Our Big Project- The Thrift Store Chair Rescue

When I posted our thrift store chairs (here), a lot of people were interested in the details when it came time refresh the chairs. Here’s the play by play so far.

We picked up the two chairs for $25 (talked down from $25 each and there was a $5 coupon) at Godwill here in Florida. Then we hauled them home and there they sat because life gets away from you. Not this year. My plan is to get to all those unfinished projects. We got down to business removing the cushions. Remember to save every single piece as these are your patterns. I have never seen so many staples. It darn near took all day to remove staples from the two chairs. Then we started the light sanding of the wood. We use 100 grit sandpaper to lightly rough up the semi-shiny finish to give the new paint something to stick to. Although we haven't done so yet, the next step will be light coats of spray primer. 

Then we will apply two three or three thin, even spray coats of semi-gloss spray paint (you need high quality spray paint and I always use Valspar).  The key to getting a smooth finish when it comes to painting furniture is to use spray and to do light even coats, avoiding drips. 

After three coats of the spray paint, we will just wait for those babies to dry (we always give things at least 24-48 hours to avoid smudges or dings). 

Right now, we are working on the cushions a little every evening. Remember, we work full time jobs so all we have are evenings and weekends. 

This total chair makeover is relatively quick and easy, and it is also super affordable compared to purchasing them new today. I will post the cost of the entire makeover once complete. You can complete it much cheaper than us. We chose high quality decorator fabrics which can be more expensive. Although I did get mine on sale, the fabrics chosen were $12 a yard. 

We promise it’s easy, not to mention rewarding. I will post the completed shots once they are done.