Hello dear friends! It’s trash-to-treasure day around here every day pretty much, but my favorite is when I get to do it with some of my favorite fellow treasure makers! Be sure to look for four more makeovers from my friends at the bottom!
I don’t often shop at the antique mall where my booth is because although there are some amazing finds in there, they are usually way above my cheap-skate price-range.
However, one day earlier this year, I was on my way out when I passed a new booth near the entrance that had this set of chairs for sale:
When I looked at the tag, I had to do a double-take. They were marked $60 for the pair. That is really cheap for our mall, and I scooped them up right away!
I was still working through my last haul, so they’ve been hanging out in our garage for several months.
So although I probably have more “trashy” things I could be sharing today, I was just really excited to finally get the chance to redo these.
Prep
To begin this makeover, I first removed the chair seats by removing the four screws on the bottom that held them in place:
To prep all my pieces, I start with a good cleaning. I used to use Lysol-type wipes for everything, but when the wipe shortage hit mid-pandemic, I finally stepped outside my comfy box and tried White Lightning.
I mix one TBSP of White Lightning with half a gallon of warm water, and and I’m ready to go!
As you can see, these chairs really needed a thorough cleaning.
Here is the water before dumping it…
Yikes! I would have gone through many wipes trying to get these chairs clean. I then swapped out the water for clean water and did another wipe-down to rinse. Be sure to wear gloves as this cleaner is a degreaser and a deglosser. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Prepping for Silk
I wanted to use Dixie Belle’s new Silk line for these chairs.
The Silk line requires a good scuff sanding first, which I did using 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding sponge:
I quickly realized that what I thought was an in-tact, sealed surface, was actually flaking right off.
Once I had the chair sanded, I used my shop vac and brush attachment to remove the dust:
(A picture of me vacuuming…does it get any more exciting than this??)
I wiped down the surface with a clean, soft cloth when I was done vacuuming to remove any residual dust and I was ready for paint!
Paint
Now for the fun part! I did not sand the caned areas of the chairs but started with a coat of Rustoleum spray primer on those areas:
Sanding the cane can damage it, and going straight to paint will result in it flaking off in the future, so I always prep cane with a little spray primer.
Then I gave both chairs a coat of Silk in Saltwater, including the caned areas:
Silk is not quite as white as Whitecap, but it is a soft, lovely white.
I ended up getting bleed-through in a few areas where the original sealer had flaked away as I was sanding:
Silk is supposed to have one coat of BOSS-like primer built in, so I waited overnight as I would with BOSS and tested an area with a second coat of Silk. I still got slight bleed-through.
It may have done fine had I painted and waited another several hours before painting a third coat, but it was really humid here this weekend, and time was not on my side, so I just reached for my tried and true BOSS in white.
I gave everything one coat of white BOSS and allowed it to dry overnight. AMPLE DRY TIME is key to the success of BOSS.
Then I gave the chairs one more coat of Silk the next day and I was good to go.
The biggest benefit of Silk is that it has the equivalent of one coat of sealer in it that dries to an eggshell sheen, so I was done! If you want a shinier finish or more protection, you can add additional sealer if you like, but I felt like this was plenty for these chairs!
You can read more about the differences between Chalk paint and Silk paint HERE.
The seat cushions
The seat cushions were already one of my favorite colors, but they weren’t the cleanest…very dusty!
If the existing fabric is in tact (not dry-rotting or three layers deep) I will usually just cover right over it. So, for these, I just needed to remove the piping first which I was able to pull right off.
Then I vacuumed the the cushions to clean them as much as possible before recovering.
I cut my fabric, positioned the cushion on it, and started stapling!
If you want to see how to cover a cushion all the way down to replacing the foam, check out THIS POST.
And here is the finished job:
It’s not that pretty, but it works! I use a cheapo light duty staple gun.
The finishing touch on recovering chairs is the piping!
I started by cutting my fabric using my rotary cutter set:
Then I just sewed it up…I reused the old piping for this, but cotton clothesline from Walmart works too!
