We’ve all had these types of chairs at one time or another. It might be a family heirloom so you don’t feel you can drop it off at Goodwill. Or maybe it was on the side of the road and you just couldn’t resist snatching up something for free. Yep, we’ve all been there. But in your fervor, you overlooked the ugliness of the chair. What are you going to do with this chair?

 

This happened to a neighbor friend of mine just last month. She was so close to discarding the ugly rocking chair, but called me at the last minute to see if there was something I could do. I agreed to work on it provided I could do anything I wanted to it. She agreed.

My best advice when dealing with an ugly chair…go bold and crazy. And that’s exactly what I did starting with the bold blue chalk paint. I began crafting my plan with various fabrics from Latin America and pompoms. 

When I find these embroidered textiles in colors that I love, I snatch them up quickly. This one has various shades of red and blue with a hint of pink (of course). 

I got my friends at the local studio to sew the cushion made from a Peruvian frazada I had bought a few months ago. I just love these for the varied designs, texture, and bright colors. 

If there’s ever a time you want to go crazy with color, these ugly chairs are your chance. You can’t make them look worse than they did, and most of the time the bold splash of color will improve them with a kitschy look.  Embrace that!

This one is going to a little cabin in upstate New York to add some fun personality to the space. I think I love the cushion the best. What’s your favorite part of this rocker?  I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.