Do you like them? I know they won’t be everyone’s taste but I, personally, LOVE them. I can’t believe how great they turned out! They are going to look so good in Boston’s room.
The children can’t stop going near them, so I think I’ve created a hit.
I went searching for 2nd hand comic books locally but had no luck, I found two tiny ones. One was totally weird and I just had to buy it because it was so weird. Andrew and I had a good laugh reading through it; I’ll use it in another creation some day. The second comic I found was an Archie comic. I loved reading my cousins Archie comics! I’ll also use that for something else in the near future. I got those two comics plus another really pretty colour book for all of twenty cents. So as you can see, I didn’t get what I wanted for this particular project but I bagged a bargain; even if it wasn’t what I set out for.
Growing up my brother had a tonne of comics so naturally, I would borrow them to read. Xmen, DC comics, Asterix etc. Loved them all! Now that I have a house full of boys (and one lovely little lady) I want to introduce them to all sorts of things I enjoyed as a child and show them how to be creative. I thought these drawers would be perfect for that.
After having no luck locally, I was still determined to create the set of drawers in my mind so I hit up the internet, of course.
I picked these comics up for from Trade Me. I got five of them delivered to me for $3.50.
The set of drawers were hand me down drawers, to Boston, from his big sister. The drawers I’ve been working on here and the old blanket box I tidied up here, are now hers and I figure instead of buying new things in these renovations, I’ll just use as much of what I have, as possible, to keep costs down and make it unique.
Side note: I have actually finished those drawers now, well the first set anyway but I’m saving the unveiling until I get around to working on her room….so you’ll probably see them sometime next decade.
Anyway, $3.50 for the comics and $21.50 for the totally overpriced furniture glue (IMHO), means the the total of these drawers was $24.50. Great price for something like this but still too much for my liking.
Now just because I want to show you more angles of the drawers, here are some extra photos:
*The drawers aren’t totally closed in that middle photo.
ETA: I’ve just added this to the Design Refuge – October This is Me Challenge. I think this project is a pretty good representation of my fun, upcycling, eclectic, authentic me style.
Did I happen to mention that I’ve never actually upholstered a chair before? I think it turned out pretty well for a first attempt! I’m not finished with it yet. I have to add the finishing touches to cover up my tracks but I’m feeling confident that I can actually pull this off. Exciting times!
The yellow is so incredibly bright, the only way I’ll be able to get a shot with it’s true colour is to drag it outside when the sun is shining. The above photo has been enhanced but it’s still not there. So lets hope, that come the time I finish this chair, the sun will be shining and I can finally show you just how powerful the colour is.
I confessed the other day that my sewing skills are almost non-existent, so obviously I’m attempting to reupholster this magnificent little beauty without touching a sewing machine. This next stage may need me to try to sew a straight line but that’s as far a I’m taking it!
I figure that it’s best I attempt to create my own little yellow chair instead of going bankrupt trying to purchase the likes of this:
Oswald armchair with hakon yellow velvet. RRP of £1495 which equals $3212.90 NZ.
If I had the money spare to buy such luxuries, I would. I do appreciate designers. They are, after all, artists. Like the average stay at home Mum though, their gorgeous products are a little (read: a lot) outside of my budget.
If I had the ability to choose exactly what I wanted to buy; nothing spared, no worrying about money; my home would be a mix of both high and low end items. I’ve never been a label snob, I like what I like, it doesn’t matter if it costs $1 or $1000. Handmade items are a favourite because of the love that goes into creating them while an expensive designer item has always guaranteed me quality.
Where do you sit on the scale? Are you a bargain hunter or designer diehard?
Sometime time last year I picked up this chair from Habitat for Humanity. I knew I wanted a really comfortable single chair in the corner of Bostons room so I went looking around. I came across some really fun chairs being sold at furniture stores and online; but their price tags were in the thousands of dollars region… a little out of my league.
So on one of my trips out to my favourite second hand stores I spotted this chair.
I found it really comfortable for an oldie but it was in dire need of some love; so I brought it home. The chair only cost me $10. Not bad I think.
I set about removing the old fabric, it was a hideously dusty job.
I must have picked out a million nails, pins and old staples. Very tedious.
I flipped it over and painted the legs.
Then lined the bottom cushion of the chair with clean fabric.
I went out today and bought some new fabric to cover the chair with. I LOVE it. It’s so bright and cheerful, I can’t wait to see the end result.
This is my current project. I was going to make it extremely artistic but now I’m not sure if I want to anymore! I’m thinking I’ll change my mind and go a completely different direction.
