Yup. I spray painted chairs. Upholstered chairs. Dude, I’m the first to admit it’s weird. And it’s definitely not the answer if you’re sane. But when you’re a desperate woman with nothing to lose, well… stuff happens.
Remember these Craigslist chairs we found last March? They were originally from an old hotel (with faded and stained eighties fabric to prove it) but we got them for $25 a pop.
Then I tried to paint them a soft apple green color like a tutorial I’d seen, but didn’t have as much luck (read more on that hot-mess here).
We were set on green for a while (not this neon of course) until we realized it’s a ton of chairs in a room, so you don’t want them all screaming for attention and stealing thunder from things like our patterned curtains and the boldly painted built-ins. That’s when I got $20 off-white slipcovers for them from World Market (which clashed with the white trim and accessories everywhere – but were cheaper than buying fabric and making my own), so I dyed them brown.
But the slipcovers were a little schlumpy. After they came out of the dryer they were nice and tight, but over time they got droopy and sad. They just looked a little loosey goosey and messy. Sure, I could wash them again to get them looking nice for another week, but that’s a whole lotta work for something that should be low maintenance. Here in this pic from our House Tour page you can see the slipcovers looking a little baggy on the sides – and that’s from far away.
So I decided since I already painted one chair (and it works just as well as the others with the slipcover on it – it’s literally impossible to tell which one is painted when it’s covered) I figured I had nothing to lose by painting the rest of them (I could just cover them up again if they were blotchy and gross). And instead of using craft paint and textile medium (read more on why that didn’t work out for me here) I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to spray paint them with this old friend:
Who does that? $herdog does that. Beware of a woman with nothing to lose (and eight slipcovers to hide any potential disasters).
First I donned my trusty spray painting socks. Can your brain even comprehend this hotness?
I must really love you guys to share such glamorous shots of my life, huh? I just hate potentially getting my shoes or my flip flops all sticky/painted, so my painting socks do the trick (with the bottoms of my sweatpants tucked into them, so I don’t get stickiness on the bottom of my pants).
I started off slow. Really light light coats on just one chair. Nothing thick or drippy. Here’s a shot of things when I was just getting started. I was biting. my. nails.
I expected a total disaster, but after a few more light coats applied pretty much one after the other (maybe four total?) my first chair was looking pretty good. I was kind of shocked, actually because I expected to just do one and hate it and toss the cover back on. You still see the pattern in the fabric since that’s a texture thing that paint can’t change (the actual fabric itself has those patterns sort of embossed into it), but instead of being a riot of crazy stained/faded/eighties swirls…
… it’s all one color. A pretty gunmetal charcoal color. Almost the exact same color as Karl the Sectional actually. Which is funny because we have an avocado green kitchen between two rooms with soft gray walls (the living room and the dining room) both of which now have charcoal upholstery. Hooray for a little accidental house-wide balance. The funniest thing about the whole charcoal color result is that ORB is usually a dark brown color, but on upholstered chairs I guess things can get crazy. Imagine that. Ha. So I was expecting a dark brown look but I got a nice Karl-ish color instead. Which was a nice surprise. It’s like hoping to find a half-eaten box of raisins in the bottom of your purse when you’re starving and finding a granola bar instead. Cha-ching.
As for the spraying specifics (you know, for any other nuts out there with nothing to lose and thrill seeking spray painting tendencies), here’s a post with my general spray painting tips (like buy the good stuff, mist things to avoid drips, keep your hand moving, etc). There’s a slight metallic sheen when the light hits the fabric just right thanks to the type of spray paint we used (Rustoleum Universal Metallic in Oil-Rubbed Bronze), but they don’t look like Liberace chairs. It’s more of a subtle thing at the right angle, but most of the time they just look like charcoal gray fabric. Also, from certain angles in certain lighting you can hardly see the pattern in the fabric and other times it’s more obvious, but it’s much less offensive now that it’s all one color. The pattern is actually more noticeable in some of these pics than in real life (must be how light bounces off of them into the camera or something? No idea).
I spray painted the slightly-banged-up-formerly-more-reddish legs as well, which turned out a lot more like the typical ORB color (dark chocolate with a bit of metallic sheen). They’re our favorite part, because whether we decide to add the slipcovers back on or even reupholster these babies down the line, those sexy ORB legs will always be around.
