Yup. I spray painted chairs. Upholstered chairs. Dude, I’m the first to admit it’s weird. And it’s definitely not the answer if you’re sane. But when you’re a desperate woman with nothing to lose, well… stuff happens.
Remember these Craigslist chairs we found last March? They were originally from an old hotel (with faded and stained eighties fabric to prove it) but we got them for $25 a pop.
Then I tried to paint them a soft apple green color like a tutorial I’d seen, but didn’t have as much luck (read more on that hot-mess here).
We were set on green for a while (not this neon of course) until we realized it’s a ton of chairs in a room, so you don’t want them all screaming for attention and stealing thunder from things like our patterned curtains and the boldly painted built-ins. That’s when I got $20 off-white slipcovers for them from World Market (which clashed with the white trim and accessories everywhere – but were cheaper than buying fabric and making my own), so I dyed them brown.
But the slipcovers were a little schlumpy. After they came out of the dryer they were nice and tight, but over time they got droopy and sad. They just looked a little loosey goosey and messy. Sure, I could wash them again to get them looking nice for another week, but that’s a whole lotta work for something that should be low maintenance. Here in this pic from our House Tour page you can see the slipcovers looking a little baggy on the sides – and that’s from far away.
So I decided since I already painted one chair (and it works just as well as the others with the slipcover on it – it’s literally impossible to tell which one is painted when it’s covered) I figured I had nothing to lose by painting the rest of them (I could just cover them up again if they were blotchy and gross). And instead of using craft paint and textile medium (read more on why that didn’t work out for me here) I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to spray paint them with this old friend:
Who does that? $herdog does that. Beware of a woman with nothing to lose (and eight slipcovers to hide any potential disasters).
First I donned my trusty spray painting socks. Can your brain even comprehend this hotness?
I must really love you guys to share such glamorous shots of my life, huh? I just hate potentially getting my shoes or my flip flops all sticky/painted, so my painting socks do the trick (with the bottoms of my sweatpants tucked into them, so I don’t get stickiness on the bottom of my pants).
I started off slow. Really light light coats on just one chair. Nothing thick or drippy. Here’s a shot of things when I was just getting started. I was biting. my. nails.
I expected a total disaster, but after a few more light coats applied pretty much one after the other (maybe four total?) my first chair was looking pretty good. I was kind of shocked, actually because I expected to just do one and hate it and toss the cover back on. You still see the pattern in the fabric since that’s a texture thing that paint can’t change (the actual fabric itself has those patterns sort of embossed into it), but instead of being a riot of crazy stained/faded/eighties swirls…
… it’s all one color. A pretty gunmetal charcoal color. Almost the exact same color as Karl the Sectional actually. Which is funny because we have an avocado green kitchen between two rooms with soft gray walls (the living room and the dining room) both of which now have charcoal upholstery. Hooray for a little accidental house-wide balance. The funniest thing about the whole charcoal color result is that ORB is usually a dark brown color, but on upholstered chairs I guess things can get crazy. Imagine that. Ha. So I was expecting a dark brown look but I got a nice Karl-ish color instead. Which was a nice surprise. It’s like hoping to find a half-eaten box of raisins in the bottom of your purse when you’re starving and finding a granola bar instead. Cha-ching.
As for the spraying specifics (you know, for any other nuts out there with nothing to lose and thrill seeking spray painting tendencies), here’s a post with my general spray painting tips (like buy the good stuff, mist things to avoid drips, keep your hand moving, etc). There’s a slight metallic sheen when the light hits the fabric just right thanks to the type of spray paint we used (Rustoleum Universal Metallic in Oil-Rubbed Bronze), but they don’t look like Liberace chairs. It’s more of a subtle thing at the right angle, but most of the time they just look like charcoal gray fabric. Also, from certain angles in certain lighting you can hardly see the pattern in the fabric and other times it’s more obvious, but it’s much less offensive now that it’s all one color. The pattern is actually more noticeable in some of these pics than in real life (must be how light bounces off of them into the camera or something? No idea).
