It’s amazing how paint can breath new life into an old piece of furniture. I’ve been storing these pressback chairs in our basement for a while and finally had the chance to give them a fresh update. I absolutely love how the vintage details turned out so I thought I’d share with you the process on how I achieved this look.
For the color I used Beauti-Tone ‘Powdered Donuts’ Matte Interior Paint. It’s slightly off white with a hint of warmth. I love using chalk paint for projects but it can get pretty pricy! With the help of the paint experts at our local Home Hardware I learned how to easily make my own using any of their Beauti-Tone paint! You can find the recipe here but for my project I simply mixed 8 cups of paint with 1/2 cup of drywall compound.
It’s better to start with less drywall compound and slowly add more until you get the consistency you like. It should be a little thicker than normal paint. I love the matte chalky finish this recipe gives! I find it also goes on very well without sanding first. Bonus!
Next I did 3 coats of paint on the chairs with an angled Beauti-Tone paintbrush.
First coat– Don’t be afraid of how it looks! This is just meant to be initial coverage.
Second coat– Adds more coverage and a great opportunity to find any missed spots.
Third coat– The nice finish. Make sure to smooth out any brushstrokes. Don’t be afraid to sand off paint drips and paint over again.
I left the top portion of the chairs untouched until last because this is where I wanted the beautiful details of the pressback chairs to shine. While I love the design I didn’t want to leave it the orange oak color, so I used Beaut-Tone ‘Black Cat’ with another angled brush to paint over the details. Next I took a baby wipe and quickly wiped it off because the design is indented, the black paint was left behind.
I used an angled foam brush to finish painting the tops of the chairs white, being careful not to press too hard and get white in the design.
Lastly I wanted to add a bit of aging to the chairs for a vintage look. The fun part about this process is you can make it look as rustic as you like. I really liked how the chairs turned out so I ultimately decided to only add a little bit of aging for the time being, but will likely add more when I want to change it up! It’s always easier to add more than it is to take away.
For the aging I took a cloth and dipped it in the Black Cat paint. I wiped away any excess on the cloth and lightly brushed it into some of the edges and grooves of the chair. It adds a bit of a shadowing effect.
If you prefer a more rustic/antique look – scuff up the chairs with sandpaper marks along the edges, corners and grooves. If you don’t like the original chair color underneath, mix a tiny bit of white paint and water into a bowl and dip a rag into it. Wash over the sanded spots on your chair. This leaves a beautiful white washed wood color in the places you’ve sanded. See my other blog post featuring a stool makeover where I used this technique.
I hope you’ve found this helpful! Thanks so much for following along. Be sure to check out my Instagram for more inspiration and renovations where I’ve partnered with my favourite local store, Home Hardware! They have the most amazing expertise and products to help you complete any of your upcoming projects!
