One of the best parts of tackling home improvement projects in summer (at least here in Washington) is being able to work outdoors and refresh furniture with paint. I always wish I could paint outside through the winter, but around here that usually isn’t possible until July.
When you’re working with a tight furniture budget, paint is the easiest way to bring mismatched, neglected, or worn pieces back to life. A fresh coat of paint can completely transform an item — any color will do.
These rattan chairs have been in our family for years — they belonged to my mom before they came to us. For a while they had a dark stain, and after the finish became worn and grimy we painted them white. It was like getting brand new chairs. That was a couple of years ago, though, and time took its toll.
Over the past year, when Jack was a small puppy, he discovered the joy of chewing the edges of the chairs. Now that he’s a year old he’s much less likely to chew furniture — not impossible, but much less frequent. He’s still a little troublemaker, though, so the chairs show a bit of puppy history.
Finally, with summer here and the weather cooperating, we had a chance to spruce the chairs up again. If you like the worn, shabby-chic look, you could leave the chewed arms as they are to remember those puppy days. I prefer a cleaner, more polished look for my space, so I decided to refresh them with paint.
To get good coverage on the rattan’s many angles, we used a combination of brushed-on paint and spray paint. That approach may not be the only method, but it helped ensure paint reached tighter spots and provided a more even finish overall.
The refreshed chairs look so much better — clean, bright, and ready for the next chapter. I’ll be recovering the cushions next and will share how the finished seats turn out once the fabric is in place.
Do you paint furniture in the summer or is it too hot where you live?
PS: Our floors are almost finished and they look amazing. The installation team from Lowe’s has done a great job and I’m thrilled with the results. I can’t wait to share the full reveal of the floors soon.
If you’re not sure where to begin with painting furniture and want helpful guidance, there are plenty of resources that offer solid tips and techniques to get you started.