We bought a couple of antique chairs a couple of years ago at auction when a local antiques dealer went out of business. At the time, we had visions of opening a booth at an antique mall and planned on reupholstering them and painting them to sell in the booth. Well, the painting business REALLY picked up and we ended up not having the time to devote to curating, thrifting, collecting and re-purposing items that would have been required to maintain inventory for the booth. Having a little shop is still my dream. Maybe someday, but not now. 🙁
A friend of mine has a HUGE consignment sale at her barn each year. So, my goal this year was to transform these chairs to sell at the barn sale. I had read several posts from bloggers on painting fabric. The most informative was definitely this post by Hyphen Interiors. It’s something I really wanted to try. It took A LOT of convincing to get Brooks on board with painting the fabric. But, he finally relented and got right down to work on the chairs.
I kind of came up with my own painting system based on what I had read online. Brooks got a spray bottle full of water and misted the chairs really well wetting the fabric. Then he took a mixture of about 50% Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and 50% water and painted it on the chair.
Since both of the chairs had a really bold fabric, it took 3 coats of paint for each chair, misting with water on each coat with about 24 hours of drying time between each coat. One of the chairs could have used an additional coat of paint, but we just ran out of time to get them ready for the sale.
Then Brooks stenciled a French design on the front of each chair.
French stencils- (affiliate link) You can buy similar stencils HERE. He then distressed and glazed the arms and legs on the chairs. This is the final result.
SUPPLIES:
*Stencils- (affiliate link) FRENCH STENCIL
*Chalk Paint- There are so many great chalk paints out there now. (affiliate link) THIS IS A GOOD OPTION
*Paint Brush- (affiliate link) WE LIKE THESE BRUSHES
*Tape- (affiliate link) GREEN TAPE
*Spray Bottle
*Water
My overall thoughts on the process:
- The chair on the left definitely should have had another coat of paint. It just doesn’t look finished to me.
- If we had more time, we would have waxed the chair, fabric and all to soften it up a bit. Since the cushions were not completely dry, we didn’t want the wax to trap the moisture in the chair.
- The finished chairs felt kind of like leather. Soft and supple. I think they should wear very nicely since the fabric is now protected by three coats of paint.
- I think this is a beautiful way to transform ugly fabric when you don’t have a budget for re-upholstery.
- I’ll definitely be doing this again.
Thanks for sharing and for mentioning my tutorial. That looks awesome!! One of my favorites. I love the stripe and the other stencil. I am adding it to my chairs page – http://www.hypheninteriors.com/chairs
Kristy, thanks a million for both the inspiration for this project AND for adding our project to your blog. You just made my week 🙂
dana
I just pinned this! I only have 3000 followers though. You are amazing! I hope you get big bucks for these. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a stencil that had your family name on it?
Ann, thanks so much for the comment and for “pinning”. I love your idea about a custom stencil with a family name. Thanks!!
Very cool! Submitted the story to Armchair Exchange for more shares!
Very cool! Submitted the story to Armchair Exchange for more shares!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing!!
What did you use for paint to do the lettering?
Wonderful work, both chairs look great. Thank you for sharing!
wow, didn’t know it would look or perform well….
Thanks
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Love thnx
I would like to know how you would wax the fabric if you would have had time for it.
We would have applied the wax with our wax brush and rubbed it into the fabric really, really, well. I think it would have softened the fabric. We will try it next time. Thanks for reading. 🙂
We used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite.
Love the look…I may have to start auction hunting again, just to try this ! I’m fairly new to A.S. paints and just finished my first project with awesome results ! Can give your supplier of French stencils away ?
Glad you like it! Here is where I bought the stencils http://www.maisondestencils.com/ Good luck with your ASCP projects. 🙂
Would like to know what the cost is to do this project, for a person who doesn’t have access to wholesale, contractor pricing on supplies?
Hmmm, not sure how to answer that. Please email me at [email protected] if you would like an estimate. Thanks.
Do you mix the chalk paint w water on each coat of paint?