I spray painted the slightly-banged-up-formerly-more-reddish legs as well, which turned out a lot more like the typical ORB color (dark chocolate with a bit of metallic sheen). They’re our favorite part, because whether we decide to add the slipcovers back on or even reupholster these babies down the line, those sexy ORB legs will always be around.
Here’s a slightly inaccurate long shot of them in the room. Haha. They look darker and more patterned in this photo than in real life. We can’t wait to add a giant chandelier over that 70″ table and bring in a nice large rug to break up all the wood (wood floor, wood legs, wood table). And of course it looks less like a black hole with a colorful runner and some dishes on the table. We’ll eventually refinish the floors to be the same color as the one in the kitchen, so the future rug (perhaps something big and jute?) will be lighter and should help the darker legs/table and floor pop while keeping them all from blending together in one big mocha-wood-fest. Someday…
The big question is probably “what do they feel like?” I went into it thinking that a few coats of spray paint might make them feel rough like burlap or thick like leather, but they feel pretty much exactly like the original durable-hotel-upholstery fabric felt beforehand (which was always firm and not too soft, but not crunchy or anything). It’s kind of hilarious that they didn’t really change. The only way I can explain this phenomenon is that I’ve noticed when I get spray paint on a pair of painting pants, for example, they still feel the same (just as soft in that spot, but they’re a different color). Maybe it just goes on thinner than paint applied with a brush or roller so it’s less obvious on some types of fabric?
Update: A reader (thanks Krystie!) cracked the code by reminding me that the reason it worked so well on these chairs might have been because the hotel fabric is a Crypton (which means it’s coated in a protection to keep anything from penetrating – so the spray is sitting on top and not soaking in and getting crunchy/blotchy).
But let’s be clear. I never (inamillllllionyears) would have had the confidence to give this a try if we didn’t already:
- paint one chair green and know that it worked just as well as the other unpainted ones once the slipcover was on it
- already have slipcovers to hide my little paint job if it went bad (not much to lose there since they can be covered)
Remember, I was a woman with nothing to lose and a deep love of spray paint. I have no idea how other fabric would do, but these chairs were made out of thick upholstery grade fabric, so it wasn’t as soft as cashmere to begin with. But if you’re dealing with something like velvet or silk, the spray paint could very well make it crunchy and hard. I’m 100% certain that different fabric or even more thickly applied spray paint (or a different brand/type) could yield different results. Maybe you can find similar fabric to the item of furniture you’re thinking about spraying and just apply a few light and even coats of spray paint on your test fabric to see how it works out first?
Another question might be “if someone sits in them, can they rub off on their clothes?” After allowing them to dry a while (we left them outside for four days after making sure there was no rain in the forecast) they’re all cured up and don’t smell like spray paint. And just like dried spray paint that gets on painting clothes, they shouldn’t rub off (I wash mine and they remain ORBed and don’t bleed on other clothes – even when they’re wet in the washer). If someone spilled water on the chair it shouldn’t rub off since it’s oil-based paint. I even rubbed a wet white rag on them to make sure nothing transferred.
As for how we feel, we’re still sort of on the fence. They’re definitely better (muuch better) than the green painted chair debacle. And in person we think they’re marginally better than the baggy slipcovers. But we’ll probably recover or replace them someday down the line – so I think the verdict is “fine for now.” We still have the brown slipcovers so we can always throw those back on or somehow tailor them someday? No idea. It would be cool to learn how to reupholster them or sew better slipcovers but with eight chairs it’s too big of a job for right now, so we’re happy to live with what we have. Who’s on Team Gray? Any Team Brown folks? Anyone care to join us on the fence? I don’t think there are any Team Greens out there, are there?
There’s probably a lesson in here somewhere about how $25 craigslist chairs might not always be the answer if they have a crazy pattern and don’t fit typical store-bought slipcovers. Ah well, live and learn. At least they’ve served us well for the past year and will seat our sweet family whenever they come over until we figure out what we want down the road. Has anyone else reached the end of their rope and spray painted something in an act of defiance and desperation? Can you believe I’ve painted, slipcovered, dyed, and re-painted these guys? One thing’s for sure, I’m a stubborn gal and I just can’t leave things well enough alone.
