I found this poor old chair and his friends in the back of my mom's house. I think she used them as stools for painting--as you can see all the white paint glopped on it. I wasn't about to tackle three chairs at once not knowing how this would turn out. So, I took one home and after about an hour or so of scrubbing and sanding (and a week of hand cramps and thanking the universe I had the foresight to only take one home) I think I got most of the inch thick of grime off of it. I didn't realize it at the time, but this chair must have been out in the weather for.e.ver. like, I mean, all eternity.
But, alas! After cursing the dirt and stains away one word at a time, and a few sprays of paint, I.fell.in.love.
I distressed the edges a little and made a pillow case for an old pillow (it matches the fabric I used as a table runner on our sofa table in the same room, you can see it here). It became a great addition to our front room (don't worry, I apologized for cursing at it): 
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