Sanity Space - Project Loyd Loom style chair makeover

In St Albans near where we live there is a really cool place called the "Fleetville Vintage Emporium" and every once in a while we like to go over and have a snoop around. Its full of furniture, bric a brac, bags, clothes, books...anything and everything.

My dressing table chair had previously fallen to pieces and I was resorting to sitting on my Swiss ball (not a bad thing for posture, but it certainly didn't look so nice and definitely didn't fit with the decor). We went with the picture in mind of finding something to replace the chair and that I could possibly store things in.  

We found this piece...

 Whilst sitting round the table at lunch today I asked everyone what they enjoyed most about having respite time...not everyone was there but one person said that they could sleep...(cant guess that was my 15 year old!), one said they could get out of the house and go places. Another said it was the freedom to do what they wanted to do. One of the hardest things I find is that there is a lot of things I'd like to do.... but don't seem to be able to have enough time to do them.  Being a carer means time is always a premium. There is never enough of it and when you get it you want to make it count. Yes... much of the time I use it doing jobs that need doing ...like paperwork, gardening, housework... but I am always one for accomplishing something and seeing RESULTS. Something visible that I can see that I've spent my time on. The grass only lasts a few days before it needs cutting again and the housework ...well its never ending. Respite time Is something that I like to spend mainly outside of the house but when the weather is not so good I now have my sanity space to escape to and do a project or two. Sometimes I do MY THING and craft, but occasionally we will do a double act and me and hubby will do a project together or even get the kids involved (when we can persuade them!)...so Today I'd like to share with you this project that Tom and I did together last year.

 I'm not sure if its a REAL Lloyd Loom as it doesn't have the plate in side that is usually on a real on...but it does look like one to me...

 The funky patterned lid and the green were not to my liking but I loved the shape and the shape of the supporting feet.  The feet are a match to an old suite that we bought along with the house. 

Look same feet!.... well very similar.

The whole chest was lightly sanded . wobbly bits on the handles tightened and glued....and then painted in a calico colour that matches the room in which it now lives

The lid was stripped of the old material and new wadding was placed on the "seat" and then covered with a scrap of material (that was an off cut) that I bought for a few pounds from a local furnishings shop... 

The material was tacked in to place every inch or so and then the hinges  and chain re fixed in to position.

This is the finished article. I really like the transformation.  Now it sits in front of my dressing table and stores things like swim suits and sarongs/beach gear. May be a bit plain for some peoples taste but it fits in the room really well.
Why  not have a go at something like this? It was VERY easy and all you need to be able to do is use a paint brush and be a dab hand with a screw driver and hammer.... and that's it!


Jx
P.S. Sorry that this got posted originally when it was only half finished... not sure what Blogger is up to!