Build me up, Buttercup!

As promised, I have started a new project that I will be sharing with you! I'm very excited about this one because I have a few projects that I've completed pre-bloggage that I will keep throwin' atcha. So, I'm going to start from the very beginning! Its a very good place to start..... Sound of Music reference anyone...? Anyone.... ?

Anyhoo, I decided that I was sick of throwing my purse on the floor when I walk into my room every day and I am a dust-o-phobe, so it give me the shivers just thinking about all the yucky sticking to the bottom of it.  Blech! So I want to get a cheap chair in the corner. Ikea? Nah, too modern. Target? Eh, just couldnt find the right thing. I wanted something a little shabby chic, with a hint of modern. Think Anthropologie with a little less hippie and a little cleaner upholstery.  So I went on a chair hunt on everyone's favorite website Craigslist and searched and searched for probably 2 or 3 weeks. I knew what I wanted and wouldn't settle. I wanted an antique wooden back chair with a cushioned seat. Finally I found one not far from me for about $20.   I risked life and limb to get it as well! I vow I will take someone with me on my next CL purchase because despite emailing with some nice old woman, some creep-o guy answered the door and asked me to come into the dark back yard with him to get the chair. I refused and made him bring it to me. YIKES. But I digress... Here's my beautiful chair that I got despite the heart pounding moments of SHEER TERROR!!

I love the curve of the modified ladder back. Its slightly more elegant than I thought I was going to find. Of course, its not in the greatest shape.  As you can see there was some paint on it and the fabric was very worn.  I actually dont dislike the fabric that it originally was manufactured in! But its going to be a little bit more girlie when I'm done with it. 

I decided that I was going to paint this chair to match my fantastic Ikea dresser that I love. This picture makes it look very very yellow but its a really nice buttery yellow. Hmmm.... maybe I'll name my chair "Buttercup."

And as I've shown you in a different posting I love my white Ikea Aspelund waredrobe. And the majority of my furnishings and accents are white. My 2 duvet covers that I switch out are brown and white so I chose fabric that is also brown and white to cover the seat. The classic, modern, chic colors of the fabric juxtaposed with the funky yellow wood should make for a FANTASTIC little throw chair!

 What I've done is I set Buttercup upside down and unscrewed the seat off. Super easy. **Be sure to keep a ziplock handy to keep the screws. If your chair is old enough, you may have a difficult time finding screws that are the right size, its best to just keep the ones that came with it!**

I had some supplies left over from a different project. (That I will show you so very soon!)  I used some old sand paper that we had laying around the house that was 120 grit and wrapped it around a block of wood so it would be easier to grip. Because there are such small grooves in the front 2 legs and on the face, I took the sandpaper off the block and just folded to get it in the nooks.

 Once it was good and sanded I lightly brushed off the excess sawdust so that it wouldn't get trapped in the primer and cause any blemishes in the final paint coats. One of the tidbits I had left over was some Krylon spray paint primer in white. I like this kind in particular because you can rotate the nozzle to spray vertically or horizontally and you have much more control.

I have to warn you though... I am NOT a very good spray painter. I used it because I had it left over but for the real paint, I am going to use normal a high gloss interior paint with a BRUSH. I am the kind of girl that even when I'm doing paint by numbers I somehow get paint from head to toe... and then will still be finding it 2 days later on clothes I wasn't even wearing at the time or a single strand of hair still with paint on it.... I know!  It happened!!  I cant believe it either! That being said, you can imagine what its like when I use spray paint! Either way its fun so I'm happy!

Here's what B.C. looked like with about one and a half coats of primer. (It was only about half full when I pulled the can out.) Again, I'm not fabulous at spraying, but any drips I can just sand down a little bit before the paint goes on.

Remember: Always use paint, particularly spray paint in a well ventilated area. Since I don't have a yard or much of a drive way to speak of, my mom let me come over and make a mess in her driveway for sanding and her garage for the painting. Thanks Mom!! :)

Well, thats where Buttercup is right now.  I will post Part II as soon as I can get back to Mom's for another painting party!! :) So stay tuned!