DON’T RUN! Anyone can do it whether you sew or not. See how HERE.
I attached the new piping to the edges of the seat cushions using hot glue and then reattached the cushions to the seats with the original screws.
The result
Here is how this pretty pair looks now!
So bright and fresh!
They are right up my alley with the new ticking covered seat cushions!
Here you can see the piping more…it just adds such a nice finishing detail to the chairs:
You can see in that photo also that I did not distress these chairs. That is why I went with the Silk. I wanted a clean, crisp look!
Remember this table I painted?
It used to be my bedside table before I painted our bedroom furniture. Then it was relocated to my office and got a new paint job in this gorgeous metallic, Steel Magnolia. You can see more of that makeover HERE.
And I was finally able to cut the hydrangea blooms off my hubby’s grandmother’s hydrangea bush that we brought over from our old house!
These are all from the same bush, and I love the variety of colors!
This set is so charming now…
I’m always drawn to cane and that is what really attracted me to these chairs, and I just love how it looks painted white!
Of course, I love how pretty much everything looks painted white, but y’all already knew that!
I am so excited to have finally gotten the chance to redo these beauties!
Don’t forget my talented friends have even more makeover inspiration for you today!!
And I get to cross off another project from this haul!!
I still have a ton of awesome pieces left to play with!
See any you might have missed at the links below:
$6 Thrift Store Shelf Makeover with Transfer
Pub Table Makeover
Becky’s Secretary Desk Makeover
Update a Thrift Store Box with Fabric
$5 Buffet Lamps Updated with Decoupage Paper
Mirror Harp Repurposed
I’ll be back on Thursday with what has been dubbed the mustache mirror since one of my dear readers pointed out that the top looks like it has a mustache. I now cannot unsee it ha ha!
UPDATE: See how this mirror went from mustache man to Miss Elegance HERE now!
Hope to see y’all then!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Pam Walsh says
The chairs are stunning!!! What a great trio!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Pam! Glad to finally have them out of the garage lol! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
Oh I love them so much! My heart was all pitter patter when I saw that you were using white and ticking strip fabric!! They are so beautiful now!!! The white is always my favorite and then adding the ticking stripe takes it over the top! Beautiful job!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend!! I am a sucker for that ticking too!! Have a great day! XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
Absolutely gorgeous, Christy. You can’t go wrong with ticking! 😍
Christy says
Thank you, Larissa! SO true…it’s a classic! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Hi Christy! The chairs are so pretty.
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
The chairs look great! Bravo!!
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! XOXO
Heidi says
Christy, I love this makeover. I’ve been on the hunt for club chairs, but no luck so far. It will make me look that much harder for a pair of my own.
Christy says
Thank you, Heidi! Good luck in your search! XOXO
Debra Hubbs says
Beautiful! Thanks for the tip to spray prime the cane first. May redo a dining set with cane backs so I will prime that first.
Christy says
Thank you, Debra! I may have learned that the hard way lol! XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
I’m always so impressed when you do upholstery projects! These chairs are absolutely gorgeous… and your styling, spot on like always my friend! XOXO
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, my sweet friend! I’m so glad I finally got the chance to work on them! XOXO
Donna says
Another great makeover!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Donna! XOXO
Barbara Warner says
Love your chairs. I like the white finish and the striped upholsery! They look fantastic – ready for another twenty years of sitting and perhaps reading in them You do professional work!
Christy says
I appreciate that so much, Barbara! Thank you! XOXO
Christina says
Super cute makeover Christy! I adore ticking and white… right on for me! lol I literally laughed out loud at your comment about the photo of you vacuuming. 🙂
Thanks for the tip about caning and primer.
I understand about humidity. Mornings here are cool but with intense humidity but then it switches to hot. lol
Say, do you ever use your spray painting setup with the Dixie Belle paint?
Have a great week!
