The thing I find about renovating is that you hit a point where you just can't be bothered finishing all the 'bits n pieces'. All of sudden it's 4 years on and you still have no internal doors other than your bathroom!
This came to a head for us this week with the a/c in our bedroom escaping. I had a few metres of calico left over from my dining room chair revamp so tacked it into the top of the door surround and voila.
By day it's neatly tied back with a black leather tie and by night it's a wrinkled calico door.
Not very ingenius but aside from the fact that it needs an iron, i'm actually warming to the idea of fabric longer term. I'll sit on it for a couple of weeks and see if the shoe really fits, a semi sheer white would be perfect for our house. For now though, sleeping is so much better with all the confined cool air swarming around us.
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Calico Part II
Fabric for the dining room setting has been on my mind for ages and i just couldn't find what i visualised. So i thought i'd make it.
A crystal chandelier hangs from above the suite and the room is all open plan leading into the kitchen. Fresh and neutral was the ticket - but nothing pretty. The chandelier's pretty enough. This is the fabric they were covered in.
I bought calico, a stencil set, white paint and tacks from Spotlight and these are the chairs now.
The stencil came with 4 designs, 3 of which i used. I'm not overly fussed on the one second from the bottom but laziness prevents me from doing anything about it, it's ok for now.
I'd pulled out two of the original suite chairs and replaced them with bentwoods to break up the bulk of the dark timber but they were a bit uncomfortable. So when i happened across a few of these chairs below in Paddington prior to christmas, i'd found their replacement ...
And this is the suite as it currently stands
Our home isn't all one era nor do things 'match' per se, (as this suite bears witness). I go through stages as i'm sure everyone does and like to change things around. The calico has exceeded my expectations with the stenciling and there will be no regrets when i decide to pull it off and replace it with something else.
Two birds - One stone. Brings me down to, ummm 15 more to-do's...
I love this dining suite! I haven't stencilled before as I have no idea where to start. Do you just get the stencil sheets from Spotlight? I would love to do something like you've done. We are also renovating - actually for the past five years we've been renovating :(
ReplyDeleteMegs :)
Thanks so much Meg and Mums. My parents gave it to me a few years back - it was our formal setting when we were growing up. I love it too.
ReplyDeleteYes,i bought a pack but the stencils are little. Like 10cm x 10cm, so you have to paint over it, then realign it and so on. Would be much easier if you found one bigger and they do exist - there are heaps of websites you can order various designs from. It was just easy for me to do it this way because the seats are small and i wanted a few different styles.
I used a sponge brush thing to apply the paint, but a little roller would be even easier.
Give it a go.
I love the chairs! I had 2 in my living room which I had all intentions of recovering but could never find the right fabric. The chairs are now taking up space in our 2nd bedroom. By 2nd bedroom, i mean storage room for all the stuff I buy then change my mind!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those look great. We just have a table for all, which is nice in some situations, but sometimes I think a personal space would be nice, and less distracting.
ReplyDelete