before&after: gray is the new tan

my very first before&after (a la Design*Sponge) ... and boy did i learn a lot! as mentioned before, i had to redo these chairs, but i am happy that i did.

here is what happened:


BEFORE:

two free chairs in great shape from our dear friends Ben and Jill

structurally sound and good shape to them

the cream fabric is a bit worn and well, we all know how hard
it is to keep 'cream' or white looking fresh over time

I REMOVE THE SEAT AND BACK CUSHIONS, PICK OUT FABRIC AND MATCHING PAINT AND THEN GOT RIGHT TO PAINTING ... IN THE EXCITED STATE OF MY FIRST TRUE DIY BEFORE&AFTER I FIGURE "WHO NEEDS SANDING WHEN YOU PAID EXTRA FOR THE FANCY PAINT WITH PRIMER ALREADY IN IT?!"

... AND NOW TO REMOVE THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT PAINTING:

although they looked good - you could scrape the paint off with your finger nail and since these were going to be kitchen chairs for everyday use, i knew i would first be devastated and then annoyed every time we bumped or scratched one of these guys ... and thus the scrapping and sanding began ... this is what you get for rushing ... yes mom, i have learned my lesson

bare and beautiful ... but not as beautiful as they will soon be!

AFTER:

not the best pictures ... but i am really happy how they turned out in real life

(ignore my messy in the background please!)

i chose the light gray of the leaves, which was an accent color
and not one of the main colors of the fabric

i am in love with this fabric ... i got it at JoAnne's for like $5 a yard ... i was going to get some other fabric that i was less enthused about when i came across this! the minute i saw it i knew it was what i was looking for - even though i didn't know it until i saw it.

i like how graphic-y (not a word, but go with it) the floral print is ... very modern and bold and not too girly ... nate likes it too! ... and i like the variation of size, shape, and shade that the flowers come in ... also i love love love yellow but have a hard time picking a shade i like for clothing or decor ... i didn't want anything that had a straight pattern in case i couldn't keep the lines straight and then i would hate that it looked all weird and off ... this worked out perfect!

Next before&after ... two more chairs! different shape and fabric but same paint color - to tie it all together. The cushions are done but the sanding and painting are slow coming ... hopefully in the next two weeks it will get done ... crossing my fingers for good weather and the motivation to just get it done.