Here’s a slightly inaccurate long shot of them in the room. Haha. They look darker and more patterned in this photo than in real life. We can’t wait to add a giant chandelier over that 70″ table and bring in a nice large rug to break up all the wood (wood floor, wood legs, wood table). And of course it looks less like a black hole with a colorful runner and some dishes on the table. We’ll eventually refinish the floors to be the same color as the one in the kitchen, so the future rug (perhaps something big and jute?) will be lighter and should help the darker legs/table and floor pop while keeping them all from blending together in one big mocha-wood-fest. Someday…
The big question is probably “what do they feel like?” I went into it thinking that a few coats of spray paint might make them feel rough like burlap or thick like leather, but they feel pretty much exactly like the original durable-hotel-upholstery fabric felt beforehand (which was always firm and not too soft, but not crunchy or anything). It’s kind of hilarious that they didn’t really change. The only way I can explain this phenomenon is that I’ve noticed when I get spray paint on a pair of painting pants, for example, they still feel the same (just as soft in that spot, but they’re a different color). Maybe it just goes on thinner than paint applied with a brush or roller so it’s less obvious on some types of fabric?
Update: A reader (thanks Krystie!) cracked the code by reminding me that the reason it worked so well on these chairs might have been because the hotel fabric is a Crypton (which means it’s coated in a protection to keep anything from penetrating – so the spray is sitting on top and not soaking in and getting crunchy/blotchy).
But let’s be clear. I never (inamillllllionyears) would have had the confidence to give this a try if we didn’t already:
- paint one chair green and know that it worked just as well as the other unpainted ones once the slipcover was on it
- already have slipcovers to hide my little paint job if it went bad (not much to lose there since they can be covered)
Remember, I was a woman with nothing to lose and a deep love of spray paint. I have no idea how other fabric would do, but these chairs were made out of thick upholstery grade fabric, so it wasn’t as soft as cashmere to begin with. But if you’re dealing with something like velvet or silk, the spray paint could very well make it crunchy and hard. I’m 100% certain that different fabric or even more thickly applied spray paint (or a different brand/type) could yield different results. Maybe you can find similar fabric to the item of furniture you’re thinking about spraying and just apply a few light and even coats of spray paint on your test fabric to see how it works out first?
Another question might be “if someone sits in them, can they rub off on their clothes?” After allowing them to dry a while (we left them outside for four days after making sure there was no rain in the forecast) they’re all cured up and don’t smell like spray paint. And just like dried spray paint that gets on painting clothes, they shouldn’t rub off (I wash mine and they remain ORBed and don’t bleed on other clothes – even when they’re wet in the washer). If someone spilled water on the chair it shouldn’t rub off since it’s oil-based paint. I even rubbed a wet white rag on them to make sure nothing transferred.
As for how we feel, we’re still sort of on the fence. They’re definitely better (muuch better) than the green painted chair debacle. And in person we think they’re marginally better than the baggy slipcovers. But we’ll probably recover or replace them someday down the line – so I think the verdict is “fine for now.” We still have the brown slipcovers so we can always throw those back on or somehow tailor them someday? No idea. It would be cool to learn how to reupholster them or sew better slipcovers but with eight chairs it’s too big of a job for right now, so we’re happy to live with what we have. Who’s on Team Gray? Any Team Brown folks? Anyone care to join us on the fence? I don’t think there are any Team Greens out there, are there?
There’s probably a lesson in here somewhere about how $25 craigslist chairs might not always be the answer if they have a crazy pattern and don’t fit typical store-bought slipcovers. Ah well, live and learn. At least they’ve served us well for the past year and will seat our sweet family whenever they come over until we figure out what we want down the road. Has anyone else reached the end of their rope and spray painted something in an act of defiance and desperation? Can you believe I’ve painted, slipcovered, dyed, and re-painted these guys? One thing’s for sure, I’m a stubborn gal and I just can’t leave things well enough alone.
Rosie says
with the simple clean lines that these are, they really wouldn’t be hard to reupholster. You probably wouldn’t even have to use “oh Brother” much… just get real friendly with your staple gun. I second the commenter from earlier: try taking just one apart to see how doable it is. Then you’ll end up with something that you LOVE, rather than something that is just better that what you has before…
YoungHouseLove says
I’m trying to work up the confidence to try upholstering them! Will keep you posted!
