Walk the Walk (Chalk the Chalk)

Hi everyone!

I am finally ready to show you how my chalk painted wing back chair turned out.  If you remember, I had an old burgundy wing back chair that we use in our master bedroom. For awhile, I've been wanting to replace it with something that went better with our color scheme.  

But here's the thing:  this chair was in good condition, it is sequestered away in our master bedroom where only the two of us see it and I would rather spend my $ on other things if I can figure out a way to make things work.  I had read that people have had success with painting upholstered furniture with chalk paint, so I figured why not give it a try?  

A quick trip to WalMart and I was back in a flash with two bottles of Waverly Chalk paint in Crimson and a hand full of foam sponge brushes.  And just like that, I dove in!

Here you can see the chair cushion, still with most of the original burgundy color.  I figured the nubby, flame stitched fabric would be a good candidate for painting, as there would be a lot of forgiveness if the paint didn't cover evenly. The first few brush strokes were a tad scary, I have to admit.

I did two coats thinned down with about 25% water.  The last coat was full strength. Around the seams, I had to really dab and apply the paint heavily for the paint to get into all of the crevices.

I also worked under the every watchful eye of my pal, Palmer...

As you can see, he is not a very good supervisor and ended up wearing some chalk paint for a few days! (You can see the shame in his eyes, can't you?)

And, yet, he perseveres!

And ta da!  The finished product!  The fabric started out just a bit stiff, but over time it has softened and does not feel painted.  The coverage is even and also, most importantly, does not look painted.  It looks great in our room.

It has been about five months or so since I painted this chair and it still looks perfect.  I am thinking of giving it a new coat of paint this summer - a faux leather maybe.  I think the fabric would be perfect for that.

In the meantime, I will enjoy my "new" chair a bit longer.

 Closing thoughts:

1. Painting an old chair that was just headed to Goodwill anyway is a great idea - what do you have to lose?
2. I would recommend two watered down coats and a third full strength coat of paint for a smooth, even coverage.
3.  Would I do it over again?  Oh yeah, and I will!!! Soon!

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

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