Home Redo: Patio Table and Chairs

Last post I hinted at a long-coming Look-How-I-Redid-It! post. We haven't been doing much (read: any) refurbishing this summer, choosing instead to work on our yard and play with our children instead. Plus my home is small and completely bursting at the seams with furniture, so. You know.

Anyway, I got this patio set at a garage sale last year for $15:

It's a great set with hardly any rust, so I was able to deal with the old, flaking paint job for a year before finally tackling it. I sanded off some of the old paint (I'm a lazy sander, so I pooped out about halfway through) and then cleaned it off really well with soap and a brush. I painted it using a hammered bronze paint from Rust-Oleum, both in spray and regular paint form. The spray, of course, worked better and went on much easier and more evenly, but it's also more expensive. Neither form of this particular paint needs a primer, and it's specifically made for outdoor/metal furniture. Hurrah!

The final product ended up a little darker than traditional bronze, and I'm really pleased with the results.

Add four cushions and an umbrella with stand, and you have yourself a regular patio paradise.

Sure, I spent more (way more) than $15 in the end, but I kept in line with my philosophy of repurposing. Plus I personally think this old wrought iron set has a lot more personality (and long-lastingness, if that's a word) than some of the cheaper, new sets I could have bought.

We love our patio set and use it nearly every day in the warm months. I'm so glad I* put forth the little effort necessary to transform it into something lovely!

*For the sake of full disclosure, The Professor did paint the table. He gets full credit for finishing my job.