xo,
s
Georgia says
When we bought our fully furnished weekend house, we inherited some really nice (although not necessarily my taste) chairs with hideous fabrics. I managed to get some gorgeous upholstery fabrics on sale (like $5 a yard instead of $50) and just went for it. When you start pulling the fabric off, you can see how they’ve been done. If you use a staple gun for most of the chair (and you would be able to for all except the top layer of the back), then you can hammer in upholstery studs (the big decorative ones) over the top at the back. Would look really pretty. Although, having already painted them, it might be harder to get the fabric off…
Having said that, I am so totally with you about the wonders of spray paint. Last week I sprayed our ceiling medallion, all our scungy looking vent covers, a few hideous ceramic chickens (also left in the house- and now looking lovely), just to name a few things. Can totally see why you had a go at this. By then end of the week I was picking things up and thinking “could I spray paint this?”.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, right? After years of spray paint I look at old faded black shirts and think- should I just spray paint this. Haha. It’s a sickness!
xo,
s
Jill says
I like the new color and the subtle pattern! I’m wondering, how many cans of spray paint did the project take?
YoungHouseLove says
I thing it took five! I had a few cans around already (I hoard it since it’s sometimes sold out) so I ran out and got three more and I was set. Thanks to the built-in primer and some thin coats it covered well!
xo,
s
Rosie says
by the way, if you wanted to cart one of them up way to upstate NY, I’d totally help you out. I cut my reupholstery teeth on a lazy boy… Let me just say, BAD peice to start with. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s major! You go girl.
xo,
s
Georgia says
Oh and BTW my kids chose that apple green glidden colour for their bedroom. While I was putting it on the wall I thought “WOAHA! that’s bright”, but I like it now.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I bet it’s cute in a kids room.
xo,
s
Kristin Boyd says
I found a slipcover tutorial that was super helpful for the ikea parson chairs. These that you have look very similar and the tutorial could easily be altered to fit your chairs. I can sew a straight-line, but that is as far as my sewing skills go. If I was able to do it, then you could too :)
http://kricketkb.blogspot.com/2011/02/slipcovers-for-our-old-dining-room.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the link! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
I love them and think it’s really neat how the pattern shows through!!:-)
Melissa says
Pretty good improvement for the time and money put in. I can tell you aren’t completely done yet, but they’re one step closer.
We just did a “paint to the rescue” job to help us resist tearing apart our bathroom… http://www.msgfun.blogspot.com/ It was pretty scary to start off given that it’s so permanent!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! Wow – it looks so great.
xo,
s
Lindsay B says
Whoa! That’s kind of cool, and definitely great for a quick fix. But I think I’m on Team Reupholster for the long run. I’d be more on board with the painted fabric if you couldn’t see the texture of the pattern through it so much. And I know you have the skill to recover them. You can do it, $herdog!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lindsay! I’d love to get ‘er done someday!
xo,
s
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
This is crazytown! Good for you for having the guts to just go for it, though. They might not be the “forever” solution, but they look pretty good in the meantime :)
I painted some curtains (actually as part of your pinterest challenge!) and had some trepidation about them being hard/crusty.. but luckily they turned out well! http://thesweetestdigs.com/2012/03/14/pinterest-challenge-stenciled-curtains/
YoungHouseLove says
Wow Gemma! Those turned out amazing!!! Such a great job. So glad to hear that they’re not crispy!
xo,
s
Loribeth says
Here’s the link that shows the antique chair a spray painted.
http://small-moments-blog.blogspot.com/2012/02/until-i-can-have-my-chair-upholstered.html
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! The stencils are fun!
xo,
s
kathleen says
pier 1 imports had nice slip covers. on a side note… I saw you guys at IKEA on Saturday! I wanted to ask if I was the first to recognize you (were you recognized?) but instead I let you shop (for black picture frames no less- I thought you were white picture frame kinda people).
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s so funny that you saw us! Those frames are a gift for John’s parents (shh, don’t tell- it’s their 40 year anniversary coming up!).
xo,
s
sarajane says
I learned upholstery by taking a non-credit class at the community college. Admittedly, it took me 2 semesters to finish my armchair, but it might be something to look into? Your dining room chairs should only take you one semester. Heck you might even be able to finish them all in one semester!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks SaraJane! Maybe it’s something I can take on once we have this book out and door and our daughter in preschool! Between baby, book, and blog, we’re all full when it comes to free time – but it sounds like a ton of fun! My mom used to date a pro upholsterer when I was in school and now I wish I paid more attention to whatever he was doing in his workshop! Haha.
xo,
s
Emily says
LOL: “It’s like hoping to find a half-eaten box of raisins in the bottom of your purse when you’re starving and finding a granola bar instead. Cha-ching.” I hear ya sista!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I knew someone would relate!
xo,
s
Katie G says
I actually really like them. I’ve got some parsons chairs that need help, but I’m pretty sure they’re not the same fabric. I know what you mean when you describe yours, and ours are softer/more cottony or something. I don’t know, but I really like your solution!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Katie!
xo,
s
Erin says
I actually like the look of the green one, I’m not so sure about the color. It looks more leathery, is that just the picture?
