Dorsey Designs

DIY and Interiors by Sarah + David

get the latest straight to your inbox

Project Updates + Knock It Off Premiere

Hi! I hope that you had a great 4th of July! We relaxed, worked on projects, went to the farmer’s market and dinner with friends, and watched fireworks (of course 🙂

I haven’t given you a project update in a while, so today I thought I would share what we’re up to …

The other week I shared these rattan chairs and table on Instagram. While at Goodwill, I didn’t realize how disgusting they really were … I tore off the nasty foam and fabric, wiped down the dirt covered rattan (took a shower) and then cut off the x’s in the front with the jigsaw. We decided with the shape of the chair (mainly the lack of arms to break up the space) it looked a little bottom heavy. I filled in all of the holes with wood filler, sanded and primed with Zinsser Cover Stain (aka my new favorite primer, it sticks well, covers evenly, and won’t easily flake off)
Just about ready for paint!
I also recently picked up these mid-century modern chairs for $20 each. The wood was in good shape, so I decided to stain rather than paint. The stain must be partially opaque because some of the wood grain came through and some was hidden (see photo below). 
Love the contrast in the wood! So glad that I decided to stain it. I’m thinking a light, slightly gray stain (let me know if you have a recommendation!)
Finally today we are working on a project with this bamboo … these were on clearance (and for good reason …) for $3.00 (smaller .50). Hopefully I’ll have finished pics this Monday! Don’t worry … paint is definitely involved!

PS- If you’re around this weekend, you’ve gotta check out Knock It Off! Monica and Jess from East Coast Creative Blog are the designers and hosts of this new DIY/Home Design show and it premieres this Sunday at 7pm!  Check out all the details here!

Subscribe

get the latest straight to your inbox

Comments

  3. I'm always on the look out for great chairs to refurbish, and you found 2 really great styles! I LOVE the rattan chairs…they look 100% better already with the bottom section removed and painted white. Cant wait to see how they turn out! And curious about the bamboo…..

    Reply

    • I hardly ever find good chairs (at the price I want to pay), so I grabbed these! Agreed, removing the bottom part was worth it – sometimes it's scary sawing it off since there's no going back! Bamboo update soon! 🙂

      Reply

  5. I'm looking forward to seeing the final results! I know how it feels to tackle a project and realize it's a lot more work than you had anticipated…
    {lamourcheznous.wordpress.com}

    Reply

  9. Great idea taking the bottom caning off, looks so much better! I used Rustoleum stain in Sunbleached on my herringbone table, it's a very pale grey-ish tone. Also, can't wait to see the plan for that bamboo – I have a huge stack in my office and have been totally uninspired as far as what to do with it!

    Reply

    • Good idea, that looked great on your table! After going to two stores without anything remotely gray (I couldn't find sunbleached), I finally found "classic gray". Hopefully it will work! Agreed, I like it SO much better without the caning on the bottom!

      Reply

    • Thanks Jesse! 🙂 Removing the caning definitely helped the bottom feel less heavy! Scary sawing it off since you can't go back, but worth it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MENU