Look what I found in the trash!

A few weeks before my wedding, I spotted a massive pile of trash outside a neighbor’s house.  The owners were moving out, and for whatever reason they decided to dump a large amount of furniture on the curb along with debris.

Not one to be daunted by the blazing heat and the grimy debris, I quickly snagged all the chairs that I thought had potential.  As I unearthed the chairs from the pile and loaded up my car, more than one neighbor drove by and stared at me.  The key is to take pride in your salvaging and not feel embarrassed.  You’re being frugal and eco-friendly – what’s not to be proud of?

Worst case, I figured I could always put them back on the curb if they were beyond repair.  Best case, I’d be able to turn them into something fun and fabulous for only the cost of fabric, upholstery foam, & paint.  And that’s a price I’m willing to pay!

The first set is actually really sturdy, and the frames are in great shape.  They’ll definitely be transformed into colorful dining chairs for our new table.  I’m just not sure yet if I want to paint the wood or just revitalize it with some orange oil polish.

I know they kind of look like generic office chairs, but with the right bold fabric they will fit into our home just perfectly.   A coat of colorful paint on the frames could help them look more homey.

This next set may go back on the curb for someone else. I initially snagged them because the chrome was in such fantastic shape – and they’d look awesome with modern geometric fabric, but we don’t really have a need for them it turns out.  If Ryan’s office were bigger, they’d go there.

And finally, the fifth chair may gross some of you out a little.

I loved the angular wood frame  and the tufted cushions –  it felt very Mad Men to me – but the upholstery literally had plants growing out of it.

Gross, I know.

But the wood frame was fine. . . not rotted or anything. . . so I salvaged it, too.  Who lets a chair this fun become so sad looking??

Don’t worry, I immediately removed the seat and put it out for the trash. The cushions were actually attached to the wood seat frame, so I am now left with just a shell of a chair. But I am fully confident I can build a new seat and back and then create fabulous tufted cushions for it.

In the mean time, the cat has inspected it and informed me that he looks forward to curling up on the finished product. 🙂

These chairs are currently taking up real estate in our backyard shed.

Because of bedbugs and general grossness, we make it a rule to fully de-upholster and sanitize any furniture found on the side of the road BEFORE we bring it into our home. 

So what do you think about those chrome chairs? I’m leaning towards re-curbing them for another lucky person to salvage.   I don’t want to be greedy, after all.

PS: I’ve linked this up with Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures party over at Southern Hospitality.