CHEZ DUFRESNE: screen porch decor...

our screen porch will get damp in the rain so we didn't want to shell out for a nice table and chairs. but our contractor is doing such a beautiful job on our outdoor room that we couldn't stand the thought of a regular patio set, either.

solution: buy cheap antiques and refurbish them!

off I went (again) to lucketts - my fav store there is on a whim. it was my lucky day. they had JUST unloaded the perfect table 10 minutes before I got there.

table - before

it was $169, sturdy and I actually liked the antique finish. a great starting place.
I decided that I wanted mismatched chairs and a table for a sense of texture, but in order for the set not to look messy, they would all be painted a beautiful eggshell black from martha stewart called silhouette.

on a whim also had 2 chairs I liked for $25 each.

cute wood dining chair - before

next stop was vienna antique store what-nots. there weren't any chairs in the shop that caught my eye so I told the owner what I was up to...sure enough, she had some very beat up dining chairs in the basement - 2 for $25!

antique chair - before

ok now the fun part. I had enough paint for the 4 chairs, but for the table I wanted something a bit tougher. I used black semi-gloss rust-oleum indoor/outdoor spray paint. a little glossier than I was expecting, but maybe that means extra protection!
then all I had to do was staple some new designer outdoor fabric on the seats and - voila!