slipcovered industrial bar stools

 

When we moved into the house 5 years ago after the renovations were complete, I had this setup in the kitchen under the window:

 It was cute, but there was not really space fore dining chairs---but it was a case of using what I had at the time, and I really liked having the softness and pattern of the upholstery balancing the wood cabinets on the other side.

As time went on, I switched out the curtains (don't worry the green ones made out of the fantastic vintage sheet just moved to another room) for these also made out of vintage fabric.  One reason I switched them is because I had enough of the vintage floral to make curtains for my glass doored cabinets:

Note:  in real life, the backsplash is much brighter and the cabinet doors don't read as striped.

Other changes, including selling the original table, the need for more storage in the kitchen, and the need to find a home for my partner's beloved baker's rack--(don't ask me, I don't understand why he likes it either), I moved the baker's rack in front of the window.

 

 

I didn't hate this setup.  I liked the extra storage, and it did provide privacy.  It was awkward with the chairs, and we eventually replaced them with these great industrial style stools from world market.  Side note--I know industrial is trendy right now, but I've honestly been loving touches of industrial design, including stools, for years.  I dragged home my first rusting metal cart in the mid 1990s:  I really liked the stools, including the wood, but I felt this whole area had gotten a little dull, literally.  I mised my pattern and color from the upholstery.  I also got fed up trying to open and close the window (why yes, I occasionally burn dinner filling the kitchen with smoke....why do you ask?) with the rack in the way.  Plus, I felt it really closed in an already small space.

I

Then I remembered this kitchen.  I don't remember where it came from, though.  I know it was in a magazine.  I think Cottage Living, but I'm not sure.  What I am sure about is that I loved those slipcovered stools from the moment I saw them.  I remembered this image, looked at my stools and realized I could have that look.

The fabric is from a beloved and ink stained shirt.  I loved the color and stripes so much I saved it for a potential project.  I loved the way the stripe looks with the floral and how it pulls in aqua from the adjoining office and back splash. They are loose and just slip on the stools like a hat.  It was only after making the slips, though, that I realized they looked like prison hats from a 1930s movie.  I'm okay with that though.


Truth in blogging:  The stools are used rarely.  At most once a week.  Therefore, I didn't secure the slips.  They slide around a little if they've been sat on, but it's easy enough to straighten them.  If I used them daily, though, the looseness would be an issue.  I'd have to find a way to attach them, either with velcro, ties, or something else.  As of now, it hasn't presented enough of an issue for my to take the time and effort.

In conjunction with some other small changes, I switched the baker's rack with a metal cart I found in my father's pasture with peeling paint in a combo of royal blue and John Deere green.  I love the way it turned out.  I still have storage for things like my dutch ovens and mixer, but it keeps the room so much more open.  And I love the splash of color with the vintage daperies.  

Update on laundry and to do list:  I've done a couple of small items on the list, so that's going well.  The laundry room is kind of on hold...but for a good reason.  I have reason to believe a fairy godmother is going to gift us with a new washer/dryer set for our commitment ceremony;  in that case, if i have fresh, white appliances and don't have to work around a mis-matched washer, I will definitely make some different paint decisions.  I will keep y'all posted.

Slipcovers Part Deux: Let the experimentation begin

My samples have arrived, and phase 2 begins.  When I mentioned this to Thomas, he said, "Is that when you figure out how to pay for them?"  Silly, Thomas, that's actually phase three, which occurs after I've gone through his wallet and checked the sofa cushions for loose change.

No phase two is the washing test---both samples which made the final round (I had ordered a couple of other ticking, including periwinkle that didn't make the cut) are now enduring the extra hot two hour deep cleansing cycle in the washer  (so as not to waste water I've included in the load of towels that have been gathered in frightening large piles in the bathroom hamper.  To be fair, a couple of them starting moving to the laundry room on their own, so I took pity).

These two are spinning away, preparing for the final caged death match in the dryer...

Decisions, Decisions

In my last post, I showed three possibilities for new slipcover for my living room chairs.  I won't be able to make a truly informed decision until the samples arrive, but right now, the classic black and ivory ticking is Thomas's choice, and the one I'm leaning toward as well.  Since it's also the cheapest option ($4.99/yd), I'm hoping I'll still like it the best once the swatches arrive.  Until then, here are a couple of inspiration photos from Country Living via Willow Decor (here).

But, I have to say, these prints remind me a lot of the printed slipcovers in Megan Arquette's (Beach Bungalow 8) living room via Cote de Texas (here), and I do like the way those printed chairs look...

So, what do y'all think?  (I will warn you that I'm stubborn and don't listen well to advice, even though I frequently solict it--one of my more annoying traits.)

*UPDATE* I'm leaning very heavily toward the ticking, I'd really like to get started right away, have the time this holiday weekend, and found a comparably priced ticking locally (it's a little more, but I do try to buy from local businesses whenever possible), so I may break down and get the ticking before the swatches even arrive--gee, with this kind of impulsiveness, how DO I make decorating mistakes? *UPDATE*

Lighten Up Part Deux: Metamorphosis Monday

Inspired by Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Front Porch (here), I am continuing my mission to slipcover every inanimate object in my house. As much as I love dark, dramatic, and cozy rooms, I've been on a mission to lighten up my own home, or at least the front two rooms--a combination of living room and office/library. I've found that with each step toward a lighter look, my own outlook brightens. Though I've had several distractions in the past month, I've continued with my plans. Here is the office/library as seen through the cased opening from the living room. Notice the brown trim (what was I thinking?), the brown chairs, the heavy esspresso colored desk, the black book cases and the dark orange in the adjoining dining room. I think this was a nesting instinct after the trauma of Katrina and the difficult in renovating the house afterwards--I was searching for a safe and cozy haven. Eventually, though, cozy and warm became heavy and suffocating.

