Driftwood Gray Desk Chair

If you want to learn to chalk paint a chair, you’ve come to the right place!

Do you like a little pop of color or pattern in your decor?  I prefer my larger more expensive pieces to be somewhat neutral, but I gotta bring in personality somewhere.  A chair is a great place to do that!

This particular chair is going at my kitchen desk, and as you might know, I just painted my kitchen cabinets Driftwood Gray.  So I painted the chair to match. 

I also chose a fabric with some gold in it to tie into the family room next to it.

Here are the supplies I used.

Resource List:

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• Desk chair (thrifted)
• White Lightning
• Gray BOSS
• Driftwood
• Clear Coat Satin
• Fabric (WalMart)

If you want tons of information on Dixie Belle paint and products, you can check out this Comprehensive Guide post, and you can download either of my  free guides here by clicking the pictures:

Priming Dark Wood with Gray BOSS

I started by unscrewing the seat from the frame, and cleaning the chair frame really well with White Lightning.  Then I rinsed it with clean water and let it dry.

Dixie Belle has had BOSS (stands for Blocks Odor Stops Stains and Bleed Through) for a couple years, but the gray color is new.  It’s great for use as a primer under most colors, especially the darker ones.

When unsure of the wood species and stain, I like to prime for that extra insurance that no bleed-through will emerge.  Also, if time allows, let it dry overnight before adding paint.

Chalk Paint a Chair Driftwood Gray

I followed up the BOSS primer with 2 coats of Driftwood Gray.  On the second coat, I misted some water to thin the paint and smooth out any brush strokes.

To get into the circle details at the top, I used a small artist brush.  I was careful to watch for drips there too.

I make sure to turn the chair upside down to look for any missed areas too.  

After a light sanding for a smooth buttery finish, I dusted it down and gave it 2 coats of satin clear coat.  I brush on my clear coat with a synthetic brush I keep only for clear coat.  

Not using it for paint keeps the bristles cleaner for a smooth top coat.

Reupholster a Chair Seat

I am no upholstery expert, but anyone can reupholster a chair seat.  It’s fairly easy!

For this seat I chose some yellow and gray fabric I’ve had for a while.  I think it was originally purchased from WalMart.

Start by laying out the fabric, place the existing seat on top of it and cut around it leaving about an extra inch all around. If you have an iron, now is a great time to break it out and make sure you don’t have any wrinkles in the fabric.

With a staple gun, shoot a staple into the middle of each side to hold the fabric in place. Then work your way around pulling it taut, stapling every couple centimeters.

For the corners, you can gather and pleat the fabric so it lays nicely or you can fold it like you’re wrapping a present.  I prefer the gather-pleat method.

Lastly, cut away any excess fabric, and re-attach the seat to the chair.

Chairs are a great place to start painting furniture if you are a beginner.  Especially chairs withOUT spindles!

If you liked this project, you may enjoy these as well.  If you need any paint or products head over to Shop My Faves.

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