Asked on Aug 23, 2018
How can I refinish my tall dining room set to look mid-century?
Tall square table with 4 tall chairs. Black padding on chairs is kind of torn up. The rest of our furniture is a dark walnut color.
Tall square table with 4 tall chairs. Black padding on chairs is kind of torn up. The rest of our furniture is a dark walnut color.
Without seeing it, I would say chalk paint with an antiquing wax could make this look like you want.
Either that or a homemade Salt Paint mixed with Epsom salts.
Mainly, she needs to contrast the darker walnut paint with a lighter tone, otherwise she is stuck going all walnut, which by the sense I am getting, she does not want more walnut, but less. And likely feels that, 'if she experiments on a piece she does not care about, she can mix and match the styles to reduce the walnut she is sick of seeing'.
Actually I was alive in the mid century and some styles now just don't translate to that time and same use. There may have been bar room seats that were high, but not in private homes. You could not put barn doors or open concept in mid century homes if you wanted to be true to that time frame.
When I think of mid-century I see slender legs and rounded seats and backs. Simple and basic. Recovering the seats is a simple process. Remove the current covers by pulling out the staples or nails. Save the old covers as a pattern. If new batting is needed, replace it by cutting it to fit (using old as a pattern) and placing it on the seat. Cut and staple new material to the seats. Use a fabric coordinated to your decor and to your liking.