DIY: Dining Room Chair Makeover

Hi LMS readers, Breanne here again to share a DIY Dining Room Chair Makeover I just completed with you all. 

I started by removing all the seats with my handy electric screwdriver. Note: Every homeowner should own one of these! My husband helped me sand them with an orbital sander or you can use a detail sander, both are great tools to have for refinishing furniture. We first used a medium grit sandpaper to strip off the finish and went back over it with a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the wood. The second sandpaper is especially important when you are lacquering or using a high gloss paint. The glossy paint will show every blemish in the wood. We hand sanded the detailed part of the back of the chair.

We primed the chairs using the Black Krylon paint from Ace Hardware for $4.50 per can. Each chair took about 1 can of primer and one can of paint. I recommend letting the chairs dry overnight. Tinted primer for whichever color paint you use is best. Then we went over the primer with the Krylon Black Gloss spray paint also $4.50 per can. Be sure to use long even strokes because as we found, if you spray too much in one spot you'll get drip marks.

I wanted the fabric for the seats to be a contemporary print, but wanted to keep my black and white theme. So, I found an upholstery fabric in a great Ikat print at JoAnn's. I purchased 3 1/2 yards for $30 and still had some left over which I can use to make place mats or a table runner with. I didn't get fancy with upholstering them. I simply lined up the fabric and pulled it tight around to the under side and stapled the fabric with a staple fun. I screwed the seats back on the chairs and Voilà! My "new" chairs were done just in time for Thanksgiving.

Now I just need a bold print rug and some curtains and my dining room will be complete. If you're willing to put a little elbow grease into it, you can create some really beautiful custom pieces!

Enjoy!
Breanne