I have a problem.

I like to buy furniture. Garage sales, auctions, estate sales, even the occasional piece that's been abandoned next to the Thursday trash heap. I made my children help me drag a great rocking chair (only $5) a quarter mile back to our van at a recent neighborhood sale. I have several beat up old chairs with beautiful lines in the basement, patiently waiting to be re-upholstered. Matt has put his foot down, and won't let me buy any more chairs until I at least fix up the ones I already bought.

These chairs were actually a planned purchase, rather than a spur-of-the-moment-can't-pass-it-by. I wanted some chrome-framed chairs to match my beautiful new (old) kitchen table (bought used on craigslist, of course), and found these two at a local antiques barn for $12 each. I was tempted to keep their original turquoise vinyl, albeit very faded and worn, but then the dog took a big bite out of one and forced my hand. Here is re-upholstery in action!
And here is our finished product. Nothing says "understated" like chrome and cherry red vinyl. So retro-cool. And take a look at the baby's high chair. I bought it at an auction for $1! Can you believe no one else wanted it? Matt just about had a fit when I shot my bidding number up in the air. Anyways, it's all chrome with a stainless steel tray- they don't make 'em like that anymore. When I bought it, it had old, ripped, dirty, green and orange vinyl upholstery. I guess no one else at the auction that day has my kind of vision, because look at it now in all its red glory! Yup, the exact same stuff I covered the chairs with.

I remember a few years back, a neighbor down the street put a lovely old wood framed easy chair out at the curb. It was the type that's all solid wood, with removable cushions; an easy job for a talent like me to make new cushions. I looked at it out there all week, trying to decide if I should drag it home by cover of darkness. I decided not to bother, even though we needed furniture for our family room, because I didn't have anything else at the time to match it. The garbage men eventually came and hauled it away. The very next week, the same neighbor threw out the matching sofa!!!! I've never gotten over it.