18 Nov 2017 Funky Frugal: Take a seat!
by Tanner Cangelosi
I know a family that displays joy wherever they go. Tammy and Trey McClerkin are intentional and happy to open their home to as many kids that can fit! As they were looking for dining chairs (which can be very pricy), they came across some old beauties that needed a little love.
They are the kind of friends I wish I could sit in their living room for hours and hear them sing Christmas carols (they are extremely musically talented). I wanted to know and love this family along with their talent for turning junk into treasure.
Where did you and your husband meet?
We met at a Methodist church camp at Mount Sequoia in Fayetteville in 1989. We were 16. Trey was living in Conway and I was in Heber Springs. Through statewide youth events, we became great friends through high school and college.
Trey went to the University of Memphis and remained there for about 10 years. I went to the University of Central Arkansas and then moved to Dallas, where I taught school. Trey played drums for the band, Skillet, and was on the road a lot. After he left the band, he moved to Fort Smith to be closer to his parents. Fourteen years after we met, we started dating and married eight months later!
Where does your style come from?
My style comes from watching HGTV, Pinterest and copying others. I have three kids, so cost and functionality are always an issue! I’m also sentimental, so I like to tie in things that were relics from our family. But, I’m not a pack rat. I don’t like things to be cluttered!
Where did you find them? How much did you spend? How many chairs did you do?
I was driving down Oak Street in Conway one day and saw five chairs sitting outside a flea market. I whipped in and asked the price – five for $50. I bought them and put them all in my minivan.
Can you give us a step by step process of how you redid them?
After watching some tutorial videos, I removed the seats in the chairs and wiped them down with Simply Green. I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Ballet White (2 coats) that I bought at Ace Hardware with a coupon.
I distressed the chairs with coarse sandpaper. I removed the fabric and cushions off the chair seats. (This was the hard part because those staples had been there forever and were disintegrated. My hubs had to help.)
I found fabric and new foam at Hobby Lobby which I bought with a coupon. I used the chair seat as a template and cut the foam to fit. I also used the old fabric as a template to cut new chair seat fabric. I wrapped the new fabric around the foam, stapled it on back and screwed the seats back in chair. I intended to go back and wax the chairs, but we were hosting a party and I needed them! It’s been a year and I still haven’t waxed them.
I spent $50 on five chairs, with about $50 on paint and new brushes, and $25 on new foam and fabric.
How did you decide to tie in the art?
A year later, the large wall in the dining room was still blank. I knew I wanted something on a large horizontal canvas, with lots of fun colors to go with the chair fabric as a statement piece. So, I texted my friend Tanner and gave her my thoughts!