Stephanie says
I like either color, but I think if you find just the right tutorial and think of it as a big project broken down into several little ones, I know you could do slipcovers for them. Maybe you could find someone in the area to give you a little help in the beginning. That is what I did with my roman shade in my kitchen. My sewing class instructor helped me with the planning and made sure I got the cuts right, but I did all the sewing on my own. You can do it!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I wish my mom would come visit and help me tackle just one cover to see if it’s something I can handle. When I look at tutorials I’m certain I’m not ready to tackle it alone! Haha.
xo,
s
Joy says
Sherry, I would love it if you tackled sewing a slipcover. All of us wanna-be sewers that are reading would be cheering you on all the way! Hubby and I have done lots of things in our house that I was scared to do at first, but I was like “If John and Sherry can do it so can we!”
Go for it!
Plus you could get John to help, he may not be allowed to use the scissors (he he), but I bet he’d be an expert measurer and pinner.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I like the idea of putting John to work! We just have to decide if slipcovers or reupholstery are the way to go. Will keep you posted!
xo,
s
Kimberly says
Love em Bronzed…
Thanks for the idea – I bought material to recover my dining room chairs, and have done a crappy job on just one of the chairs. I think I’ll try this on the seats – wish me luck. I was also looking at a change of color too!
Love all your ideas!
Kimberly
Beth in DC says
You get points for imagination, for energy, for creativity, for not giving up, for experimenting, for admitting that something was somehow not working. Now I think you should reward yourself with the cool leather chairs you’ve really wanted all along. Maybe when all the book money comes rolling in this summer? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I don’t know. It’s so expensive to buy eight chairs! Even at $75 for some leather ones on sale it’s still $600 plus shipping! Haha. We’re so cheap.
xo,
s
Ang says
Not cheap, FRUGAL. :) My kids like to call me cheap but I will always maintain that I know the value of a dollar, therefore frugal because when the time is right, I do know how to splurge. You do too!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- thanks Ang!
xo,
s
heather says
I’m proud of you for being, what I would call, yankee-thrift but frugal works too. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yankee-thrift.
xo,
s
Kim says
Love you guys but those just do nothing for me! I vote for new covers!
Katie V. says
I really like the gray! I could see you eventually recovering them in gray, but for now the paint seems to work and I like them better than with the slipcovers.
Laura @ DMHB says
I much prefer the dark grey, but at least from the pictures, I’m not really sure I dig the pattern underneath. I do think they look better than the slip covers, which were a bit too baggy. The close up shot makes it look more bronze than a typical dark grey as well, I like the more inaccurate darker grey shot.
It’ll be a bummer if you end up having to reupholster them. It’d probably turn out to be more expensive than if you were to have bought $60 chairs in the first place.
I really enjoy seeing all the transformations these chairs have gone through, always exciting to see the new ideas you guys have cooked up!
Becky says
I used to spraypaint t-shirts all the time in highschool. I would tape up designs with painters tape and spray away. I also used sticker letters to write words in the negative space. The shirts were always rougher than a jersey t-shirt but they washed well and wore well. They served well to maintain my slightly punk and rocker image. Oh, highschool in the 90s…hahah..So this doesn’t seem completely insane to me! Spray on! :)
YoungHouseLove says
I LOVE THAT!
xo,
s
Justine says
I’m kind of on the fence right now. I definitely perfer it to the brown slipcovers (and the neon green), but I’m not sure if I’m loving the new look yet either. But it was definitely worth a try!
Debbie says
I really am not a fan of this at all. Sorry!
