Rocking Chair Eye Sore to Front Porch Envied

All Within the Home
by All Within the Home
5 Materials
$45
6 Hours
Medium

See the transformation of how this chippy, worn, and beat up chair put me through sweat, tears, the black lung and finally joy.

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I have to say, again, I have great friends. They think of me when they have sad furniture they are about to dump - I'm not sure how to take that actually...I am going to take it as a compliment that they have faith in me that I can restore and refresh anything.


Anyway, that is how this rocking chair ended up in my garage. I posted on facebook I was looking for furniture to redo and voila, this beauty ended up on my doorstep a few days later. My friend got it from a thrift store and had painted it and has been in their family photos for over a decade. It was well loved and worn and she no longer had use for it so here it is.

As you can see the paint was coming off in chunks. I thought it would be easy to sand down to the wood but after I broke off about 100 sandpaper strips off my power sander belt and my arm feeling like it was going to fall off from vibrating to death - I was done! I had never stripped anything down (successfully anyway) and when I was expressing my frustration over my Instagram account another friend showed up on my doorstep and handed me a bottle of Citristrip.

If you are stripping wood - this is the stuff to get!! Within minutes it was bubbling off the paint and it did not have heavy fumes - although I still recommend doing this outside or in the garage and open a door just to be safe.

This is what happens after a coat of Citristrip. It bubbles up and you can easily scrape it away.

I was able to get it almost completely down to the original wood. I didn't want to mess with stain and I am all about the chalk paint and it was requested by my purchaser that they wanted a blue rocking chair.

I used about two coats of Blue Steel in the Chalky Chicks Chalk Paint and I ended up going back over some of the grooves and seat with a sander to give a worn look.

From trashed to Envied! Can you believe this before and after?!

This chair took me a lot of sweat, sore arm and shoulder (from sanding), black lung (from the dust), tears of frustration, and finally joy when it was over! This chair puts a smile on my face. It is so rewarding finishing a project that puts you through so many emotions. What projects have put you worked on that you hated to love? I want to hear about it!

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  2 questions
  • Jody Price Jody Price on Feb 18, 2021

    Did you seal the rocker? If so, what did you use? Thanks. Love this rocker!

  • Gig69451122 Gig69451122 on Feb 12, 2024

    Having a disability. Although pricey? I'd take it to be dipped in paint remover. Then spray painted.

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  • DN DN on Feb 18, 2022

    Gorgeous!❤️

  • Susan Antonition Susan Antonition on Mar 07, 2022

    I love chippy pieces as a great accent. Your makeover over is done very well. Great color and workmanship. A great inspirational transformation!!❤️

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