The Salvaged Boutique

13383 Madison Avenue, Lakewood Ohio 44107

  • The Salvaged Boutique
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Workshops
  • Wise Owl Paint
  • Custom Services
  • About
  • Contact
    • Location
    • Contact Us
A unique home decor boutique and studio featuring refurbished furniture, Wise Owl Paint & supplies, vintage goods, upcycled items and new home decor.
13383 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107
Open 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday
Closed Sundays & Mondays
vintage vanity chair pom pom trim

1920’s Vintage Vanity Chair & Best Garbage Pick Yet!

I was dressed up, thus reluctant to stop, but I couldn’t help myself!

Last year I was on my way to work. I was dressed in a suit, heels on, make up done, good hair day. Of course, I drove by a neighbor’s house and saw what Karen and I would call a “picker’s dream”: farm tools, antiques and furniture… curbside for garbage day!

I am so glad my fear of being spotted by someone I know didn’t stop me. I hit the jackpot! I have to say that I think this was my best garbage pick yet, my favorite item ended up being this unique wooden 1920’s vintage vanity chair:

vanity chair first before pic

I still can’t believe someone would set this out for garbage day. I filled up my SUV and by the end of my “pickin”, I was perspiring (okay, maybe I was sweating).

I couldn’t contain my excitement so I stopped at Mamita’s (my mom’s) before I went into work. I wanted to show her all of my finds and see if she could tell me what some of the items were.

You see, I used to cringe when Mamita wanted to garbage / tree lawn pick. This habit of mine is probably just a few years old. So on this day I had to let Mamita know that I finally embraced her habit! The item I wanted to share the most with her was the chair.

We had a hard time figuring out the era and style. I had someone describe the chair as having restrained cabriole legs and the back as scroll and acanthus carvings with lattice work. Okay, that was a start. I posted a picture of the chair in an Antique Community on Google+ and someone else told me they would place the chair from the 1920’s or 1930’s.

Another antique community member told me that the chair stumped her so she reached out to a few colleagues and this is what she had to say about their responses:

“Some people said it was either a vanity chair like we thought, or a slipper chair. Either way, their styles could be made randomly to match the vanity. There was also the thought that the style was a peacock chair which is usually a style from Canada but not normally wood. It doesn’t seem to fit a specific mold which means you have something pretty unique here as far as looks.”

No clear answers, but I didn’t care because this vintage vanity chair was getting a second chance!

This is what I was dealing with: the back was broken off the frame. So sad, but I knew Mamita could fix it.

vanity chair broken back

The upholstery was old and dirty and the springs in the chair were damaged. On the bright side, the casters were in good condition, and the rest of the woodwork was in good shape.

 vintage vanity chair casters

Here is a step-by-guide of how we resurrected this sweet little chair:  

Step 1: I took the chair to Mamita to disassemble it. She took the upholstery off and removed the springs and filling from the seat

vintage  vanity chair stripped

Step 2: Mamita repaired the broken back… and kept reminding me how much she loves me to go through all of this work. 🙂 

How she repaired the back: She used Gorilla Glue and finishing nails to reattach the back to the arms, she then used clamps to keep them together until the glue dried. I used wood filler to fill in the hole from the nail head, and to fill in some of the gaps where the wood was broken. Once the wood filler dried, I sanded it and we were ready for the next step.

vintage  vanity chair wood filler repair

Step 3: Mamita enlisted the help of my brother Ruben (family project!) to cut a piece of wood to create a new seat.

vintage vanity chair with new plywood seat

Step 4: I came up with a design plan and ordered fabric on ETSY.

vintage vanity chair fabric

Step 5: I took the chair home, sanded it primed it and painted it: first with a chalk paint, but I quickly realized a matte finish would not look good on this chair

vintage vanity chair primed

Step 6: I switched to a satin latex paint, the same grey Karen used on the floral piano bench.

vintage vanity chair painted

Step 7: I took the chair back to Mamita. She added foam and batting to the seat and upholstered it.

Mamita is not going to be happy that I’m sharing this, but let’s just say her first attempt at upholstering this vintage vanity chair resulted in my Uncle Eddie naming the chair “The Hamburger Chair”. Way overstuffed. I don’t think I have ever laughed (with tears) so much in my life. Mamita redeemed her upholstery skills and came through for me… the second time around!)

Step 8: I brought the chair back home and carefully added a coat of polycrylic to protect the paint and make it a bit glossier.

 vintage vanity chair with polycrylic

Step 9: I bought pom pom trim in a matching cream color and glued it on around the base of the chair.

 vintage vanity chair pom pom trim

Step 10: Excitement! This chair clearly took some man, I mean, woman power.  I’ve heard people describe the work that Karen and I do as a “labor of love”.  They are probably right, but all of the combined hours of work on this chair were worth it.

vintage vanity chair after

Step 11: Get our cute little cousin over to show how fabulous this chair really is.