I like the ORBed chairs. I really like the way the pattern shows through to give them some texture.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, the green paint went on thicker, so it looked more leathery (sadly the seams looked kind of painted and fake with that process).
xo,
s
Allison says
I love you guys, but really hate the spray-painted chairs. Sorry!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha no worries! They’re definitely not for everyone, but they work for us for now (especially since we can just cover them up with the covers we have if the mood strikes). Who knows where we’ll end up though!
xo,
s
Lisa R in Illinois says
I love most of your DIY endevors…But. The chairs? Forgive me for this, but love hurts. They’re U-G-L-Y, they ain’t got no Alibi, $herdog. I’m sorry. Your curtains are awesome and the table is amazing, probably my favorite piece in your home, invest in some decent chairs to go with it. It’s worth it!! Do you really like them, or are you talking yourself into liking them? We all do that for different reasons, and there is a big difference!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, we’re not talking ourselves into anything, check out the last two paragraphs. We don’t love them! Haha. They just work for now.
xo,
s
Morgan says
This is good. I like it. Adds to the room as a whole. :)
Katherine says
I’m going to send you a sewing machine and new fabric, you will have so much more fun creating new slipcovers. And you don’t have to wear special socks.
Peri says
Haven’t you recovered a chair before…with pretty good success? I bet you could reupholster them!
YoungHouseLove says
I did one rocker and it took me days! Haha. So you can probably see why I’m not excited to tackle eight chairs! Haha. Maybe I’ll build up momentum someday!
xo,
s
Karen A. says
Very YHL. :-) I was a fan of the original upholstery, though…
Ampi says
I can’t say that this is my favorite project. The spray paint is not what’s bothering me–it’s the funky 80’s texture underneath. I think I like the slipcovers better. I would have done white slipcovers.
Amber says
I’m on team grey! I’ve never been a fan of slip covers for all of the usual reasons (never fit quite right, get baggy over time) and I like to leave the color brown to natural woodgrain, as opposed to fabrics.
I’m sure I’ll love whatever you decide to do with these chairs down the road, but this is a great solution for the time being. Yes, they are dark…but it is such a bright, light-filled room, that they work!
Way to be gutsy!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Amber! It’s so funny to hear how many chair opinions are out there! Can’t wait to see where we end up…
xo,
s
Amber says
The metallic patterned look in the pictures is a little strange, but I think it’s a good for-now solution if it doesn’t show up like that in person. I think it looks better than the slip covers do when they’re baggy, and it definitely makes sense that weekly drying/shrinking would be a big pain! If you ever do reupholster them, I’m excited to see what you’d do with them!
Whitney says
$herdog, Just wondering where you got your dining room table? I love round tables, but haven’t been able to find one that seats 8. Thanks for doing what you do! I think the chairs turned out great!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! It was so hard to find that big round table! Here’s that story: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/02/table-talk/
xo,
s
Candace says
You know… I wonder if this would work on these fantastically patterned (cheap) chairs from Craigslist… http://candyskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/happy-2-year-blog-iversary-house-tour.html (see Rec Room).
They are so comfortable and fit the space we have… but god-awful-ugly!!!! Maybe test a small patch… Maybe when the fiance is away, or else I think he’ll flee from me in terror muttering something about “insanity” and “spray paint addiction!”
PS- Totally LOVE the silver/gunmetal look.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Candace! I’d try a small test patch and see how it works! Good luck!
xo,
s
Vicky says
I really love the ORB look on the chairs! I’ve been reading the comments and it seems like a lot of people think they look cheap. I really disagree. I think they make the chairs look a little bit more modern and rich, definitely better than slumpy slip covers. Question-does reading negative comments on the blog make you question how much you like a finished project? I would be upset if someone told me my dining room chairs looked cheap-ah the power of internet anonimity I guess…
YoungHouseLove says
Nah, it doesn’t bother us at all! We knew this would be a “controversial” choice since it’s just so odd to spray fabric! Heck, we didn’t even expect it to work! We also shared that we’re honestly on the fence about them and will probably upholster or recover them down the line, but they work for now (and asked people what team they were on) so I think lots of people are just chiming in with their opinions, which definitely are all over the map! One thing we’ve learned is that some things can look very different in person than shots that we share on the ol’ blog (and can even look different according to people’s monitors) so we’d be doing ourselves and our house a huge disservice if we ever put other people’s opinions over our own in-person judgements. We’ve also learned that sometimes making a house feel like “us” means making it not feel like someone else, so it’s cool if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea – as long as it’s ours!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Hey, those chairs look pretty phat. ;)
Sorry, I had to.
