Kid’s Adirondack Chair Re-do

Over the last year, I have loved finding re-do projects. I was inspired by my friend Erin over at the Richmond Thrifter, because until last August, I didn’t know (or think about the fact) that you could actually paint furniture.  Erin guided me in how to do a redo (start to finish…eek!), and I now love finding a great deal, and making it into something that will work in our house.

Last year was my big dining room project, and I think I am still running high on paint fumes! I have decided that smaller projects are more up my alley, especially with everything else going on. My latest and greatest project was an Adirondack chair set for my kiddos. You may wonder why this is a celebrating moms post….maybe it is the sound of my power tools  (yes, I now OWN power tools) drowning out all other noises or getting so involved in painting you forget about your to do list…but the biggest reason for me is that it is so nice to have something new, fresh, and pretty in the house that lifts my spirits. So…since it is something I love to do, here it is!

My steps for a redo are pretty simple. The first is to look up online inspiration – there are so many amazing design blogs out there, Pinterest pictures, etc. this usually takes me a good month to get through (seriously…a month..). The second step is to head off to Home Depot, Lowes, or a local hardware store (depending on what I need) and run my thoughts by one of the employees. During the dining room redo, the guy looked at me like I had 12 heads when I said I had never done this before, and was going to repaint my entire dining room furniture set. He questioned if the project was too big for me. I scoffed at him, and told him although I had never done this before, “I read blogs”…clearly I know what I am doing! Had I used a power sander before? No way, but I “like” Centsational Girl on Facebook!! Either way…I usually get great insight from the employees of those stores, make sure my project is on the right track, and confirm I am buying the right supplies…oh and I also provide them something to laugh about. Whatever works.

 

On to this project,…which started with these three amigos which I bought for $40 on our town’s Tag Sale Facebook page. I had been searching everywhere for a set like this and they were super expensive, you had to put them together yourself, or, if they were affordable, they didn’t look like they would last.

I am not sure if a FB Tag Sale page is in anyone else’s town, but it is great. You pull up the page, look through the pictures and if anything jumps out at you, you leave a comment or private message the person. The pick ups are local, and I am usually have friends in common with the person I am buying from or selling to.

 

Last year, we built a small patio extension off of our existing patio, and it was screaming out for a kids table and chair set. I can’t resist an Adirondack chair, because it seems to scream relaxation to me…see how comfy I look in one??  (Yes, the blood orange mojito brought a smile to my face too)

 

I kept debating about what to do – colors, personalized chairs, pictures stenciled on, etc. I eventually realized that we have a ton of playdates, and personalizing the chairs would lead to complications, and I wanted the flexibility to have the colors be neutral enough for my boy and girl. So, we went simple,wound up picking these colors – Granite and Moss Green. My HD guide told me that this brand did not necessitate primer, so I trusted…

 

I kicked off my sanding (LOVE this awesome tool) – how do you like this action shot???

I sanded the heck out of everything….a mid-sanding shot of the table:

 

And here is the eventual finished product:

with another $5 tag sale find, the kitchen:)