DIY: Chalk Paint Chair Makeover

Have you ever wanted to have chalk painted vintage style furniture? A few weeks ago, I tackled the DIY project of turning an old chair into an all white chalk painted chair and wanted to share with how I did it! I promise you don’t need any special tools or won’t have to spend a million dollars on a chair. All you need is some paint, fabric mixing medium, sand paper, and some finishing wax. That’s it!

So, the chair I used, I bought last year and used a few times during photoshoots. It was excellent for outdoors because it was a gold yellow with brown wood, but I found I was struggling using it during studio portraits as it really needed a specific style to be used. I very badly wanted an all white chair that I could use for more photoshoots and for personal branding sessions with clients. I scoured Facebook Market, Craigslist, LetGo, and every other site and was only finding them for $150 or more! So, I decided I would go ahead and give it a try myself and see what I can do!

It definitely took some trial and error and figuring out what paint I wanted to use and I admittedly used a few because I kept buying small and due to the rich color of this chair, I needed A LOT of layers. The first 3 layers were standard little paint jars than can be used for fabric as well, fro JoAnn Fabrics. The later layers, I used standard matte house paint and added in fabric mixing medium. So, I encourage you to try and what works for you. I decided on house paint at the end because I had a TON on hand.

Before you get started, get everything you need, including a spray bottle full of water. You’ll want to spray down the fabric before you even get started as this will help the paint spread and adhere. After a good spritz, I started painting. As you can see, there were a lot of little nooks and crannies I had to get into it, so take your time! The paint brushes I used were just basic brushes that I could really rough up against the chair.

In between layers, I’d let it dry and before continuing to the next layer, I would give it a quick light sand and apply the next coat. Keep doing it until you have the coverage you need. That’s pretty much it! AND if you want to ensure it lasts longer and the chalk style paint doesn’t rub off on clothes, you can apply a fabric wax (which only takes minutes!) to protect your chair.

It was such a SIMPLE process, I’d definitely do more! Give it a try and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Now, I have an all white chair to use with my clients to really had some character to personal branding and portraits! Would you like to be photographed in this chair? Message me.