Christy says
Thank you, Christina! And lol..I laughed myself when I was actually adding that photo! As for the sprayer… the area I live in is almost aways windy, so I don’t often use the sprayer, but I did use it to paint my sister’s dining chairs at her house. I used a new jar of Dixie Belle and it did fantastically in the sprayer! XOXO
Janice Holt says
You make piping look so easy. The chairs turned out so well. Great job again.
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! It is pretty darn easy and it adds such a nice finishing touch! Have a great day! XOXO
Linda says
Lovely
Job, jealous
What is the type of hydrangeas
Plant
Christy says
Thank you, Linda! I am not sure… It started from a cutting from one of my husband’s grandmother’s hydrangea bushes!
Ruth Daines says
I love them! You always do such a beautiful job with your pieces. I have a vintage cane chair from my mother-in-law I’ve been waiting to makeover! Thanks for the inspiration as always!
Christy says
I appreciate that so much, Ruth! Thank you! I love that you are feeling inspired! XOXO
Frances Blunt says
I was anxious to see how the chairs turned out and didn’t have to wait long…….I love them. Now I want to find two for myself!
Christy says
I’m so glad you like how they turned out, Frances! Thank you! Good luck in your search! XOXO
Sue Mellette says
I love the white cane. I have a small bench that belonged to my late mother and you have convinced me that white is the way to go! WOW1
I love the soft white and the ticking. Nice job on the piping; it really does give the chairs a finished look. Now about vacuuming, love the green fingernails! As always, your posts are so detailed and full of examples. I often go back to check those out as well. Such a pretty setting. Have a wonderful week.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Sue! I have a soft spot for cane for sure, and painting it white is my favorite! I am sure your mothers bench will be gorgeous painted also! And you like the green LOL? I thought it was fun for spring! Enjoy the rest of your week! XOXO
Vicki Bray says
Wow, the finished look is so great! At first, I thought they looked just fine why do anything, but you made them look so much better! The piping was wonderful. Certainly has me entertaining the thought of trying this myself.
Appreciate the inspiration!
Christy says
Thank you, Vicki! They had great bones to start for sure! And the piping is really easy to add… Really does add a nice finished look! XOXO
Niki says
These chairs!!!! Our AOG church here has a set, but; I don’t think they are willing to let me take them off their hands though.
The white with the ticking is perfect. My remote recliner died on me yesterday so I’m looking for a new chair or chairs to take it’s place and these would be amazing, I so want a set like this.
Christy says
Thank you, Niki! Yes, this style is so classic! I’m so pleased with how they turned out! I hope you find a set for you! XOXO
Janet Filberth says
Just a decorating question… and i love love love the chairs!!
Christy, i know you use white in a lot of different hues. Do you mix them up in your home … like several different whites in one room?
Or do you stick with one white per room on the different furniture?
Im just curious and your eye and taste are perfect!!
Thanks!! Janet
Christy says
Thank you so much, Janet! Although our home is a good size, the rooms aren’t that large, so I tend to stick with the same whites pretty much in each space, but I definitely think it’s okay to mix them! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
They are just beautiful now!!! You are so good at this. xoxo
Christy says
Aww thank you, my beautiful friend! XOXO
Char says
I love cane too and those chairs are now fabulous! Great job.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Char! XOXO
Rebecca Payne says
Gorgeous!
Christy says
Thank you, Rebecca! XOXO
Denise Cox says
Quite pretty!! Especially love the ticking… great finishing touch.. 😉😊👍!!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Denise!
Jo says
So lovely! (Happy sigh🙂)
Christy says
Aww thank you, Jo! XOXO
Sharon L Austin says
Those turned out great and they look awesome staged with that table! So, when you glue the piping, you’re using the extra fabric on the piping strips to glue it to the underside of the cushion? Or do you cut that extra off and glue it some other way? BTW, the colors of those flowers!! SWOON
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! Yep, the extra fabric on the piping is what you glue down. I linked to my piping tutorial the post if you’d like to see more! And I am so excited to have blooms on my hydrangea bush this year!! XOXO
p says
I love the lines, and crisp clean look of these caned chairs 🙂 The ticking is a wonderful choice !
