Over the summer, a friend of mine has been purchasing new outdoor furniture & asked me
if I knew anyone who might want her very used, paint-splattered, faded patio chair & table set, with a few rust spots…. uhhhh
Maybe you’ve passed on sets (like this) before, at yard sales or on the side of the road, after thinking
“UGH… too much work – forget it!”
Well, I have to admit that at first, I thought the same thing, even though it was still in sturdy condition.
But, after taking a deep breath and allowing my creative and more reasonable side to channel through,
I suddenly saw “potential” and decided that I may be looking at a treasure in disguise.
Sooooo, I took this patio orphan home and after some cleaning, sanding, black spray paint and a few hours of elbow grease…
…… it transformed into a beautiful, “like new” patio set in just one day. Actually, in less than 3 hours!
The 4 chairs were not all of the same design, which is fine because using a single paint color unifies things.
But luckily, you may remember that I have a similar set…
…. and simply swapped my 2 chairs for the unmatched ones.
Also, after a quick check of my local store’s SUMMER CLEARANCE aisles, I found a beautiful, red umbrella and black stand.
I spent around $40 to turn this scruffy patio set into a useful treasure (with extras!), which I gifted to my son and his sweetie (see below).
They have their first home together and are on a budget,
so my gift provided them with poolside seating and hugs & kisses for me (YAY!)
I hope this project will inspire you the next time you come across a great deal (or even better – a freebie, like mine),
even if, at first, it looks like too much work.
Just remember to do what I did… take a deep breath, make sure it’s still in sturdy shape; then, try to imagine the end result and go for it… turn your “find” into a brand new treasure.
Enjoy the Creativity!
My mom and I saw a free patio set while garage sale shopping. I convinced her to leave it because it would be too much work to fix up. Now I regret that decision!
Oh darn Katherine…. I know you won’t pass up the next one! 😉
I love it! This looks brand new, no one would ever believe it was trash just a few hours before. I will have to keep my eyes open for an old one now!
Yay! I’m glad you were inspired Chris. 🙂
Hey Eileen….. I was just looking around your page for more Christmas inspiration :0) …. when I stumbled across this outdoor patio set redo! How awesome! I JUST bought one yesterday at Salvation Army….It is the smaller version …one small round table with 2 small chairs ….like a soda shop table set. I almost left it sitting there because I currently have both of our elderly mothers (with medical and memory issues) living with us, (along with a house full of teenagers/early young adults) and I am the caregiver for the moms. I just thought it would be too much work…..but I decided that I had wanted one for a very long time and I “bit the bullet” and bought it. Just this morning, I looked at it (…and the rust and the chipped paint) and my “uh-oh” thoughts kicked in and I could just see another “unfinished wanna-be project. But, I had a few minutes while the moms are napping and husband and children are all at work….and I stumbled on this wonderful re-do on your page! Just the encouragement I needed! …and I wasn’t even looking for that…..although my motivation for buying it WAS to have it ready for FALL/CHRISTMAS of course! Now to decide…..Cranberry Red, White, Black? It is currently an unattractive hunter green and rust…lol! Not sure what the steps are …. but at least I am motivated to try it. Thanks girl!
Melinda
P.S. So excited about the Hallmark tree that I just won on your storage video link….Can harldy wait to use it. Christmas definitely did begin in July!
:0)