From Thrift Store to French Beauty

September 21, 2016 Sherri Rice

You know I love a good before-and-after :) Well, this is a great one!

My client found this chair at a thrift store for a steal. Although it was orange, it was in great shape and she had a vision for what it could be.

By the time she brought it to me, it was all beautifully painted and ready for no more orange! She chose gainsack fabric with the navy stripe, and added a stencil to a piece of the grainsack for the cushion top. And here is the after...

What a difference a little paint and fabric can make - hard to believe it's the same chair! My client did a great job of the painting, and the stencil was a great choice to make it a one-of-a-kind piece...

There was a tiny bit of upholstery on the arms, so we made sure to cover that up as well...

(those arm covers just fasten with velcro underneath)

And I couldn't resist topping it off with a Pillows For Good pillow, just because :)

Now I know who to go thrift store shopping with! Have you come across any good finds lately?

Sherri

It's a Birthday!!

September 2, 2016 Sherri Rice

August Blues Slipcover Studio is 5 years old this month!!

It's hard to believe 5 years has already gone by. It goes quickly when you enjoy the work and are able to stay busy. I truly have the best clients - to all of you, thank-you!! And I look forward to many more collaborations to come.

So, it's not a birthday without a little celebrating, and this time I get to give the gifts :) There are two ways to celebrate with me;

1. Buy a pillow cover (or 2 or 10...) - from now through September 15, all the pillow covers in the Pillows for Good shop are $5 off. Just use the code 5YEARS when you check out. $10 for every pillow cover sold will still go towards Empowerment Grants for refugee families in Iraq (then you get to be a giver, too!). And, as standard procedure for all things August Blues, all the pillow covers are washable and dry-able, so they do your family good, too. If you need a farmhouse pillow fix, this is your chance!

2. I'm giving away a one-of-a-kind pillow cover! I took the classic navy grainsack stripe and mixed up the stripes a little for a little twist on the typical pillow. And, as always, it's washable and dryable and $10 will be donated (this include the pillow cover only - it is sized 18 x 18" to best fit a 20 x 20" pillow insert).

To enter to win the pillow cover, find the post with this picture on my Facebook page or my Instagram account and leave a comment (I will count one entry per username). This giveaway will run until Wed. Sept 7 at 8pm CST. And, yes, it's open to Canadian friends, too!!

Birthday parties are fun, but they are best when celebrated together. This business is truly a gift to me. Thank you to all of my amazing clients, and all those who follow, like, comment, and share as I take this journey - I can't do it without you!

With my deepest gratitude,

Sherri

Lovely Linen

March 16, 2016 Sherri Rice

My client is in the process of building a new house. So, a furniture refresh was in order, of course :)

We started with her wing chair...

... in great shape, just in need of a new look. My client chose the same linen/cotton blend that I used here. It was a great choice...

We kept the look tailored, with a short straight skirt, piping on the cushion, and top-stitching everywhere else.

The top-stitching was tricky around the "telephone" arms, but my client was pleased with how they turned out, so that's all that matters ;)

Now it's all ready for it's new home!

Fyi: the cover on the pillow on the chair is the Indigo Engineer's Stripe from the Pillows For Good collection - head over here to see more fabulous farmhouse pillow options :)

Are you planning any spring refreshers for your home?

Sherri

P.S. Linking up here :)

Friday Five

May 17, 2013 Sherri Rice

Happy Friday! How has your week been? Our week has had it's usual ups and downs and somehow it felt like a hard week, so we are glad it's Friday :)

I was inspired by this picture I found on Pinterest...

Source

... to capture a few blue and white images around our home ('cause you know I just can't get enough blue and white!).

1. These books often find their way onto our mantel...

...because they belong to my husband and they are small, vintage, blue, and add just the right touch of "boy" to our decor (Note to self: see if I can find some more!). The glass mosaic candle holder came from Big Lots a few years ago.

2. This is in our youngest's room...

Two-tone blue paint job with molding in between. The picture was a happy find in the As Is section of our local IKEA - $0.25 for not one but two of these fun vehicle pictures (frames I had already)! You just never know what you will find...

3. This pitcher came from Target a long time ago...

... back when we still lived in Canada and every trip to the U.S. included a stop at Target :)

4. This is in our ensuite bathroom.

The plate is from my collection. The frame lost its glass years ago, so it got a coat of white spray paint. Note to self: don't use satin finish paint on a textured wall (and don't get me started on the issue of textured walls)!

5. Just keeping it real...

Yes, there is even blue and white in the laundry room - nope, this was not staged, these happen to be the shirts that are waiting to be ironed. The walls are striped - just waiting for some beadboard for the bottom half of the walls and then I can show you the rest of it :)

And I got through that whole post without any pictures of blue-and-white slipcovers or pillows :)

Do you have a favorite color combination? Do you use it in your home, or is it more likely to be found in your closet?

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

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