Put Down That Paint Brush

Let me start this blog by saying, we are not all going to agree on the end result... but I think we can all agree that the chairs I had were a mess.  A catastrophe of another DIYer.  I can't believe a woman would let her husband paint these chairs puke boring beige.  So for my soul to not be deeply wounded, I'm going to have to believe it was one of two things... 1)  a man that had spare beige paint and wanted to update his chairs at no cost... or 2)  this horrid color was a primer and the couple meant to put a color on it but never did.  I truly have to believe that it's one of those two things, because otherwise I have to question humanity. 

When I purchased the chairs in an estate sale they had a 'matching' hideous beige table.  I love vintage 50's metal lawn chairs.  I can't pass up these when I'm junking.  Especially when they're rusty or had a previous owner that was color blind.  I've had these for a year or two now.  Waited for the time and color to come to me.  Last week I tackled the table.  Sanded it then painted it Robin's Egg blue.  Came out adorable!  You'd think I'd go to the chairs and immediately make them the same color right?  Nope.  I'm not the matchy matchy furniture person.  Plus this furniture is all over my property.  So I waited until I was inspired.

Last night after everyone left, I stared at those chairs and decided today was the day I'd get them done.  I went into Bill's paint cabinet and chose the color they'd become.  Fire Orange... deep red with a orange tint.  They'd pop in the garden.  This morning I grabbed the sander, the paint and got down to business.  As the beige chipped off, I started to see remnants of the color's they'd been in their lives and the chippy aged look started to grow on me. 

For the record, I've never managed to allow myself to paint one of these chairs.  I don't know why I thought I'd be able to do it today.  I went from "They're all going to be Fire Orange", to "maybe I'll just paint the seats" to "Bill!!!!  What do you think?"

"You're gonna need some matte enamel sealer... at least two cans..."

He get's me.  Somehow that chippy aged look just pulls at my heartstrings every time.  I like to SEE the history.  Covering it is a shame.  Add to that, we've moved to the country... to an old home we're renovating.  Some stuff, that is age appropriate, just shouldn't look TOO new.  I just love how they came out.  I know, there's gonna be a few of you reading this that wish I'd just sprayed the Robin's Egg Blue... or the Fire Orange... and I understand you... these though, are going back to the fire circle and I'll smile every time I look at them.