Decorative Domingo: Ottoman Empire
So, many, MANY moons ago, Chris and I--not exactly married yet, and not even shacking up yet (oh, shush, you judgy judgers), bought matching cheap chairs from Target. Chris, making more than me at the time (like, above entry level, so of course we thought we were rich), splurged the extra $49 for an ottoman. I, however, had the entry-level salary, so I stuck with just the single chair, sans ottoman.
Once we shacked up (as we predicted we would, hence the matchy-matchy Target furniture), we had what seemed like decent enough furniture.
First, don't judge me for not also buying an ottoman. This was about one year post-grad school days, and during grad school I was so broke that JELLY WAS A LUXURY I DECIDED I COULDN'T AFFORD AND THUS I LIVED ON PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES. For reals.
Oh, grad school.
Anyhoo, still The Picture of Frugality, I bought only the chair. We eventually moved to the condo in DC, and the furniture came with, plunked in the super trendy, loft-style office. Oh, right, we got married at some point in 2007, which just goes to show that shacking up is a totally legit way to feel out a future mate.
Then we moved to Bethesda, temporarily, while the current chez Hofmann was being built. Finally, our forever house was built. And the current furniture came with, and got dumped in the Reject Room (aka formal-living-room-to-be).
So, by my math, we've had this Target furniture for about a decade, give or take. And as you know, I've been on a happy homemaker spree. I decided to re-cover the ottoman.
Did I think I could salvage the entire look of the living room? Um, no. But I DID think that, given the right fabric and not totally screwing up, I could get a LOT of decorative mileage from our ottoman.
And really, it was a decade-old piece of Target furniture. The stakes were delightfully low.
So, I looked online through a zillion different fabrics and finally settled on one. It was heavy-weight upholstery fabric, which seemed like a good idea, if feet would be used on it, and I ordered a yard. At $23/yard, I damn near had a heart attack (I'm used to the calicos of yore clocking in at $2/yard), but I estimated I only needed a yard. So, price didn't really matter.
I loooooooved the fabric, its colors, its pattern---everything. The print seems a little 50s-ish, a tad vintage. And it even has those peaches and corals and olives that you know I adore but nobody will freaking produce because apparently they aren't in style (yet).
We unscrewed the cushion from its base. Then I looked up an online tutorial to guide me through covering the corners. The very nice owner at the local hardware store helped me find the right staple gun for the job, and after a lot of tugging and stapling . . . ta da! I was THRILLED with how the ottoman turned out. For $23, I feel like I got a whole new ottoman.
And in a design I love.
As I told my mother-in-law, that's a big splash for 23 bucks to make. She agreed.
I do think the print is too busy for anything bigger than an ottoman, though I secretly toyed with the idea of having drapes made. But really. Not bad for $23 and some elbow grease!
Once we shacked up (as we predicted we would, hence the matchy-matchy Target furniture), we had what seemed like decent enough furniture.
First, don't judge me for not also buying an ottoman. This was about one year post-grad school days, and during grad school I was so broke that JELLY WAS A LUXURY I DECIDED I COULDN'T AFFORD AND THUS I LIVED ON PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES. For reals.
Oh, grad school.
Anyhoo, still The Picture of Frugality, I bought only the chair. We eventually moved to the condo in DC, and the furniture came with, plunked in the super trendy, loft-style office. Oh, right, we got married at some point in 2007, which just goes to show that shacking up is a totally legit way to feel out a future mate.
Then we moved to Bethesda, temporarily, while the current chez Hofmann was being built. Finally, our forever house was built. And the current furniture came with, and got dumped in the Reject Room (aka formal-living-room-to-be).
 |
| The old ottoman. |
Did I think I could salvage the entire look of the living room? Um, no. But I DID think that, given the right fabric and not totally screwing up, I could get a LOT of decorative mileage from our ottoman.
And really, it was a decade-old piece of Target furniture. The stakes were delightfully low.
So, I looked online through a zillion different fabrics and finally settled on one. It was heavy-weight upholstery fabric, which seemed like a good idea, if feet would be used on it, and I ordered a yard. At $23/yard, I damn near had a heart attack (I'm used to the calicos of yore clocking in at $2/yard), but I estimated I only needed a yard. So, price didn't really matter.
I loooooooved the fabric, its colors, its pattern---everything. The print seems a little 50s-ish, a tad vintage. And it even has those peaches and corals and olives that you know I adore but nobody will freaking produce because apparently they aren't in style (yet).
We unscrewed the cushion from its base. Then I looked up an online tutorial to guide me through covering the corners. The very nice owner at the local hardware store helped me find the right staple gun for the job, and after a lot of tugging and stapling . . . ta da! I was THRILLED with how the ottoman turned out. For $23, I feel like I got a whole new ottoman.
And in a design I love.
As I told my mother-in-law, that's a big splash for 23 bucks to make. She agreed.
I do think the print is too busy for anything bigger than an ottoman, though I secretly toyed with the idea of having drapes made. But really. Not bad for $23 and some elbow grease!
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