Marie says
Have you seen the form fitting line of Sure Fit slip covers? I used one on a sofa bed before, and you’d be amazed at how it turned a schlumpy old sofa bed into a pretty sleek looking piece. It was durable, washable and stylish.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll have to check those out!
xo,
s
Emily says
I don’t know that I would have been brave enough to spray paint like you guys, so more power to you! But I think that it’s time to convince a family member to get a part-time job at Crate & Barrel/Pottery Barn/your favorite store so you guys can get what you really want at 40% off!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaha, we found some parsons chairs at Ikea that we loved. Maybe someday…
xo,
s
Kate says
Love that you let things evolve as you go! I would be interested in seeing what it feels like spray painted.
We purchased cheapo Ikea dining chairs for our dining room a couple of years ago. Long story short, we both hated them, but they were a lot of money for us at the time.
So I turned to other rooms and let our style evolve and figure out what I wanted. I found a lovely set of chairs at a furniture consignment shop a couple of months ago for half the price of the Ikea ones. Hoping to recoup to cost by selling the originals on craigslist!
I have to say, I loved your kitchen posts, but I’m enjoying the greater variety of projects lately!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Kate! And so great that you found those consignment chairs and can craigslist the original ones!
xo,
s
Katrina says
I think it looks good, but I can’t help but think that something linen-y/light grayish tufted something would look awesome too! :) it’s your guys’ house though haha, and you are the experts! Maybe that’s me dreaming for my own house! :)
YoungHouseLove says
YESSSSSS! We saw light gray parsons chairs at Ikea and were kind of in love. Someday…
xo,
s
Melissa says
At the beginning of the post you refer to them as being $25 a pop and then at the end you say they were $35. ;-)
This is a timely post for me. Our chairs are wood with a fabric seat. I recovered the seats a couple years ago, but with four kids they are looking BAD. I either need to recover them again or something else, and the something else I’ve been thinking of is spray paint. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but this gives me hope.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re right! Off to fix that!
xo,
s
Ang says
Cool, but yes crazay! I’m surprised you didn’t just hit the clearance table at the fabric store, but you’re too unconventional for that, and supa stylin’ in those socks. ;)
Meg Ray says
Thanks for sharing! How are you managing the off gassing of the spray paint? Inspired by your $herdog MasterCan skills, I have spray painted an old outdoor plant stand to use as a nightstand in our bedroom. Problem: I can still smell the spray paint on it and am worried about fumes with my 7 mo old sleeping in the same room with us. I know you’ve used a sealant on frames in the past, but this stand has really ornate scrolled metalwork…awkward to paint with sealant. Any ideas? (Or a guesstimate at how long the off gassing lasts?)
YoungHouseLove says
I’m a crazy lady about off-gassing. Basically I leave everything we paint out in the sun to ventilate (they say warmth/heat/sunlight speeds up the process) for at least 48 hours and 72 hours whenever I can (in this case we could give them four straight days since there was no rain the forecast). Then I bring them into the sunroom (which is all sealed up, so you can smell if something still needs more ventilation time if you leave it in there for 24 hours and then poke your head in if it still smells like spray paint) and only if it passes the smell test, does it come into the house. If not, it’s back out into the sun to bake off! As for your stand, since you can still smell it I’d put it outside to bake on as many hot days as you can until you can’t even smell it if you put your nose right against it. Good luck!
xo,
s
Willow says
I think they look much better, and considering how you changed them, I think they look great!! I like the charcoal but I have to ask, would you have chosen a different color if you knew it would turn out as well as it did?
I’m impatient about waiting to change things that real bother me in my home and generally seek creative measures to alter its appearance until I can afford to make lasting changes, for instance, I’ve found its hard for me to live with a color that I just can’t embrace… it can become unsettling and interfere with my comfort level, making my home feel more like a house.
Creative thinking turned into an inspired outcome!
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’re happy they ended up charcoal instead of brown in the end since a brown table with brown chair legs and brown upholstery might have been too much… brown. Haha.
xo,
s
Melissa says
And for my 2 cents… I like the painted chairs better than those brown slipcovers. I was never a fan of those. I thought the crazy green chair was better than those baggy sacks. ;-)
Shannon says
You are awesome and cray-zay! I love the new look. I really appreciate how you use what you have. But I am curious, how many dollars do you spend on spray paint per month?
