Broken Charcoal Chair Makeover

I'm out of control, you guys. I went almost two years without painting after completing my degree in art, but now that I've started, I don't know if I can stop. Canvases, chairs, end tables, dressers (as you saw in the last post), you name it. And it's not just paint projects either. I've been making yarn wreaths and things like that. YARN WREATHS, PEOPLE.

[No offense to people who make yarn wreaths. I'm now one of you.]

ANYWAY. I scooped this basic wooden chair up from the end of someone's driveway last week. So what if it was missing the top piece across the back? Who needs that bit anyway? The seat was intact, the legs were sturdy, and the chair had such nice, clean lines. I loaded it up into the Party Van and brought it home.

[Yes, I drive a mini-van, and I have no complaints about it precisely because it is so convenient for picking up furniture and moving things to and from my apartment.]

So. Sanded the heck out of the chair, until I finally decided not to worry about the discoloration on the seat (it appeared to be oil or something like that, not anything gross), and then I primed it. I then left it on a drop cloth in my kitchen and painted on a couple coats of Benjamin Moore's Charcoal, with a coat of a random teal color I already had, over the course of several days. Worst roommate ever.

Once I was satisfied with the amount of paint I'd applied, I begin distressing the piece. I've had my doubts about distressing in the past, because I think a lot of people simply use it as a way to disguise a poor paint job. On the other hand, a chair is going to get pretty scuffed up around the legs and seat, so I also see distressing as a way to delay those inevitable touch-ups.

Because the teal wasn't popping as much as I wanted it too, I used a paint pen to make it look as though the chair had a layer of gold paint hidden somewhere under the black. Then I used a couple of Hobby Lobby knobs (seriously, obsessed!) to dress up the back where the missing top slat used to go across. [I didn't explain that very well, so just check out the pictures!]

I don't mind the visible brushstrokes on this project because I wanted the chair to have lots of texture. This was also my first time experimenting with wax paste as a top coat, and I kinda liked it.

The final result:

That pillow on the floor is covering up some random junk I tried to hide behind the side of the couch. And that's the chair! I have absolutely no idea what to do with it now. I think I need a home office space with a little desk and everything, and incorporate that chair into it. Also, is it just me, or did the Benjamin Moore Charcoal end up looking like a slate grey, with blue undertones?

Wanna know what's next?? A QUEEN HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD THAT I PICKED UP FROM BESIDE THE DUMPSTER IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX. When I say I'm out of control, I'm not kidding. I don't even have a queen-sized bed. The whole thing is wooden and very solid, so obviously I want to paint it to make it a little more fun and versatile. Please hurry with suggestions, because it is currently in the back of the Party Van, taking up valuable space I could have used to pick up two Craigslist dressers in the past couple of days.

Also, the local K-Mart is going out of business, and they've got an aisle full of Rustoleum spraypaint and primers for 40% off. I've already picked up cans of Rustoleum primer and Zinsser primer, plus some brushes, but are there any colors or enamels you'd recommend? I've got my eye on their semi-ugly chartreuse shade, but since I don't have a particular project in mind for it, I'm waiting til the price goes down a little more.

Have a beautiful day!