Painted? Yup!

Here's something I did that I never thought possible.  This was a poor chair that has seen better days.  I remember this hunter green color was a popular color back in the 1980's.  In fact, I wore a dress to a high school dance that was almost the exact same color!  Don't ask for pictures.  I won't show you.  But I will admit that my bangs back then were almost as tall as the back of this chair.  Well, almost.

The bones on this chair were in perfect condition.  I liked the texture and pattern in it, I just wasn't crazy about the color.  I had seen painted furniture on pinterest and thought I'd give it a try.  What's the worse that could happen?  It turned out awful and I'd just reupholster it.  No biggie.  Well, here is how it turned out.

  Pretty nice, huh? I must admit, I was a little worried (okay very worried) that the fabric would turn stiff and possibly even crack or peel.  Nuh Uh.  It feels stiffer than the original fabric, but it feels more like canvas than anything.  Not as plush, but not horrible.

Here is how I painted the chair

Materials needed

Spray Bottle

Water

Interior satin latex (must be latex) paint in whichever color you choose.  (I chose Glidden's vintage tan)

Paint Brush

Acrylic paint that matches your latex paint.  (I used Apple Blossom Country Tan)

Textile Medium (found at craft store)

Sanding block or 180 grit sand papaer

Use a spray bottle and generously wet the fabric.  I know it doesn't feel right getting it wet, but trust me.  It will be alright.  It should be good and damp.

Prime your furniture fabric with a mixture of 2 parts latex paint, and 1 part water.  It should have a glaze like texture.  2 cups of paint and 1 cup of water was plenty for the chair and ottoman.

Using a paint brush, cover the entire fabric with a thin layer of the paint mixture.  The result will kind of look like you are whitewashing it, or "pickling" it.  The paint will not completely cover the old color.  That's okay for this step. Once it dries (about 1-2 hours), do another layer.

Let the fabric completely dry. I let mine dry overnight.


There might be a few rough patches on your fabric from the paint.  Use a sanding block to smooth it out a bit.


Mix equal parts of acrylic paint and fabric medium.  You can find this at craft stores.  The Walmart by my house didn't carry it, but you can get it for about 4 bucks at the craft stores with a coupon.


Paint the entire fabric with this mixture.  Let it dry, and do it again.  You may need to sand in between coats again.


Let dry for at least 24 hours.


If it feels a little stiff, lightly sand again.  The textile medium I used said to set the paint once dry by placing a cloth between the paint and the iron and ironing small areas for 20 seconds.  I did this just as a precaution, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference in texture.  I would skip this step in the future.


Here is the finished piece again.  My husband fell in love with it and has claimed it HIS chair in the library.