¡Olé! for Serape

February 9, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

So besides settling into our new apartment, I've also been settling into my new job. My schedule has been rather unruly as of late but the new gig does have perks... like it's own private thrift store! Yup, you heard me right - the company I work for has a monthly thrift store where the proceeds go toward a charitable fund. And the beside the remarkable prices, the best part is that employees get first dibs! Twas there that I scored this er... beauty...

What I liked most about it was its lines: tapered mid-century legs with brass feet and the beautifully bowed wood back. What I did NOT like however, was the icky gray-brown stain [the picture really doesn't do it justice] and well that... interesting floral print.

Now let me shed some insight on the inner-workings of my head when I'm hunting for a piece to flip. First, I scan the thrift store for a piece with "potential." Once I identify my target, I then assess my options. Sometimes I know exactly what I would do to cute-ify it, sometimes all I have to go on is a je ne sais quoi. Next step is to check the price - is it a steal? If it is, I pull the trigger and buy - plan or no. I'm sure inspiration will strike sooner or later...

And sometimes inspiration strikes sooner rather than later. In this case, it struck while I'm walking back to my office with my haul. Have you also noticed this recent design trend of reupholstering mid-century furniture in unexpected textiles...?

I think I love this budding trend because of [you guessed it] all of the colorsssssssssss.

Now I begin to take stock of potential supplies and remember that I brought home a stray Mexican serape blanket a few months ago. It's PERFECT and now I officially have a plan of action. The end result?

¡Olé!

The bright pinks, greens, blues, and reds of the serape are a happy pop of color to what was once a ho-hum floral.

I spent 6-ish hours stripping stain to reveal the original warm wood underneath but it's so worth it because now the wood is a buttery soft texture instead of a shellac.

The backrest cushion was a happy accident. I didn't really care for the original metal bars as a decorative element. I realized I had some spare batting from my cowhide bench so I wrapped it in extra serape fabric and hand stitched the cushion into place.

I also got that epic rattan plant stand at work for $5!

It's such a simple idea with a BOLD impact. ¿No? If you like statement pieces then be sure to check back in with us on Friday for our next #stylemuttspaces reader design! Hasta la vista mis amigos ;)

Mid-Century Serape Chair
Now available for sale
$180

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please email me at cate@stylemutthome.com.

My 2016 Flippin' Bucket List

January 14, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

Well 2015 has come and gone and I was one shy of a completed Furniture Flip Bucket List. When I laid out my aspiring projects this time last year, I vowed to do my best but also give myself grace if I couldn't finish all the items on my list so...

Grace.

Yeah I only got through 6 of the 7. And that's ok. Here's a look back on what I set out to do last year [with links to the ones I did actually complete]:

No.1: Build my own baker's rack
No.2: Wood shim surface treatment
No.3: Rivet something
No.4: Navy and gold dresser
No.5: Best vintage pull-down chart hack
No.6: White chippy dresser
No.7: Turn a swivel chair into an accent chair

Now even though I didn't get to finish every item on my list, I did decide I to lay out my intentions for another year of new challenges for myself. First up, surprise surprise, I'm rolling over the DIY baker's rack from last year - but with a new stipulation.

I think what kept me from starting this project last year was the cost. Wood is straight up expensive yo when you're building from scratch. Plus the best part of a vintage baker's rack is just that: it's VINTAGE. So my spin for this flip list item for 2016 is to try to DIY a baker's rack with salvaged wood. It might take me a while to collect all the wood I need so here's hopin' I can tackle it by the end of the year.

I have ALWAYS wanted to have the guts to reupholster a chair. Yes I've done benches like this one, this one, and more recently this one. But a whole chair is a whole nother animal. I think what intimidates me most is the piping. And the cushions. And sewing in general. So I'm finally pushing myself to give it a stab this year and document my successes or failures right here for your entertainment.

Now this one I'm rather excited about. I've seen a couple folks build their own hanging light fixtures on pinterest lately and I want in. I have an idea for how to do it but I have no idea if it will actually work. So hopefully that will entice you to stay tuned ;)

Now my original artwork isn't going anywhere but lately I've been thinking that there's something... juvenile about it. Maybe it's the scale or the placement, but this year I'm going to find out.

Yes I know I've done teal & navy dressers before but I am ITCHING to do another one. I just LOVE me some jewel tones. And I may be turning into a bit of a jewel-tone-obsessed addict bent on feeding her habit one dresser at a time.

I've done a whole lot of wooden tapered legs but not metal legs. So I'm hoping that this year, I'll find the right project to try this style out on.

And finally, the last item on this year's list is to experiment with some unconventional hardware. And by unconventional I mean anything but your standard knobs and pulls. I'm not sure if I'll try rope pulls like this one of Chelsea's or if I'll do something with agate slices but I just want to think outside the box.

Thanks friends for dropping by and I hope you check below on how these projects are coming along.

Salvaged, Rustic Farm Table - Do It Yourself!

January 26, 2015 Chelsea | StyleMutt Home

Hi friends! Just stopping by to share a quick and easy 'how-to' for achieving that weathered, salvaged finish for almost any dining table! We've all seen the gorgeous farm tables filling antique stores and box stores alike, but did you know that achieving that time-worn, storied finish doesn't take as many decades as you'd think?! In fact, it takes about 30 minutes.

I found this octagon table at a thrift store a few weeks ago and was drawn to it's shape and base more than anything.

My plan was to strip the top completely and then re-stain it in something rich, like an Espresso. But, upon closer inspection it looked like a fun piece to IMperfect, rather than perfect.

The first step was thinning out the stain on the surface, which I did by dampening a rag with mineral spirits and giving the top surface a good wipe down.

While the surface was still damp, I used fine 220 grit sandpaper in the electric sander to further lighten the surface and remove some of the stain.

The final product! A perfectly imperfect, uneven, textured looking surface. Sanding with a fine paper gave the table a completely smooth and glassy surface, despite it's rustic, weathered look.

For the base, I used Rustoleum Flat White spray paint to paint the inside white, then used Annie Sloan's Pure White Chalk Paint to complete the outside of the base and apron.