Thanks for your detailed (as always) instructions. The piping surely added the finishing touch.
Thanks for sharing.
p
Christy says
I’m so glad you like the end result! Thank you so much!
Lizzy says
Wow! I love how these turned out. Gorgeous!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Lizzy! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Nice to start out with something that isn’t trashy! Although the flaking and bleed-through made it a bit of a challenge. I love cane, too, and have been afraid to paint it but seeing you do it makes it less scary. I passed up a similar pair of chairs at Restore yesterday because I thought it would be too much work. They would look great with that treatment – always inspired by your projects, Christy!
Christy says
Oh no…you need to go back and get those chairs lol! Aside from the bleedthrough issues, these were quite simple to redo. Thank you, my friend! XOXO
Constance Colvin says
I NEVER get tired of your white furniture re-do’s!!!
Christy says
Oh yay!! Thank you so much, Connie! I would paint everything white if I could LOL! XOXO
Janice says
Beautiful! My Mother has one of these I have my eye on, let one go, should have kept it!
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! And oh no! XOXO
Charleen says
These chairs are beautiful. I love the ticking. Ticking can be dressed up or down. This was a lovely dress up !! I am guessing you are keeping these lovliesGrest job as always.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Charlene! Ticking is fantastic, and it can also be a great neutral! I tried really hard to find a spot for them, but I actually sold them to a friend today! XOXO
Christy says
Sorry about that…Charleen! I’m using talk to text and sent too soon LOL! XO
Karen Moore says
That is a fantastic update and the pairing with the table is perfect. I wonder if the previous booth owner will recognize them.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Karen! I bet they wouldn’t LOL! A friend actually bought them today! XOXO
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
These are such beauties now, Christy! Love the soft vintage style! xo
Christy says
Thank you so much, my sweet friend! Yes, so classic! XOXO
Toby Peplow says
These are so gorgeous!!! Absolutely Beautiful! Thanks for sharing Christy! Love you posts!!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Toby! It’s always a pleasure to share! XOXO
Cecilia from Georgia says
Great tutorial and I’m so glad you have good information about painting the cane. Great makeover.
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! Yes, I learned the hard way about the cane LOL! XOXO
Becky says
Oh wow! These came out beautiful!!! I love the classic white and stripes. Your flowers are gorgeous too!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Becky! I just clipped another vase of these gorgeous flowers… I’m so excited my hydrangeas bloomed this year! XOXO
Michele M. says
Been travelin’ so I am behind in my reading. Oh My Gosh – what a transformation, Christy! They look awesome – love them with that table, too. And your hydrangeas are beautiful – mine when new start out blue but we have a different alkaline so they always turn purple, then fushia. It’s weird. I love the blue, probably b/c I can’t grow it unless I continually add acid to our high alkaline soil (used tea leaves, coffee grounds or chemically which I usually don’t use.)
Love cane too – these chairs rock!!!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Michele! These are the prettiest blooms we’ve had since we moved it from our old house a few years ago. Last year we didn’t get any blooms at all, so I’m really excited about that! It’s fun to see the variety of colors, right? XOXO
Karen Hanssen says
The chairs are gorgeous. You are a marvel!! Your site is the best. I have learned so much from you. Your tips are great. You set your blog up perfectly. I love how one can just go to your affiliates and pop back to your feed to resume reading. Also thank you for taking us shopping with Nancy as well! FUN!! You are clever and funny!! You make it all seem so simple! Thank you for the encouragement! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Christy says
Aww you are the sweetest!! I appreciate your kind words so very much, Karen! Thank you! XOXO
Petra says
I love how these chairs have come up 🙂 That ticking is super and a handy little trick for the piping – thanks for that 😀 I wonder if you’re keeping these – I certainly would!!!
Christy says
Thank you! I tried really hard to keep them lol, but I just could not find have a spot for them. A friend ended up buying them! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! XOXO
Donna says
Very pretty!
Christy says
Thank you, Donna! XOXO