These are the two beautiful, handmade Adirondack chairs that my mother gave me for my birthday last September. I loooooooooves them. They are made of some kind of hearty, untreated pine, I think.
I knew as soon as I got them that I want to paint them some kind of bright, whimsical color – bright purple or green. Maybe a rosy red. I want them to have a sort of higher gloss look after they’re painted – not flat.
Kind of like this.
Or this.
When I told my mom I planned to paint my new chairs, she told me that the guy who built them told her to tell me that they should “cure” outdoors for a few months before I painted them. So that’s what they’ve been doing for the past 6.5 months – “curing” in my yard.
So now I’m ready to paint them, and yes – oh Ye of little faith in Katie’s yet-to-be-unleashed DIY goddesshood – I am going to tackle this project ALL BY MYSELF.
But I could use some advice from anyone who cares to pipe up in the comments below on the best brand and type of paint to use to get the look I want. My neighbor recommended spray paint (her painted outdoor wooden chairs look bright and awesome), but much of what I am reading online says go for a brush and an exterior house or deck paint.
I know the chairs are going to be super “thirsty” at this point, and soak up a lot of whatever paint I use, so should I prime them with something first? How long should each coat dry before doing the next one? Any great tips for a first time painter to prevent drips and bubbly spots on my chairs? If you’ve done a project like this before, is there specific brand or make of paint or brush you would recommend? (I am going to hit Lowe’s or Home Depot this morning)
ALL advice very welcome, and I look forward to showing off my fantastic results when I’ve finished my project!
I can absolutely recommend this product:
http://www.glidden.com/collections/b/83/view-prod…
I painted our front door with this stuff. It's very thick, almost a gel. High gloss. Should have a base coat of oil-based primer. Spray is okay if you can find it. A light sanding or steel-wool is advised after priming. One issue might be getting the paint between the slats. do that part first, then coat the flat surfaces.
Disadvantages:
It's oil based, so it has a high odor (you'll be doing this outside so maybe not a big deal) and you need mineral spirits for cleanup. You can use a less-expensive brush so you don't have to worry about getting it clean – just toss it.
Slow to dry.
Limited colors available but maybe you can find one you like.
Advantage:
As close to a lifetime paint as you can get.
I can come around if you need advice or cheerleading.
Oh, I left out a couple of advantages.
No drips, runs or brush marks.
One coat will take care of it. I can guarantee it, even if Glidden won't.
Can I vote on the colour?
Red! Red, red, red.
Have fun.
I am not a a painter. I have never painted a piece of furniture in my life. BUT I am an avid reader over at Young House Love so that makes me a bit of an expert by default, right?
Anyhow, one thing they are always always always talking about re: painting anything is having patience. Prime with a thin, even coat. Then wait 24 hours or so for it to cure. Then, when you are ready to paint, rein yourself in and do multiple thin, even coats of paint, allowing each coat time to dry. But don't take my word for it! Here is a link to all their painting projects: http://www.younghouselove.com/how-to/#paintingpro…
Can't wait to see the finished chairs!
Definitely use outdoor paint, and you know we get 25% off the HGTV Home line of paint at Sherwin Williams, right? Just show them your ID. You get a discount on brushes, etc as well. There is on one Broadway and I think they are open on Sunday.
I have a pair that my Dad made for me.
They desperately need repainting, but I let them age as he suggested and then painted them "Appletini Green", using an oil-based exterior house paint. I don't usually mind painting, but will say that they were a bit tedious.
My recommendation has nothing to do with paint….but here it is….arrange for G to be having fun at your sister's house or similar, on the big project day, lest she be a canvas for the paint you have ready.
Katie – the very first comment hits it right on the head !! I used this techinque & mine are beautiful. A lil expensive but well worth it ! I think purple would be BEAUTIFUL !!!! Good Luck !!!
with your schedule and two toddlers, i'd definitely spray paint them. they have lots of great colors available.
PRIME them first! Sand lightly between thin coats. Good luck.
