When we moved into our house in 2008, all we had in the dining room were
chairs and a table. Around the time Peter and I bought our house, my mom
and step-dad were combining homes for the first time so they had two
dining room tables and two sets of chairs. We were invited to select one
of each for our new home. I picked my mom's dining room table which I
love. It's been in our family for a long time and the idea of eating
family dinners around the same table I grew up with is pretty cool. As
for the chairs, I picked my step-dad's. They are sturdy with a classic shape. I can't say I was
ever crazy about the zebra print seats or black paint so I planned a dining room
chair makeover.
Since 2008 we have made much progress in the dining room; we've added
furniture and art, changed the lighting, and
painted the walls.
All the while, neglecting to make over the chairs. Somewhere in the
years since we acquired the chairs, Peter and I have developed a joint
sense of style for our home. While I still think the chairs are classic,
sometime in 2009 I realized that a makeover wasn't going to be enough
to make them fit our style. I started hunting for some mid-century
dining chairs with little success. So I asked my mom to be on the
lookout in Baltimore for some.
As
luck would have it, shortly after I asked my mom to be on the lookout
she was dining at a friend's home when she noticed that she was sitting
in a mid-century dining chair. She asked this friend where she found the
chairs since I was in the market and her friend replied,
"These chairs? I don't know but I don't care for these chairs. Actually
we're thinking about getting new ones. When we do your daughter can
have them."
Fast forward to October 2010: an unexpected
truck pulls into my mom's driveway and drops off the four dining room
chairs. Her friend had gotten new chairs and remembered her commitment to
give me the old ones. Waiting for me in Baltimore were four dining
chairs. The only issue, of course, is that Memphis and Baltimore are
separated by a fair distance so it's difficult to get furniture back and
forth. We decided to pick up the chairs next time we were in Maryland or
have them shipped.
Since we conveniently had
Ms. Kathy
when we went to Baltimore for Christmas we were able to bring the
chairs back to Memphis with little fuss. And actually, since we
realized we'd be able to bring them back fully assembled, I sent some
fabric ahead of us to have the chairs re-upholstered in Maryland. I
found some
script fabric for the top of the chairs and some
dark brown linen for the seats at
Premier Fabrics.
Once
we got back to Memphis, I began the task of painting the new chairs. I
knew with the dark brown seats, the wood had to go! When I
bought the bright Annie Sloan paints I went ahead got a
neutral color
as well. Because the edges of the chairs are rounded, it took a keen
eye and a bit of patience to cover the chairs thoroughly.
Once I finished transforming the chairs from wood to cream, Peter reattached the backs and seats.
It is such a massive improvement. I'm quite fond of our new dining room
chair and so grateful that my mom's friend gave them away! Our dining room is finally coming together in a way that embodies our joint style and flows with the rest of the house.
