How to add a custom touch with nailhead trim

August 29, 2012

I’m back today with a quickie update that only took me a YEAR! You think I kid. ;) OK, the project only took a few minutes, but getting there took a year.
 
When we made some changes to the family room last year I found a new chair at HomeGoods for the space:
homegoods chair
The chair is different for me – kinda funky and I love it. It doesn’t look it but it is so, so comfortable – I curl up in it almost every evening. :)

I always thought it could use a little somethin’ though, and was inspired by nailhead details on furniture. 
 
I even bought the supplies last year – a few packages of furniture trim from the hardware store:
nail head trim for furniture
I started out by eyeing each nailhead piece and then quickly realized that’s not the best idea. They were all wonky and I knew the wonky would drive me crazy.
 
So I came up with what I thought was a brill idea:
adding nailhead trim to furniture
I just took the tape measure and marked off inch spaces with a pencil. The pencil erased right off if I needed to move one. Smart huh? Well I looked back at Courtney’s post today and just realized she did the exact same thing. Maybe it was in the subconscious all this time? Who knows? ;)

Anyway, I used her brilliant idea and it went super fast after that:
how to add nailhead trim
Just place them on your pencil mark and use a hammer to tap them in:

Make sure to hammer them in well so they get into the furniture frame – it creates a nice “tuft.” And when they are in they are nearly impossible to get out…believe me. :) I had to move a few of them along the way.
 
They are SO very not perfect. But they look much better than when I just eyeballed them. This side was a little iffy:
nailhead trim to dress up chair
But if you stand back you’ll never notice.
 
I think the front looks pretty good!:DIY nailhead trim
I always thought you had to use the long strips of nailhead trim in order to get this look, and when I’ve looked for those at fabric or craft stores in the past they’re either out of stock or it’s not cheap.
 
This took four packages, about $7 total I think? Not bad for a little bling update!:
DIY nailhead trim
This project took me about 15 minutes total – once you get the marks on there it goes really fast.
Now I’m trying to figure out where else I can use this trim – I like the bronze version I’ve seen as well. I think they’d be cool hammered into a frame or wood or something. My wheels are turning. :)

P.S. You can see more about the rug in this space here and the candlestick table here!

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Comments

  1. $7 is not bad for a whole new look. I think it looks fantastic. :)

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  2. Huge fan. Don't you see the chair in a whole new light now? Looks fantastic.

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  3. Looks fantastic! I really want to try this with a DIT headboard...

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  4. Looks great! I've been wanting to do this to my dining room chairs forever but like you said, thought only the strips were realistic and found them to be quite pricy. I may have to resurrect this project!

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  5. I just love this look! I've kind of had it in the back of my mind, but I thought those nails were much more expensive for some reason. Good to know!

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  6. Looks great! Just the right touch to give it a lift.

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  7. Very nice! I, too, love nail head trim. In fact, I just posted a project using thumbtacks to get the look! :) I've been thinking about nail head trim on our couch, but I'm afraid it'll either look horrible or my husband will kill me or worse: It'll look horrible AND my husband will kill me. :) Is it easier to work on projects now that the Bubs is in school?

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  8. Very classy! I'm considering doing the same to my dining room chairs, I love the look!

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  9. Looks great! Try eBay. We got a huge roll of the trim for cheap. Don't remember the price but it was well under $20 and we have done a headboard and a chair and still have a bunch left.

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  10. Great little update! And reading truncated wasn't so bad. ;)

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  11. Que linda essa poltrona, ficou adorável e ainda gastou pouco, essa cor muito bonita.
    Have a nice week.

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  12. LOVE IT! I have been trying to find the furniture nails, so I am going to have to check our True Value!

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  13. I have a few packages of furniture nails I scored at a yard sale nearly a year ago that I've been dying to use and I just bought a new loveseat that this would be perfect for. Thanks for the how-to!

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  14. Your chair turned out beautifully! Wonky, shmonky! I can't tell what you're talking about :). You've got my wheels turning, too, thinking about what I can bling out with the bronze nailheads....

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  15. What a quick and inexpensive update. Those are my favorite and unfortunately I just seem to put them off. Now I need to check my list to see what I can check off!

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  16. Oh I love it. It looks amazing. Great job. Hugs, Marty

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  17. What a great idea - I need to find something to do that to! :o)

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  18. Amazing how $7 can make it look like it cost hundreds more. I didn't know you could buy furniture tacks at the hardware store. Where have I been??

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  19. Great idea and this really finishes off the chair nicely! This is my biggest fear - getting them neatly lined up - and you've made it do-able! Now I just need to pick the piece of furniture to experiment on!
    Thanks!
    Sandra from simpleispretty.com

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  20. Looks like $7 well spent. Love the 'upgrade". :)

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  21. The perfect, easy little update. I think on a frame is an awesome idea!!

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  22. That was such a nice upgrade to the already cute chair! Nice work, thanks for the inspiration. Off to True Value I go :)

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  23. It's the little bling that gives it a more upscale look! Great job.

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  24. I love the look! Great blog :):)

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  25. Wow...I never thought I really liked nailhead trim, but I think that makes an awesome change! I have to rethink my position!

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  26. I love the look, but I was thinking how cool it would look if you found ribbon that matched the pillow and tacked it to the bottom with the nails? Either way it looks awesome!

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  27. Gorgeous! I love it! :-) Nailhead trim is something that intimidates me, but maybe I will try it now. Thanks for sharing with us!

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  28. This is awesome, very chic and thrifty ;)

    xoxo, Tanya

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  29. Love it! Very classy. I would be most likely to use the nailhead trim on a frame. I wonder if it would work on the raw canvas on the sides of my acrylic paintings - turning the canvas into its own frame. Many canvases can be hung without a frame anyways - this would just make it look a little more deliberate!

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  30. There you go. Inspiring me again. Thanks!!! Rene'

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  31. I just happened to stumble upon this today in my pursuit to find nailheads and boy am I happy I did. I have the same exact chair from homegoods but I just bought it two weeks ago for 100$! I am so excited to spruce it up with the nail heads now. Thank you.

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