Purchase price: $15.00
This is the lampshade I purchased in Dunedin. I loved it’s colour and lantern-like shape. I bought it the day after I visited the most kick-@$$ Chinese restaurant and was feeling inspired by the restaurants interior design. I’m considering adding some bling to this.
Purchase price $10.00
This was purchased from the dump. It looks to be part of a mid century Scandinavian design set. I love the little curves in the bars and at the front of the seat. It almost seems like sacrilege to take to it the way I want to but alas, I’m still going to do it my way.
Purchase price: $5.00
I’m not a huge fan of cane furniture but there are some pieces that I see potential in. This is one of them. Right now it has a rustic feel to it and is in need of a good spray and wipe. I’m sure it will come up a treat when I’m done.
Purchase price: $2.00
How cute is this stool?! My husband saw it first and told me he knew I’d buy it as soon as I saw it. He knows me well.
The seat is more of an olive green colour. It’s cute enough as it is but does need some TLC to bring it to it’s full potential.
Purchase price: $6.50
I looove how sexy the base of this table is. It’s REAL wood, extremely heavy. This is the project I really want to get started on BUT my rule for myself is I have to finish one thing first before I move on. So I’d better get back to it now
Purchase price: $20.00
Do you have any current projects on the go? Feel free to leave your link! I’d love to see.
My family and I have been out and about in Dunedin enjoying the sights and experiencing some of what the Cadbury Chocolate Festival had to offer the locals and tourists during their annual celebration. We headed up Thursday morning and I wrote briefly about the day in this post here. It was fun, we went to a…. hold your breath people…. MALL. Then after a brief shopping stint we chilled back at our rooms and had dinner with my lovely in-laws. Soo good to have family around!
Friday came around and we all ventured into town to catch the free bus to Baldwin Street to watch the annual Jaffa race. Jaffa’s are a marble shaped, candy coated chocolate made here in New Zealand. Baldwin Street is, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, the steepest street in the world. There was a huge crowd and an odd amount of super tall guys, which made viewing things pretty difficult but we stuck it out and enjoyed ourselves. Every Jaffa in the race was numbered to coincide with a ticket that could be purchased for $1. All money collected went to charity.This year they did two rolls, one with the regular red/orange coated jaffa’s and another with purple jaffa’s. We’re all in agreeance that the purple jaffa’s rolled faster! You can be the judge by watching the video’s:
By the end of the walk back to the bus stop, carrying a stroppy baby most of the day, the bus rides and the massive crowds of people, we were all pretty tired so we headed back to our flat for a rest. Not before we picked up lunch and 1/2 price hot chocolates at Ra Bar and Cafe at the octagon though. Great service thanks Ra staff
This bus was full so we waited for the next one.
A bit about Baldwin Street.
Radio people and a band. I think it was More FM?
Girl in a tux handing out lollies.
Face painting fairies.
Kids eating Jaffa’s from the girl in the tux photo.
Baldwin Street. Doesn’t look too steep but it really is!
Caught this shot as the stilt people walked past us.
The stilt people walked all the way up the hill and back down again. Insane!
These people won ‘The best seat’. A cherry picker at the side of the road hehe. True kiwi style.
The aftermath.
This guy got his car stuck between two others so they lifted it out lol. I love NZ.
Colouring in at Ra Bar & Cafe. FYI: They have a thing called ‘Outrageous Tuesday’s’ where they play Outrageous Fortune on the big screen for everyone to watch.
Nas lovingly putting his marshmallow into his hot chocolate hehe.
They came with Jaffa’s. Cute.
One of the amazing churches in Dunedin. It started pouring the second after I took this photo.
Later in the evening Andrew’s Mum came to our room and watched Boston so we could take the older kids out to Toy Story 3 3D. I almost cried! Multiple times! I’m a huge Disney/Pixar fan and we’ve been watching the Toy Story movies on TV with the kids the past few weekends. We loved it and I highly recommend it to all you Toy Story fans out there. After the movie we walked down to a place called Time Out (kind of like a small spacies parlour). Then it was all on. It looks like Andrew and I breed a bunch of competitors. Not hard to see where they get it from if you were ever to watch Andrew and I go head to head in any game situation…We never give up! It’s a battle right to the end lol. Good thing we don’t argue like that.
It really makes me wish we had somewhere like that to go down here, it was fun to be out doing something the kids loved. I’m really laid back with my kids, I let them be kids but I don’t let them play a lot of video games. I don’t have too many hang ups as a Mother but kids and too many video games is one of them. It’s just one of those things with me. So they had an extra good time playing the games.
