Paint Chairs Fast & Easy with a Beautiful Finish

We all have those chairs hanging around either in our daily grind or tucked away out of sight that we'd rather forget about. Or maybe we spy at set at a local garage sale that are totally dated, but built to last. Today, let's bring them out and give them a much needed facelift! It's time to create our home story and give a lift to some dated gems. Won't you join me in my DIY fun? :)

Per my normal routine when I head to the thrift store, I peruse the furniture section to see what lovelies are waiting for me. In today's instance, I found this set of vintage Solid Kumfort folding chairs looking pretty sad. It's safe to say they had seen better days, so I couldn't pass them up. Besides, who couldn't use a set of extra chairs for when company comes, right? The best part is these are built to last. They're nothing like modern day furniture.

I'm assuming these chairs were donated because at some point their finish had received some damage. It looks as if they had gotten sprayed with water and it was left to sit. They also had a bit of mildew near the feet as well. No worries though, since the chairs are solid they will clean up perfectly.

First, I remove the seats and set those aside for later. That vinyl upholstery has got to go! No sweaty bottoms for me. hee hee. Then, I use a vinegar/water mixture (1:1 ratio) to wipe down the chairs and prep them for the next steps. Now we're ready for some paint fun with my HomeRight Super Finish Max Paint Sprayer. I kid you not...chairs are not so fun to paint by hand. However, by sprayer, they're a blast - literally!

I set up my HomeRight Medium Spray Shelter with my DIY furniture turn table (see the tutorial HERE or see it in action HERE). Next, I fill up my sprayer canister and attach the blue tip. Make sure to read manufacturer instructions on whether or not you need to thin your paint or stain. Before I get started, I make sure to adjust my flow dial to the correct setting and practice on scrap wood or cardboard.

Time for some paint fun! Since my chairs have a mahogany finish and those stains, I chose to prime my chairs first with a stain-blocking primer. Once the primer cures (approx. 2 hrs), I add another two finish coats of a custom-mixed antique white latex paint in an eggshell finish. My primer and paint layers are smooth and beautiful to look at.

In those in-between cure times, that is the best time to get the upholstery updated. For my chairs, I wanted a French farmhouse feel, so I recovered the chairs in a soft green linen. To take it up a notch, I also added this grain sack stencil (also seen in this post) using basic acrylic paint and a textile medium. You could also use fabric paint too.

When all the steps are done, I reassemble the chairs and enjoy seeing my efforts come full circle. What was once a dated set of folding chairs, now became a showcase set for a wedding, extra company at the holidays, or even an accent chair tucked in here and there. There always seems to be a use for an extra chair in any home.

I truly have fun sharing my projects with you and hope you are inspired to try too. Creating our own home story doesn't have to break the bank. It's affordable, fun, and a great way to get creative with the right tools. Come see me on my blog, Prodigal Pieces, for even more home decor, crafty, sewing ideas. Let me know you're there. Until next time...enjoy!

This sponsored post was created by Prodigal Pieces. Head to the blog for the full post and details about this project.