How to Completely Change...

...the look of a chair!  AND do it inexpensively.  This makeover only cost me $13.19!  Yes, you read that correctly...$13.19!


I know that price is shocking but I also know that what is more shocking to you is that the chair didn't crumble into a million pieces when I started working on it...I did feel it shudder a few times though.  I got the feeling it was looking around the room trying to find someone to save it.  No such luck! The hubster was out-of-town again so it had no choice but to endure whatever I had planned!

I've had this chair for a few years and have been wanting to give it a new look but always felt intimidated about redoing it.


You've seen my projects, right?! So you know that most of them are epic failures!  I didn't want to tackle this chair and then have to explain to the hubster why it was being thrown out and replaced with something from the store.  Those purchases never go over well. :-/

Before I started painting the fabric, I painted the wood.  It took 3 coats of white paint.  While the paint was drying, I looked for fabric-painting tutorials on the internet.  I found several and sort of merged them together.  To paint this chair, I used:

4 - 2 oz bottles of acrylic craft paint (Peppercorn color)
1 - 8 oz bottle of fabric medium
1 - well-loved paintbrush
Water

Since I wasn't sure how much paint/fabric medium it would take to cover this chair, I started out with 4 oz of paint, 4 oz of fabric medium and 2 oz of water...1 to 1 to 1/2 ratio.

I mixed this together in a red solo cup and made sure that it was mixed well.  Then I began to paint...

...and paint.  I was really surprised at how well the paint mixture covered the fabric.  I read that some fabrics need to be wet down with water prior to painting...I didn't have to do that...well actually, I forgot to do that, but who's going to know, right?!  I also read that some fabrics need to be sanded lightly with a high grain sandpaper between coats.  I did remember that, but I didn't have to sand with this fabric.  It stayed smooth.

This is how the chair looked after one coat...it only took 2 coats total.  The instructions I found said to let each coat of paint dry for 24 hours.  I let mine dry for 3 days in between coats because we had to leave to go out-of-town on business.


I used a small artist's brush to paint the piping because I didn't want to get the gray paint on the white paint.  I did notice that every few minutes I needed to re-stir the paint mixture because the paint likes to settle to the bottom of your container.

I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out as well as it did.  The dark colored paint covered the light fabric very well.


The main thing I learned from this experience was to never use liquid-y paint near your white furniture...where it might splash onto said white furniture...and sit for 3 days before you find it!


I'm linking up at  A Stroll Thru Life

26 comments

  1. Well done! I have seen other bloggers do this and their process was very similar to yours. Have you seen leather re-tinted? You are a brave soul! It looks fabulous and you transformed with your own little hands. Have a splendid weekend! xoxo

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    1. Thank you ma'am! I'm really please with how it turned out...not that it is great, but it looks better than what it did...LOL I haven't seen the re-tinting...I will have to look it up. Thank you again so much! Have a fabulous weekend sweet friend! Love and hugs!

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  2. This is clever and pretty. Have a good Friday and wonderful weekend.
    Kris

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    1. Thank you very much Kris! I'm glad it turned out...the hubster would not have appreciated chunking this chair! :-) Hope you had a great one! Love and hugs!

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  3. Well done. I re did a chair this Spring. My parents found it at an auction for $1.00. I fell in love with it, it needed a little TLC. It now is in the living room. I am just looking for a rug to put under it.

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    1. Thank you! $1.00??!! That is awesome! A little TLC goes a long way with some of greatly priced pieces…you just have to look for the potential! Love and hugs!

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  4. It looks wonderful! I've never painted fabric. I'm a very sloppy painter. I approach paint with trepidation.
    Brenda

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    1. Thank you so much Brenda! I enjoy painting but have to be in the mood for it. I am meticulous and take my time, unfortunately it takes forever for me to paint something. The hubster is not allowed to paint! 😊 Love and hugs!

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  5. The chair looks wonderful. I have been a bit hesitant to redo chair fabric with paint, but after seeing how lovely yours turned out, I am going to go for it.

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    1. Lala, thank you so much! It was super easy, just time consuming. I had been fearful of painting fabric but am now inspired to paint some other things. :-) Thanks so much!

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  6. It looks great! Love the black and white. And what a careful painter you are. I have seen this done but I have yet to try it. Too chicken because a lot of my DIY never turn out the way they do for others :-(

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    1. Thanks so much AnnMarie! The black/white/gray colors work well for this house, especially with the concrete floors. The paint is really thin and splashes everywhere, so I had to be careful. There were a few small splashes, but I tried to clean them up quickly....with the exception of the white chair. Didn't see it in time. You've seen my DIY projects, right??!! LOL...If I can do this, you can do this! :-) Love and hugs!

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  7. Your chair came out really nice. I have been painting furniture for years. An easy update. NICE. Did you actually paint that chair on the carpet? I would of had a huge mess. Ikes...

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    1. Thank you so much Tonita! I’ve been terrified of painting fabric and am glad I finally got over it. We don’t have carpet downstairs, it is all concrete floors, with the exception of my rug. Any splashes on the floor were easily cleaned up. And the floors are gray, so if I missed anything, it will blend right in. 😊 Thanks again!

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  8. The paint job was a great idea and the pop of dark color looks great in the room.

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    1. Thanks so much Stacey! I’m glad I finally jumped in to do this project! I can’t figure out what I was so afraid of! 😊

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  9. LOVE. And yeah... don't talk to me about paint splatter lol

    xo

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    1. Thank you ma’am…and YES, it is the worst!!! I don’t know why it can’t stay where we put it instead of splashing all over the place! Love and hugs!

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  10. Just saw this but wondering how does it feel to sit on it? Is it sticky, uncomfortable or you wouldn't know it was painted. Want to do because I can not find a slipcover and I am not sewing anymore. Thank you!

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    1. Hi! The chair is very comfortable to sit on. It is not stiff (thanks to the fabric medium) and not sticky. You would know that it is painted because it does look a little different than fabric, but other than that, it works great. No cracking or peeling. Thanks so much! Have a great one!

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  11. How does it feel while sitting on it?

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    1. The chair feels very comfortable. It is not stiff or sticky. I have a white pillow sitting on it and it has not faded onto the white fabric. Thanks so much!

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  12. Looks Nice.
    Anyone else out there that wants to paint anything..... take it out to the garage or another space where you can lay down a large dropcloth, instead of a few pieces of paper or plastic bags. Why would someone paint a chair in their living room! Yikes!

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    1. Thank you so much! I paint in my home all the time. We have concrete floors so any errant drips are easy to clean. Painting in the house helps me regulate the temperature of the paint a little better as well. While paint instructions say that it will work properly if it is between certain temperatures, I have found that is not always the case. Since this was a piece of furniture I did not want to ruin, I didn't want to take any chances, thus painting it in the house. And, I live on the edge, I never use dropcloths or other coverings to paint...LOL The only reason I used bags for this chair was due to painting the legs. Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you will visit again soon! Have a great one!

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