I have an obsession with old, wooden chairs.
I’ve probably bought a dozen of them over the last several years because they’re perfect candidates for a paintbrush makeover with real personality!
Can you believe this chair started out like this?
But with a little paint, some creativity, a handmade stencil and a little bit of my time, I turned it into one-of-a-kind decorative seating for my home. And did I mention it only cost me $5 at a yard sale?
When you’re looking for chairs to paint or reupholster, keep these things in mind:
- Always choose solid construction and real wood over laminate.
- If a chair is wobbly or broken in any way, pass on it because it may be too costly or difficult to repair. Broken caning or rush seating can be expensive to replace as well.
- Avoid chairs with too many spindles or intricate details because they’re time-consuming to paint, unless you’re planning to spray-paint them.
- Always sit in a chair before buying it to make sure it’s comfortable.
- Don’t be afraid to buy chairs that don’t match. You can unify an unmatched set by painting them all the same color. (Or go for the eclectic look and paint them all a different color.)
- Unless you have top-notch sewing or reupholstering skills, avoid fully upholstered chairs because they may be difficult or expensive to update. Dining chairs with upholstered seats, however, are great candidates for makeovers.
- If you find a complete set of solid, wooden chairs for a good price, buy them all. You’ll be able to use them throughout your apartment for extra seating.
- Be on the lookout for old school chairs, office chairs or banker’s chairs. They’re very solidly made.
Remember that “before” photo I showed you? I actually bought four of those chairs (for a total of $20) and gave each one a different makeover.
First, I painted one of them with the vintage Coca-Cola logo, just for fun.
Then, I painted one like the Betsy Ross American flag for the Fourth of July.
Later, I painted one of the chairs green for extra seating at Christmas since I was hosting our big family get-together.
And finally, I painted the mason jar chair.
Four chairs, four completely different looks.
You can use a variety of different paints on old wooden chairs — often with little prep work. I’m a big fan of chalk paint and milk paint because I can paint right over the existing finish, and I can work inside. I’ve painted many chairs on a drop cloth in my living room!
See, I’m not kidding about that!
Spray paint is also great to use on chairs — especially ones with lots of spindles that are hard to cover with a brush.
I wish I’d used spray paint on this rocking chair I painted. Those spindles took forever to paint!
You can also use regular latex paint from the hardware store, but you may have to sand or strip the existing finish first.
Paint isn’t your only option for giving an old chair new life, though.
If you find an old dining room chair, it’s easy to remove the old upholstery and add new fabric. All you need is a heavy-duty stapler and some needlenose pliers to remove the old staples. A hammer is also handy to have. I usually add more batting (which you can buy at the craft store) to a seat cushion before reupholstering it with a pretty fabric.
Are you ready to tackle a chair makeover? Click over to this ForRent.com blog post for tips on getting gorgeous furniture from a yard sale.