UPLOADING  1 / 1 – vintage vani…ir model.jpg ATTACHMENT DETAILS  vintage vanity chair model

Isn’t she adorable??

Vintage Vanity Chair (sold!)

Seat height is approximately 16″

vintage vanity chair before and after

 Happy Salvaging! -Kathy

 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and ETSY!

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google
  • Reddit
  • Email
«
»

Painted furniture, Upholstered Furniture 29

Comments

  1. Shan says

    2 April, 2014 at 8:50 am

    If this chair is not sold it is now – I want this chair. Pretty please.

    Reply
    • Margaret Siemers says

      2 April, 2014 at 1:16 pm

      I am so pleased to see the wonderful job you and your family did on this little Mystery chair. I had wondered if you ever found out what it was, and if you were able to fix it.

      Repurposing damaged items is a talent, you definitely do have that talent. I would rather see something wonderful like this saved than on the garbage pile.

      Reply
      • The Salvaged Boutique says

        3 April, 2014 at 8:00 am

        Thank you, Margaret. And thank you again for trying to help us figure out the mystery. I agree, I am just happy I didn’t keep driving that morning. Otherwise this chair didn’t stand a chance 🙂

        Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      3 April, 2014 at 8:02 am

      We are lucky to have you as a friend and as a customer, Shan. I know you will take care of this little beauty! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Debra says

    2 April, 2014 at 9:22 am

    “BEAUTIFUL” that is all there is to say. It really is gorgeous, love everything about it.

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      3 April, 2014 at 8:01 am

      Thank you so much, Debra!

      Reply
  3. Camille @gustave&voltaire says

    4 April, 2014 at 9:23 am

    Simply gorgeous! Well done!
    Camille @gustave&voltaire recently posted…Emilie Chaises cannées / Cane chairsMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      5 April, 2014 at 8:52 am

      Hi Camille, thank you! I love your bilingual blog. We’re following you on Google+ now 🙂

      Reply
  4. Audra @ Renewed Projects says

    24 April, 2014 at 10:20 pm

    What an amazingly fun find! And your makeover is stunning!
    Audra @ Renewed Projects recently posted…Shutter Headboard Take 2: a color-dashed-weathered lookMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Kristine says

    26 April, 2014 at 9:31 am

    What a find and what a transformation! The chair is adorable. I love the pop-pom fringe, so fun!

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      26 April, 2014 at 12:10 pm

      Hi Kristine, thank you so much! I agree, I think the fringe is so fun too 🙂 -Kathy

      Reply
  6. Pam @ Simple Details says

    26 April, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    Oh my, were you in the right place at the right time!! What a treasure, it’s beautiful and I can’t believe someone would set it out for the trash either! Wonderful transformation, I love the fun pom pom trim! Thanks for sharing at Best of the Nest!
    Pam @ Simple Details recently posted…best of the nest link party #3My Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      27 April, 2014 at 2:49 pm

      Hi Pam! Thank you so much and thank you for giving us the opportunity to link up. By the way, LOVE your website header! -Kathy

      Reply
  7. Courtney Conover says

    15 May, 2014 at 8:59 am

    Okay, first off, you had me at “good hair day.” That puts EVERYTHING in perspective for me. lol

    Secondly, I in no way possess the talent that you two have in the refurbishing department, but I found myself identifying with several things throughout this post — one of which is the term “picker’s dream.” I have a similar term that I use to describe dream items I find on eBay that don’t have any bidders: I call them “sleepers.”

    I am in awe of that “new” chair, and, particularly, that side-by-side photo at the end.

    This is awesome.

    Stopping by from SITS. 🙂
    Courtney Conover recently posted…How do you curb your enthusiasm?My Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      16 May, 2014 at 2:57 pm

      “You had me at good hair day”….so funny! Too bad with the heat and humidity my good hair went out the window. But it was still worth the mess of my hair, or what Mamita would call a “sereta”. Make sure you roll the R 😉

      Thanks again for visting! -Kathy

      Reply
  8. Stephanie says

    15 May, 2014 at 10:22 am

    Wow, that looks like a completely different chair! It’s so cute!
    Stephanie recently posted…Sopapilla CheesecakeMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      16 May, 2014 at 2:49 pm

      Hi Stephanie and thanks! We really changed it up but I thought it was a fun little look for the chair

      Reply
  9. Leigh @ Eat Clean. Live Dirty. says

    15 May, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    Amazing! Wherever do you find the time? I am highly impressed and look forward to more inspiration (though I’d prefer if you’d come here and simply do the work for me). Happy SITS Day!
    Leigh @ Eat Clean. Live Dirty. recently posted…Writing the TrainMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      16 May, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Hi Leigh! So funny! I sometimes wonder where we find the time too….many late nights and very early mornings! Thanks for the comment 🙂

      Reply
  10. marie says

    15 May, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    That chair is AMAZING, I love trash treasure but that is beyond….
    Marie @ In Our Happy Place
    marie recently posted…blue skies, blue dress, and wearing slipsMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      16 May, 2014 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Marie, what a compliment. Thank you so much 🙂

      Reply
  11. Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says

    15 May, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    Oh my goodness! This is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!

