Skip to main content

Monday Motivation: Trash To Treasure Dining Room



Most of you know that I am a recycling kind of girl.  I can't stand to watch perfectly good things go to the dump - especially when I know I can fix them up and make them like new.

Several years ago, I came across a metal dining set that someone had set out for the trash.  It had 4 chairs, a table and a bench.  I fixed up the bench here, saved the table legs in the garage, and held on to the 4 chairs until someone needed them. 




A few months ago, I found 2 bar stools in another drive-by road side sighting.




Every piece I found was in pretty bad shape but that didn't scare me off.  The pieces were sturdy but the finishes were ugly.


The worst part was the seats.  The base of each seat was a pressed board product that had swelled and gotten moldy.  It went directly into the garbage can (luckily it was garbage day).



I sanded each piece with sandpaper and steel wool and wiped them down to remove the dust.  Then, I spray painted everything with satin finish Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze spray paint.  I used 3 coats to make sure everything was fully covered.

Hubs made new seat bases out of 3/4 plywood we already had in the garage.  I recovered them with a vinyl fabric I found at Garden Ridge (yes, they have fabric in precut sizes).   It looks like a tweed fabric, but wipes clean which is important for a family with young children.

After everything was put back together, I was pretty pleased with the end results.  All in all, I spent $20.00 to fix up 4 chairs and 2 bar stools.


 
I like the satin finish.  It is washable but not too shiny.


Nothing fancy, but nice and sturdy - and very easy to clean.



My oldest daughter was happy to put them to use in her home.  I have to brag on how she put this room together.  The dining table was our old one that we gave to her when she moved back to this area.  The side board was reclaimed from my sister-in-laws storage unit, and of course the chairs came from the roadside.  The black accents in the room bring it all together even though none of the furniture matches.


Labels:

Comments

  1. LottieDecember 10, 2012 at 9:01 PM

    The chairs look beautiful in the after pictures! They really look very nice in your daughter's dining room,too! Very clever!

    ReplyDelete
  2. annDecember 27, 2012 at 5:13 PM

    Enjoyed reading your blog I blog at www.butterflies,gourdsandmore@blogspot.com
    I am going to add you to my blog list Have a great new year.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I'd love to know what you're thinking. Please feel free to leave ideas and comments.

Popular posts from this blog

How To Make Your Own Exercise Bike For Next To Nothing

Remember back in April when I had a kidney transplant?  Well, the kidney is doing great (thanks, Cathy , for taking such good care of it when you owned it).  There was one little glitch, however.  During surgery, the retractors they used caused some nerve damage in my right leg.  When I woke up from surgery, I couldn't move or feel my leg.  The docs felt like the feeling would come back but the paralysis had them stumped.  A visit to a neurologist ruled out a stroke and a CT scan showed some fluid which was pressing on L4 and L5 (medical talk which means I couldn't feel or move part of my leg).  The prognosis is good and I'm recovering pretty quickly.  In fact, I've left my cane behind and I'm walking freestyle without falling.  My next goal is to be able to drive. I've been itching to get back to exercising (physical therapy doesn't count) because my medication causes me to gain weight and I need to burn some calories.  Running? - nope.  Walking? - can&
45 comments
Read more

A Designer's Secret For A Taller Bed

  Several years ago Hubs and I spent almost a year looking for a bedroom set that we both loved.  He wanted clean lines and dark wood.  I wanted curves and a "tall" bed.  Of course, there was no perfect bedroom set but we were able to compromise on a set that we both liked.  My main wish was for a bed that I could "climb up into".  The problem with that wish was that most of the "tall" beds were four poster beds and Hubs was not in the mood for that.  We found a Thomasville bed on display at a local furniture store and it fit the clean lines that Hubs wanted and it was "tall"  enough to suit me.  The problem was that once we received the bed we ordered in our home, it wasn't as tall as I had remembered it being.  My heart sunk!  I went back to the furniture store to look at the display.  Their bed was much taller than our bed.  Hmmm. . . what was different? I got nosey and lifted up the comforter on the bed.  It revealed their secret
10 comments
Read more

Plans For A DIY Exercise Bike Stand

  Thank you to so many of you who emailed me about plans for the DIY Exercise Bike Stand .  I apologize that it has taken me so long to get the measurements to you, but they are finally here!   The wood was purchased at Home Depot and the bike pegs were purchased at Walmart in the bike section.    The bike we used for this project is a 24" 12 speed bike (I'm a shorty).  I used the hardest gear while riding, but this set-up does not allow you to really get much resistance (for building muscle).  It was great for getting my legs moving after some nerve damage.  I also wanted to burn calories and get my heart rate up and this did the trick.    If you have any questions, just shoot me an email.
40 comments
Read more