Sunday, July 19, 2009

Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures....A Frontgate Look at Garden Ridge Prices



I missed you! We spent a glorious week at the beach with perfect weather and lots of seafood, but as Dorothy said, "There's no place like home"! Fortunately, I have a place at home that helps me get back in that relaxed beach mode and frame of mind, and I've been dying to show you! I am going to link this to the Metamorphosis Queen, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch and also to Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Thrifty Treasures . I think it will qualify for both: it certainly was a change and I did it my favorite way--on sale!







Periodically, I receive a Frontgate catalog in the mail. I open, I drool, I toss it in the recycling bin. Frontgate prices make Beloved nervous! Ahh, the catalog may be in the trash, but the memory lingers. I casually mentioned at the end of last summer that I would like to "redo" the deck in black, white and red. We bought the furniture with a hunter green finish and have had a multitude of cushions through the years. It was looking a little tired and worn out. Since we were in the middle of wedding planning (not to mention wedding bills), I never gave it another thought....until I went to Garden Ridge for some wedding supplies! There were the Frontgate look -alike cushions of my dreams and they were marked 25 percent off! Beloved bought them for our anniversary! I think I might have mentioned to him that the traditional gift for the 32nd anniversary was cushions :).



The Saturday one week before the wedding, Beloved showed up with five cans of black spray paint and offered to move the furniture so I could paint it---(I said he was sweet, not handy!). It seems the Home Depot clerk had told him that would be plenty of paint and the job would take no time at all. Frankly, if I didn't love the end result so much I'd turn that salesman in! Twelve hours and about twenty cans more of black spray paint and the job was done.


In retrospect, there was probably an easier way to do it. I have arthritis in my hands and thought for a while I might have to do the job over the course of several days--my trigger finger kept cramping up. Then one of neighbors show up with this little helper and it was a positive life and hand saver! These little gadgets cost under three dollars and are worth every penny!


I recovered the seat cushions for the bistro table with red outdoor fabric that I found on sale half price at Joann's. 3/4 of yard of fabric per cushion and a staple gun made this an easy project.




I repurposed some wicker from a sunroom in a previous house. I painted this chair black and just happened to have been given the perfect red and white polka dot flower pot!



I used the wicker love seat in the breezeway by my back door. I decided to leave it white to separate it from the deck furniture. It's the perfect place to sit and change into my yard shoes or sort the mail.


I think we got pretty close to the Frontgate look I had in mind for a fraction of the cost! You can click on the Met Monday button to visit Susan and see what others have to offer. Visit Rhoda for more Thrifty Treasures at http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/. There really is no place like home :).





46 comments:

  1. Susan! You did a fabulous job on your redo!! I'm going to buy one of those spray handle thingees for my next paint spraying project!! Your patio looks beautiful.

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  2. wow! what a great job, those spray painters look good

    Sarah

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  3. Oh I love the red, black and white colors, and the fabrics are gorgeous. You did a fabulous job and I love it all. It really is so pretty and inviting. Hugs, Marty

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  4. Susan, I love this! I had to laugh since the apron in my post would match your patio perfectly! :)

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  5. So pretty -I love the black and white with splashes of red! Great job! Miss Bloomers/Sonia

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  6. This is a FANTASTIC makeover! I too drool over the frontgate catalog...wish I could get one of those outdoor sets...this is very inspirational for a DIY project (although, with a lot of elbow grease!).

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  7. Love the pillows, so much that I also own them!! You did a great job, it is such a great classic look.

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  8. Glad you had a great vacay! I love the porch makeover!

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  9. That spray gun is a finger saver- isn't it! Looks great!

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  10. Hi Susan,

    I love what you did with your outdoor furniture, how lovely.
    Yes, it is always nice to go away on holiday but good to come back to your home.

    Enjoy your week
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  11. Hi Susan,
    Your furniture turned out beautiful!!! I love the b/w cushions. Our GRP closed here. I wish I could find those exact cushions without spending a fortune. You totally lucked out. Thanks for your kind words about my fireplace!
    Have a super week!
    Nola

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  12. Looks great - nice redo. Gotta love spray paint. :-) I am always glad to get back home, even if gone only a couple of nights.
    Glenda

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  13. Oh I just love the black and white!! You did a fabulous job! Enjoy your day!

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  14. Great colors! You are the "Spray Queen". Those cushions look great. Have a great week.

    Charla

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  15. Wow Susan, Fantastic makeover. You definitely are catalog worthy now. The colors are sophisticated and cheerful too.

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  16. Wow, so impressive ! I love damsk and you did a great job ! The red sure pops ! I wanna come over and have a glass of iced tea, K ?
    Hugs ~ Kammy

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  17. What a fab re-do of your outdoor furniture! Why oh why did it take so much paint? Did you prime first? The cushions' damask print is so clean looking, and the red on the small chairs contrasts so well with it.

