I’m linking this post up to John and Sherry‘s Spring Pinterest Challenge. I love them (although we’ve never met!), their blog, and their new house (congrats!), and we are excited to share our adventures with their readers today!
Last summer, when we bought the house, we quickly realized we had only enough furniture for about four rooms. Almost a year later, our basement is still mostly empty and we’re still working on “growing up” most of the rooms on the main level, too. (Like the guest room.)
Needless to say, the outside furniture has been a bit overlooked, or rather given up on completely.
Okay, not completely, but we haven’t spent anything on furnishing our outdoor space yet.
So, we were pretty excited when my grandma got new furniture for her sunroom last summer and offered us her old set.
It was pretty worn, considering it had been used for a bunch of years already, but I was excited that outdoor guests could have something to sit on besides the ground. Plus, it was free, which was way better than paying $750+ for a new patio set.
Still, it was really scuffed.
Pretty soon, I got the idea I could probably paint the wicker to freshen it up a bit. And since I love color so much, I figured why not go for a bright, fun hue? It’s a way to cover the mess and add some of our wacky personality.
We could even get new cushions since the old pink flowered ones were dirty and didn’t really match our taste that well.
For inspiration, I found a bunch of pins on Pinterest, like this one from Always Chasing Life:
Hubs was helpful with the painting. He’s a lot more patient and steady than me when it comes to spray painting. I tend to get anxious and try to glop it on too thick instead of using more, thinner coats. Still, I do love to spray paint things, and by working together, we had all the pieces done in a little over an hour or so.
The chairs got a nice, bright yellow. The color is Lemon Grass by Rustoleum.
We painted the bench brown, Dark Walnut, to be exact, also by Rustoleum. (It’s my favorite spray paint.)
The coffee table and other accessories got this awesome bright blue, Lagoon.
We looked for some cushions but couldn’t find anything so late in the season. (It was October when we painted these.)
We used this patio set one time, sans cushions, right after we painted it, at our housewarming party in the fall, and then stored them away for the winter. When we got them back out this week for the spring (now that the snow is hopefully over!) they needed a bit of a touch-up job.
See how the paint is peeling a bit and there’s some of the white showing through the paint?
I gave them all a quick refresher coat of spray paint and let them dry and air out for the afternoon.
Also, earlier this week, I went to Homegoods with my Mother-in-law for some shopping and found these cushions on sale for $30.
Not each, for both. $15 a cushion is a pretty good deal, considering some of the ones at Walmart are $30 each, or more! Plus, I loved the color and the pattern so much, of course.
They also had a cushion for the bench, but it was a bit too big, so I have to return it and keep looking. I’m a bit bummed out about that, but I love the chairs so much that I couldn’t wait to start using them.
So, it was now time to set up the deck and enjoy our awesome “like-new” chairs.
I love how these turned out and I’m looking forward to finding a cushion for the bench so it can join the party, too. Although our deck isn’t all that big, so we might find a different spot for the bench to go…maybe the front porch? There’s nothing up there right now, so it’s begging to have a little love, too.
Don’t you just want to come chill out on our deck and sit awhile in these adorable, comfy chairs?
Plus, the little table is so bright and fun! Oh, and there’s brownies…so who can have a bad time with that?
I also painted this plant holder, although I’m not sure yet how we’re going to use it.
I’m thinking it might get a wooden top (maybe a round cutting board?) and be turned into a nice side table. Or, I can look for a plastic bucket and fill it with ice to use as a little drink cooler! That would be fun, for sure! What do you guys think? How should we use this cute little guy?
We also have one piece left unpainted that I think was also a plant stand. You can see it in the photo of the entire set before we painted it, above. The bottom is broken out, but it could be fixed I think, and be turned into another side table or plant stand or little cooler. What do you guys think?
Here’s the before and after:
Tell me what you guys have been painting lately. We’d love to see your spray painting adventures, or your patio furniture!
Other Pinterest Link-up hosts, Emily, Renee and Katie are also awesome, so check them out as well!
one side table and one cooler 🙂
Of course!
So fun! The blue and yellow look great together. I think turning the plant stand into a little drink cooler would be neat!
Thanks! I think the cooler would be fun, too…just not sure how much we’ll use it? Still, I like the idea. Thanks for the comment!
Hey, it was free! So whatever you end up doing with it will be worth it! I like the cooler idea! Even if you dont use it often!
Great point! I think the cooler idea would be so fun! I can just picture some wine bottles chilling in there!
Sorry the bench cushion didn’t work. But the other ones look great in the chairs. I agree with Mom…side table and cooler!
No worries on the bench. We’ll find something!
Wow! Quite the transformation! How fun and fresh is your outdoor space now!
Krista
Thanks! We love it!
LOVE the transformation! Ummm cooler side table for the win, definitely!
Thanks! I think I’m going to start looking for a plastic bucket to turn into the ice cooler!
It looks awesome! I like the cooler idea.
Thanks!
How about a cooler with a removable table top cover for when you aren’t using the cooler.
Maybe! We have been talking about building an outdoor cooler out of something.
I, too, am an avid wicker lover! I have painted mine this summer the Rustoleum blue (bright tealish color) and I have loved it! I make my own cushions and toss pillows out of fabric I order from fabricguru.com. I just wanted to suggest to you, if you cannot find a bench cushion for the loveseat, you might consider just putting two of the single chair cushions side by side? I have done that with my glossy black wicker set in my sunroom and I could only find single chair pads, not double for the longer bench. I just did it that way and it looks just fine 🙂 Love the fun colored wicker, my mom’s set is fern green by Rustoleum.
That sounds so great!
Melissa~ the wicker I am about to spray paint is brown…do you think that it will still turn out bright like these??? I LOVE this idea!!!
I do think it will work but will likely take a good thick coat to cover the brown. You could also try a white or gray base coat first if you’re concerned. Remember, typically the better (more expensive) spray paint you use, the better the coverage. I always buy Rustoleum brand and have great luck. You may also want to do a clear coat over the top to protect it from elements if you’re planning to leave it out in the weather (sun and rain). Have fun and post a picture when you’re done! 🙂
Thanks! I am going to get white primer first and then the color since it is brown!!!! I’m going to use the brand that you used since I know it works!! I’m so indecisive on the color! I LOVE the color that you used but at the store the blue looks darker than on here so I dont know what to do!!!!!! I know my husband was ready to strangle me with testing all the different ones!!!! Hahahaha!!!!! There are so many choices!!!!!!! I will definitely do a clear coat!! I will post pics also 🙂
Good luck! Excited to see!
I have tons of white wicker, just now ready to paint, not gone in for colors yet. But I got sick when I saw plant stand dye to I moved away lot got left and one was my plant stand pier 1 many many year’s. Keep it as a plant stand
I’m slow, this is so many years later. But your wicker just blew my mind. Love love love colors
I
PS. I HAVE SCUFF MARKS AS WELL. Also had a puppy do little damage to some.
I even have one of those vintage telephone seats where u sit and had a place for telephone books.
Do I have to prime if it’s all white wicker?
I think priming is just going to help your top coat stick…so depending on the surface you’re starting with and how damaged it is, you might be fine without. I’d make sure it’s really clean though! Good luck! Feel free to tag me and share on Instagram when it’s done http://www.instagram.com/lovinghereblog