You can read Part 1 here.

We finally found some time to work on the chair. FYI I did end up getting a little paint happy and overdid it a bit, so the lesson we can all learn from this is – less is more. There wasn’t really anywhere to work on the chair without making a mess so we just decided to do it on the lawn and propped it up on some makeshift blocks (they were actually engine oil bottles).

The look we’re going for is an off-white chair with bits of gold coming through. First step is to make sure the chair is clean and dry – then do two even coats on the chair with some gold spray paint. Make sure the can is a decent distance away from the chair, otherwise the paint will start dripping.

It smells pretty bad so a mask would be a good idea – obviously I didn’t have one on hand and also forgot my ‘work’ clothes. Make sure you let the paint dry a bit between coats.

The next step is pretty self explanatory – find/buy some off-white paint and cover the chair. Two coats will do, but make sure the gold is dry first and wait a few hours between coats.

It’s ok if the paint isn’t super even – the important thing is that you try to eliminate as many brush strokes in the paint as possible. You don’t want it to look like it’s been painted on. Keep a look out for any drippage, especially after the second coat. If you’re not careful, your chair will dry with paint drip streaks on it which is difficult to sand off.

Let the chair dry for a day or so and then break out some fine grit sandpaper. Wrap it in a wooden block and carefully sand away bits of the white paint so the gold shows through underneath. Remember, less is more so do this carefully and keep a small paint brush on hand with a bit of the white paint for any touch-ups.

Stay tuned for Part 3 – I’ll document the reupholstery process. In the meantime, I’m still searching for cool fabric. I’m thinking velvet with a large button in the middle.

Update: Read part 2.5 here.