Do you frequent garage sales? I do. I miss them during these cold winter months in New Jersey! There are so many great pieces to be found at garage sales. Vintage furniture, unique decorative accents, wall art … all at great prices. Usually.

I found two of these beautiful balloon back chairs at a garage sale this fall. I was able to see past the 1970s orange seats and loved them right away, however the owner was asking a little more than I wanted to spend. I took a chance and left my name and my best offer and asked her to call me if she didn’t find a buyer by the end of her garage sale.

I went home and kept thinking about how great they would look in my dining room. A few days later they were still on my mind and I thought about knocking on their door in hopes that they hadn’t sold. (I would have even paid her asking price.) But I didn’t. And believe it or not, a week later… she called. She accepted my best offer and I was off to pick them up within the hour!

I had originally thought that I would paint the chairs white and distress them to show off the beautiful details, but when I took a closer look I realized how beautiful the carvings were and in what great condition the wood was. So, I just cleaned them with mineral spirits and oiled them with Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil. The hemp oil soaks into the old wood and restores the original beautiful sheen.

I removed the dated orange upholstery and recovered the seats with my go to vintage grain sacks from Austria.

The carved details are just so amazing.

I especially love the curve of the front of the chair.

I love vintage furniture, especially the little details like how the back of one of the chairs must have broken at one point and someone repaired it with such love. See the small support below. There is one on each side of one of the chairs. I love that.

I am so happy that no one else grabbed these beautiful chairs at that garage sale and that they made their way to me! I am now anxiously awaiting the Spring to see what other treasures I can find during the next garage sale season! Aren’t you?

… Kristin