Have an ugly chair ready to enter the modern era?
Is it time to let go of the past and update needed furniture? If the answer is yes and you don't want to spend a lot of money on it, then painting may be the solution for you.
“My grandmother always was one to hang onto things...So now I've inherited many, many, let me repeat "many" of her collections”
Good thing grammie bought sturdy, well-built, Canadian made furniture.
0.0 The Original
The wing-back chair had been upholstered in a tough outdoor floral patterned fabric. No slip-cover I found fit it and since it was inherited from my grandmother's estate I was partial to keeping it around. Thankfully I also received her Singer sewing machine, the one that could survive a nuclear war and was still working like the first time grammie used it.
1.0 Paint Ratio
I had a lot of dark grey paint on hand so decided to paint it using 2 parts water to 1 part paint.
Using spray bottle squirt fabric damp.
Apply one coat of paint. It is watery so have a drop-sheet under the chair to catch the drips.
Wait for it to completely dry, then repeat until you reach the desired effect.
The original floral fabric I painted was dark so it took 6 coats.
2.0 Paint Caution
The fabric texture will change to be more stiff.
This was expected and I used a fuzzy throw blanket, pillow and homemade seat slip-cover to make it more comfortable to sit in.
For the cost of these fuzzy items ($40), I was still ahead at not having to buy a brand new chair.
p.s. grammie would most likely roll over in her grave that the chair she protected from 4 children, 13 grandchildren, and 19 great grandchildren no longer bears the rose patterned she loved. But it's time for it to be enjoyed by a new generation...Of that she would be proud.
