apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Very cool. I once painted an upholstered yardsale chair with latex house paint. It turned out very cool. But yeah... stiff.

The stools cam out great, but I am reminded of an old tv show -- might have been Trading Spaces, I forget -- where someone tried to paint hot pink over a black and white patterned sofa -- it was a disaster! (I believe a slipcover saved the day...)

i remember that episode, sherry. it was trading spaces. hilde SPRAY PAINTED a couch and loveseat hot pink.

Oh, Hilde--she of the hay/fake flower-covered, faux-Tiffany walls. She spray painted the sofas and then left them outside overnight, and despite covering them with a tarp the sofas got rained on and were completely ruined. She ended up buying a pair of Ikea Klippan with hot pink slipcovers, which looked way better than the painted furniture. You could still see the wide stripes under the paint job.

Jenny, thanks for the great ideas! I'm still thinking about how to do the fabric shades (whether I want to tear up my faux wood blinds to do it...). Now this! I'm cataloging this idea.

Seriously...what was Hilde thinking???

This feels icky to me... I'd recover or slipcover instead.

I like the look of the results - but I'm not so sure I'd want crunchy furniture...

Didn't Trading Spaces get sued for some of those Hildy rooms? That's one "designer" who often did more harm than good...

Yeah, what is HIlde's idea. Remember the records on the walls? Or the bathroom covered wall and ceiling with fake flowers? That woman is nuts and totally planted by producers.

The funny thing is that she lives in Paris. You would think being surround by French style would give her even a modicum of talent!

I actually don't think this looks good at all. It's a fine idea, but it looks fake/contrived.

One time on Trading Spaces the owner was like "I love all colors except brown.. I HATE brown" and I am pretty positive it was Hilde.. but whatever designer it was.. did EVERYTHING in brown.. the walls, the ceiling, all of the furniture... Why?? Why?? Why???

neverxlookback -

Hildy seemed to think that hers was more of a cream, or a taupe or something other than brown and that her idea was going to make them see the world through a completely different lens, and perhaps it might have for a different couple, but she really hit the wrong pair for that.

That bugged me, too.

However, THIS project looks amazing to me, because not only does it look she did a good job, but the "X's" on those stools echo the motif in that rug so much that it makes me REALLY like that rug a lot. And I'm really not big fan of the SouthWestern look.

I liked the "before" better

Poor little 1980's stool...

;-)

I think I'd have used a very watered down fabric paint in a terra cotta color (as in the rug) and just "stained" the benches translucently-- because their pattern works with the rug. It would have avoided crunchiness, as well as the look of a failed attempt. But most certainly, I'd have considered it tres, tres temporary--a fun riff until I could afford to have them reupholstered. . . .

the upholstery spray paint does not remain stiff long term. If you use a brush to go over the surface you will find that it will soften again, as will 72 hours of drying time and a good sitting session!