Painted upholstery

One of our favorite transformations to do is painted upholstery. Although a little more tedious than wood furniture, it is a great (and inexpensive!) way to update the look of an old chair, ottoman, and if you're brave enough... a sofa.

Anything with fabric is fair game! (Think lampshades, pillows, curtains...)

Here is a sweet tufted chair I scored on a thrifting adventure. Although it looked pretty rough at the time, I just couldn't pass it up! The cain siding, curvy legs and the overall French appeal had me hooked. I knew that instead of having it reupholstered I was going to tackle this project with paint (why not?!). I started with the fabric, using a mixture of half paint (APC Momma's Lipstick) and half water, it needs to be thin for ease of application and to ensure you get solid coverage. It took several coats so don't be alarmed at first if you aren't getting the look you're after right away. I then sealed it with APC's Clear Top Coat, a zero-VOC, eco-friendly finishing product (I have also used soft wax to seal and it works great as well). Let it dry completely. After that step is complete, I went ahead and taped off the pink piping and painted the wood and caining as normal.

*Sidenote: although it does alter the feel of the fabric, it does not affect the comfort or durability of the chair and is still soft to the touch. Keep in mind it really helps to seal it with either a top coat or wax to secure the color and longevity. If you do this, you are golden!

 

These darling accent chairs are another example of upholstery that we have painted. What a big statement a little bit of paint can make! The fabric was painted in Annie Sloan Louis Blue and the wood trim in Old White. This pair can be found at The Design Cottage in Tacoma, WA for purchase.

Happy painting,

Jill

Looking for paint? Check out Persnickety's in Sumner, WA (an American Paint Company stockist)
and The Design Cottage in Tacoma, WA (a retailer for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint).