Don’t you just love it when a creative plan works out?
(I hope that last sentence doesn’t sound too smug – I could show you plenty of disasters, too.)
Our kitchen is in the oldest, 18th-century (allegedly even 17th-century), part of the house. It’s lovely, but colour-wise it’s rather bland. Or rather, it was, but we’re working on that. I decided that the kitchen chairs deserved a makeover to match the curtains. Look, those chairs were soooo dull. Couldn’t you just fall gently asleep looking at them?
Cue much busy activity:-
The plan was to paint and crochet the chairs to match the curtains. There are a few things that I should mention at this point. First, the whole project was inspired by a post by Selma at Eclectichomelife.blogspot.co.uk, and it was she who introduced me to the marvels of Autentico chalk paint. The beauty of Autentico is that you don’t need to prime the wood before applying it. Also, the paint doesn’t smell. Two coats of paint, a final coat of wax, and you’re done. It’s not cheap, but I can’t recommend this stuff enough.
I spent a happy afternoon in the garden painting and waxing. Work was briefly interrupted by a shield bug whom I hadn’t the heart to move. He was so pretty:-
Meanwhile, I was busy crocheting cushion covers with colours inspired by the curtains. The pattern is a free Drops design, available via Ravelry. Very easy but I spent a lot of hours on these beasts. You might think that making four cushion covers would be quick: you’d be wrong. Anyway, I hooked and hooked and hooked and hooked, then sewed on tiny bee buttons, just because I could. (I do love bees.)
And eventually, the things were done. Look!
Not too bad? May I inflict another shot on you?
Over a kilometre of yarn and many, many hours went into making those cushions. So now they’re in the kitchen. And that’s made me spot the flaw in my plan: I now need to crochet cushions for the Toddler Twinnage’s chairs, don’t I? *Sigh.* I foresee another dozen hours evaporating in a frenzy of obsessive crocheting…
Anyway thank you for reading, as always. More soon. Happy knitting/crocheting…
Love them!!
Thank you! 🙂
So pretty. Now to go and see how I can beautify my own kitchen!
Thank you. I recommend this pattern, if you’re tempted….
You’ll have to paint the table legs too … Love the colours … Inspired xxx
I know, but I think the Stoic Spouse would object to that. 🙁
Stunning! A lovely burst of colour in the room. Cushions are great too, all the more so because you put so much work into them.
Thank you! I’m not sure I’d have started out on the process if I’d known how many hours would go into them!
Stunning Phil. It really has transformed your kitchen. Love your colour choices and I think the cushions are marvellous. They may have taken a long time but you will so enjoy them x. Superb
Thank you. 🙂 It was inspired by your post, though. I’m really looking forward to seeing your version in the flesh on Tuesday!
Absolutely fab!!
Thanks. 🙂
Wow I love the chair covers, they are really beautiful! 🙂
Thank you muchly! 🙂
What a lovely kitchen! Great result and gorgeous covers. Yay for the bees too.
Thank you. 🙂
(And bees rock.)
Love love love!!!!! They are so cute!!!!
Awwww, thank you. 🙂
You, my dear, are the bees knees!! This is one of the nicest kitchen do-ups I have seen in a long time. It looks so friendly and relaxing and welcoming – I can see us all sitting round that table quaffing down wine and nibbling on something tasty from one of your platters ……
Where I would have just crochet a boring old square – maybe bi-coloured admittedly, per chair – you go and make four squares of varying colours per chair! A design genius!! And you most definitely do need to make your gorgeous twinnage a seat cover each as well. We don’t want them feeling left out do we?
Thank you so much. 🙂 You’re welcome to come and quaff wine round our table any time, although I realize it’s a fairly lengthy commute. But thank you for your kind words, and I raise a glass to you.
Fun project, lovely results! – Sharon
Thanks!
Excellent! It’s exactly the right thing to have done to the kitchen. It really looks beautiful. I also agree that the table legs should match the chairs. How about one leg in each colour? (easy for me to say.) {evil grin} As for the kids’ chair cushions — how about solid colours to match the (table legs) colours of the kitchen? It would be less work and still look great.
BTW, I’d better get out some yarn myself and start crocheting quickly. We have a frost alert here tonight. I have protected my kitchen garden — have to make it last a while longer. Ooops— that Canadian need to speak of/complain/rejoice about weather. Sorry…
🙂 I think Brits pretty much equal you for discussing the weather. I agree about the table legs but it’d be too much for the Stoic Spouse’s nerves and he’d probably divorce me. (Clearly, he’s not THAT stoical.) Enjoy the pre-winter crochet!