Notice the chair on the extreme right in the above photo (I swear it looked better in person). It was the catalyst for the latest round of change. My partner picked them out--they are recliners (for the sake of truth in reporting, I will say that they are among the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in)--and in a rare moment of weakness I let him have them--a decision I instantly and long regretted. However, the fabric was defective, and Lane replaced them---however, the original fabric and wood finish were no longer available, and there was no similiar pattern. I liked the new dark arms, hated the new fabric--at any rate it wouldn't go with the current scheme, so I slip covered the black sofa. I liked it so much, I decided to slipcover the new chairs as well:

At that point, I decided I didn't like the current furniture plan, and moved the larger recliners to the office and the brown chairs (awaiting their own slips) into the living room where they are a bettter fit. I moved the desk on to a new home (a young engaged couple who just bought their first house), and replaced it with an antique round tiger maple table--I had always loved that English country look with a round table piled with books and things. I still have a work space, but I also have a more adaptable floor plan for entertaining--the changes really opened up a lot of floor space in the office. Edited bookshelves, wide off-white horizontal stripes in the dining room, and creamy trim complete the transformation:

And, you might ask, why are slipcovers necessary in this house?

I give you Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B:

Lighten up: Metamorphasis Monday

It's time for another Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the porch. New relaxed shades in off-white burlap (only $3.99/yard) let in plenty of sunlight, but still provide some privacy.

A new slipcover (I made it, so forgive the imperfections) in cream cotton provides protection for the sofa from the beast, Cleopatra.

Here is my living room as it looked when we moved into the house in Oct. 2007 after completeing the post Katrina renovations:

Not bad. A warm, masculine room, but heavy. Definitely a little heavy with the dark chairs, the black faux leather on the sofa (doesn't faux leather just sound so much better than pleather?). I did enjoy it for a while, but it started to oppress me. And quite frankly, two cats and a large dog had taken their toll. The rug became one of Cleo's favorite chew toys, and quite frankly, Todd Oldham's pleather was no match for pet claws. I also lost the two Nate Berkus burlap pillows in separate housebreaking and foster pet incidents. The cloth on the the side chairs was defective and frayed at the seems. And as for the dark trim--what was I thinking? It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it always reminded me of a 1970s McDonald's. And it's not clear in the pic above, but the glass panels in to the door were covered with old-fashioned shirred panels in a woven fabric that resembled bamboo. (Those panels were a major point of contention--I say leave the doors bare and let the light in--the house is dark enough. Thomas hates the lack of privacy.) Any way it was time for a change. The first change, as seen in the opening photo was to paint the trim a deep cream and change the door color to a fresh green. Then, in the spirit of compromise, I made relaxed shades for the door panels out of natural burlap. It lets in much more light than the bamboo panels, but it provides enough privacy for Thomas. So much for the easy part--now the sofa needed to be tackled.

Replacing it was not an option. Number on4, we can't afford it. Number two, we both really like the sofa and find it comfortable. So, then came the question, "Recover or Slipcover?" Honestly, I would have preferred to recover it in an outdoor fabric--one practical way to have light coloured upholstery. However, I really didn't want to spend the $700 or so dollars it would take, and I could slipcover it myself, so slips it was:

I did as fitted a slipcover (including back zippers) as my limited sewing skills would allow. I don't mind the rumpled look at all, but I didn't think a really sloppy look would fit the retro lines and tight upholstery of the sofa. I also did a short, tailored faced hem to show the legs and keep the sofa from feeling too heavy (please ignore the pins in the hem and the hanging threads--a work commitment prevented me from finishing completely, but I was anxious to show the makeover). I found the cream cotton twill for $7.99/yard and bought during a recent sales tax free weekend.

I finished it just in time...the little fellow in the back showed up on our porch that same night.

It's not the first time I've had slipcovers. I've lived with them off and on for the past 15 years, so if you're not familiar with living with them, here's the whole truth:

1. Making them is not difficult (especially if you are naturally precise), but it's very tedious. For a first timer--a large chair with separate back and seat cushions might take a whole weekend. Professional labor starts at about $350/chair and goes up depending on the workroom and the complexity of the design. Honestly, to do it yourself, all you need is a good sewing machine, basic skills, and a good set of instructions which are readily available. And pins....lots and lots of pin. And thread...lots of thread....much more than you ever think you can use...because if you don't overstock the thread---you will run out, after the store is closed, with only one cushion left to make.
2. Unless they are extremely well fitted and made out of a stiff fabric, they will rumple and wrinkle somewhat. Deal with it--that is the nature of sleepcovers--they are inherently casual. It's like wearing linen--if the wrinkles bother you, it's not the fabric for you.

3. The washability---the truth is that it is nice to be able to wash the covers. you can get rid of lots of stains, everyday debris, and pet hair. If you pick white, the ability to bleach does make it fairly practical. That said, there might be stains that cannot be removed. Slipcovers make it easier to get out stains--but it's not foolproof. On a previous sofa, a guest fell asleep with make up on and left a mascara stain that managed to persevere through numerous bleachings. Like all stain, regular maintenance and quick action make the difference. In other words, if you see the red wine spill and can immediately strip the slip and tend to the stain--you'll probably get it out. If you find it the next day, probably not.

All in all, slipcovers are a good option for kids and pets, especially if you want light-coloured upholstery. But most importantly, it's a look I love and a great way to prolong the life of a piece of upholstered furniture that's seen better days.