so…lets get started!
If you have followed me for a while, you know I love junk…and I love antiques. I love to decorate with both of them…and that when I find the perfect piece…it must be mine! You will also know that I always try to wait just a little while before I make a big change to a piece of furniture. Especially if the change is to the upholstery. I like to get a feel for it, decide if I am in love with it, and if I plan to keep it for a long period of time. There are a few exceptions to my ‘think it over’ rule…but for the most part, I force myself to be just a little bit patient.
This project is not one of those exceptions to my rule.
My story begins almost 3 years ago. I was in an antiques shop in a little town not too far from home, and I found a loveseat and a sofa that I immediately fell in love with. Sadly, I did not have anywhere to put a large antique sofa set and, had to leave them behind.
I pined after these pieces …talked about them to my friends, children and anyone else who would listen to me…and still I did not think I could work them into my home…so at the antique store they stayed. Months went by…and I never imagined they would still be in the shop…but they were…and I still loved them.
I spent a little time, trying to make the small settee that I had re-done a few years ago work for my living room…but sadly, it didn’t offer nearly enough seating for everyone that we have visiting us regularly…so I had made the decision to store it until one day I have a space that it will work in. I finally had made room for my beloved set! I called the store…excited to tell them to hold onto it until I could pick it up…AND IT WAS GONE!
Someone had bought my sofa set!
I was ticked! WHO deserved that set more than me? HOW could this have happened? I guess I will just have to live with my beautiful yet much too small setee …for now.
I had all but forgotten about the antique sofa set…I was kicking myself for not snatching it up when I had the chance…It was a really good price…and in very good condition. I thought that the set was meant to be mine.
When Christmas arrived and we were all sitting on random chairs and stools and the floor, I mentioned that I wish I had purchased that set…it would have been perfect for all of us to sit in. 15 minutes later, I opened an envelope that had a photo of my beloved living room set in it!
The very next day, the sofa set was moved into my living room where it sat for the last couple of years, (with me contemplating it over and over again…) and it is still there.
I suppose now would be a good time to share what it looked like….right?
THIS is the sofa. The loveseat, (photo did not turn out) is the exact same…only smaller of course.
(To be honest, I never really got a lot of photos of this set…between my recent health issues, my little company, the kids, work, and life in general, photos kind of were one of those things that didn’t take priority. )
Back to my story…
I love the bones of this set. Now…take a good look at this photo. Can you tell exactly what it is about this piece that I absolutely was NOT in love with?
Here…I will share it again.
WHAT about this sofa do YOU think I am not loving?
Well? Did you see it?
IT IS PINK!
Ya…I am NOT a pink girl. My sister is a pink girl…Busy is a pink girl…millions of other girls are in love with pink…but Tootsie….not so much.
The other day, while I was at my desk working, I looked up, and there it was…in my earth toned living room looking pinker than ever…I finally make the decision that the PINK HAD TO GO!
…the only issue I now had…was that I don’t have a lot of spare time to play around and re-do the upholstery.
Because I am a busy single mom…(and about a million other things right now)…I decided that I would take a very big risk and try to simply update this sofa set. The pink has got to go…and slip covers won’t do the job. I decided to dye it.
Off to the store I went…to pick up the supplies I would need. I have never done anything like this before…so I wasn’t quite sure what I would need…not to mention, I live in a tiny little town that hasn’t got a whole lot of options to offer…so I got what I could…and took the leap of faith.
The whole time I was spraying on the dye formula, I kept telling myself…that the worst that could happen would be that I will have to bite the bullet and shop for some fabric to cover this sofa and love seat.
I am pleased to say…
It turned out fantastic!!!
All I did was purchase several boxes of fabric dye powder (there was no liquid dye available to me so I took what I could get) I then put down a LOT of garbage bags to protect the floor below....yes...this is a very messy project.
I mixed the dye fairly strong and added some salt to help it set. I wanted a color in the olive/khaki/brown family...so I decided to mix equal portions of dark brown dye with forest green dye. I also took into consideration that the dye mixture would have to mingle with the dusty rose/pink that was already on the sofa...and figured that it would be great if in some places a little more of the pink would show than in others. I also was prepared for different shades showing up in areas that were more faded or worn than others.
Put the mixture into a spray bottle…and started to spritz it on! I made sure the entire surface was saturated with the mixture…and left it to dry overnight.
In the morning, I took out my carpet cleaner, and mixed up a cold water/vinegar solution to run over the whole thing with. This step pulled any excess dye out …and helped prevent dye from transferring to our clothing. Once that step had dried…I sprayed it all down with scotch guard…and we were good to go!
I love the way the whole thing turned out…It was a fairly long and involved process…but was just a fraction of the cost and time that it would have taken to have re-upholstered the set.
Now….my antique sofa set looks wonderful in my earth toned living room…and I can work without the distraction of the PINK sofa screaming at me to change it up! My antique sofa set can sit like this until I find the perfect fabric to cover it in…and the time to do it! Yay!!! Maybe by that time, I will have been able to get the dye that stained my hands off. haha!
It is difficult to see the exact color of the new look...it is an olive brown...but it looks different in different light...in some light you can see more green tones...and in other light...greyish brown...I love it!
I still need to do a little something to the wood on this set…but that will be a post for another day. :)
That’s all I have for you this time…but very soon I will share what I have growing in the greenhouse…and possibly (time and energy permitting) I will be able to share more of the inside of my little house.
Until next time….Happy decorating!
*)Unless you're ready for what comes around... Perhaps you should not go around in the first place! You only end up being the laughed at! (you know who you are) “hugs” :)
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`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
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