I love the shabby chic vintage look with its soft whites and pastel colours, it can look very cosy and welcoming when partnered with pretty accessories and floral patterns.  I’m updating our bedroom to eventually be the theme I’m aspiring to which in turn will provide the perfect feminine boudoir for any home based shoots that I do.

Earlier this week I won an auction on ebay for a rickety old wooden chair which I ended up winning for a bargain 99p!  Some people may have overlooked the chair because of it’s sad and abused state but I saw the potential in that it’s a fabulous solid wood piece of furniture and I was keen to set about refurbishing it.  I’ve never done anything like this before (I’m more of a cross stitcher or card maker) so I was also keen to prove to myself I can be DIY handy too!

The chair in its original state

The chair’s initial condition was heavily used and dated with it’s varnished appearance.  To get the chair back down to a blank canvas, safety specs in position, I sanded down every inch to remove the varnish and give a good surface to paint.  It took a little effort doing this but was imperative to do the job effectively.

The first coat of paint

I decided I wanted to paint the chair white and opted for a satin finish which would have a glossy sheen to a degree without being too shiny.  The paint was a one coat gloss but I found I needed to paint the chair fully with three separate coats, allowing to dry in between each coat.  I made a point of painting in the afternoon so I could fully open the window for circulation of fresh air.  Whilst I was painting I had Wimbledon on the tv.  My other half pointed out that Katherine Jenkins was watching the tennis match and me being a fan of hers, quickly moved on my floor protection of newspapers and sent my mug of coffee flying all over the carpet.  I never was much of a multi tasker.  😛

Today my chair is finally finished!  For a finishing touch I added a floral button padded cushion which I secured to the back section of the chair.  I love the end result and it sits with pride of place in the bedroom.

My finished chair

Have you taken on any home projects of your own?  Or have you been inspired having seen something on tv or in magazines?  If I can do it, I bet you can too!

Becky x