Thursday, September 12, 2013

Roadside Rescue: Bamboo-and-Rattan Chair

A few days ago a neighbor put this lovely old bamboo-and-rattan lounge chair out by the trash. I thought it would be perfect for the back patio of Lovely Daughter #1 and her two housemates. But first, the chair needed some comfy cushions. I bought these on sale at Pier 1:


It's a little bit beat up, but as long as folks don't jump up and down in the chair, it should be fine:


I used a stiff brush to sweep away the cobwebs and a damp rag to wash off the dirt. Then I applied a coat of wax to hydrate the dry wood a little:



The cushion for the back wasn't quite tall enough, so I opened up a small bit of the top seam and inserted some durable cotton webbing, then stitched the seam shut:


The webbing is flexible and long enough to tie into bows at the top of the chair, thus raising the back cushion a few inches:


Because it created a gap between the back and seat cushions, I filled in the space with a toss pillow (also on sale at Pier 1):


Do you see Mu Shu lurking? I lured him out behind the photo with a few words in a squeaky voice:


I also bought this toss pillow, which is more of a contrast to the seat and back cushions. Won Ton kindly stepped in to model for me:


(Oh, those cute, crooked teeth!) So do you like the square pillow with the brick-and-cream lattice pattern, or the rectangular one with blue stripes?


Because I rewarded him for sitting nicely for the camera, Won Ton votes for whichever one gets him another treat.





7 comments:

  1. Rattan chairs are incredible assets to have around your home. The style and elegance they exude will add a flavor to the area where you have the rattan chairs hung. You can turn a normal chair into a place of paradise by hanging a rattan chair.

    ReplyDelete
  2. When an apartment development blocked a waterview and presented some privacy concerns to a group of residents in Sydney, there was only one answer; grow some giant bamboo and keep prying eyes out!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rattan chairs are incredible property to have around your home. The style and elegance they convey will add a flavor to the area where you have the rattan chairs hung. You can turn a normal chair into a place of paradise by hanging a rattan chair.

    ReplyDelete