Refurbished Thrift Store Chair #itcentsational

by Jessica

$10

45 Minutes

Easy

Yard sales and thrift stores are my favorite places in the world. Last summer I found this chair that was in rough shape, but I knew it had potential. I joined the challenge, grabbed my chalk paint, and got to work!

refurbished shabby wood chair, painted furniture

I wanted to layer the paint on making it look worn off during the years showing other colors behind it. I used aqua, red, white (hey perfect 4th of July chair!!). To begin you want to paint on your first color of chalk paint. It is ok if it is streaky and not fully covered.

Pro Tip: When using chalk paint you do not have to sand the project prior. I do however sand any rough spots and clean the wood if it is dirty. To clean a project before painting use vinegar and water, nothing with oils or you will have a hard time getting the paint to adhere!

Then using a chip brush brush on red chalk paint making it even streakier. Do not be afraid to use your brush in different patterns. Make sure you dip the brush in the paint and then tap the majority of the paint off before painting. This dry brush technique is perfect for creating a rustic shabby chic look.

After it dried I decided to grab a stencil and add some more charm to it. When I stencil with chalk paint i do the same as above, the dry brush technique. It gives me more control over how much paint is being applied and ensures that there isnt too much paint on the brush eliminating paint from getting under the stencil.

I went with the word amour which means love in french. Mostly because I loved how it turned out and it seemed only fitting!

Isnt it pretty! After the stencil dried I went over the chair with a fine grit sand paper roughing up the edges and pulling some of the natural wood out in spots.

Then I rubbed on some dark walnut stain to really give it an old worn look. Just use a rag, rub it on and wipe it off after a few seconds. I didnt want too much of the stain to stick, just enough to show in certain spots.