Those turned out sooooo lovely!
Thank you. I’m so glad we only have four chairs in the kitchen, though!
What a very happy kitchen!! I love the colors and your work is very nice!
Thank you. 🙂
Beautiful!I love your kitchen style!!!It seem so comfy and the colour combination is so great!Well done with the chairs and with the cushions!Stunningly amazing!!
Thank you so much, as always. 🙂
<3 <3 <3
I forgot to write BRAVO
Maniacal hooking and twitching aside, they look wonderful and completely enhance your lovely kitchen…yeah, get hooking ma’am, the kids are going to want the same 😉
Thank you. I know, I really need to make mini versions. Sigh.
Brilliant makeover, wonderful crochet. Def worth the effort xx 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Wow those covers are fabulous – lovely kitchen too!
Awwwww, thank you! 🙂
They’re lovely 🙂 And I just love those bees, so cute!
Yes I HAD to use those bees as soon as I saw them.
Very chic, colourful and oh so beautiful 🙂
Thank you!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.
Thank you thank you thank you!
Really beautiful! And the little bee! I love that unique little accent…I did like the chairs before: traditional, not boring! But now, a treasure…mmmm
Awwwww, thank you!
Your hard work has paid off,looks lovely . Tricia
….until the twins pour paint on them or something! 🙂 But thank you.
Super chairs, fabulous cushions, wonderful kitchen 🙂
Thank you!
No chance of your kitchen being dull now! I would have guessed that cushions would be fast too…
Thank you. 🙂
Wow, they really make the whole space pop. Great job.
Thank you!
Reblogged this on storyline creations and commented:
Very beautiful and inspiring. Check out the twisted yarn blog.
Oh! Thank you sooo much for doing this! I’m honoured. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Very pretty!
Thanks. 🙂
Wow, they are amazing. I absolutely love the cushions, they are so pretty and colourful
Thank you, you’re very kind.
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Love it all!
Thank you so much. 🙂
Genius! And what a beautiful kitchen. The best that can be said about mine is that it has a ‘distressed’ look!
Ha ha. Nowt wrong with the distressed look. 😉 And you should know that I took this picture at a very carefully-chosen angle to avoid the chaos in the rest of the room.
Your chairs are lovely! Great spot of color in the kitchen. 🙂
Thank you!
The chairs look fabulous 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
They are wonderful. And they fit perfectly into your kitchen. And you better hurry with those for the little chairs. But I guess you have already been told 🙂
Yes, I really do need to do this, I think. It would be quite cute. Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
You did a fabulous job. The paint and crocheted seat cushions have totally transformed your kitchen. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you. 🙂
I’m late to this party but let me just add my congrats–those chairs are really spectacular! Such a great vision for what would work and great execution!
Thank you!
Wow, I love your chairs! 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
Ugh, the chairs look so good. Now, I’ll be wishing I was crocheting beautiful cushions instead of focusing on a much due baby blanket. Life is so hard sometimes. (Great job!…They’re super pretty.) 🙂
Ah, but the only reason I’ve finished these is because I’m putting off the baby blanket I need to make for a friend. Sigh.
wow – they are fantastic. Love the colours you chose.
Love the colors so much! The pink and blue make the whole space 10x brighter!
What a great idea for sprucing up a kitchen AND chairs. The chairs are completely transformed! This would be such a great project for outdoor seating areas too. 🙂
These crochet cushion covers are gorgeous! Haven’t tried crochet yet, but this tempts me! Can I ask you a really mundane question? Your photo ‘Kitchen chairs in progress’, which is four photos in one – how did you make the composite photo? It’s a great idea for showing the process!
I just love those cheery chairs!! And what a brilliant idea put a wee little table next to it. 🙂
Lovely!!! granny squares rock everyday!!! 🙂
Wow your chairs turned out fantastic! Great idea!! Hugz Lisa and Bear
Fantastic. I am working on a set of cushion covers, and it is taking me forever too. I thought I would just hook them all up in a couple of days !
How on earth do you do these big projects with twins in the house??? Certainly worked!
And thanks for dropping in on Minutiae 🙂
I do spend lots of time reading to the toddler twinnage whilst knitting/crocheting. And I get the yarn out once they’re in bed. And I neglect all sorts of things that I should be doing…………..
Wow, all your frenzied crocheting certainly paid off… It’s like a different room! Nice work, and gorgeous fresh colours!
The chair cushions are lovely! I really like the colors you chose.
Thank you. 🙂