How To Paint Furniture: Spray Painting Chairs

This post is sponsored collaboration with Lowe’s Home Improvement: As always all opinion are my own

I day has finally arrived. You might remember that almost 2 years ago I jumped in the car and headed to the state border to be first in line at an auction. My goal was to win vintage bamboo dining chairs.  Spray painting chairs was the goal, I was planning on them that summer but I got nervous. They are authentic wood carved bamboo chairs, aka, not made in China, as a result, I got nervous and decided to sit with them for a while. Well, the time arrived to finally begin updating certain spaces in my home and I am beyond excited to share my tips on how to paint furniture series beginning with spray painting chairs.

How To Paint Furniture: Spray Painting Chairs

After years of being nervous to touch these babies, I am so happy I finally did. Check out the before and after below or even the quick reveal on my youtube channel. It has brightened up the entire space and naturally updated the feel of the room while keeping with the integrity of the bamboo chairs.

I have been refinishing vintage pieces for decades, yup, my first piece was when I was 13 and purchased an old trunk at a garage sale. So this wasn’t my first rodeo. BUT, it was the first time I was working with detailed curved lines that I did not want to lose the details in the painting process. Spray painting chairs with such detail was my biggest concern and I knew, in order to keep the details, using a paint sprayer on the dining room chairs was crucial.

Spray Painting Dining Chair Materials:

1. Dewalt 18-volt Cordless Drill
2. 220 3M SandBlaster Pro Sanding Sheets
3. 150 3M SandBlaster Pro Ultra Flexible Sanding Sheets
4. 3M All-Purpose Valved Safety Mask
5. Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer Spray
6. ProLine Microfiber Cloths
7. HGTV Sherwin-Williams Infinity Interior Paint in Satin
8. Wagner Flexio 3000 Handheld HVLP

How To Paint Furniture Steps:

STEP ONE: PREP & REMOVE CUSHION with DeWALT CORDLESS DRILL

Prep is key to achieving the polished look of a refined vintage piece. I began by removing the upholstery with my Dewalt 18-Volt Drill. Before I had my cordless drill, I would spend WAY TOO MUCH time removing all seat cushion with a screwdriver. What was I thinking? I was able to remove the upholstered cushions in a couple of minutes. When you have a set of 8 dining chairs, saving time is key.

 

STEP TWO: SANDING WITH 3M SANDPAPER

I use two different grit sandpapers. I start with 22o to get harder “stains” and scratches out, and then, I use 150 grit to smooth out all the areas on the furniture piece. The 150 grit allows me to create a more soft finish. Them, I truly use what I have, my hands, to feel over all the areas and make sure it feels dust free, smooth, and scratch free.

 

STEP THREE: CLEAN WITH MICROFIBER CLOTH

Before you start painting, you must make sure the chairs are clean. I actually use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down all the areas of the chair. Do not over wet the cloth, just a little damp. Then, I let them sit for 24 hours. I know, patience is a virtue. I do this because I used a slightly damp cloth to make sure I removed all the sanded dust I created.

STEP FOUR: PRIME WITH ZINSSER BULLSEYE SPRAY

Let the fun begin. One light coat of the primer will do on each chair. Let it dry, place them upside down and get all the other areas under and around  your furniture piece. Zinsser Primer dries in less than an hour, but, I always wait a few hours. You can check out my YouTube video with entire process and see how quickly Zinsser Primer dries.

STEP FIVE: SPRAY PAINTING DINING CHAIRS with Wagner Flexio 3000

I was so excited to begin the final process using my new Wagner Flexio 3000 Paint Sprayer. I followed the same process as I did the primer. I sprayed the chairs, waited a couple of hours, and then flipped them over. I repeated the process two times, in other words, I was able to finish the chairs in only 2 coats with HGTV Sherwin-Williams Infinity paint.

I wanted the chairs to be a bright white, with wear and tear over the years I knew touch-up’s would be easiest if I stuck with HGTV’s Sherwin-Williams Infinity white. I also picked a satin finish to allow for easy clean up without the high gloss look.

 

The entire process was super easy and the only issue is, I am so mad  I didn’t start do this sooner. I am beyond happy how they turned out. Now, to reupholster the chairs. I haven’t decided, I am digging the vintage grey leather against the white. What do you think? To reupholster or not to reupholster?

In the mean time, you can find me with my Wagner Flexio Sprayer in hand tackling more painting projects.

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