First, my friend and co-worker, AS, had this chair that she, her son, and her cats, all loved. It was basically a large cushion that was suspended from four legs. Due to the extensive love that had been lavished upon the chair, the front of the cushion had gotten a little worn. She wanted to know if I could replace it for her. Now, it has to be said that while I am passable at upholstery, it's not my favorite thing to do. But it seemed simple enough and she's a good friend, so I took it on. I made a trip to JoAnn Fabric and texted AS pictures of fabric options. I nailed it in two! We chose an outdoor fabric for easy cleaning and longer durability (plus, it was the perfect print). That was the high point. Problems quickly arose:
1. I am allergic to cats. Every time I worked on the project, I had sneezing fits.
2. The fabric on the back of the cushion was 100% acetate (read "super thick and tough").
-- a) My sewing machine hated it
-- b) Hand-sewing made my fingertips red and raw
3. It was 100+ degrees outside and my sewing room is upstairs, so I felt like I was working in a sweat-shop.
Suffice it to say, I finished the job vowing to myself that I would really have to consider taking on upholstery gigs in the future. Especially from houses with cats.
Ultimately, the finished product turned out great and looks awesome in AS's house. Plus, she got to keep a piece of furniture that she loved instead of having to find something new. Totally worth it.
My next project was for another co-worker, DM. He was moving into a new apartment and needed a small dresser. I had a ton of time to do this project since he didn't want the dresser until he moved. I looked and looked and looked at my favorite thrift stores, but couldn't find a dresser small enough or in good enough condition to refurbish. I finally caved and suggested an unfinished wood dresser from IKEA as a starting point. I wouldn't usually buy something new, but I couldn't figure out another way to meet the needs of my client. I picked up the dresser, then went on vacation!
DM really wanted a simple black dresser, which should have been the easiest job ever. But the wood soaked up all the spray primer, then soaked up all the black spray paint. I added layer upon layer of paint, but the finish just got funkier and funkier. For some reason, it worked fine on the drawer fronts, but not the dresser itself. I decided to sand the dresser and roll on a less glossy paint. It gave the dresser a cool look, because even though it's all black, it's two different finishes so it has some dimension. Finally, to save DM money, I painted the original hardware with a metallic paint instead of buying new hardware.
As you can see, I painted the inside of the drawers grey, just for another bit of interest. DM was happy, so I was happy! What makes me even more happy is having several other projects lined up for when I get back from my next vacation. Busy busy busy.