Ps I can’t. Wait. To see your chandelier over that table!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, good question! I usually use leftover stuff for things like Dude Get On That Challenges, but I did have to buy some new cans to do all the chairs. Maybe it’s a $7-20 a month habit? Haha.
xo,
s
Wendy says
I think it’s a win! There’s no shame in our house in using spray paint to make something work until you figure out the long term plan. I think I’ve shared this with you before, but we actually spray painted our hideous hunter green formica kitchen countertops. http://www.oldtownhome.com/2011/11/3/Quick-Kitchen-Counter-Update—With-Textured-Spray-Paint/index.aspx
We couldn’t afford to do an entire reno when we bought our house, but I didn’t want to live with what we had either. This $50 fix has served us well over the years until we get our new kitchen.
YoungHouseLove says
That project is so amazing to me! Just the intricacy to tape everything off was amazing!
xo,
s
Katie says
I like them and think you always do an awesome job. I have a similar dining chair story. I bought rose dining chairs just like yours and after trying slip covers and different options I eventually sold them. I bought them because they were such a great deal and thought I could do something with them. Such a fail for me :(
YoungHouseLove says
Aw Katie, I’m glad you at least could sell them! Better than having to give them away for free!
xo,
s
Fatima from NYC says
Looove your tricks sherry but gotta join the other team on this one! Great idea, courage needed, results unexpected in my opinion. Btw, just moved here from the big bad city for a job opp for my husband. Been reading the blog to get over the homesickness and to find things to enjoy about Richmond. So Thanks!
Loribeth says
I don’t think you’re crazy at all for spray painting upholstery. I did it on an antique chair that my mom gave me. It was an ugly green color–not one of the nice greens you see now–so I bought some spray paint formulated for fabric and went at it with black. It took a lot of coats to cover the green, and the fabric isn’t soft any longer, but it looks a lot better. A couple months ago I stenciled the same chair.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo,
s
Jenn says
Totally team grey. The brown slip covers with the curtains were too 70s for me. Now the curtains are growing on me. Me likey.
Amy says
Team Grey!
Heather S says
Sorry, I’m on team re-upholster too for many of the reasons listed above.
Kristi says
I think the chairs turned out really nice! I wouldn’t have tried it myself but kudos, it worked! I also really love your spray paint sock idea! I can’t tell you how many times I said to myself “I don’t need to change shoes/pants. I’ll just be really careful” and ummm oops.
Kristy Swain says
Oh man, that’s so funny that the chair saga continues! I would like it better if you couldn’t see the pattern, ya know. You could try Simply Spray on top of that. I’m meeting with a rep of theirs tomorrow… to see if I want to try any of their products. Thanks for sharing the good and the bad!!
Colleen Irby says
The best money I have spent lately was on a upholstery class…..(hint, hint) :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I would love to learn that someday! Reupholstering eight chairs feels like quite the job!
xo,
s
Shannon Brady says
I am team gray! I like how the texture shows up under the paint, how they match Karl and they look much more tailored than with the slipcovers…you will have to let us know how they hold up!
:-)
Vintage Cape Cod says
This is awesome – I hope it holds up well. I suggest you have a new section riffing off the blendtec “Will it blend?” videos. “WILL IT ORB?” Other ideas: “ORBable? Scroll Down!”
I love that you’re not afraid to hit something with a little spray paint just to see what happens.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, so funny.
xo,
s
John@RemodelingBIBLE says
I think this is a great way to make old chairs look brand new again. Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks John! I totally expected a blotchy mess, so I think we’re just pleasantly surprised. Haha.
xo,
s
Brooke says
I totally agree with you that trying to reupholster chairs like that would be a huge project, but you’re getting pretty good at the sewing machine. If you get tired of the spray paint color, I think you should just put your slip covers on the chairs (inside out), pin them so they fit the way you want them to, and then sew some quick seams to avoid the bagginess. But I love your willingness to try anything, and for the price you paid, you can totally afford to experiment. Would you ever consider mismatched chairs? I think they look cute in magazines, but I’m afraid I’d find them distracting in person.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, I think they could look cute at a rectangular table (maybe the end ones are a different pattern) but at a round table they might look too crazy with our built ins and patterned curtains in the room.
xo,
s
Sydney says
I’m relatively new to your website (love it – where have you been all my life?). I think this is a great idea, and plan on trying it on the cushioned seats of my dining rooms chairs. What appeals to me is that it looks very durable and easy to clean, which is an absolute necessity in my house, since I have six kids, with three under the age of 4, whose idea of fun is to grind Goldfish into every surface possible.
