Show Me the Progress Party

Progress Party, March 2010

Amanda over at Serenity Now for Amanda is having a progress party for decorating dilemmas. The last time she had a party, I asked for help with this mess – out out of control mail.

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I had all kinds of great suggestions for solving my dillema. Everyone agreed that I needed something to fill the space between the trunk and picture. Lorrie’s suggestion, an antique toolbox, was my favorite. I think that Mama may have one that I can have, but in the meantime I shopped my house and came up with this. I like to use antiques as much as possible in my home for decorating and for function. The basket is not an antique, but the box is. The basket is mine and the box is Mr. SP’s. We both sort the mail into the appropriate basket when it arrives. (It comes through the mail slot on the door.) I am amazed at how well this system works. No more piles!

February – Nice and Neat!

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March – Still nice and neat! Success!

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When Amanda hosted her first Decorating Dilemmas Party, I asked for suggestions for these chairs that I picked up at an estate sale. I’ve been working on them bit by bit this winter. I sanded them, primed them, and painted them.

The one on the left is unsanded, the one on the right is sanded. When I took this picture, I had only tried hand sanding.

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After I hand sanded the one on the left, I resorted to power tools to get off as much paint as I could.

Don’t you love this outfit? I’d been shoveling now if you are wondering why I’m wearing ski socks.

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Post Sanding:

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I then primed the chairs with an automobile primer.

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I started with a pretty tan color. After spraying a few coats, I didn’t like that this color was satin and not a gloss. I had to switch colors because Lowe’s didn’t have my original color in gloss.

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Spray painting indoors in February is not a good idea. I opened the windows in the workshop, turned on the big exhaust fan, ran another fan, but our house still reeked of fumes. I finally gave up after getting one too many headaches and waited for a warm day to finish the project.

I got my warm day on Sunday and hauled the chairs out into the yard for another couple of coats of paint.

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Much better!

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All that’s left to do now is paint the underside of the chairs. I’m very happy with my chair progress!

27 Comments

  1. dang i so wish you were my neighbor!! 🙂 we could play tennis AND you could help me with my little projects 🙂

  2. Love the chairs! My SIL recently got a similar pair from her parents who used to have a little antique shop in OH and still have a lake house full of treasures.

  3. Thx for the update photos! I am headed over to check out the progress party!

    Leslie
    oursoftspottoland.blogspot.com

  4. Your chairs are making great progrss!

    Thank you again for picking me as your winner for your giveaway. I emailed you as soon as I found out but it doesn’t seem that it got to you. I used the link through your profile.

    If you will leave me another comment with your email address I won’t publish that comment but will write you again using the address you give me.

    Thanks!
    Bickies

  5. Paula, I am LOVIN’ that crate for mail. Lucky Mr. SP. It’s gorgeous!!!!

    The chairs look great too!

  6. They look great!!! I have two of these I hauled home that need MAJOR work! Thanks for the inspiration!!

  7. Paula!!! I don’t know how you do it all, girl. 🙂 The basket and box are perfect!! I love the new look you gave those chairs. Many people would have just dumped them, but you gave them a new lease on life. 😉

    Thanks for linking up. 🙂

  8. Great that you found such a cute way to organize your mail! And those chairs are too much fun!
    Blessings,
    Stacey

  9. Hi, I’m visiting from Amanda’s blog. I’m loving the chairs you painted! They’re beautiful & look so modern now w/ a fresh coat of paint. 🙂 Take care.

  10. those chairs are great. When shopping for some patio furniture at Lowes a few weeks ago I noticed they are making this same style of chairs again, they had lots of fun colors too.

  11. The mail box baskets are so nice and neat, not to mention functional! Great job!

    And the chairs are so fabulous in their new color. Just in time for lounging under the sun this spring!

  12. I really like the chairs – I’ve been looking for a pair like that (or for a double glider, how cute would that be?), but haven’t found the perfect project chairs yet.

    Great job!

  13. I was out of town last week, so I’m just now getting to visit people from Amanda’s party. I think your chairs look wonderful! What a great find. I can remember chairs like that from my grandmother’s yard. . . wish I had them now!

    And your mail solution is working really well! Good for you.

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