Learning how to get hired Students who are blind practice essential job-search skills at Perkins’ Work Experience Open House. College Success @ Perkins Open House Find out how College Success @ Perkins can help you prepare for college. Q&A: Making music at Perkins Arnie Harris has taught music at Perkins for more than 30 years. At Perkins School for the Blind, every minute of every day is spent making the world a better place for people who are blind. We’re making a difference with your help Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.— Helen Keller 28,990 people borrowing braille or audio books from the Perkins Library in the past year 78% increase in children, adults, educators, and caregivers around the world reached by Perkins International in the last six years 23,246 people living more independently thanks to assistive technology from Perkins Solutions A one-year program designed to prepare students who are blind or visually impaired for everything they'll experience in college to help them get the most out of it.
During archery lessons, Perkins students show they don’t need vision to hit the target. Running without sight, for a cause What’s it like to run a race without vision? A Perkins employee shares her amazing Blindfold Challenge experience. Watertown High School and Perkins students show off their school spirit in a new annual tradition. How do you foster a company culture that attracts and supports a diverse workforce, including employees with disabilities such as blindness?When it comes to decorating your backyard space, a few fresh details can mean the difference between a garden-variety area and a fully realized outdoor room. A lush alfresco setting is rooted in ample seating, hardy fabrics, and a healthy dose of fun. "Garden furniture has really made strides," says Living decorating editor Rebecca Robertson. "It's not just folding chairs and wicker anymore." No matter what kind of space you have, these chairs, rugs, and swings will help you thrive and flourish in your zone.
Call on these scene-stealing pieces to energize an existing furniture set. All of them are weatherproof, but for optimum longevity, cover and store them indoors or under a shelter off-season. And if you're short on space, look for chairs that fold up or stack.1. ), which has the button-tufted styling of an upholstered piece, can also serve as a footrest or a drink stand. ) -- reimagined in teak with synthetic caning -- proves that garden pieces needn't compromise on gravitas. ) gets its hot-rod color from the same powder coating used on cars. ) will raise the profile of any patio. ) is deep enough to sink into but light enough to fold up and carry. /marthastewart) an heirloom quality; the rustproof aluminum frame and weather-resistant fabric ensure that the piece will stand the test of time.Say goodbye to the days of generic vinyl mats and cushion covers. Today's versions are just as pretty as the indoor ones. Use rugs to define a living area (which is key outdoors where there are no walls).
Remember to accent with pillows (garden furniture tends to be less plush than its indoor counterpart). Start laying the groundwork now, and together these elements will add up to months of afternoon catnaps.1. ) an organic texture. ) looks shipshape with a variety of designs. ), which, like all Dash & Albert polypropylene rugs, can be easily scrubbed clean. Use it as the ultimate picnic blanket or a cozy throw that lets you linger outside after dark. ) feels soft underfoot but can be hosed off. ) suggests a bleached tropical sun print. ) brings a little Cape Cod to your backyard. ) has a free-spirited design. Isn't that what outdoor lounging is all about? The backyard should be a place for play and a little bit of wonderment. By attracting feathered friends, birdhouses turn casual observers into bona fide birders. Hung on a porch or from a tree, swings and hammocks draw flocks of children and grown-ups alike. And candlelit lanterns add a romantic twinkle to outdoor dinners (even weeknight barbecues).1.
) turns a flickering flame into a stop-and-stare show. ) doubles as a modern sculpture. ) is like a luxury avian B&B. 4. ), everyone can reconnect with the heart-pounding sensation of sailing through the air. ), which is constructed from sustainable teak. ) has all the lazy-day comfort of your favorite tee. I am SO excited to share today’s post with you! You may recall the pair of chairs I picked up at a yard sale back in August. It took three months, but they now officially have a new lease on life! This was definitely my largest and most involved refurbishing project to date, and I had anxiety at almost every step. Most of it was completely unnecessary worry, however, and I know that next time everything will be much smoother. I hope this post will encourage some of you to try something similar, since I lived to tell the tale! As a reminder, here’s what we started with: walnut-ish wood, pale pink velvet upholstery. Luckily for me, the chairs were solid wood (not veneer), they weren’t stained or painted, and they weren’t terribly grimy.
They were also in good shape, with only a few rough spots. The first step was to lightly sand them down to give the surface a little “grip.” I used 80 grit first, then followed that up with very fine (220) grit. I then wiped both chairs down with a slightly damp rag, and let them rest overnight. I completed this step inside, and everything stayed pretty clean. The next step was to prime these babies. I used Kilz Original Oil-Base Primer and a cheap bristle brush. I was very anxious about this step, because there was no going back once the primer was on, but I needn’t have worried. I followed Sherry’s advice (wood painting tips here + here) and didn’t worry when the coat of primer looked a little rough. The toughest part was coating the caning without having the paint drip, and getting to all sides of the back poles, since there was only a small space between them and the caned back. As you can see, the primer coat did not go on particularly evenly, but it turned out to be just fine in the end.
After the primer dried, it was time for another round of sanding! I used just the 220 grit, and though you can’t see it too well in the photos, the finish was velvety-smooth after this round. I again wiped both chairs down with a slightly-damp cloth to remove the sanding dust. After I’d finished these relatively “safe” steps, I’ll admit, the chairs sat primed and ready in our living room for a while. Committing to a color brought back the anxiety in a big way! Finally, this photo from Michelle Adams’ living room (via Lonny) convinced me to go big or go home. I snagged an assortment of paint chips from Lowes, and did my best to color match her gorgeous chair. I painstakingly chose a winner, and then headed back to the store in search of the new, tinted Rustoleum enamel oil-based paint that Jenny posted about. Alas, my local store only had a narrow range of colors, and none were the vibrant coral red I was looking for. I also decided, kind of on the spur of the moment, that I wanted to spray paint the chairs instead of brush paint them (partially inspired by Sherry’s spray painting tutorial here).
From the range of options available, my favorite was Valspar’s Gloss Classic Red. I much prefer Rustoleum spray paint (because the cans are so much more comfortable to use), but Valspar’s shade won out. After rigging up an extremely Dexter-ish drop cloth set-up on our porch, it was time to spray! I knew I was going to have the chairs upholstered, so I didn’t worry about getting paint on the velvet. Oh yes, I rigged up a foot protection system, as well :) Highly embarrassing, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I used about three cans and five coats of spray paint for each chair, waiting five minutes in between each coat. I tried to take a photo after each consecutive coat so you can see how the color built, but it’s hard to make out in the photos. Just remember to keep the hand that’s spraying constantly moving! I let the chairs dry and “harden off” outside over several days (3-4 each).I knew I wanted something neutral to balance the vibrant red paint, and ultimately decided on Braemore’s “Fioretto” in graphite from Mill Outlet Village in Raleigh.
On Dina and reader Rachel’s recommendations, I used ABZ Upholstery in Raleigh. One of my big questions was how I would know how much fabric I needed to buy, but I simply sent an email with a picture of the chairs to Edgar at ABZ, and he said 1.5 yards would be enough. I picked up the fabric, and dropped it and the chairs off at ABZ. A quick note about ABZ: they have by far the best prices in the area, and they do good work, but make sure you call ahead to let them know when you’d like to pick up and drop off your pieces. They post hours on their website and door, but seem to consider them more a guideline than a hard and fast system. Two weeks later I returned to pick up these beauties!! I couldn’t be happier, and they truly, truly transform the room. They were just the pop of color we needed, and I can’t wait to show you what our living room is looking like now! Pair of chairs at yard sale: $60 4 plastic drop cloths, 220 and 80 sandpaper, a bristle brush, and a quart of primer: $24.23