My First DIY

Isn't she a beauty? This chair is destined for our master ensuite and I can't wait to see it beside the tub!

I like the idea of having a chair in a bathroom. I think bathrooms are sometimes seen as utility rooms, designed for usefulness alone. Why not create a bathroom that is another room in the house to enjoy, relax in, and to spend time in. I think adding a chair is not only practical but contributes to making the bathroom feel like a room in it's own right. I think a small chair with limited upholstery works best, so when I saw this chair I knew it was perfect. I was inspired by Sarah who takes the old and makes them new again. She always chooses pieces with good "bones" and can see the potential they have to be real show stoppers. Clearly, it is amazing what a coat of paint and new fabric can do!

I would like to say that I found this chair at a garage sale or thrift store and got it for $25 but the truth is I've scoured all the local shops and antique stores and the pickings are slim here in Nanaimo. Sourcing things online has become a pastime of mine (partly due to necessity) and I found this particular chair on Ebay. I loved the lines immediately and knew I could do something really special with it. I paid a few hundred dollars for it and it was in really good shape.

I found this linen fabric at a fabric store in Beacon Hill in Boston. I loved the geometric pattern, and the colour will be perfect for our grey and white all-carrara all-the-time ensuite. I took it to my local upholstery guy and we chose the polished chrome nail head and shade of white. They stripped, sprayed and upholstered it and voila!

Ok, so technically it wasn't a DIY project....but I'm proud of it nonetheless! The finish of the sprayed paint is so flawless if anyone can get a better finish by painting themselves you've got a better hand than me! Sarah and Tommy once tried to paint dining chairs and ended up taking them to be sprayed, so not even they could get the finish looking great. Lesson learned-it's worth the marginal cost to have things sprayed and this is going to be the way to go for my future projects.

Stay tuned to see how I take this chair for Will's nursery from Ikea to Elte. (Ok, maybe not Elte but Pottery Barn Kids for sure.)