YoungHouseLove says
Har-har-har. I don’t think I’ll ever live Friday down.
xo,
s
Teri says
I think they look better painted than with the covers. I’m with Sherry, the covers were saggy. If you already know you don’t like the fabric, there’s nothing to loose with painting them. I’m interested to see how they hold up down the road.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Teri! Will keep ya posted!
xo,
s
KathyG says
well, hmmm. just don’t know.
If I was a RLF, I’d tell you to quit messing with these chairs, go get what you really want, put the slipcovers back on them and sell them on Craigslist.
Susannah says
I like them MUCH better than the slipcovers. The brown color never seemed quite right and they looked too frumpy for you guys and your sleek style. In my house, everything looks frumpy and sloppy (courtesy of two exhausted parents and our two 5-and-unders) and they would have fit right in. :) I’m curious to see if you end up keeping the new color and how the room continues to develop.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Susannah!
xo,
s
tiffaney says
I once bought fabric spray paint, as in, spray paint meant for this exact thing. I spray painted the seats in my car and it was A DISASTER. The paint never really dried, so it got on my friend pants and he will never let me forget it. It also got really crusty, which was weird since it never actually dried. Ugh. And then, as if it realized how much I regretted ever doing it, it faded. NEVER AGAIN.
I’m so glad your project worked out better than mine did. I cringed when I read that you spray painted fabric, but seriously… you go, girl!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that sounds like a nightmare! I wonder if they had a hard time drying all the way in a sealed up car or if the paint seeped into the seat crack and stayed moist and got on your friend’s pants that way. Sounds like the worst!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Ummm.. I commend your adventurous-ness! :)
Maybe it’s time to invest in a more long-term, higher quality solution? Especially if these chairs are going to be heavily used. We promise not to judge your if you don’t DIY these! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, as I mentioned at the end of the post, we’d love to look into reupholstery down the line, but these guys work for now! We’ll keep you guys posted of course!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Not loving these at all, but I applaud the effort. I think it’s time to try your hand at upholstery! There are so many web tutorials out there. I’m sure you 2 could do it!
Gwenalyn says
Team gray! I was never a big fan of the brown (though I do like the slip cover idea). Previous posters are right about re-upholstering them though. Super duper easy. If you decide you don’t like the gray (and if you can find a great deal on fabric – it could get pricey). But I like them the way they are now, nice work! And very brave by the way! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Gwenalyn! I hope I have the guts to tackle upholstering them someday! Will keep you guys posted!
xo,
s
Amy says
Checked through the comments, and I didn’t see anyone mention it. The reason that pattern will always be visible is because it is a jacquard, which most commercial fabrics are, so the pattern is woven into the fabric. And it is all twill weaves, which is used in most commercial upholstery because it more durable. (Hence why they use twills for jeans too.)
But twills aren’t nearly as smooth as a plain or satin, it has a more ridged texture. Also since not all colors have the same weave direction, that texture and the way light reflects off it differs, thus why you see it better at some angles and not others.
YoungHouseLove says
Totally makes sense! I figured it had something to do with the ultra thick/durable texture of the fabric. I think you could lift an elephant with that fabric. Seriously, it’s so strong! Haha.
xo,
s
snosie says
I’m sure I’m the only one who liked them hotel style. Now of course, you didn’t show me icky stains, so I might be swayed by that. But this is a girl who just created a lime feature pantry!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love the idea of a lime pantry! They were definitely discolored/stained in some areas and faded in others. I think they were in rotation at a hotel for decades (my honest guess would be from sometime in the eighties) so they definitely were showing their age…
xo,
s
braelin says
I like them- don’t love them– but I’m pretty sure that I feel that way just b/c I’m aware of their ‘history’. You know, if I just walked in your house and saw them I don’t think that I’d even bat an eye.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’m totally with you on the like them but don’t love them. And I totally think it’s because we’re all staring at them. I was telling John that I bet if I set the table with all our pretty dishes and a colorful runner and didn’t mention them that none of our guests would even notice that they weren’t always dark gray. Haha.
