Have I mentioned before that I dislike painting chairs? I think I have, but if not I’ll tell you why… they take FOR-EV-ER! All those little spindles to paint, distress, wax and buff… very time consuming. I haven’t painted any chairs in a while but I have a TON coming up, 2 dining sets worth! Before I get to those chairs though I had a client of mine bring me this really nice Windsor style rocking chair to update for her baby’s room. So here we go…
BEFORE
Lucky for me she fell in love with and purchased the chest below which will coordinate with her vintage walnut bed that will be in the bedroom eventually.
She wanted the rocking chair to be finished the same as the drawers on the chest. So first I sprayed the chair with a white primer, not because I needed to but because we wanted a secondary color to show through when the chair was distressed. The top coat formula is a 50/50 mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Provence and Florence, such a pretty color!
This is what the color looks like after I distressed and oiled it with Watco Rejuvenating Oil.
Here is the same arm after an application of Briwax dark wax, it changes the color to a very pretty soft green-blue. You can clearly see the difference when compared to the seat.
WOW! I just think this rocking chair is a stunner now!
All these great lines accentuated with the distressing!
This chair has the look of a much used and loved antique now!
Even though this rocking chair is going in the baby’s room it would look great anywhere… even in my Sunroom
Hopefully this chair will get to enjoy lots of rocking time with the baby!
Hope you enjoyed this makeover!
That chair is a stunner Susan! I love the custom color and the white showing through! How sweet for a nursery! … So you used the oil, then the dark wax? I’m intrigued, tell me more!
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Thanks Sharon! Sometimes I use oil to seal the paint on instead of wax, works great! I chose to use oil on the rocker because it’s so easy to wipe on and I didn’t want a super shiny or slick look. I will use oil instead of wax on very old pieces sometimes too, it just gives a different look tithe finish. The wax on top was for changing the color and providing a little more sheen.
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It looks SO much better! Love the color.
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Thanks Deb! I heard you had a fun time in RVA last weekend!
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very pretty! love the color. i’m wondering, do you prefer the briwax over the annie sloan wax? how do they compare? thanks!
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Thanks Elaine! I like them for different reasons, depending on the situation. Briwax doesn’t seem to get as shiny or slick os AS, but it is easy to work with and can be buffed quicker… Hope that helps!
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Loving that colour combo Susan, the set is gorgeous together! :). Great idea using the oil first, did that help with the wax application? Xx
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Thank you! The oil seals the paint, the wax was mostly for color and some sheen. I used the oil vs wax because of the easy application, I don’t do it all of the time, but pick and choose depending on the piece. Oil is great for really dry, old wood though!
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Love this rocking chair!! Super cute!!
The chair and the chest go perfectly together!!
Have a blessed and wonderful weekend!!
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I have been wondering where to get colored wax…good to know brand name, the rocker is beautiful, just like all your projects, you are inspiring.
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Thanks so much Darcy! Good luck with your projects!
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Just found briwax on amazon, so excited! Thanks again!
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So cute! I’m about to tackle an old glider with lots of spindle work for the nursery, and I’m a smidge intimidated (plus it’s my first piece of furniture to refinish – yikes). Did you use a spray gun for painting or was it all by hand? Looking forward to reading more from your blog 🙂
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Thanks Tab! Good luck with your piece! I painted mine by hand.
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How did you distress. With sand paper? And was that the last thing you did or do you wax after that Chair looks wonderful!!
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Thanks Tami, it was a while back but I always distress first then wax… Glad you liked the chair!
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Do you sand it first
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No I did not, I cleaned it very good with Formula 409 though. The wood was not shiny/slick.
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