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How to Paint a Small Wooden Chair – Using Latex Paint

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Every now and then when we needed a piece of furniture, I would check out the thrift stores to see if they had any excellent products for a very low cost. However, I just don’t visit thrift stores like I used to. Not that we have “arrived” or anything, but I’ve found that after a while, I tend to not like some of the thrifted finds I take home. Although, there’s still the occasional visit when something comes up. Back in the Fall, we were out thrift store hopping and I spotted this little chair at a favorite thrift store in the area. Do you all have savers where you are? They always seem to have some good finds (even though I may not always buy them). I thought this small chair would make a great accent seat or children’s chair. It only costed about $3 or $4 bucks and with some paint, it got a whole new look.

Chair Makeover - Painted White Chair

It was not a bad little chair at all. But it had some scratches that needed to be covered up. At first, I was not sure exactly what paint colour I should use so it sat around for a while. In the middle of painting a dresser for the girls’ room, I decided to use the same colour on the chair. So between the painted dresser’s drying time, this little chair got it’s new look.

I’m sharing a quick tutorial on how I painted it (and it was easy). By no means am I a furniture painting expert. In fact, I really do not have the patience to even attempt painting furniture sometimes. And many times I do (big or small), I find myself rushing to get the job done. However, taking my time to paint anything yields much better results as proven by this little chair.

Small Chair Made Over

How to Paint a Small Wooden Chair Using Latex Paint (Not Chalk)

  1. Choose type (Latex), finish, and colour of paint (If you’d like a different type of paint but are unsure of what kind of paint would work on furniture, you can always ask the guys at the paint shop). Also, get a primer, if needed or choose a paint already mixed with primer if you want to work faster. Tip: I love to choose paint that works on multiple surfaces. That way, I could use left over paint on whatever surface I desire. Also, I always choose outdoor/indoor and rust preventing paint all in one. If I take indoor furniture outside, I won’t have to worry that the paint will rust or wear out with the weather changes.
  2. Choose all painting gears (brushes, paint holder, plastic to cover the area, etc). Get some sandpaper if you will be sanding your piece before painting – you will need the correct texture, too. Don’t be afraid to ask the people at the paint shop for help if you don’t know about something.
  3. Clean your furniture and sand if necessary. I did not do any sanding for this chair since the primer and paint were going to do some great coverage. And it worked!!
  4. If you are priming first, then apply one or two coats of primer. Let the chair dry between each coat.
  5. Apply paint. I applied 2 coats of paint on this small chair to get this perfectly white finish. So far, the paint has not be coming off and the chair still looks brand new.
  6. I think I covered it all. Once paint has fully dried, simply style and use your small chair as needed. (I did not apply any sealer but that is always an option. I usually do whenever I paint something like decor (candle sticks, trays, glass jars, etc).

Note: When you are painting a small chair like this (or furniture), always start from the top and work downwards. The paint will be applied better plus it will prevent drips and spills from getting into what you have already painted. Here are the paint and primer I used.

Small Chair Makeover - Primer & Paint - At Home With Zan

Small Chair Makeover - White Paint - At Home With Zan

Chair Makeover - Black Chair

Here is the chair with primer. Since I did not do any sanding, I applied two coats of primer to get a good coverage of the black below.

Chair Makeover

Once the primer was dried, I applied two coats of paint and the chair was done (for the most part). I still had to do something about the metal parts at the bottom of the legs.

Small - Chair - Makeover - At Home With Zan -

And then I remembered I had a can of gold spray paint. I used painter’s tape to cover and protect the finished painted legs from getting sprayed with gold. Then I sprayed the legs and allowed them to dry. It’s a tiny detail but the legs look so cute with the gold accent.

Chair Makeover - Spray Painted - Gold
Painted Chair Legs - At Home with Zan

Small - Chair - Makeover - At Home With Zan -

Overall, I think the chair turned out really cute. I’m loving the smooth finish and the white would go with any kind of decor. I’m not quite sure where I want to use it yet since I’m still figuring out the set up of this house. But the chair currently sits in one corner of our little son’s room.

I hope my few painting tips helped a little if you are unsure about painting a small chair or small piece of furniture.

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How to Paint a Small Wooden Chair - Using Latex Paint - At Hme With Zan

Have you painted furniture using latex paint before? Do you have any painting small furniture tips you’ll like to add? Would love to hear about it!!

Affiliate links were used in this post. If you make a purchase through any of these links, I would receive a few pennies at no additional cost to you.

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