Back in the summer my sister-in-law and I came across two vintage chairs just waiting for a makeover at the bargain price of 2 dollars each! They are sturdy and well made.
First I painted them with several coats of Behr Premium Plus Ultra Paint and Primer in One, custom mixed to match Martha Stewarts MSL106 - Rhododendron Leaf. I have really been liking this paint. It has ceramic in it. I've only needed two coats for everything I've done so far. Plus, it seems really tough.
At this point, the green is pretty, but it's a little boring.
I did some distress sanding, then mixed up a glaze. I didn't waste a lot of time fretting over my glaze. First I mixed a brown I liked by using a bit of medium brown craft paint I had on hand and adding black to make it a darker brown.
Then I added the glaze mix. I had a ratio of about 2 parts glaze to one part paint. Even so, I had less time to play with it than I would have liked. I would also rather have a glaze mix in a container that was easier to pour.
Glazing is OK, but I think I like using Howards Citrus Wax in mahogany better for adding a little age and character. (I'll show that technique in a post coming soon about an end table I just finished.) I also might try the dry brushing technique used by Miss Mustard. I talked about that and linked to it in my last post.
The photo below shows the two chairs in two stages. On the left the chair has been sanded, but not glazed. On the right, it's finished. My glazing was fairly subtle. I wiped a whole lot off. It's not all that easy to see a difference, but it definitely looks more aged after the glazing. These chairs didn't have a lot of nooks and crannies for glaze to accentuate. The dry brushing technique probably would have been more appropriate. Unfortunately, I came across that idea after I had already glazed.
On a funny note, after my husband saw the distressed and glazed chairs, he said they looked like chairs that needed to be painted. He was trying to push my buttons. I swear, that man lives to aggravate me! And clearly, he doesn't recognize that he is in the presence of an amazing artist!
Here's a closeup. Again the one on the right is glazed. The one on the left is not. The closeup shows how the glaze got into the imperfections just enough to add age and character.
I moved the chairs to the dining room to live with the color for a bit. (Sorry, no photos) I like the color and I like what the color adds to the room. These two chairs are not the style I'm looking for.
What kind of chairs am I looking for? I want chairs with tall backs and solid seats. They need to be heavy and sturdy. And they must be comfortable. I know I'll find MY CHAIRS one of these days. I have a feeling it won't be long.