Upcycle an Old Chair with Chalk Paint

I am currently in the spring cleaning mode - conservatory blinds have been lifted and windows cleaned, and the hallway has had a good lick of paint to brighten it up. I've also replaced the wooden chairs in the kitchen with some white ones to match our bar stools, which brightens the place up a lot. I used to have one of the spare kitchen chairs in the hallway but when I bought the white ones I used the spare one at my desk instead of putting it in the hall, which left a space crying out for a small piece of furniture.

I then remembered that we had an old pine chair in the garage that we've used previously when decorating. It was covered in white, pink and blue paint splashes, but it was a good solid chair that I bought in a clearance around 15 years ago. What it needed was a makeover.

With the help of Rust-Oleum chalky finish furniture paint (previously used to paint my plate rack here) I gave my old chair a face-lift with a distressed finish.

• I painted the chair with two coats of Winter Grey and 3 coats of Chalk White before allowing to dry fully overnight. 
• I then took some fine sandpaper and lightly sanded the edges where, over time, the chair would see natural wear, to reveal the grey underneath.
• Finally, I applied a coat of Rust-Oleum Finishing Wax, which I buffed to a shine after around ten minutes. The wax is by far the easiest furniture wax that I've ever used, and I also gave my wooden kitchen island a going over at the same time.

Before....

Sanding the bumpy paint splashes...

Give the paint a good stir before using...

After 2 coats of Winter Grey...

After 3 coats of Chalk White...

Lightly sanding to reveal the grey...

Finish with a layer of furniture wax...

The finished chair, in situ in my hallway, with a lovely yellow & grey cushion from John Lewis on...

Tips for upcycling an old piece of furniture

• Sand any rough edges, lumps or bumps with sandpaper - no need to sand down the rest, the paint will cover most surfaces easily.
• Wipe the surfaces over with a damp cloth to remove any grease, grime, dust or cobwebs, and then dry it off.
• Tighten any loose screws and fill any holes or cracks.
• Stir the paint well - if it has become too thick then add a little tepid water
• Allow 4 hours in between coats - wrap your brush in clingfilm or a plastic bag instead of washing it every time.
• Stand the furniture on boxes or paint cans (if it's not too heavy) to allow easy access to the bottoms of the legs/feet and the underside

I received paint from Rust-Oleum as part of their Make It March challenge.