Sorry if this photo is offensive to some. In our family we’re ok with gun’s and teaching the children about safely using them. Both Andrew and I were raised around them.
The oldest two fighting it out playing basketball games.
Not too shabby. Must take after their Dad.
This was a pretty fun game.
Davis did really well.
He shot all the teeth and beat us all.
Andrew and I went head to head. Most of my shots bounced out of the hoop! I got wasted lol.
At it again. Sibling rivalry at it’s finest.
We won enough tickets for them all to get prizes.
Davis got a sticky hand.
Before we headed home we took the kids out to dinner at the most pimped out Chinese restaurant. It was awesome! I seriously felt like we were in a scene of a Kung Fu movie and we were expecting a fight scene to start any moment. The decor reminded me just how much I love all things Asian! Thankfully Andrew does too so he indulges my desire to own a lot of Asian stuff around the home. The kids are learning just how much we both love Asian collectibles, people, food, movies and cartoons and are getting in on the act. They’re begging to learn how to use chopsticks properly so I’d better step it up.
This photo doesn’t do the place justice. Loved that window insert and those imported chairs.
Hand sewn silk pictures and cool room dividers that double as plant holders.
Awesome lampshade. Plush bench seats. The owners were watching us so I had to pretend I was taking photo’s of my family…lol.
Saturday we headed out to Larnach Castle. New Zealand’s only castle. The weather was pretty miserable but I still managed to find myself inspired by the restoration done to the place, the gorgeous stained glass windows, intricate ceiling details and absolutely stunning furniture throughout the home. It’s a lot smaller than I thought it would be but it was still beautiful. You aren’t allowed to take any photo’s inside the castle sorry.
The front of Larnach castle.
Running up the stairs.
Coming back down.
Fun times.
People staring at us from the top.
Some of the garden.
The ballroom. It’s used as a restaurant and hired out as a ballroom still.
The entire castle and my little lady.
Now it was my turn to make a request. I wanted to stop at some 2nd hand stores. I remembered one from about 11 years ago and stopped in there first. It had a lot of art there, one that really caught my eye, I should have bought it but I didn’t. I ended up purchasing a gorgeous green lampshade that reminded me of the lanterns I’d just seen the night before at the Chinese restaurant.
My lampshade.
Then we headed to a place I’d actually spotted in the middle of the night as we were hunting for somewhere to dine for dinner on Friday night. I knew it looked to be like THE store for me. I was so right! Can I pick em or what?! The place’s name is Arkwright’s and it has the coolest collection of unique things. I really wish it were closer! I’m thinking trips to Dunedin may have to be a regular occurrence for us now, just so I can shop at Arkwright’s. Dunedinites, you are lucky
Best 2nd hand store!
Then it was back to the mall for lunch and some last minute shopping for the kids to spend their money. A hula hoop, a soccer ball and some bouncy balls later we were done. I took the kids to the bathroom before the drive home and was gifted with a single red rose when we returned to Andrew. Yay! I love good surprises.
My rose.
It was a great trip, we’ve been to Dunedin close to a million times now but each time we discover something new to love. The architecture is top of the list. We didn’t want to leave but are glad to be back home again.
It’s finished! I finished it last week I’ve been hanging out to get this post up to share it with you all. I had SUCH hard time finding the right fabric for the cushion. I knew exactly what I wanted but no matter how gorgeous the choices of fabric were, I couldn’t find it! I [...]
So I’m currently working on a dining chair I picked up on the weekend. I love all things old and beautiful so when I spotted the chair I had to have it. My conversation with my husband, over buying the chair, went like this. “This is cute, I think I’ll buy it.” “Ok.” “What do [...]
Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself...
My name is Chavah. They say for a relationship to work you need a dreamer and a realist. I am the dreamer. My dreams are what I MAKE my reality. I am passionately curious, sometimes awkward and I have a somewhat ridiculous but infectious laugh. I live in the deep south of New Zealand, married to my realist husband. I need him, he keeps it real... like realists do. I spend my days raising four out-going children, it's as exhausting as one would imagine. Currently I live and breathe transforming my body into a powerful weapon. It's my new found love, so if you need me - find me at the gym. Actually don't, I dislike talking while I'm training. I've been described as eccentric, I quite like that. The definition of eccentric is 'deviating from the recognized or customary character, practice'; that sounds about right. I'm the crazy creative type, well actually I'm not that crazy. I know exactly what's up but I am creative. I'm an Artist that's exhibited extensively throughout NZ and sold pieces internationally but right now I'm busy raising children so instead my creative tendencies have been refocused on up-cycling furniture, redecorating my home, event planning and writing.