Yes, you dilute the paint about 50% with water for each coat. 🙂
Dana, I just recently started painting two medium size all fabric chairs with the chalk paint in French linen. The chairs have a pretty thick fabric with a pattern. Most of the chairs are kinda a dirty cream color but it has an intermittent stripe pattern with burgundy, dark green and blue stripes. (I know hideous). So, I researched and thought the chalk paint would be my best bet. I called a retailer and told them what I was painting they said 1 qt should cover it usually. So after reading the before and after chair painting on your page I felt like I was ready to start. I began with spraying the chairs with water in small sections and diluted the paint 50/50. Because of the pleats the amount of fabric, and the cushions are removable it turned out to be a little more labor intensive than I thought but nevertheless I got two coats on one chair and it is NOT covering the color well at all. So on the other chair I used undiluted paint because I was told by another retailer that you did not have to dilute it. It is not covering either! The fabric is very stiff and I had ordered the dark wax but I am about to order the clear and I am nearly out of paint! I think its gonna take two more quarts! Do you have any suggestions??? I painted all weekend and I am getting discouraged about the paint covering. It seems like the fabric is soaking up the paint. It is very heavy fabric but I am at a loss. Please help if you know what I might be doing wrong or what I can do to cover the color. THANKS!!!!! love you page and your blog!
Lisa, one of our chairs had the textural fabric and it did not coat well. You could still see the pattern after three coats of paint. 🙁 The reason you want to wet the fabric and dilute your paint with water is so that it kind of “becomes” the new fabric. It bonds with the fabric and doesn’t sit on top of the fabric as a coating that is hard and stiff. I would definitely dilute the paint with water 50%/50%. It may take several coats, but you will have a softer fabric in the end. Best of luck to you. This project definitely works best on a flat weave fabric without raised patterns. 🙂
Love your chairs! I’m in the process of doing my dining chairs. They look fantastic – but they feel a little sticky (they’re dry – I ironed them to set the fabric medium, and that was over a week ago). I’m thinking that a wax coating might help. I’ve googled and can’t find any tips on waxing upholstery. What kind of wax should I buy? I don’t want it to come off on clothing… Thanks in advance!
I have two nice club chairs bought at a yard sale for $10 each! They are icky dusty rose right now and I have been mulling over painting them. I think I will try it. I can always slipcover them if it doesn’t work. I’ll link to this tute when I post for sure!
Dana
Would u use the Annie Sloan clear wax? Also what do u think about mixing the chalk paint with the fabric medium to keep the painted fabric softer?
Thx
Shari
Dana,
What are your thoughts on mixing the Chalk paint with fabric medium in addition to the water to keep the fabric softer, also were you thinking of using the clear Annie Sloan wax? What do you think the wax would do to improve the final product?
Thx
Shari
Nicola, we use Annie Sloan clear wax. However, I don’t think it will help your sticky fabric problem. There must be some moisture in there. I would give it more time to completely dry. Maybe put them outside on a hot day. Good luck!
Good luck. I’d love to see after photos!
Shari, I would make sure they are completely dry and then add a small amount of clear wax and let that completely dry. I really don’t know about the fabric medium. If you try it let me know how it goes. Thanks!
These are gorgeous! Sharing your work over at my place on Friday! XOXO
Thanks for the comment and thanks so much for sharing!!
love the stencils I would be so afraid they would bleed outside the lines do you have a special trick to prevent that from happening?
There are spray paints that are designed specifically for upholstery fabrics. However, they don’t come in the light colors that are so popular with the “Shabby Chic” crowd. My biggest concern about painting with chalk paint AND then waxing would be that the fabric won’t breath. For a chair that is just for looks, painting soundsl ike a good solution.
However, if you are going to use a chair, re-upholstery or slip covers are a much better way to go. The two chairs shown, especially the one on the left, are VERY easy to recover yourself. The time and effort to do so is probably no more than the time and effort to paint them. Cost? Well, on-line fabric stores sell upholstery weight, real linen fabric for less than $10 per yard. It takes about 1.5 yards for the chair on the left and 2 yards for the chair on the right. Check out Betsy Speert’s Blog for how to re-upholster. Betsy is a well known Interior Designer with two books under her belt and many rooms published in major shelter magazines. Re-upholstery is not difficult, especially for small chairs like these.
