Most of my DIY projects come out of necessity. As in, I reeaaallly need new dining room chairs but forking over a wad of cash on a brand new pair of Navy Blue Parsons Chairs would just never fly around here. Have I mentioned I have two little guys? So the thought of buying brand new chairs just to see them get spills loved on, really doesn’t sit well with me. I never want to be that mom that won’t let her kids actually sit and dine on her dining room chairs.
So it seems that a much less expensive DIY route was the only option for me and today I am here to tell you that YES YOU CAN PAINT UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE!
OK, is your mind blown? By now you should know that I am not afraid to try to paint anything, but this one just really excites me. Painted upholstered furniture y’all!!!!
Read on to see how I turned some oh-so-sweet aqua checkered parsons chairs into these blue beauties.
When I found this pair of beautiful aqua and pink checked skirted parsons chairs from 1992 for $14 for the pair, I knew they would be perfect in my home! Maybe you are thinking what the Big Sweet was thinking… aqua and pale pink checkers? Really Heather?
Yes, really. 🙂
For this Painted Upholstered Parsons Chairs project, here are the supplies you will need:
- Upholstered Chair (the uglier the better LOL)
- Regular Latex Paint (I used Hale Navy leftover from Master Bedroom accent wall)
- Fabric Medium
- Water Spray bottle
- Water
- Paint Brush
With nothing to lose I went for it! I will describe my process below, but honestly I think there are lots of different ways to achieve this look and it would be really hard to mess it up.
- First, mix a ratio of 1 part paint, 1 part fabric medium and 1 part water in a bowl.
- Then take the spray bottle and fill with water. Spray the water on the chair until it is dampened.
- Once the upholstery fabric is damp, use a regular paint brush to apply the paint mixture until coverage is complete.
Random thoughts:
- The finished chairs are definitely not “soft” to the touch, and feel more like outdoor furniture cushions. For dining room parsons chairs this actually works well and spills and food wipe off easily. But if you are looking for comfort, this probably isn’t the best option. I have read other tutorials where people use sand paper to help soften them. I didn’t try this method but something to keep in mind
- These chairs were made with pretty thick upholstery fabric. I am not sure how well something more delicate would hold up.
Also, here you can see at the bottom that the original pink and aqua check are showing through. I am certain that simply another coat would solve this problem but unfortunately I did these chairs during the One Room Challenge and was frantic to get them done. And now they are good enough. LOL. #mymottolately
All in all I love the way these upholstered hostess chairs anchor the ends of the table. And considering this project cost me around $20 I am one happy lady! So next time you find a chair that has good “bones” give this makeover a whirl!
Happy hunting!
xoxo-
Heather
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