Take a Seat. Pretty Please?

A few weeks ago, I ran across a blog that had instructions on how to paint your upholstery. Yes, paint. This woman had painted her couch. Well, just the back portion. She actually covered the cushions in fabric. I immediately decided this had to be on my to-do list. So, I bought the supplies and went to work. Here’s a before and after of my project.

I purchased the chair at an antique store for about $20. I actually had different plans for it. I wanted a nice looking chair I could paint and then recover the seat with a cute kick-pleat for my office. However, after making my ginormous Joey from Friend’s sized desk, I knew it would be too short. So, it has been sitting in the dining room for about the last six months…okay, maybe five months.

I particularly LOVE the caning on this chair.

The upholstery was dated. Probably some sort of silk blend.

So, to paint, I purchased the following supplies:

1 quart of flat latex paint in my desired color from hardware store

1 bottle of Texture Medium from the craft store

1 bottle of Acrylic paint in my desired color from the craft store

To start, you simply mix 1:1 your latex paint and your texture medium. Then, that much of water. It’s a watery, glaze consistency. Brushing it on in strokes going with the grain of the fabric. You do two coats of this – after the first dries, of course.

I let the second coat dry overnight and then proceeded with my 1:1 ratio of acrylic paint and texture medium. I added a tiny bit of water in there as well. After I painted the one coat, I wasn’t sure WHAT this was going to turn into. It looked like, well, painted upholstery.

Originally, I spray painted my chair a metallic silver. After I touched it, I knew it needed a gloss, clear spray. But, that changed the shiny look. So, I felt white was a better option. Two cans of white spray paint later, and a can of glossy clear spray. Then, popped the pad back on.

If I had just shown you the chair all done, would you have known it was painted? It seriously doesn’t look like it. It’s a little more rough for texture, but more like a more rugged upholstery fabric. And, I really did this for a new photography prop. Ya’ll know my love of chairs. I plan to do a few more, to give them life. The ones I have in the studio warehouse have been used so much and they could use a little pick-me up!

Answering your questions:

1) This wasn’t something I wanted to create for normal use in my home. A photography prop is my main goal.

2) The texture medium actually changes the paint’s consistency. So, it’s not hard and I don’t think it will crack. It has flexibility. It’s just like the fabric paints you used to get in the 80s and paint on sweatshirts. (God, remember those?)

3) It wouldn’t be bad in the corner of a room as an accent chair that wasn’t used a lot. If you did a big, cozy, puffy chair that you want to get all cuddly on, no, don’t do it. It feels like a rougher, outdoor fabric. Not crunchy or hard. Just rougher.

4) I have sat on it and nothing has come off. Of course, I’ve let it dry and cure for a few days.