    Bravo and well done. Why can’t I ever find “garbage” like this?!

    Wishing you a lovely weekend and Happy SITS Day!
    xoxo

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      16 May, 2014 at 2:35 pm

      Thanks, Jennifer! It was a “garbage” jackpot for sure. That probably sounds like an oxymoron, huh? We hope you have a great weekend too!

      Reply
  12. Stephanie @ CrayonMarks&TigerStripes says

    16 May, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    I LOVE this! I really want to learn how to do this. I love to find old things and give them a new life as a decoration, but I haven’t ventured into furniture yet. I so want to learn though! Happy SITS day!
    Stephanie @ CrayonMarks&TigerStripes recently posted…Huge Announcement and Giveaway!!!My Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      16 May, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      Thanks, Stephanie! Funny thing is we still make plenty of mistakes. My Mom actually overstuffed the chair the first time around. My uncle called it the “hamburger chair”…pretty darn funny. She had to start all over again but she was happy with the end result!

      Reply
  13. Susan Maccarelli says

    20 May, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    Love this! The colors you chose are beautiful and I love the design of the back of the chair. Great salvage!!
    Susan Maccarelli recently posted…Craigslist Chuckles: Strange And Hilarious Listings (Columbia, SC)My Profile

    Reply
    • The Salvaged Boutique says

      21 May, 2014 at 5:06 am

      Thanks, Susan. I agree, the scroll work on the chair is so unique. By the way, Happy SITS Day to you!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A few things you may not know about us | The Salvaged Boutique says:
    28 April, 2014 at 6:51 am

    […] (our Mom and inspiration), our favorite Carpenter Bob and our brother Ruben who helped with the vanity chair makeover, but we realized that you may not know much more about US so here’s a fun little “5 […]

    Reply
  2. 20 Brilliant Before and After Wooden Chair Makeovers | Home Design Lover says:
    24 August, 2015 at 5:07 am

    […] Image: The Salvaged Boutique […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Cart

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Products

  • Paint-a-Bench - Saturday, May, 26, 2018 at 10 am $125.00
  • chalky paint 101 workshop finished end table Chalky Paint 101 - Saturday, May, 19, 2018 at 10 am $75.00
  • chalky paint 101 workshop finished end table Chalky Paint 101 - Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 10 am $75.00
  • private workshop graphic Private Workshop $0.00

Meet Kathy & Karen

Kathy and Karen of The Salvaged Boutique

We're Kathy and Karen, sisters from the Cleveland, Ohio area, with a passion for all things home décor. We love sharing our passion with you through our retail store, online shops, and DIY workshops in our studio! We specialize in vintage housewares, upcycled home goods, refurbished furniture and NEW vintage-inspired home décor.

Search here!

Purchase Gift Cards Online

The Salvaged Boutique Gift Cards

Featured Articles

We’re launching a Baby Boutique in our shop!

We’re launching a Baby Boutique in our shop!

Closed for a Winter Break:  December 24, 2017 to January 8, 2018

Closed for a Winter Break: December 24, 2017 to January 8, 2018

Find us at the Holiday Market on December 15 & 16, 2017

Find us at the Holiday Market on December 15 & 16, 2017

Handlettering Basics with Lizzie Schlafer Creative is back for the last time in 2017!

Handlettering Basics with Lizzie Schlafer Creative is back for the last time in 2017!

Our Blog Categories

Sign up for Email Updates

Our Latest Pins!

The Salvaged Boutique

13383 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-925-5259

HOURS:
Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
Closed Sundays & Mondays

Unique shop and studio specializing in painted furniture and creative workshops. In our shop you'll find vintage goods, upcycled items, furniture, new home decor accessories, gifts and handmade items.

Read More…

Instagram

Follow on Instagram

Get updates! What’s new in our store & studio, workshop announcements and lots of creative ideas:

We promise we won't clog your inbox :)

Copyright © 2018 · Darling theme by Restored 316

Get updates on our projects, creative workshops, store events, Wise Owl Paint, and more!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.