Everything Old is New Again!

When the hubby and I were planning to get married, we were given the opportunity to decorate a brand new apartment and later a new house.  As we registered for wedding gifts and purchased furniture, we were both drawn to sleek modern lines, dark woods, chrome/stainless steel and neutral color palettes (with the exception of our purple couch)We favored simplicity over fussiness and modern over traditional.

Ten years, two houses (and an apartment) and two kiddos later, our style has morphed a bit.  As I think about those changes, I realize that this shift in "style" (and I use that term loosely) has been influenced by several things. For example, we now tend to choose things that are functional and child-friendly over things that are are "for looks".  But I believe that the biggest influence in our shift is our current dwelling.

In 2005, we made a big decision to leave a town and people that we loved to return to my hometown.  Sadly, both of my grandparents had passed away prior to 2005, so their home (built in the late 1940s) was inhabited by a single male that truly did not give it the love that it clearly needed and deserved.  So we picked up and moved all of our "modern" furnishings into a little old "farm" house.  I knew right away that we would have to scale back the modern feel and add a little vintage touch.  Suddenly I realized that THIS was the look I loved--a shabby chic, old-home with vintage flair.  However, we were not (and still are not) in a place financially to totally replace all of our furnishings with pieces that say "vintage", so we make do with what we have and "update" when we can!

One place that I really craved a vintage feel was on our side porch.  Yep, you read correctly--side porch.  It is really a patio that adjoins the carport, but it is the outdoor space that we gravitate toward the most. (One day when we can afford to screen-in the back porch--I wish, I wish--that may take over as first choice, but for now the patio is the big winner.)  When we first moved in we had NO outdoor furniture for this space--none.  I think that our neighbors felt pity for us and donated an A-frame swing stand that featured an add-on swing leg to hold a baby swing for The Reporter.  There was an old beat-up swing in the garage that I decided to sand and stain--a project that took way longer than it should have.  And for a few years, this was our spot--the place we gathered after a long day at work to take a minute to breathe, a spot for me to rest and knit while the reporter rode her scooter, and a great beer/wine spot while the hubby cooked on the grill.  Really the swing was fine (especially after I added a cute cushion) and the space worked for us, but I really longed for something more, something cuter, something vintage.

I began noticing cute vintage gliders and chairs on front porches around our area and thought to myself, "Now THAT is what that space needs!" Perhaps it was because I spent many an afternoon on an old metal glider with my grandparents on that very patio, but it became my mission to find a set of vintage, metal patio furniture for that space.  Every time I tried out a new running route, I spied "new" porch furniture and fantasized about finding it on the curb one day--free for the taking.  I even rehearsed a few lines that I could say to convince the current owner that the furniture would really be better off with me.  If you have ever tried to snag a set of metal patio furniture, you already know what I came to realize--people don't part with this stuff and if they do, the price is high.  Even a rusted out old glider could set you back a cool $200 plus any work that you would have to follow-up with.  I wasn't prepared to part with that amount of cash to spruce up the patio, so I kept stalking furniture on my long runs and hoped to run into a deal.

Well, run in I did.  A little antique shop downtown near the school I work in happened to announce a "Going Out of Business" sale in the Spring.  One evening while the Reporter was in Bible Study, I took the Little Guy on a walk and we spotted gold. . . a glider, chairs, and more with a reasonable price tag and an additional 30% off!  I rushed home to tell the hubby and planned to visit during store hours the following day. (I also checked out their website, emailed the owner and reserved every piece they had in stock so I could have first dibs at opening time the next day--I wasn't obsessed, at all.)

The next morning I took an hour off from work, headed downtown and made my purchase.  The hubby shook his head when he saw the condition of the items I had raved to him about.  They didn't need a complete overhaul, but they weren't pristine, either.  I paid for my items, we loaded them up and we took them home.  And there they sat. . .

...until summer vacation.  I couldn't find the time to give them the attention they needed and I couldn't decide on a color combo that I loved.  

But finally, after scarping, brushing, spray priming, painting arms, taping/blocking arms/legs/gliding mechanisms, spray painting chair seats and backs we have this. . .

. . . and I am pleased! I am planning to add some accessories as we use the space now that the weather is cooling off, but we have already enjoyed a glass of wine, or two out there!

Next vintage project?

Recovering and painting the frame of this:

Suggestions?