Tuesday

Vintage School Chair


I've got some factual tidbits today from back before dirt was invented.

OK perhaps not quite that long ago, but long enough that it was hard for me to remember much about when I was in 2nd grade.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

Fact; this metal and wood school chair did not belong to me during my elementary years.

My rear end never hit that seat to read about Dick and Jane or to see Spot run, and I think this style was in use before my days in the classroom.


But that fact didn't stop my new improved version of the chair from becoming pertinent to my very early youth.

I picked the chair up at a garage sale about 6 years ago along with a child's solid oak chair - both too cute to pass up.  The sale had several of both styles and I wish now that I would have bought them all.

The little vintage chair stayed the same during those years living with me, with the scratched seat and worn off industrial paint being a sign of how long ago it had been in use. 

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

The makeover I gave it allowed me to create a keepsake from something that originally didn't even belong to me.

How you ask?

Fact;  the name on this little chair isn't fictitious.

That is the honest to goodness name of the elementary school I attended when I lived in Granada Hills California.

Vintage Street School.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

Fact;  The boy in the top row to the right of the school is named Chuck.  Chuck, I was sweet on you.  Of the 28 kids, I remember 20 first names, and I think I could get the rest in multiple choice. Not too bad considering I was only at that school for 1st and 2nd grade.  However besides my own, I only remember one last name.

I didn't have to search for keepsake inspiration to make over the vintage school chair, it was right there in black and white.

Vintage chair + vintage school name = Inspiration.

But being curious I did some googling, and while the school is still there, it's now a charter school, although still carries the "Vintage" name.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

For the makeover, I gave the whole thing a slight sanding.  I could have sanded it all to bare wood and metal, but that would have involved more elbow grease than I was willing to put forth.

Fact; in 2nd grade my artistic abilities consisted of making stick people, and not very good ones at that.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

I stained the wood parts with Fusion Mineral Paint stain in Cappucino and the letters were done in Cathedral Taupe paint.

I still wanted the metal part of the chair to have a metal look, so I used Brushed Steal from the Fusion line of metallics.  The frame received two coats for a solid metal look. 

On Sunday when guys in the other room were yelling things like...."TOUCH DOWN ..... YEESSSSS!"..... I made myself a set of card stock stencils that were cut out with my vinyl cutting machine.  I often use card stock because I find it less fussy than vinyl.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

A repositionable adhesive was sprayed on the back of the card stock, and I eyeballed where I wanted the stencil to go.  I don't get any bleed under when I use the spay, I guess the adhesive acts as a barrier so the edges come out pretty good.  When stenciling is done I simply peel it off and throw it away.

But part of my photo shoot didn't go as planned.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

Honest Abe the dog thinks that any round sphere is a ball, so the pumpkin was nudged, and then I decided an apple in Fall conjured up school thoughts more so than a pumpkin anyway.

But for Abe the apple conjured up thoughts of playing fetch and I caught him in the act of stealing the apple.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

Both my husband and I watched him walk up to the apple, look around to see if he could be faster than either of us, then he ran off with the apple, damn dog.

He only ended up taking one bite of an otherwise perfectly good Honey Crisp, one at that point I no longer intend to eat.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

As far as the quote on the seat of the Vintage Street School chair, what Mr. Franklin said was probably true for me as a child.

Vintage Street School Vintage Childs Chair Bliss-Ranch.com

I probably still learn that way as an adult, and particularly true these days is the forget part.

Extra credit; feel free to guess which of those little girls is moi.



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11 comments :

  1. Are you right by Chuck? I love that you make your own stencils!

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  2. It's got to be 3rd row down, 2nd person from the left. Nice project. thanks.

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  3. I love how this turned out! I really have a soft spot for small chairs!

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  4. i love the chair, i see these often and think they are rather boring - you made this one so special! love your Vizsla-maybe you should have used a wax apple! and the Benjamin Franklin quote is a great choice!
    i would have to guess that you are next to Chuck in the class photo. i do think we might be close in age, as my Kindergarten class in Windsor Hills (LA) had the A & B classes as well, depending on what part of the school year you were born.

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  5. Super cute! I have several school chairs that someday I'll get to!😉

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  6. I love this project! And I think you are to the right of Chuck, too...is that a girl scout uniform?

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  7. Its gorgeous. You did a great job!

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  8. The little girl with a pony tail and white Alice band? xx

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  9. Bliss I love this piece. I can remember many of my elementary school friends as far back as second grade.

    Abe is adorable in the pictures. He's looking around like a kid to see if he can grab that apple. I had to laugh. He's adorable.

    Great project.

    Cindy

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  10. I'm so in LOVE with what you did to this chair! And your little thief is the cutest thief in the land... funny how cute thieves get away with anything, huh?

    I've featured you in this weekend's Party Junk. Thanks for linking this gorgeous beast up!

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  11. I adore the makeover you gave this vintage chair and so enjoyed reading your post. Love the idea of using card stock with spray adhesive for DIY stencils. How cute is your apple stealer too!

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