Matt says
Mmm, not feeling this at all. Who spray paints formal dining room chairs? What a disservice to your guests that may or may not have to test out whether these actually do transfer on to people’s clothing. If I were a guest and knew that these chairs had been spray painted and I sat down in them to eat dinner, trust me, I would be uncomfortable with the thought the whole time. While I certainly don’t condone venturing out and trying unconventional things, this borders along the line of ‘I’m running out of ideas and so I think I’ll just spray paint things all kinds of different colors because I’ve done it to everything else in my house that’s not furniture people actually sit down on.’ People come to your blog looking to be inspired, right?
YoungHouseLove says
I rubbed them with a wet white rag vigorously and there’s no transferring at all! I promise our beloved family members aren’t our guinea pigs. As I mentioned, if this hadn’t worked out we could have easily slipped the brown slipcovers that we’ve had for over a year right back on (and still can if the mood strikes) so there’s no harm, and no foul. I’m just a gal who goes crazy with spray paint from time to time!
xo,
s
Joy says
Wow. Didn’t your mother ever tell you what to do if you don’t have anything nice to say?
Haven’t you ever sat on a piece of painted furniture before? Ever? Not even painted wood or metal?
Luckily, I think your odds of being invited over for dinner are fairly low.
Gina (Lady Goats) says
Awww, c’mon Matt… It was creative, you gotta give her that :o) It may not be for everyone, but I personally don’t see anything wrong with it. I mean, I’ve sat on spray painted benches without a problem, so what’s the difference here? And poor Sherry shouldn’t have to explain herself.. Just don’t sit on ’em, if you don’t wanna!
Jen says
Wow Matt. I agree with Joy. Jerk much? And if you “don’t condone venturing out and trying unconventional things”, then why are you reading this blog?
Gina (Lady Goats) says
Have you looked into how the chairs come apart? Does the back come off? You can reupholster them without sewing like I did here http://www.ladygoats.com/2011/09/dont-do-as-i-say-or-do-unless-you-wanna.html or, you can do minimal-but-makes-it-so-much-better sewing, like I did here http://www.ladygoats.com/2012/03/check-off-ole-to-dos.html. And it doesn’t get all loose/wonky.
Otherwise, I totally love the grey chairs. Totally dig the metallic/textury goodness. However, I haven’t seen them in person, so I can kinds get how you’re thinking they’re ok-for-now.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the links! I have stared at them for hours trying to figure out how to take them apart or staple them without the staples so I’ll have to stare at them more along with your tutorial to see if I can figure it out! Haha.
xo,
s
Lauren says
I really like this! The pattern makes the fabric look like some sort of metallic suede (does that even exist??) in some of the photos. I can’t wait to see how it holds up long term.
You may have already answered this in another comment or in the post itself (I’m trying to take care of my 1 month old and read your blog at the same time!), but how did the chair you had painted green before turn out? Did the ORB paint cover it well and not make it too crunchy in texture?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh I actually didn’t spray that one (it lives in the playroom since we usually only have seven chairs at the table since we have four more seats at the peninsula in the kitchen, so we don’t usually need more than that and it makes for more elbow room). We figure we can bring that one out with the brown slipcover and it’ll work in a pinch, but with seating for 11 we haven’t needed that yet!
xo,
s
Blair says
I definitely like the more tailored look of the painted chairs, rather than the slouchy covers. I was wondering if you considered or even knew that they make fabric spray paint. I haven’t used it, but I have wondered how it would work. I don’t know that you could use it on these chairs, because ORB probably sealed them. But, perhaps, for something else, or if you find other chairs that you like. Here’s a link to the fabric spray paint – http://www.simplyspray.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Blair! We experimented with some fabric spray paint for a few secret book projects and it actually worked really well! It seemed to work best on white fabric (spraying it over milti-colored fabric might not do as well). Anyone used Simply Spray on thick patterned chair fabric? Would love pics/links!
xo,
s
cc says
Thanks for my morning chuckle– ORB to the rescue again! Is there nothing that stuff can’t conquer?
