"One persons junk, is another persons treasure"- Refinishing Ladder Back Chairs

Craiglist deal- 3 chairs for $25

A couple months ago, I found these 3 ladder back rush seat chairs on craigslist for $25 (for all 3).  It was a great deal, and we needed a few more ladder back chairs to match the 3 we already had.  Telling from the price, they were in need of some TLC.  They had been spray painted cream, including the rush!!  Never spray paint the rush- it will assuredly look terrible if you do.

Original chairs

Left- Refinished, white chalk paint w/ brown wax
Center- Repainted, white chalk paint
Right- original chair

Chalk paint is pretty awesome.  It goes on very thick and dries in less than half an hour.  You can transform a piece of furniture in a matter of hours.

You may be asking: "The BEFORE & AFTER photos look the same, except for the new rush- Why repaint with chalk paint, when the chairs look almost exactly the same as when you started?   Wouldn't spray paint be faster?"

** Chalk paint is pretty awesome for a few different reasons.  It goes on very thick and dries in less than half an hour.  Therefore, you can transform a piece of furniture in a matter of hours.  Chalk paint also has a matte finish, and therefore has no shine/ light reflection.  It makes furniture look old/ antique.  Spray paint is often very shiny- though I know there are less shiny varieties.  Chalk paint also get sealed/ finished with special wax.  The wax gives the painted surface a very soft/ smooth feeling when touch.  Using the brown wax (over the creme wax) allows you to give the piece and antiqued appearance as well.  

STEP 1:  Remove & discard old rush from seats

STEP 2: Apply chalk paint with paint brush. Allow to dry for recommended time.  Sanding not necessary. Do a 2nd coat of paint if necessary.

STEP 3:  Apply creme wax over chalk paint using a clean rag.  Allow to dry for recommended time.

STEP 4:  Apply brown wax over creme wax using a clean rag.  Work small areas at a time, allowing it to dry for a couple minutes, but wiping most off before it dries completely.

The brown wax over white chalk paint, results in an antiqued finish

STEP 5:  Rush seats

Check out my previous post: How to Weave a Rush Chair for photos of my first rush chairs.  

Ed Hammond has an excellent YouTube video to learn how to rush 

Peerless Rattan has a great selection of tools and rush supplies for purchase

 We now have 6 ladder back rush chairs- 3 antiqued cream & 3 finished wood.  If you look closely, you will notice that the chair styles are slightly different as well.  Though it would be nice to have a full set of matching chairs, I don't mind mixing and matching, as it adds character to the room.

Eventually I will have to take photos of these chairs with the awesome antique pedestal table I found on craigslist!  We have quite a collection of dining room furniture- now we just need to continue plugging away at the dining room upgrades.