So back in the day when I got my first flat, I was broke and couldn’t afford any new furniture. So I had a small dining room area and I wanted a table and some chairs to entertain my friends and family.
So Mum and I went to a car boot sale and found the 1940′s table on the left for £5 and a memory that’ll be with me forever is us giggling whilst trying to lug it across a field to the car. The chairs came someone I worked with kindly donated me a couple of chairs from a relative that had recently died, also from the 40′s.
The table I tried to get stripped as it was quite damaged but apparently the lacquer they used in the 40′s just turns to glue and goes all sticky. So I painted it with a cream eggshell and it looked great – the envy of my friends! The chairs however were a nice dark finish with tapestry seat pads, so I left them alone….
Fast forward 10 years…..3 moves, a husband and child later and I still have the ‘temporary’ furniture! The table is faring well and when Lily as a baby had play doh’d it, painted on it or had chucked her food over it, I didn’t mind and just re-painted it every couple years and chucked a Cath Kidston Oilcloth or table cloth over it for a bit of colour.
The chairs however did start to look really worn, so I sanded them, painted them cream, got some wadding from the market, picked up some cheap Cath Kidston fabric from ebay and re-covered the seat pads. In hindsight, the cream rose maybe wasn’t the best idea but as it was so cheap and easy to do, it doesn’t matter that much if I replace the material every year. I’m thinking blue stripes or pale grey floral for next year, and I might even change the paint colour?
My husband threatens every now and again to get an Ikea table and chairs, but I can see us having these now forever 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s a great makeover! The Kidston fabric looks gorgeous!
Manuela
I really do like the chair. I love furniture that grows with us, even if it did start out as makeshift.
Good for you… for being so industrious and creative on a budget:) Chair pads can be changed so easy when you want the new pattern.
I could see myself using it forever as well. It is beautiful!
Your chair is beautiful! I love the fabric. You did a great job. I have some barstools that I need to redo. Thanks for the inspiration!
Jen
Wow this is fantastic. It now makes me wish I had opted for wooden chairs instead of my leather ones. Never mind when I have my big kitchen and the kitchen table I’ll be back for some inspiration….:-D x
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Great job with the makeover, the chair came out looking wonderful
Our sellers left an almost identical table and 4 chairs in the cellar when we moved in- 3 years on and I’m about to give them the same treatment – though I will be using oilcloth for the seats!
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