Creative Notions

The spray foam chair is in its new home. The client is very happy. At first she was going to tuck it in a guest room, but she is so happy with it and finds it very comfortable so it has a special place in her living room.

This chair was interesting and a challenge. The seat was hard as a rock, because it had spray foam around the springs and all in the seat. The springs were held in place not only with the spray foam but also with zip ties and white closet shelving brackets. With much effort and kicking power all of that was removed.

The chair now has a comfy seat, new springs, new stain, new foam, and beautiful new material. It will be delivered this weekend to it’s new home and I will post another picture then.

If you are in the Douglasville area check out our booth at Ben’s Antiques on Chapel Hill Road. The beautiful Christmas Trees were made by my brother. Several items are on sale for the holiday season.

Priming and staining chairs!!!

This is one of my favorite parts of recreating furniture.

I won’t be working long today. I’m busy making chili and pumpkin stew for tonight’s festivities.

But I do have naked chairs everywhere in my work shop!!!!

It’s National Cat Day and my husband went hunting so Harley and I are going to create beautiful furniture.

It’s National Cat Day!!! This is my baby who loves to work in my shop. Her name is Harley Quinn

For those following the progress of the spray foam chair, all the spray foam has been removed. I got a good leg work out last night as I kicked the spray foam free. Now to strip the old stain and re-stain the wood this weekend.

I have a client who has some special to her beautiful tapestry material. She asked me to find a chair to use it on. I found a beautiful wooden rocking chair with plans to recover the seat and back in her material. I got the chair for a really good price and thought this would be an easy recover. Well......

I wondered why the seat was so hard but thought the seat did not have decent springs or some kind of hard plastic covering the seat. All things I can fix.

I started demo day last night.

The inside of the chair was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. Someone sprayed spray foam all in the seat around the springs!!! The springs can't move at all so that is why the seat was so hard. Then the springs are zip tied instead of tied with cord. I don't know why because the springs would never move with all the spray foam. And there are closet shelf brackets used to stabilize the springs instead of spring metal tracks or webbing. Again not needed because those springs aren't going anywhere. The back of the seat had cardboard instead of webbing to give an ineffective and cheap support. (I've seen this before and hate it). The main fabric was not stapled and tack strips were not used to hold it in place, decorative tacks were used to hold it in place. That was good for me because it was easy to take off.

Needless to say at 10pm I had to put it aside and laugh before going to bed. Tonight I will find a big saw and remove the spray foam. Then order new springs because the old ones cannot be salvaged. 🤣🤣🤣

I'll keep you posted. Pictures are below for your amusement

The wicker set is almost complete. All it needs is a porch, sweet tea, cake and a group of friends.

Come see my work at Ben’s Antiques in Douglasville, Ga

Wicker Saga update: Springs are solid and secure. Decking is done. Now I won’t post until the cushions are on.

Wicker saga: the set has been cleaned and has sun bathed in the beautiful Georgia weather. The ties are done and a couple of places on the wicker have been fixed. Next steps include applying the decking and making cushions.

Once the decking is done my post will go silent. I don’t want to spoil the surprise with the beautiful fabric. 🤗

My other project it to take this chair and footstool and create a matching set. I’ll keep you posted.

The wicker saga continues. Today the set is getting a sunbath. The spring trays have been screwed in, the whole set has been sprayed with a vinegar solution to get rid of any musty smell (I don’t smell one but the set is over a 100 years old so we want to make sure), snd now it will sit in the fresh air for a day.

Next steps are to tie the springs and make the new cushions.

The wicker set it stripped and scrubbed clean. I even found a tag. The set is from the Metropolitan Chair Company in Hartford Connecticut. The stock number is gone but it was made between November 1909 to December 1919.

Next step is to repair an retire springs and repair a couple of places in the wicker. This is going to be beautiful

Old wicker, old tacks, smelly material, and straw. As they say on TV “It’s Demo Day!!!”

I’m going to bring new life to this beautiful set for someone to put on their front porch to drink tea and chat with neighbors. Follow to see the progress.

I did not get a before picture, but I just delivered the cushions for this chair I reupholstered.

Remember, the holidays are coming. If you want a piece of furniture fixed up before the holidays start message me know and let’s get started.

I hit the jackpot today. I visited a fabric warehouse today and bought 11 rolls of material for my stock. If anyone was to ask, I fit 11 rolls of material in my Mini Cooper!!!!

Who has a project they want me to work on? PM me and let’s talk.

Did you know old wine crates can make excellent footstools with storage? This one stores toys for my great nephew. There is a lot of cute fabric available to create your own one of a kind footstool. PM me

I posted a picture earlier of the China cabinet I fixed up, but I forgot to include a picture of the dining room chairs I recovered to match the cabinet. The holidays are coming with family dinners, who needs their chairs to be redone? PM me for questions, prices or ideas!!!

Everyone needs a reading chair. A unused night stand makes an excellent reading chair with storage for your books. My great nephew was another satisfied client.

TV cabinet turned into a home for Smaug, the bearded dragon.

This was an 80’s China cabinet that received an overhaul. Painted black, new k***s, wallpaper on the back, and string lights added for ambiance. Another satisfied client. Joyce Redden Baker

When your husband leaves you along with the power tools and you have old cabinet doors, what do you do? You make a coffee table and matching end tables.

I love to work on quality antique furniture. This weekend I am stripping and staining this antique folding rocking chair. Next week I will get to add some beautiful fabric I found. Stay tuned to the progress and results.

Working on boat seats. It’s a learning experience.

An old chair found at an antique store. The chair was stripped, restained, has new cushions, and reupholstered. Now waiting on a new home. If you are interested I will give you a good deal before it is placed in a shop.

I upholster and make furniture repairs. I also do some sewing from window treatments to pillows.