Who says a front yard can’t be a LOUNGE?
My Friends from left to right: Ray (dad), Jack (son), Johanna “Jo” (mom), Charlie-Rae (daughter-on-a-quest).
My neighbor, Bob, put a pair of faded Adirondack chairs on his curb for somebody- ANYBODY to take. Usually when he puts stuff on the curb I’m in my head like, “I beg your garden? ---how dare he put stuff on the street!” But sometimes I take the stuff. I have a handful of friends with yards that have been blessed with my findings and fix-it-uppings. In case you have a pair of chairs like this you’re thinking about chucking- let me just say, “I Beg Your Garden?!?” You can totally spiff them up with a coat of ENAMEL paint. I had a quart of red enamel left over from the day my door turned red. (Yes I’m livin’ that red door life) -That was about a year ago as you can see by the hair on my head and…and chest. DIY lingo: working shirtless is called “hasselhoffing.” You’re welcome.
Do-It-Yourself projects take courage, so it helps when I think I have nothing to lose. Cast-off chairs + Cast-off paint = DIY HAY-DAY! And I love taking on projects purely for the purpose of repurposing.
New to enamel? I get it- it’s weird. The oil-based world was strange to me at first too. I’m so used to the easy peasy lemon squeezy world of water soluble acrylic & latex. But Latex won’t take to this plastic -(not for the long haul)- so I highly recommend you embrace the adventure, like I did, and get your enamel on!
And while you’re thinking, “Ok, this is a new adventure- I’ll use a cheap paint brush I don’t mind ruining…” I say, “I BEG YOUR GARDEN?!” Cheap brushes don’t work in my world. Bristles come out in the paint and either I don’t notice until it’s too late and they’re frozen in the paint job like Han Solo in carbonite. Or, you notice quickly and then smudge your strokes digging them out. No bueno. SO, get yourself a good sturdy Purdy or any GOOD brush. Don’t worry- that paint thinner will clean the paint right off- make sure you use nitrile gloves with the thinner though, ‘cuz it will melt those yellow kitchen gloves you grabbed when you started painting, henny.
As the paint was drying I took Miss Hibiscus for a walk and my neighbors on the other side had set out some toys their kids out-grew. SNATCH! A mini pink vanity got a make-over. I scrubbed it out and added some mylar I had in my craft kit to replace the broken mirror. As my car-lection of things grew, I thought - anything ELSE? Then I remembered the TURQUOISE chairs another neighbor asked if I wanted. I cleaned them too and tied them to the roof of my car, now a fountain of future front yard faves.
I brought the loot to Jo and Ray’s front yard and set them out before I knocked on the door. Never pass up the chance for a pleasant surprise. I’m all about making outdoor “moments” and a chair pair will get you there. I knocked on the door- and the rest is history. The front yard set up expanded the places on their property they can hang with their kids- or duck out for a bit of solo time. (Helpful during the pandemic? YES.)
Jack, Charlie, Ruby and me.
Here’s a pic of me and the kids in the red chairs over a year later. Jo came through with the bold red pillows, didn’t she?! She’s really one of my style besties. Adirondacks are cool cuz they have a set back slant that serve style with laid back grace. Also, I had no idea how to spell Adirondack until writing this and I think we should all acknowledge this word has a surprising spelling- just like how surprising a little DIY and TLC can go in a garden.