D.I.Y: Painted Furniture

      Furnishing your home can become a very costly endeavor. For my own home, I have decided to purchase many pieces of furniture second hand from either Salvation Army or Goodwill. I have been able to find really great items at fantastic price points, but the pieces I rescue also tend to need a little extra love. Recently, I spotted a pair of black faux leather chairs and while I adored the shape and style, the color didn't really go with my own decor scheme. Lucky for me, this was an easy enough fix. Instead of spending lots of money to have the inexpensive chairs reupholstered, I opted to paint them with textile paint instead! I know it sounds crazy, but the process was very simple and the results were just what I was hoping for, here's how I tackled this unusual project:

      As you can see, these chairs came from humble beginnings. I discovered them at my local Salvation Army and knew I had to take them home. A pair of college boys obviously had their eyes on them but I made sure to swoop them without hesitation! When purchasing second hand furniture, make sure to inspect them carefully for any breakage or stains. If you do encounter any damages, add in the cost of fixing the item to the total price and decide if you are willing to live with that sum. Before I purchased these chairs, I made sure to sit in them for comfortability and to ensure that they both rolled properly. 

      *The first thing I did was spray paint the bottom of the chairs (as well as the legs) a metallic gold using specialized spray paint (primer first, then paint). Regal gold would match all the other gilded accents in my living room (where these chairs will end up living also). If you are doing this project yourself, just be sure to cover any hardware you don't want painted with cling wrap and tape (like I did with the rolling balls on these chairs). 

      *Using textile paint (I found an assortment of colors at my local craft store, but decided on a clean shade of white), paint the piece of desired furniture. I did two light coats and was very happy with the outcome. Just wait 3 hours for the paint to dry (honestly this was the fastest drying paint I have ever worked with!) 

      * Tip: Use old sheets and bedding for a drop cloth to ensure your floors don't get stained (I need to follow my own advice more!). 

      I actually completed this project several weeks ago but wanted to give the chairs some time in my space before I shared the DIY with you (See them in action in this post). I was a bit hesitant to paint perfectly decent furniture and potentially ruin it all, but I'm so glad I took the plunge! These chairs now expertly match the decor of my living/dining area perfectly and I love the fact that I put a bit of my own elbow grease into them as well (Home made furnishings make my place feel much more personal). If you are wondering about the durability of these babies... well they are pretty tough also. I am easily able to wipe them down with a damp cloth to clean them and they can also be used outdoors. I would say that the only draw back to these chairs is that the paint will eventually chip off but it's a simple and easy fix. Just break out some leftover paint and touch up the chipped spots and viola, fresh and new again! Ultimately I love that I can repaint them an entirely different color if I decide to move them into another room or into another decor scheme! 

      Do you think you will try painting any furniture in your home?

Yours,

Nico

PS: Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, I had originally taken better ones but accidentally deleted them! And for those of you that are curious about how to recreate my media cabinet from this post, I will try to have that up very soon! In the mean time, check out these unique lamps I made.