    I think you achieved a very classic look @ probably a much better price than buying from Frontgate- a company that is over-priced to begin with, & with quality that is not always the best.

    Good job!! Sue

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  18. I'd say the job turned out fab-u-lus! The splash of red is very nice...love the look,well done

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  19. Love the red, white and black look of your patio, and thanks for the tip on that thing to attach to a spray can! A finger-saver for sure!

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  20. I love the black and white damask print!

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  21. Susan
    I love the red, that's what my post is all about today. I don't have the black, but I love it.
    You scored girl.
    Happy MET monday
    Love Claudie
    xoxo
    P.S. Hi Jessie

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  22. The black and white, with some red, AND damask print all of my favorites! Everything turned out beautiful. Everything looks wonderful.

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  23. What a fantastic Met Monday post! I love the cushions! Have a great week!
    ~Really Rainey~

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  24. Wow ... it looks awesome!! It's much better than anything I've seen in the Frontgate catalog.

    Jane

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  25. Wow, so pretty! The fabrics are great, I love the red and that little spray paint gadget looks awesome!

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  26. What a great job! I love the transformation. Everything looks so chic and comfy!

    I like the sprayer gadget too! I definitely need one of those!

    Enjoy yourselves, you deserve it!

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  27. Everything turned out so pretty. I bet your hubby's glad you are handy...Christine

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  28. Oooooh!!! I love your new look!!! I love the cushions, I love everything painted black & I love the red accents.

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  29. Ohh, this is a fabulous re-do. The black and white with red looks fresh and up-to-date!

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  30. The furniture turned out great!!! I'm diggin the spray pistol.. I need one of those... My index finger wants to cash it in after a project...How many cans did you end up using???The cushions and everything turned out beautifully. Glad the beach weather was good and your time away refreshing!!! xoxo~Kathy@ Sweet Up-North Mornings...

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  31. I have the same little metal side tables (that you have the red polka dot pot on) on my patio! Mine are a set of 3 nesting tables that I got from a neighbor's garage sale a month or two ago...they were white and I painted them black. ha!

    Your rehabs look great! I saw those cushions recently...they are gorgeous!

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  32. You have done a fabulous job with all your outdoor furniture! I'm glad to know about the gun for spray paint cans... I have had finger cramps from spraying multiple cans too.

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  33. Wow...turned out great looking and soooo much better than having to buy new furniture! I'm going to remember that neat little gadget for attaching to the can...glad you showed us that! Great Met Monday post! Susan

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  34. You outdoor area is beautiful!!! I am so jealous! :) Thanks for the visit today!

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  35. Love your black and white porch! You DO need my new bread loaf pan!!!
    Beautiful!
    ~Amy @ The Lemon Cottage

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  36. Great addition to the Metamorphosis, goes to show with a bit of imagination and inspiration all kinds of things are possible.

    Your colour selection is really lovely.

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  37. It looks great and I had to laugh about the sales clerk and the spray paint. My husband came home with the spray gaget as the guy at the store suggested it and it is definitely my favorite toy. I liked it so much I put one on the top of a bridal shower gift for the groom:)
    Joyce

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  38. All of the furniture looks AMAZING! Great job! And you are right about my girl and dog picture, it's not THAT bad. It's growing on me now. :) Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  39. Oh this is a wonderful transformation~well done!

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  40. you did a beautiful job! I think I need one of those guns!!! I loved the way you told the story as we went along. Enjoy your new look....(and it is fantastic) and have a great rest of the week!

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  41. Oooh, I love your red, black, and white colour scheme!! Very chic and pretty :-)

    Spray painting is definitely tough on the trigger finger. Thanks for posting the picture of that little spray paint gadget.

    Thanks for your comment on our new blog design :-) If only Katie could make the real-life us look as good as the blog-us that she designs!! ;-) I'm still suffering from caricature envy....

    Kelly @ DesignTies

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  42. I think that you have done a wonderful job and it does look very "Front Gate" I just love those cushions. You have pulled everything together beautifully. I love it.

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  43. I love your cushions. You did a great job! I can't imagine spraying 20+ cans worth! Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday :)

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  44. Susan,

    I just love this makeover! A great lesson to be learned: Use those expensive magazines for inspiration ONLY!! You did a great job (and so did hubby!) I love the red accents as well as the way you left the wicker loveseat in the breezeway white.

    Thanks for the heads up on the paint can thingie. I have some big projects coming up!!

    Happy Met Monday!! :-)

    xoxo
    Jane

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  45. These cushions are beautiful. You got such an elegant look with the black spray paint and the black and white cushions! Love it! laurie

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