I’ve had these chairs for almost twenty years and I would have never believed you if you told me some day I would want to do a chair makeover on them. I was so proud of them when we bought them for our first house. They were the real deal. Grown up chairs for a 25 year old.
But taking them from dark and traditional to a lighter, brighter, more French Country coastal feel has me in love with them all over again. Now I know why older women go lighter and brighter with their hair and makeup…it just works. The detail on the chair was amazing.
Painting them really brought out all of the detail. Here you can see how the paint really highlights the detail in the chair. I knew as soon as I painted the light color on the chair I was going to love it.
Um…okay I didn’t dust it before I took the photo. Yikes! Just keeping it real around here peeps. I guess the extra dust makes the after look so much better. #makinglemonade
I opted for a two-tone look by painting the whole chair a cream color and then painting the carved detail on the chair white. It is subtle, but really highlights it.
As part of this chair makeover, I recovered the seat cushion and stenciled a pineapple on the chair cover. The pineapple motif in the South means “Welcome”. It reminds me so much of my college days in Charleston and I wanted to honor that time in my life with the motif in my home. The stencil was really easy to use. I used the American Decor stencil with white matte fabric paint. It literally took me only a few minutes to finish it.
Now I just have five more to go! It is going to be chair makeover central around here. This is going to take a while to finish them all but I don’t mind because the transformation is long overdue. This is all part of the big kitchen makeover since the whole space is one big space.
What do you think? Would you have painted them or left them with the original finish? This is a controversial subject for some people, but they were most definitely not antiques. Thanks for stopping in!
My awesome friend Lucy from Patina Paradise put together this incredible party list. Lucy and I, we like to party at the same places. You should come to the party…it’s a blast:
MONDAYS
*Show and Share @ Coastal Charm 8AM or 8:30AM
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on The Porch
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life 3PM
Inspire Me Monday @ Sand and Sisal 4 or 5PM
TUESDAYS
Moonlight and Mason Jars @ Cherished Bliss 10 or 11AM
* Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style 6pm
* Vintage Inspiration Party @ My Salvaged Treasures evenings at 7 PM
* Dream Create Inspire @ Refresh Living evenings at 7PM
* Swing into Spring @ DIY by Design at 10PM
What’s It Wednesdays @ Ivy And Elephants
WEDNESDAYS
Creative Spark @ Two Purple Couches 9AM
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson 2PM or 3PM
* Share Your Style @ The Vintage Nest + 7MORE BLOGS!!!!! 6PM CST
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours 6PM CST
THURSDAYS
DIY Like A Boss @ The Heathered Nest
*The Creative Circle @ Up to Date Interiors 8AM
Vintage Charm @ Charm Bracelet Diva 9AM
* Shabbilicous Fridays @ The Shabby Art Boutique 1:00PM
*Feathered Nest Fridays @ French Country Cottage 3PM
Simple and Sweet Fridays @ Rooted In Thyme 6PM
Friday’s Furniture Fix @ The Chelsea Project 9PM
AKA Design-Weekend Retreat party 7 pm
Creativity Unleashed @ Practically Functional 6pm
*Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home 6PM
the weekend retreat @ AKA Design 6pm
Inspiration Friday @ The Painted Drawer 9PM
FRIDAYS
* A morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market 6AM
SATURDAYS
SUNDAYS
* Silver Pennies Sundays @ Finding Silver Pennies 6 or 7 AM
Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home + 6 more blogs! 1 PM
**Amaze Me Mondays @ Dwellings 5PM
Beautiful!
Thanks Janie!
Nancy,
This chair is a real beauty! I love the upholstery. You’ve changed it from a “antique” to a gorgeous new modern day hit! I love it.
Thanks Barbara! I do have to admit it was looking a little tired and dated. Now it has me looking around the rest of my house wondering what kind of transformation I can find next.
Nancy 🙂
These don’t even look like the same chairs! Totally fabulous!
Thanks so much CoCo! You do such a great job painting furniture, so your approval really means a lot to me. Thanks for stopping by.
Nancy
Beautiful! In my opinion the chair details are just as prominent in the original finish, but I understand the desire to have a change. The paints you chose look lovely. I LOVE the stencil on the chair seat! I would like to stencil our family initial inside a wreath onto the front of our dining room chair slipcovers but I’ve been afraid to try it. Seeing your stenciled chair seat has inspired me again.
Thanks Linda! I’ve never stenciled onto a seat before either. I was so surprised at how easy it was and how perfectly the lines were when I removed the stencil. I did stencil it before I put it on the chair though. It made it easier on a hard surface. Keep that in mind.
Good luck!
Nancy
Oh I love the new white on the chairs! They look so fresh and inviting!! I would love to come visit and have a meal with you just to sit on those pineapples! I live in Charleston and I appreciate all things pineapple!
robyn
You are so lucky Robyn! I miss Charleston so much. We’ve visited several times just to go to all our old haunts. We’re planning a couples trip with my BIL and SIL to Charleston (they’ve never been). We are taking them to Charleston (our love) and they are taking us to New York (their love).
Nancy
Love the two-tone effect. You’re right, it really brings out the beautiful detailing of the chairs. And I love the stencil. Wow, I really love the makeover of these chairs!
Thank you so much Jeanne! I’m so happy you like them. I love painted furniture and I think I always will. The details have me falling in love with them all over again.
Thanks for looking!
Nancy
The original chairs are very nice, but I love the updated version! It looks great!! You did a wonderful job. I
Also like the pineapple stencil you painted on the seat cushion. A very nice detail.
Thanks Kelly! I too love the pineapple detail. The lighter of all the chairs (when they are all finished) I think will give a much lighter feel to the space as a whole. Have a great week!
Nancy
Love it! Beautiful job! Gorgeous job!
Wow Sherry! Thank you so much! I have to admit I held my breath as I painted the first stroke, but then all the worries floated away.
Nancy
I love the painted version. Great Job!
Thanks so much Debi!
They turned out amazing! I love the new colors and the stenciled seats are brilliant!
Happy day!
karianne
Beautiful luv the Pineapple stencil too
It has given me inspiration for my living room thank you .
So pretty and I like the name of your blog – the look I’m going for. 😀 Thanks for sharing your subtle coastal touch .
Pamela
I’m so happy you found the blog Pamela! I love a subtle coastal touch. Thanks for visiting!
Hugs,
Nancy
Hi Nancy! I love the subtlety of the chairs. Definitely would have painted them myself and you’ve given me the inspiration to take the plunge and paint my dining room table and chairs. Also, I love the pineapple stencil. Charleston is one of our favorite places – we honeymooned there and visit often. Hope you don’t mind if I copy that as well!