Thanks for the comment and the info!
We did have a little bleed through on one that my husband was able to touch up. 🙂
We did have a little bleed through on one that my husband was able to touch up. 🙂
I disagree that the lovely little chair with the pattern showing through needs another coat of paint. To me it looks like a subtle and pricey tone on tone fabric, chosen by impossible chance to match the painted wood on the chair perfectly. That’s not even a happy accident, that’s a price boost!
Wow! I love it.
I have two chairs very similar–with ugly upholstery–I can’t wait to try this.
Did you use the same paint on the wood as on the fabric?
Can you give any details on the process you used on the wood?
Thank you so much for sharing what you have learned on how to paint fabric with the Annie Sloan paint.
We also used Annie Sloan Paris Grey on the wood of the chair. It was one coat. We let that dry and then sanded it back to look distress and sealed with dark wax to deepen the color. Good luck. Glad you liked it!
They look amazing! I have an ottoman that I’m inspired to paint now! Can I ask what kind of paint y’all used on the stenciling?
Thanks so much! Yes, we used Annie Sloan Graphite paint on the stencil. Good luck with your project!
Dana, I love these chairs! U and ur hubs did an amazing job! And, I actually like that the rounder chairs fabric texture/pattern still shows, it gives another look and so much texture. I think they’re both gorgeous!
Thanks so much for the comment. Glad you liked the chairs 🙂
I have a sun faded upholstered chair I want to just freshen it up to its original color will the paint rub off on your clothing after it drys?
No, the paint won’t rub off. It dries completely 🙂
These are gorgeous! I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for some vintage chairs now! Did you have to seal the paint in the fabric with anything? Thanks so much for the tutorial and info! 😀
You are welcome! Glad you liked them. No, we didn’t seal it. The paint actually bonds with the fabric making it very durable. Good luck on your project.
I’d really like to try this. I just last week ruined a perfectly good chair by trying to paint it – not with chalk paint though and in fairness, I skimped on the instructions so I take full blame. Still, it’s made me a bit nervous trying it again.
You’re SURE they aren’t rough or uncomfortable? The ones I did felt like sleeping sheets made of new unwashed burlap – awful! I don’t want that to happen again.
I will try one more time just because I’m dying to do this (and cannot sew worth a darn to make slipcovers) but just want some reassurance. 😉
Thanks for the comment. It definitely is not soft like fabric, I would use it on a chair I wouldn’t be sitting in every day. Good luck.
Did you use the Annie Sloan brushes for painting the fabric, or a roller, or just a regular brush.
Great job!
Thanks!! We just used regular paint brushes. 🙂
Did you use any of whatever ” fabric medium” is or whatever or just the water and chalk paint? I have probably 10 different Annie Sloan chalk paint colors and use it on everything..,but never fabric. Does it come off onto clothing? And what about if something spills on it?
Rebekah, thanks for the comment. No, we didn’t use any fabric medium, just watered down ASCP. It adhered well and didn’t rub off. It is very durable and I would think that spills would wipe right up because it creates a protective barrier. Good luck!
When you applied the stencil did you water that paint down as well? How did you get it not to “run down the chair”? or did you use the paint without watering it down? I think they look great and have a project in mind that would require stenciling the back, although I found lots of great info on painting on the fabric, I couldn’t find anything to explain painting on a stencil. Any help would be great!
We applied the stencil in full strength Chalk Paint. We didn’t water it down. Thanks for the comment and good luck on your project!
This is amazing! I’ve used ASCP in my kitchen/cabinets and love the look. I have two chairs that are so ugly and need to be recovered but they are in fine condition otherwise. I can’t afford to have them recovered and that painting is a possibility it so exciting. They are chairs we sit in all the time, will the paint hold up – wear out? Get dirty? The ASCP can “hold” oils, will this be an issue…as it is for fabric? It doesn’t come off on clothes?
Thank you!
