I have always enjoyed using the summertime as the perfect season to reorganize and redecorate.  After all, when the kids are away at camp, the closets are a bit emptier and there is more time to get things done.

This summer is no exception.  Although the kids are no longer campers in summer camp, there is still more time on my hands. And, with Davida and Aaron away at camp as staff, the house really is quieter and there is less in their closets.

So, this summer, I decided to finally redecorate Davida’s room.  Davida has been dropping hints since she started high school that she would love to have her room upgraded to a more adult-inspired decor.  After all, we decorated her room last in 2001 when she was three years old!  The toddler gymnasts on her wall, the pink gingham valance and the baby pink and blue walls were no longer a match for Davida’s sophisticated personality.

I finally heard Davida’s pleas for upgrading her room.  And, I decided to surprise Davida for her birthday in August.   I removed all her pink and white formica furniture and my nephew, Andrew, and son-in-law, Scotty, helped remove everything to the curb.

And, so the surprise birthday  bedroom upgrade began.

Except, the biggest part of the surprise was mine.

Because, the morning after all of Davida’s pink and white furniture was moved to the curb, Davida decided to surprise me.  She had taken a day off from camp and decided to come home without telling me first.

Michelle arranged to pick her up from the dropoff point and brought her home.

Imagine her surprise when she saw all of her bedroom furniture at the curb!  Imagine my surprise when Davida showed up at the front door and her new furniture was in the throes of being “created”.  The black and pink armoire was on the front porch in the process of being sanded and painted.  Her gymnast wallpaper border had been partially removed and the gingham valance was in the process of being reincarnated as a leatherette window valance.   And, her room was a blessed mess.

Davida couldn’t have been happier.  Messes are an important part of her teenage life. And, this mess was an important part of rebuilding.

Davida loved it all.  The curbed furniture.  The glossy black and pink armoire.  The leatherette valance.  The half-steamed wallpaper border.

And, most of all, Davida was excited for the Kate Spade-inspired bench.  After all, it was the only thing that was completed.  It was cool.  And,  it served as a harbinger of a new age in Davida’s room.

 

The bench had been a torn nailhead vinyl covered bench with x-shaped legs that I had picked up from a local curb several years ago.  I had been using it as a luggage rack in the guest bedroom.  And, it was the perfect start for Davida’s Kate Spade inspired room.

 

 

SUPPLIES

hand sander

polka dot fabric

heavy duty staple gun

staples

batting

spray paint

spray paint handle

 

DIRECTIONS

Remove cushion from base of bench and set aside hardware.

Using hand sander, sand wooden bench legs and then spray paint the legs.

Remove old fabric from cushion and discard. Cover with several  layers of batting, taking care to keep batting flat with no wrinkles.  Bring an inch of batting to the back of cushion and turn cushion over.   Using heavy duty staple gun, staple batting in place to back of cushion.

Place fabric over batting, pulling fabric taut.  Turn cushion over and staple to back, pulling fabric taut before each staple.  so that the fabric is pulled tightly from front to back.  Using heavy duty staple gun, staple in place.  Cut corners and staple neatly in place.

 

Reattach cushion to base.

 

TIPS

A spray paint handle is a very small investment and takes the stress and finger aches off of a large spray paint job.

 

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