Monday, August 20, 2012

A Basket Case (Basket Chair Makeover)

Remember my chair post a week ago, when I showed you the newest thrift-store addition to my Home for Soon-to-be-Rehabbed Chairs? (aka the Half-way House… )

Since I haven’t yet gotten my dream house with deep, fluffy, curtained window seats (like this one or this one), I had great visions of turning him into a comfy reading hideaway!


One can of gray spray primer, and four cans of Krylon Bright Idea Yellow later, he was ready to take his place in the real house! This is how he looks now, all “cozied up” in his new home:

A few wicker painting tips:

1)      Use a spray paint with primer built in (I doubt it would have taken four cans if I had done this!)

2)      If you do choose to do an initial primer-only coat, use a primer color that corresponds with the shade of your final paint color (i.e.  if your final color is going to be yellow, use white instead of dark gray primer!)

3)      Forget the “many light coats” rule that usually applies when painting furniture… go thick and heavy! This is one case when runs are not bad! After three cans of “light coats” that only touched the same parts each time and left the rest bare, I went thick and heavy with the fourth (and thankfully, final) coat—spraying it heavily enough so that it ran down the caning and filled in the cracks. TADA-- coverage achieved!!!

This is what the corner of my dining room looks like. You’d never know that, tucked in between the piano and the bookshelves, is a secret reading space!

I love my new reading nook!  


P.S. I am also loving my new “You Are My Sunshine” pillow! Check out how I made it (out of a recycled quilt!) here.

Parties I link to:

Sunday:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:

10 comments :

  1. I'm so glad I'm following you! I have a wicker chair that needs some help so this will be perfect:)

    Have a great day!
    Katie
    www.funhomethings.com

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  2. Oh, I just LOVE that wicker chair! I adore the color you chose. But painting wicker is a nightmare right? I just painted a wicker tissue box cover & the thick and heavy coat was definitely the only way to get coverage!
    Sarah

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  3. The pillow is amazing! I love to paint, but not always does it like me
    Glad to be following you!
    Hugs, Jen

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  4. Very sweet, and the pillow is fantastic :) I love making sweet little reading nooks throughout the house... so much fun!

    Thanks for linking up at www.mercyinkblog.com again!
    xo,
    lauren

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  5. What a great shade of buttery yellow you chose! Love the new look your wicker chair got. :) I have one of my own that I really need to repaint one of these days.


    Stopping by from Feature Friday Free-For-All. :)

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  6. I love this makeover! Thank you so much for sharing on Marvelous Mondays! :)

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  7. I love painted wicker! Your yellow chair is darling!

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  8. Oh my gosh - I absolutely love the shape of that chair and I love that you painted it yellow! Thanks so much for joining the party!

    Take care,
    Laura

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  9. Loving the yellow reading nook chair! And I'm with you on going for some heavier coats ... maybe it's my impatience? But after all those wimpy light coats I went heavier too!

    Thanks so much for sharing at our spray paint link party!

    :)

    Linda

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