When guests come over to my apartment, I always get the most compliments on this low cane-back chair. The funny thing is, it’s the most inexpensive piece in the space. For twenty-five dollars, we bought this pair of chairs off of craigslist (take a look at the second picture and you can really see their transformation). Turning these downright ugly chairs into something I would want to look at everyday was surprisingly easy. We knew the awful salmon-colored cushions had to go, so we recovered them in an inexpensive, soft beige fabric typically used for lining curtains. Then, mom turned up some Rogers & Goffigon brown velvet fabric left over from another project to make piping with—this is an accent that’s always worth doing as it really makes anything look more luxe. But what really turned these chairs around was a simple coat of black Ralph Lauren paint. Truthfully though, any color would have instantly modernized these chairs. They’re on castors, so they move easily about the room, which we love. – L

Below, the chairs before their makeover. Scary!