Thanks for the comment! The paint creates a durable protective barrier. I don’t think you will have any trouble with dirt or oils. Good luck 🙂
Hi Dana! We’re creating a post about fabric painting on our blog over at Suite Pieces (Long Island and NYC stockists for Annie Sloan), and would love to feature the chair with the French ticking stripe as one of our favorites from around the blogosphere! Can we be in touch about the particulars? You can reach me at mary {at} suitepieces {dot} com.
I’d love to be included. Thanks so much. I’ll contact you 🙂
I am fascinated with the process. I have a sectional with 7 back pillows and 4 seat cushions. Sectional is 10 yrs old and I’m tired of the pattern. I have never chalk painted anything. Is this an undertaking I should consider or not. I originally had plans to reupholster the sectional but cost was rather high. .
Thanks for the comment. I really think this is more for an occasional chair. I don’t think you’d be comfortable sitting on this every day. Best of luck to you. 🙂
Where can one buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?
We buy ours locally from C’est Moi in Brentwood TN. I believe they ship. Good luck!
Hi! I’m trying this on some of my mom’s chairs~ do I wax the fabric? I’ve done one coat of graphite and water 1:1 and it feels pretty stiff…
Your chairs turned out great!!!
Thanks!! After it dries completely you can apply clear wax to soften it up. Good luck 🙂
Both look fantastic. The chair on the left appears faded in appearance. To me, it looks like the chair that sits near the window, in the sun, for many, many years.
Does the Paris Grey resemble Linen (fabric) in color? I’ve got a few Annie Sloan colors and Paris Grey isn’t one of them 🙁 I’ve got Graphite, which I can water down and hope for the best. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much for your comment. I think French Linen is the closest color to linen. Good luck on your project!
Would this work on velvet upholstery??
Yes, this will work on velvet. Best of luck to you on your project 🙂
I just learned how to chalk paint this weekend! Woot! I’m saving this project for when I’m a little more seasoned, but I love the effect on the legs. What colors did you use? Just chalk paint and dark wax or two different colors of chalk paint and then wax? Thank you!!
Thanks Anne! We used Country Grey and dark wax on the legs. Good luck on your painting adventures.
Absolutely luv this. . where can I purchase stencils?. . .How about the paint?
Thanks! The paint is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint you can do a google search for a retailer near you. The stencil is from http://maisondestencils.com/
I have piping on a chair. Can chalk paint be used on the piping as well?
It sure can. Should work fine. Good luck. 🙂
Are these chairs for sale?
No, sorry these are sold. 🙁
What clear wax do you use? Thank you
We use Annie Sloan’s clear wax.
How much would a project like this cost? I don’t want to spend too much money on painting my chair
Haley this is definitely a DIY project. Good luck 🙂
Dana, How much Annie Sloan paint you use to coat one chair? Was it more than 1 quart? I am just trying to figure out how much it will cost to paint my chair or just cover it. Thanks!
I think we used about 1/4 of a quart of paint. Good luck 🙂
Hi. I really would like to do the chalk paint for several projects. I was reading that you can do your own from latex paint + plaster.. but i am not sure what latex paint is Where I live (Africa) no one sells a paint called latex. Could it be called somehow differently from country to country?
and once you have painted the fabric, will it stay if ever it gets wet or if someone seats on it and for the heat he/she has sweted a bit, is not possible that the paint will get off and stain his/her ‘s sweted cloths?
Etian, I would recommend that you order the real Annie Sloan Chalk Paint online and have it shipped to you. The paint goes a long way. Good luck with your projects.
To Etain in Africa – Chalk and plaster are both made from Calcium carbonate which is water soluable. All you need to use is a water-based paint as a base paint for your DIY Chalk paint. I believe that outside the US water-based paint is called ALKYLD. Another name is ACRYLIC paint. The acrylic creates a matrix which hold the chalk together. Don’t know if Annie’s product contains any acrylics. From my experience, the Annie Sloan finish is VERY chalky. That is why it is so easy to distress (another word for “rub off”) and that is why she recommends that you seal it with her wax. Many people do not like the time and effort involved in waxing so they seal their chalk paint with an acrylic-based sealer.
Did you really think someone who sells Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for a living would help you find a way to make your own product?
