Defenseload: More progress!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

More progress!

Well, I made some more progress in the living room this weekend. You may have seen the green print chairs that I bought a couple weekends ago, but I decided that they were throwing everything off in my head. As I was trying to pick fabrics that coordinated, ever I liked just didnt work with those chairs.

So, I was able to get some similar chairs that are linen and Im really happy with them, theyre staying... no more changing my mind!

Old chairs

New chairs

I am really happy with these chairs, heres a picture that I posted on Instagram this weekend. I love that theyre neutral and go really well with the curtains!

I also ordered the pillows that Ive been eyeing on Etsy for a while! I got two Windsor Smith for Kravat pillows in Pelagos Lime from this Etsy shop.

Designer Pillow Cover 18 x 18- Windsor Smith - Pelagos Green

I know they will look great with my curtains and sitting in those linen chairs. Here is a picture of this pillow paired with a pillow made of the same fabric as my curtains.

I also started a new project that Im working on for this room. I have been debating on what ottoman to buy for the room, and after seeing a bunch of plain and boring options, Ive decided to make my own! My brother just moved out of his college apartment and when we helped him move out, I realized that he had my old square wood coffee table... and that I could take it back and make an upholstered ottoman out of it! Heres a picture of it from a long time ago, at our old apartment, in the back left of this picture (right after we got our dog Darcy).

I found a couple of tutorials online that I will use as a guide to covering this ottoman. But, basically I will cover it with foam and batting and then upholster it in fabric, hopefully adding covered buttons for tufting. Ill paint the legs and I think it should end up something like this:

First, I picked out the fabric that I want to use. I decided on a blue gray geometric pattern with a cream background and a knubby texture, I think it will work great on an ottoman. Also, it actually reminds me of an ottoman at West Elm.

Casablanca Geo by Robert Allen Home

West Elm Essex Printed Ottoman

So, since Im waiting for the fabric to come in, I decided to start things off by picking paint for the legs and painting them. I originally wanted to do Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but decided I would try something else first and then go to that if I didnt like it. Ive seen Martha Stewart paint which can be made in a lot of unique finishes at Home Depot for a while and Ive been curious to use it, so I picked up a quart to test it on these legs! I picked the Lightstrokes specialty finish and the color Hearthstone, which is a silvery-beige.

Martha Stewart Lightstrokes paint chips

After one coat of paint on the chair legs

After two coats of paint on the table legs

So far, Im excited! I like that when you turn off the overhead light you can see the unique light reflection that this paint has. In some light it looks matte, but in others it has a bit of a shimmer. I should hopefully get the fabric for the ottoman this week in the mail and I might be able to start covering the ottoman this weekend!

Available link for download