xo
s
Diane says
Now THAT was gutsy. Times eight! Here’s what I did with my one chair-from-a-hotel-sale that wasn’t quite as bright as yours, but not the right color for the room. First I painted the legs dark (of course), then I found a Sure Fit stretch slipcover in a neutral beige ($10). My chair isn’t quite standard either, with a bit of a rolled back, so the stretch really stretched and was tight, but didn’t quite cover – and stay – to the bottoms of the sides. With a $4 box of decorative upholstery nails, that problem was quickly solved. I’m sitting on it now! (The chair, not the box of nails :-)
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!! Haha, and glad you’re not sitting in the box of nails. Haha.
xo,
s
Ellen says
I love it that you guys tried this. Definitely kudos for the effort, and I totally appreciate your make-do ethic, which I very much appreciate when it comes to home projects especially. But I have to say I think it looks a lot tackier than your norm, and you’re selling yourself short, Sherry… you could totally do upholstery!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Ellen! As I mentioned at the bottom of the post we’re definitely open to replacing them or reupholstering them down the line! Just don’t want to dive into upholstering eight chairs immediately- might still be scarred from the intense rocker upholstery project from a few months ago that took about a million hours. Haha. Someday I’m sure we’ll get to them though! It seems like I just go through phases where I tweak, live with it, tweak, live with it, etc. Haha.
xo,
s
Alyssa Pederson says
“It’s like hoping to find a half-eaten box of raisins in the bottom of your purse when you’re starving and finding a granola bar instead.” Haha! I laughed when I read this because I happened to me just the other day. And I really like how the chairs turned out, even with the pattern showing through they are still pretty! Never would have thought of spray paint. Great idea!
YoungHouseLove says
Aren’t those forgotten granola bars the best?! Especially when they’re not totally smashed to smitherines.
xo,
s
The Distilled Review says
Great idea!! I never would have thought of this!
Pam says
Sorry, but you need a good coupon to the fabric store. Reupholster! You’ll be happier….
YoungHouseLove says
Aw we mentioned at the bottom of the post, that’s on the agenda! Just living with these guys for now since they don’t bother us too much and reupholstering eight chairs is quite the job!
xo,
s
Michelle says
If you ever get tired of the spray paint, I bet you could wrap those using canvas and a staple gun. Reupholstering chairs like that is easier than you would think!
Victoria R says
So did you paint the green chair too? Or is it still sitting somewhere with a slipcover on it?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s in the playroom (since we got all eight chairs over a year ago we have kept 7 out for more elbow room and only use the eighth in a pinch, which doesn’t seem to happen anymore (now that we have seating for four more people at the peninsula) but you never know!
xo,
s
Lara says
I love how gutsy you are! I do have a question though; I’ve been doing some of my own spray painting lately and I have crazy awful pain in my wrist and hand for days after. Holding that little trigger down so long just does me in. Do you experience anything like this or have any tips for safe spray painting technique? I am a potter and it might just be my pre-existing carpal tunnel acting up again.
YoungHouseLove says
I have had forearm soreness later, but not any wrist and hand cramps that I can remember. Do you have one of those carpel tunnel wrist brace things? Maybe wearing one while you spray (or putting it on right after) might help? You also can do a little at a time. I sprayed all of the chairs in three shifts since I didn’t think I had the strength to hold that trigger down to do all of them consecutively. Haha. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Karyn says
After a quick review of the comments, I think I am in the minority as I vote yuck. But then again, sagging slipcovers are yucky, too. And that original hotel fabric…that was the yuckiest of all. Haha. So, I totally understand why you tried this, I would have done the same thing, especially knowing that I could go back to the slipcovers. I love how you share the trials AND triumphs with us. This is why we come back and ready everyday. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Karyn!
xo
s
Katie says
The chairs take up so much space in the room I really think it would be worth it to just buy some new ones in the colors you want :-/ Of course I’d wait until you do the floors to be 100% sure on the color you want…but those style chairs are everywhere and not that expensive at places like ikea. I got beige ones from overstock.com several years ago…granted they were $50 each but at the end of the day I think the extra $25 per chair makes up for all the hassle you’ve gone through to try and salvage these.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, as we mentioned on the bottom of this post we’re open to recovering them or replacing them down the road. Just don’t have $500 to blow on 8 chairs right now (even if they’re super on sale) but you know we’ll keep you posted when and if we replace them down the line!
xo,
s
todd says
I liked them best untouched, although I wouldn’t have paid 25 dollars for all of them together, nevermind each chair.