We got DH's grandpas old dining chairs. They're Windsor style ethan Allen chairs from the 50s or 60s. I want to paint them black. Has anyone done this and used a tutorial that was easyish and worked?
Post by beanieweanie on Feb 3, 2016 18:02:47 GMT -5
Haven't done it myself but I did buy a set of painted Windsor chairs. They have all chipped quite a lot over the two years we've had them. If you like shabby chic, they look great, but if you want something more polished, figure out how to seal them well.
Thanks. They're old and worn now so I feel like I don't have anything to lose by experimenting. I guess the other option is to sand and stain. But we don't have a rug right now so it's a wood table on wood floors with a wood sideboard and white walls so I think black would be a nice contrast. And then eventually an awesome rug when we can afford it. And art. I'll try to PIP.
Post by nursecramer on Feb 3, 2016 21:03:20 GMT -5
So the best way to get a finish that will last is to sand them, prime, and paint. That would be a lot of work on those chairs because of the style. Spray paint would probably save you some grief, but not as nice of finished look (IMO). Also, I've had issues with spray paint rubbing off on some things I've done, so you'd probably want to put a sealant coat on, too. Sanding and staining would be the most work. I would only do that if I was sure I would use the chairs for the next 10+ years.
Can you post a picture of your dining room? I really like lots of wood, especially in a dining room, and I'm not sure that painting those chairs black will achieve the effect you want. If you want contrast or pop, I might focus on painting the walls vs the furniture. It would probably be faster, cheaper, and easier to change in the future.
Nurse Cramer had stopped speaking to Nurse Duckett, her best friend, because of her liaison with Yossarian, but still went everywhere with Nurse Duckett since Nurse Duckett was her best friend....Nurse Cramer was prepared to begin talking to Nurse Duckett again if she repented and apologized.
I actually did this same thing to Windsor chairs! I lightly sanded all - nothing crazy. Then spray painted a coat of primer then spray painted two coats of color - satin finish. They came out beautiful. This was maybe 4-5 years ago. In the Spring I will prob bring two of the chairs outside for a little touch-up, the rest still look great. GL
ETA: This is the exact style of my chairs and what they look like painted. I don't remember the name of the color I used but it was NOT jet black - I thought that would look too harsh. I love this look a lot with our farm table. GL! www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod6470300 (the black oak drifted)
nursecramer, thanks! The thing is that we want to keep our walls white. It flows into living room and I don't like te idea of them not being the same color. The chairs were free and paint is cheap. We need to work on artwork for the walls which will take some time. Here's the room. Eventually I pan on getting an awesome colorful rug but that could be years. PS those are not the chairs I posted above. Here it is.
Post by nursecramer on Feb 4, 2016 10:16:04 GMT -5
After seeing the room, I stand by my claim that you should leave chairs as is. Textiles is another easy way to bring color and pop to the room. Your tablecloth does this, but window treatments would also help. They don't have to be expensive, or even really functional. You could mount a rod over each window; put it above the top molding of the window and allow it to extend beyond both sides. Then, get about 8 yds of fabric for each window-- doesn't even have to necessarily be the expensive home decor fabric. Cut it in half the long way, sew a shallow pocket in the top, hem the sides if you're ambitious, hang one panel on either side of the windows. That would make a huge difference and could be done for under $70. Right now, your beautiful sideboard is kind of lost at the end of the room. Framing it in drapery panels will help make it more of a focal point.
Nurse Cramer had stopped speaking to Nurse Duckett, her best friend, because of her liaison with Yossarian, but still went everywhere with Nurse Duckett since Nurse Duckett was her best friend....Nurse Cramer was prepared to begin talking to Nurse Duckett again if she repented and apologized.
I have no suggestions for refinishing/painting, but I love the idea of those chairs in black....especiallly because there is an overload of wood tone in there. I think it will be a smart contrast with an updated, but still classic look.
DH and I are kind of on an anti-curtain kick, at least for the dining room. I feel like what would really make the room is an awesome vintage rug of some kind with cool a cool tribal pattern. I mean, I'm pretty much a sucker for that kind of rug and would fill my house with them top to bottom if I could. On the other side of the dining room is our living room and a sitting area with two such rugs. It's clearly what the dining room is screaming for but alas $$$.
So, for now, I think it's either leave it as is or paint those free chairs. They're kind of ... gross from years of DH's grandpa living alone and not really caring for them. Though, they've been cared for over the years. Just not in the last few.
You're right about the sideboard being overshadowed. What if we got a big potted plant on one side and some long piece of art work on the other?
ETA: The reality is we've got an almost zero budget for the room right now, save for however much a can of paint would cost and $200 gift card for Cb2/Crate & Barrel. My plan for the gift card was to buy frames or art or vases to be used in either the dining room or the living room.