Jessica says
I reupholstered a chair by just staple-gunning new fabric over the old (that way I didn’t have to worry about new padding, etc.). It’s kind of a lazy way of doing it, but you can’t beat the price!
YoungHouseLove says
I wish we could do that but worry about the staples showing (ex: will the back of the seat have staples all down the sides?). My mom used to date an upholsterer when I was in high school and sometimes I wish he was still a family friend today- haha.
xo,
s
Kate says
You use piping or gimp to cover the staples. Just glue it down with hot glue! Easy!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! I haven’t seen parsons chairs with that stuff on them so I didn’t know if it would look weird! Will have to keep an eye out!
xo,
s
Cathy says
They look so great! Funny that you would post this. I am thinking about trying to spray paint an upholstered chair that I have but with a paint that I just found out about that’s actually meant for upholstery. It’s on the high side though so maybe I’ll just go your route! Decisions, decisions. :-)
Andrea @ the yellow cottage says
what if you added little ties to the slipcovers so you could tighten them up by hand as they sag? easier than building a whole new slipcover. the look would be casual, but slipcovers are pretty casual anyway. maybe it isn’t like this in person, but in the photos the fabric looks like something from the set of Star Trek The Next Generation. which might be a huge plus for some people. ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahahahahhahah, it does look a little Starship Enterpirse in the pics. It’s a lot more Karl-ish (just charcoal and basic looking, with a slight pattern at some angles) in person. As for the ties on the slipcovers they could be cute but we’re more into clean lines. Ack- who knows where we’ll end up! Haha.
xo,
s
Lisa says
I actually really love it. And I think the fact that you can still see the patten adds dimension. Great job.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lisa! It’s so funny to see how folks have so many different chair opinions!
xo,
s
Natalie says
PHAT!
;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahhha. I knew that was going to turn up today…
xo,
s
Joy says
Yikes! Those chairs are giving you trouble! While I admire your bravery with the spray painting… the results are… well… not so good. Sorry.
Great determination to keep trying to tweak the chairs to work for you. I hope you find something that works.
Sandi says
I’m also “Team Re-upholster”. Sorry guys!!
I do like them better without the slip-covers, though. The more form-fitting sleek look really works.
Michelle Kersey says
Haha, I was just thinking that maybe those chairs might not have been the best bet. How much have you all spent trying to get them looking how you want? :-\ It stinks when it doesn’t work out like you’d hoped!
YoungHouseLove says
I’d say we’re up to around $60 a chair, which is still pretty cheap but more than we’d hoped to spend since we have eight of them. But they have served us well for many family dinners over the past year, so we can’t complain too much!
xo,
s
LaMadre says
My guess is you’re not quite done with these chairs. I don’t dislike them but they don’t seem like something you would have picked for yourself. I am delighted to see the saggy baggy covers gone and I think the brown chairs with the brown table just sucked up the light and energy in what’s a lively, colorful space. But, big improvement.
Terry says
Man this is definitely one of those projects where either you love it or you don’t. I have to say that I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!! I love the subtle sheen in just the right light. I love the new color of the legs, and the fact that it matches Karl is a bonus so that it adds balance. I love how it allows all the other colors in the room to pop! I say you have a Winner. Job well done!!! Team Gray all the Way:-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s so funny. It’s polarizing isn’t it? I love that we can just pop the slipcovers on them again if we don’t like the paint anymore so it’s not really that controversial. Haha.
xo,
s
Terry says
I’m now in search of chairs like that just so I can try my hand at it!!!!