Personally, I take the easy way and just add colorant to the paint I would normally use as a primer. It works great and is much easier than adding chalk or Plaster of Paris. The choice is up to you. What do you have – more time or more money?
Smiles from My Slice of Provence, Charlotte
Do you think this would work on bonded leather?
Ellen, yes. I’ve seen someone else who wrote about using ASCP on leather. It turned out great. Good luck!
Absolutely lovely! I am using the upholstery painting technique for the first time on a “free” piece Of furniture (chair) I am using to stage a home for sale. Other tutorials used fabric medium. I don’t see that you did. Is the reason due to the fact you used chalk paint vs latex paint? Also, is there a “best” way to clean the fabric before you begin painting? Thank you!
Thanks! I didn’t use fabric medium because I have read blogs that say it doesn’t really soften the paint once it is dry and that would be the only reason to use it. I would clean the fabric with whatever you have on hand and let it dry before painting. Good luck!!!
I absolutely love the results and plan on my first project, soon. I am a real estate professional and am up scaling a few pieces for staging empty homes…lamps, chairs, bureaus, etc. I’m experienced with tables and bureaus. Based on that, have you ever tried using zinsser on the first coat, then whatever top coat of choice? Might be a good start especially on dark, bold and/or stained fabric. Just a thought from an inexperienced fabric painter since I have read on other blogs the first coat seems to be the most difficult and challenging coat. Would like to know what you all think about this. Happy decorating to you all!
MaryLee, thanks for the comment. We have tons of ASCP around our house and this method worked great for us. I think using a primer as the first coat is another great idea if it’s in the same color family as your final coat. Each fabric fiber picks up the paint differently so you want to make sure your color is consistent. Good luck with your projects 🙂
Great post on painting chairs. I have thought about doing this, but wasn’t sure. I like how yours turned out. I have a couple of chairs that I just might try this on.
Bev
Thanks so much! 🙂
You may have answered this and sorry I missed it if you did, but I am just curious if the paint will flake after some wear and tear. Does anyone have any experience with this or any thoughts?
I know several people that have used this method and there hasn’t been any flaking or wear. It’s like the paint bonds with the fibers. Hope that makes sense 🙂 Thanks for the comment.
Hi, thanks for your great post. I really like the glaze/distressed finish you have on the chair on the right. How did you achieve this look. Thank you!
Thanks! We used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Country Grey with dark wax. 🙂
How do you paint in the crease where the seat and the back meet? Love the chairs!
Thanks. Just get your brush in there the best you can. Good luck.
I just saw your post featured on Hometalk. I’m about to paint the upholstery of a chair for the first time and found this post very helpful – thanks! Finger’s crossed mine turn as as nice as yours.
Thanks so much!! Good luck!!
Did you tape off when you painted the chairs or just went for it.
They are beautiful. I have a settee I want to try this on.
Thanks
We did use tape for the lines. Good luck to you!!
Do you dilute the wax with water before applying to the fabric also?
No, just apply lightly. Good luck.
Hi Dana,
I love this idea. I didn’t know you could paint fabric on furniture. I was just wondering, if used on a sofa (yes big project I know) would the paint not crack from being sat on? I have a sofa at my cottage that I was going to buy or make a slipcover for as I would like it to be white or off white. It’s a golden yellow now. This would be a great alternative to all that sewing and making the slipcover pattern. I believe the fabric is a poly cotton blend with a weave kind of texture, slightly raised. What are your thoughts on this?
I’d appreciate any advice you are able to share.
Kathleen (from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
If this is a sofa you plan on spending a lot of time on, I’d recover. The painted fabric is not soft and pliable. It is kind of stiff. Not something I’d want to take a nap on. This is perfect for a piece that is only used occasionally. Good luck.
Thank you so much for sharing how to paint the fabric. I have 2 beautiful Thomasville chairs that seem brand new as they have only been on display in the formal living room for the last 25 years, LOL….needless to say the fabric is out of date and my new style is European French Country….I have already looked into reupholstering them and the quotes range from 1200-1800 for the pair…Yikes! I love this idea better and can’t wait to try it.