Sunday, September 2, 2012

Hidden Treasures

I picked up this simple little chair for $5.00 at a local yardsale. I thought redone it would make a cute desk chair. I had no idea what treasure this little chair would hold for me.
 
 As I removed the old fabric I noticed it had been covered in an old shirt, which I thought was something I had never thought of. Under the old shirt was a bright orage felt. I decided not to remove the felt as it was tacked down pretty good. I also noted that this chair had very little padding. After much thought I decided the orange felt had to go so I could have a fresh start with some new foam. As I battled with the tacks holding the felt down, small bits of what I thought was dirt was starting to show itself, it was at that point Mr. C said he would  remove the felt and clean up the wood seat. Love that man!!
 


About 20 minutes later Mr. C came in and told me he had a surprise for me..under the felt was not dirt but what was left of some leather that was dried and cracked..and this..a note from someone who had owned the chair.  From the  husband James Darling, he wrote of how he and his wife Lisa had also paid 5.00 for this chair at Goodwill. He spoke of how they rescued the chair, how fun they had taking it apart, and how he hoped who ever ended up with the chair brought as much joy to them as it did to he and his wife.


 
 Turning the letter over, his wife Lisa had written how surprised she was to find the chair stuffed with hay and how old it must be. They had torn off 4 layers of of damaged cloth and old crumbled foam. I guess people just kept adding over and over to the seat.  Lisa wrote of her love for the chair from the time she first saw it , how she saw it as a work of art. She ended with how she hoped it would always be in a Darling family.  I was so touched by this letter and decided from here on out when I redo furniture I also will include a note for the next owners. It left me wondering why they got rid of the chair..and made me want to make it beautiful again.
 

So after sanding, priming and a new coat of paint, we cut a new seat as the old one was cracking, new foam, batting and fabric..here she is. She is our Darling!!
 

Hope you enjoyed and thank you for stopping by!

Joining:

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33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fabulous! What a great idea from the Darlings, too. This is what I love to do. Find those chair treasures. Some folks really don't know what they're throwing out, do they??

Ingmarie We said...

A very lovely and thoughtful post. Nice photos too.

RuthSMac. said...

What a great journey this chair has had. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Anonymous said...

This is the BEST post I've read in quite awhile. Thanks so much for sharing this incredible story. It makes me want to leave a note on all of my rehabbed furniture.

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

A very enjoyable post. What fun finding that letter in the chair seat. Kind of like a message in a bottle.

Etcetorize said...

What a wonderful surprise! It must be nice to know that the piece has lived a long a 'meaningful' life already. Thanks for sharing at Etcetorize this week!

Cassie Bustamante said...

the chair looks adorable, but that story and letter are priceless!

Ethereal PLUS what I Love said...

What a sweet post :)and your finished chair turned out darling:)
New follower, Francine

Highland Monkey's said...

Wow, what a lovely suprise and what a good idea to include a little note from the person who did the makeover.

Anonymous said...

What a nice surprise! Love the transformation.

Christine said...

What a wonderful story! I LOVE the chair!

Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!

Adorned From Above said...

What a beautiful story. How sweet. I have a link party on Wednesdays, and I would love it if you would link this and any other posts. It is called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party. It runs from Wednesday to Sundays.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/09/simple-anti-aging-moisturizer-and.html
I hope to see you there. I am your newest follower, and I would love for your to follow me also. Have a great Day.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
www.adornedfromabove.com

Unknown said...

This is such a fabulous story! I hope you inserted a letter of your own into the lining!

Miss Kitty said...

What a great story! Isn't that funny that yall both paid $5 for the chair!? Love the previous owners' last name...Darling...do you remember The Darling Family on "Andy of Mayberry"? You and your husband did a great job on the chair...did you leave a note inside too? I saw your post over at Yvonne's "Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits" party.

Cottage and Broome said...

What a fun surprise! When we put in new hardwood floors we wrote a note on the subfloor. Maybe someday another family will uncover our note. Love how you redid the chair. Laura

Stan and Jody Gabara said...

Just found your blog. Love this surprise story and the chair turned out fantastic! New Follower.

Jody

Tami Von Zalez said...

That is so neat!

Popped in from EBTKS.

thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com

Sarah said...

What a sweet story. I hope you left a new note inside the chair with the original one. This chair could become famous!

Heaven's Walk said...

What a fabulous and thoughtful idea! We should all do that when we're reupholstering/upcycling furniture! What fun for future owners!! :) Did the letter say what year they owned it?

xoxo laurie

Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said...

Oh what a wonderful find! Maybe I need to start leaving little notes!

Unknown said...

This story gave me goosebumps - what a beautiful sentiment, think I'll start leaving notes in my stuff too!
Thanks for sharing
Hugs,
Suzan

Be Colorful Coastal said...

The chair looks great but seriously? what an amazing story. Thanks for sharing it this week on BeColorful.
pr

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Love the chair! But oh how that note touched my heart. What a wonderful thing to find hidden beneath all those layers. I wonder too why they gave up the chair. Perhaps they passed away and their children didn't want it. Such a touching story. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
Hugs,
Jann

Jami said...

What a fantastic story! So thrilled you shared it at the Blackberry Vine! Can't wait to see what you have for us this week!
Smiles!
Jami
www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com

Katherine said...

What a treasure! The chair looks gorgeous and you have such a nice memento to go with it.

Christina at I Gotta Create! said...

What a wonderful surprise! Makes it so meaningful. Thanks so much for linking up at I Gotta Create! <3 Christina

Cathy @ My 1929 Charmer said...

What a beautiful story, and a very lovely post, it touched my heart. Thanks for sharing! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!

Pamela said...

What a great story and a great chair! Thanx for sharing at THT!

Unknown said...

Thanks for linking up to my party! Hope to see you back again.

Courtney ~ French Country Cottage said...

Great story about your chair~ Thank you for sharing at Feathered Nest Friday!

Britni @ Hubby Made Me said...

What a beautiful story! That has to be the best find ever! That is such a great idea. And I love how your chair turned out!

Naperville Now said...

a wonderful story -- and a beautiful chair!

Adorned From Above said...

I love the letter in the chair. It is so beautiful. I also love the redo. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week. This weeks Link Party is opened at
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/09/reeses-smore-brownies-and-wednesdays.html
from Wednesday until Sunday.
Hope to see you there.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
www.adornedfromabove.com