I do have to repaint things that sit outside, but only every few years or so. I spray when I can, but have found spray paint doesn't seem to last as long… no matter what brand.
I like a good exterior trim paint and since they are such nice chairs, I would definitely prime, although I am lazy and don't sometimes!
)
My vote is for a robin egg/turquoise-ish blue??? Think that's such a peaceful color… something sort of like this:
http://www.patiofurniturestation.com/Forever-Phat…
I second Sonya as far as the color is concerned! I vote for turquoise!
Valspar makes a relatively new product, exclusively for outdoor all weather or severe conditions. I used it on the outside trim around windows, doors, shutters at my old house in KY….three years later not a single bit of cracking or peeling. I got it at Lowes.
It is the third one down on this site:
http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/find-the-right-pro…
I didn't do any prep work, just painted over the existing paint. Post pics when you are done!
My advice, based on having done my share of DIY raw wood furniture painting, is to PRIME first, whatever else you do, and LET IT DRY THOROUGHLY (at least 24 hours), and then lightly sand before putting on the top coat. Ou can't go wrong by priming. SOmeone else said they didn't prime but I noticed that person also said she was painting over existing paint. That's a different beast entirely than raw wood.
That Glidden product Jerry above recommends sounds pretty good but you'll need to be covered up, wear gloves, protect your work surface and keep the kids out of the way, no exceptions. Oil based paint is a mess.
You've probably drooled over the brand Maine Cottage furniture, which looks so good you could eat it. I believe they use a spray booth similar to what's used to paint cars That's how they get that thick, thick glossy finish.
http://www.ehow.com/how_12129000_painting-outdoor…
That's pretty much how you do it.
Love the idea of turquoise and purple chairs…
Another, really wild possibility, is flourescent paint. There is a new line with gorgeous colours. I see you as very adventurous Katie!
They have a great purple!
http://www.theuvcentre.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&a…
http://www.ehow.com/how_12129000_painting-outdoor…
That's pretty much how you do it.
Love the idea of turquoise and purple chairs…
Another, really wild possibility, is flourescent paint. There is a new line with gorgeous colours. I see you as very adventurous Katie!
They have a great purple!
Love the idea of turquoise and purple chairs…
Another, really wild possibility, is flourescent paint. There is a new line with gorgeous colours. I see you as very adventurous Katie!
They have a great purple!
http://www.theuvcentre.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&a…
I pass on the idea of florescent pink!The rosy red or lavender sound lovely. I would call the maker of those chairs and get their recommendations. Other than that the advice of all the commenters sound good. There is always more than one way to do things well. Keep us updated on your sister Betsy. Lovely photo of her and NC. I was not reading your blog then, but she was also such a CUTE baby. The two of them together must have been something!
Take them to an auto paint place.
Will auto paint places do wood? If they will, I second this. I've heard of people having kitchen appliances custom-painted by the auto places, but there you're talking about metal.
(Personally, I'd stain them instead of painting them – but I have a lot more confidence in my ability to do a good staining job.)
Oops; kept getting error messages. Sorry!
(Love the idea of an auto paint place; they'll give you the best finish)
Ideal is the beacon. Without ideal , there is no secure direction ; without direction , there is no life .
If you doubt yourself , then indeed you stand on shaky11 ground .(
Ibsen , Norwegian dramatist )
Ironically, (since I know you work for Scripps Network!) I associate produced a short-lived show on the DIY Network called "Money Hunters". One of the projects I produced was making our own adirondack chairs out of used pallets:
http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/pallet-chair-vid…
Though, they're not nearly as pretty as yours, they're cheap and fairly easy to make! As for the paint, we used Sherwin Williams exterior paint. If you want to save yourself a bunch of coats (and money) Behr Paint and Primer in one, is the best paint I've ever used. As long as you buy the exterior brand, you should only need 2 or 3 coats max, without having to prime it first. You'll get better coverage painting by hand, but it'll look great and save you time if you use spray paint!