Happy chairs....

I've always had an interest in painted furniture, mainly sparked by the artwork of Mary Engelbreit, the Queen of Color-Combinations.  With Pinterest, there are thousands of ideas and patterns that one could copy, if one were so talented.

I have had a pair of pea-green chairs in the breakfast room for three years now, bought with the intention of re-painting them a bright red, in order to disguise that horrible green. I found those chairs in a thrift shop... fine condition, comfy rattan seats, but just that awful shade of green. But for $12.00 each, I knew that a coat of paint would make them shine.

However... they just never got done, and their pea-green color just stayed the way it was, covered up in part with some pretty pillows. Until last week, when friend C got to talking about painted furniture, in particular, chairs. C is an artist... she can look at something and just know what to do with it, plus she has the talent to bring her imagination to painted life. And... she wanted some chairs to practice on. Well....

I told her about the pea-green chairs, and how I'd love to have them painted red, with maybe some happy polka-dots... something, anything.... except that pea-green color.  C was thrilled.... something to paint!  She put them in the back of her car and off she went.

Yesterday.... C called and asked if she could pop over for a minute. I said of course, not even thinking about the chairs... I just thought she was passing by and wanted to know if I was at home.  When I opened the door and saw her standing there with my beautifully painted chairs, I was speechless.

Gone are those pea-green chairs... they are now red and purple and white, with a black/white checkerboard around the seat, and happy polka-dots on the slats of the chair-backs. Not only do the chairs look brand new and Mary-Engelbreit-whimsical, but the entire ambiance of the breakfast room has changed. Happy, happy, happy............ there is just no other way to describe these gorgeous chairs. I can't stop looking at them, and they're so pretty I don't even want to sit on them, but of course I will sooner or later.

I am inspired to try painting some chairs. I have two child-sized chairs upstairs in the library, sitting near the bookshelves holding my childhood collection of storybooks. Little wooden chairs that had been painted years and years ago, found in a thrift store, and if I could paint them up in bright colors like these two polka-dot chairs, they'll be cuter than ever. I don't know how well I could paint a design, but surely I could paint the slats and rungs and the seats in different colors without needing too much talent.

I will give those two little chairs a try.... I asked C for the brand of paint she used on the previously pea-green chairs.... all I need is a non-humid day, if this rain would ever just quit and go to another part of the state.