believe I waited so long to paint and reupholster them. If you've got some old chairs that need a lift, don't wait!  Find a bright color you love and go to town!

Click HERE to read the full article 

and get all the details about my dining chair upgrade!